TJM Airtec Snorkel purchase and install

[pfran42]

Hmmm...maybe a "reed valve" could easily be fashioned from a thin piece of plastic glued to the bottom of the hole in the air box (one side glued to act as the hinge). Water (and dust), at least any significant amount, wouldn't be able to enter but water would be able to escape.

Its not like I am ever going to be in water that deep, but it does make me think that a simple hole drilled in the snorkel body would be very easy to access and plug before crossing rivers and the like. I am starting to like my idea a little more.

I don't remember seeing it on the NA spec airbox but this is where one (out of 2) of them is located on the cyclonic air box.

Yeah, that was the only air box one-way valve that I was aware of. If my memory serves me correctly, these collect the dust from the cyclonic action of the non-NA spec'd circular filters. You just open it up every one in a while and purge the dirt, thus saving a lot of wear on your paper air filter.

 

[hoser]

Is that what a one-way duck valve looks like?!
I have been wondering about that. Can it be seen from above/below the engine or does one need to pull the airbox to look underneath?

That valve pictured is the underside of the tubing that goes through to the inside fender. It can be seen from the engine compartment.

Yeah, that was the only air box one-way valve that I was aware of. If my memory serves me correctly, these collect the dust from the cyclonic action of the non-NA spec'd circular filters. You just open it up every one in a while and purge the dirt, thus saving a lot of wear on your paper air filter.

It does hold dust as the name implies but I think this valve is self draining when it comes to water. There is actually another version that uHu posted in the same thread.

 

[paflytyer]

Ok, unless I am missing a part, our air boxes do not have a one-way valve. What I found was a plastic cap with a hole in it. You can even see the paint of the fender well in the hole of the cap. It would take a long water crossing, but our fancy snorkels would be rendered useless in prolonged deep water. Does anyone know if there is a replacement part for the "plug" we have at the bottom of the air box?



In case you were wondering what got me started on all of this, I ran across a thread while researching the water fording abilities of TJM snorkels:

TJM / Airtec Snorkel - Australia4WD Forum

I posted that same article a few weeks ago. It's one of the reasons I held off on the snorkel for the group buy. Obviously there isn't a problem with the design since so many people are running them, without issues I guess? But, how many people are running them in hood deep water without issues?
How about going uphill in heavy rain or snow? That Australia Forum was the only one I could find where people had problems with water ingestion. What gives?

 

[pfran42]

I posted that same article a few weeks ago. It's one of the reasons I held off on the snorkel for the group buy. Obviously there isn't a problem with the design since so many people are running them, without issues I guess? But, how many people are running them in hood deep water without issues?
How about going uphill in heavy rain or snow? That Australia Forum was the only one I could find where people had problems with water ingestion. What gives?

I think the chances of me (and most people) traversing water deep enough to allow water ingress from the air box is extremely slim. For me it is all about keeping the air filter clean. I seem to get a lot of mud on the vehicle and that mud gets up into the dead air space between the passenger fender and the engine bay sheet metal (precisely where the OEM system sucks it's air from). I was noticing that my air filters were filthy at 3k intervals. With the snorkel used primarily for an intake, I run less restricted and can run that way for longer intervals.

Now that I view the mod as an engine breathing alteration instead of a water forging one, my primary focus is to keep that path as dry as possible (from water coming in from the top). I am looking for an option that does not involve me popping the hood and removing the air filter every time I want to check on the system or if I happen to be in a situation where I may encounter deep water.

I think that drilling a smallish hole in the location I eluded to in my previous post and leaving it open would ensure that any substantial water entering through the top will exit through the newly created drain. Now, when I get into a situation where the snorkel's primary job becomes protecting the air box from deep water, I could simply reach into my glove box, grab a plug and seal the snorkel.

To be fair, none of what we are discussing is going to affect 99.9% of us. I just want to be fully educated on exactly what is going on with regards to airflow, water tightness, water breach mitigation, and emergency protocol. I mean it wouldn't be any fun if we purchased all this stuff and it worked 100% as intended now would it?

