Q/help with ebay snorkel install - doesnt look right

[cruzerDave]

Got an ebay snorkel for my FJ62 for Christmas and started installing, not looking right. This is the one from Malaysia - looks real nice, template seemed perfect (and I followed it exactly-cutting a big hole makes you do that but the snorkel molded shape is not matching up with the truck's fenders really at all...

Can anyone with an ebay snorkel on a 62 please take a look at theirs from these angles and tell me if it needs to shift up, down, left or right? Or is this just how it's going to be?

from underneath by pass door:

in order for the a-pillar bracket to line up it needs to sit about here, note gap where it bends:

side view:

thanks!

 

[niffa]

Yea thats as good as mine sits too. Same ebay snorkel, i can handle the look simply because i wasnt ever going to pay 500 bucks for a safari snorkel. Youll get used to it

 

[MANUCHAO]

Only OCD'er would notice it... mine is the same...

 

[skidplate]

Looking at that last pic. will your door open?

 

[cruzerDave]

Niffa, thanks for the feedback.
Manuchao - I prob won't notice later but right now when I am drilling holes, well, VERY OCD yes And annoying thing is it's molded as if it should sit flush, just not doing so...
Skidplate, yes one of my first thoughts too, but because of the way the hinges work tons of space

So anyone else have one and can confirm that this is just what you get for $150? (or for that matter, do the $500 ones really fit flush everywhere?)

 

[mongoose2231]

Yeah, the safari does fit flush everywhere. The Chinese-eries are so crappy in general that I swore never to buy anything made in China. Albeit, that will be a challenge in its own....
By the way, I have a safari snorkel that I took off of my parts 60 and it fit perfectly

 

[MANUCHAO]

so i took pics of this Safary snorkel and the fit to that of a Chinese made is the same... at least on this one it looks t be....

and no the door does not hit the snorkel when it opens it is just an optical illusion

 

[Crick60]

Those Malaysian snorkels are a direct ripoff of the safari mold and they're virtually identical, I've had both and installed many. The plastic on the Malay is not as good quality as or finish as the safari but it's still HDPE and UV stabilised so you really can't got too far wrong.

The fit can be adjusted to site down and back a little from your photos but it's all cosmetics. So long as you seal it properly with a marine or vehicle sikaflex she'll be right, have fun with the body mounts especially the one closest to the door its a real PITA!!!
I have a step drill and steel hole saw specifically for snorkels and they always work out fine.

 

[Davaa]

did you get it in the US or shipped from malaysia/china?

 

[cruzerDave]

Thanks for the pics Manuchao - it *does* look identical - I couldn't understand how a ripoff hadn't been able to just copy an existing design - this makes more sense.

I bought mine from jdm-motorsports on ebay - shipped from Malaysia. Shipped quick too, couple days. Was it worth $150? Yes. Because the $350 I would've spent on an 'authentic' snorkel bought me Hella amber fog lights, Hella offroad-only lights for my rack, 4 work lights also for the rack, 3 LED etched toggle switches labeled with 'Zombie',' Bigfoot', and 'Landing Lights', plus a fuse block and a relay block. No contest.

Installation tips - as mentioned elsewhere, skip the bolt closest to the door - no need. Skip the rivets and go buy stainless steel sheet metal screws at Ace or Lowes. Don't skimp on the holesaw. I tried to go with the recommended 3 3/4 (95mm) but it cost $50 AND required a 1/2" drill, but I only had a couple 3/8" drills and was not about to buy a new drill or go through the hassle of renting one for one stinking hole. I found a 3.25 that worked on my 3/8 drill and as the pipe was about that, thought it would be no biggie to just grind out a bit larger. WRONG. I neglected to measure the hose ON the snorkel which needed that 3.75".... sigh- that made for a LOT of grinding. And don't even THINK about trying to put the hose on the snorkel after it is through the fender unless you're more of a contortionist than I (used to) consider myself. Nightmare. I got the clamp on after it was through the fender tho, so that was something. As for the other end, do yourself the favor and pull the battery - gives access to another hole for your hands. Also recommend thread-locker - buy when you're getting the screws.

So would I do it again? Heck yeah

Now I need to figure out where those 'breather hoses' are and how to extend them

 

[landcruiserjunky]

It's nice to see a write-up on these.