 

[2000UZJ]

I have filled my airbox to the brim with water (soaked air filter etc) and it drained out relatively quick. I ruined the filter but was able to drive home several hours with the filter (after drying it with heat inside best I could). I would not be worried about a little water getting in the snorkel head, I would keep it the way it came and not worry about it.

 

[pfran42]

I have filled my airbox to the brim with water (soaked air filter etc) and it drained out relatively quick. I ruined the filter but was able to drive home several hours with the filter (after drying it with heat inside best I could). I would not be worried about a little water getting in the snorkel head, I would keep it the way it came and not worry about it.

I wouldn't have to pull my air filter and let it dry for several hours if I implemented my idea.

Btw, did you pick up some new automobiles that I don't know about?

 

[2000UZJ]

I wouldn't have to pull my air filter and let it dry for several hours if I implemented my idea.

Btw, did you pick up some new automobiles that I don't know about?

Just automobiles that you have not seen. Don't drill a hole in the bottom, see what happens tomorrow when it rains. Supposed to get 2" of rain. Throw a flashlight and your gopro HD camera in the air box and go drive on I-75. Review footage later and see what it does in there while driving.

 

[pfran42]

Just automobiles that you have not seen. Don't drill a hole in the bottom, see what happens tomorrow when it rains. Supposed to get 2" of rain.

Not sure I can get any good real-world testing tomorrow. Here is a likely case that justifies the drain. An 8 hour drive to FL where it rains heavily for 6 hours. You are cruising steadily at 75-85 mph. The snorkel is acting as a ram intake. You have the little plastic cap inside the air box completely sealed off b/c you don't want fumble around under the hood removing it and inserting a water tight plug right before you cross a wide and deep river (at some other point in the future). Instead, you are relying on the drilled drain on the snorkel to keep water out of the air box. If you should encounter a washed out road during your 8 hr drive to FL, you plug the hole, cross the deep water, pull the plug and resume your trip.

Good idea on the GoPro...

 

[paflytyer]

I wouldn't have to pull my air filter and let it dry for several hours if I implemented my idea.

Would one small hole really let the water drain out? I would think that the snorkel body would act as vacuum while you were driving down the interstate and no water would be allowed to escape. No?

 

[ENGINE er]

I've got another 3 hr drive in thunderstorms tomorrow. It wasn't a problem before and I don't see it being one now.

Drilling a hole in an air box I see as a failure point.

Forget to plug it.
Plug falls out
Plug doesn't seal

I think adding a plug is Tinkering with no measurable upside, and a few potential downsides.

Now, a manual valve at the end of an easily accessible hose that is weatherproof, now that's something I could get behind as a possible solution to this so far unproven problem.

Paflyter: with the large area of the air box the engine isn't pulling enough of a vacuume to keep the air box from draining.

 

[pfran42]

I've got another 3 hr drive in thunderstorms tomorrow. It wasn't a problem before and I don't see it being one now.

Drilling a hole in an air box I see as a failure point.

Forget to plug it.
Plug falls out
Plug doesn't seal

I think adding a plug is Tinkering with no measurable upside, and a few potential downsides.

Now, a manual valve at the end of an easily accessible hose that is weatherproof, now that's something I could get behind as a possible solution to this so far unproven problem.

Paflyter: with the large area of the air box the engine isn't pulling enough of a vacuume to keep the air box from draining.

I would not drill a hole in the air box, it would be on the outside bottom portion of the snorkel. This portion sits below the pass-through tube to the inner fender. I would then seal the flimsy cap that has a hole in it, located in my air box. The way things stand now, I have to remember to seal that hole if I ever have to cross deep water. Once it is sealed, I have to remember to unseal it if I want any water ingress from rain to drain out. To me it looks like sealing the air box and drilling a hole in the snorkel makes things easier to configure as well as easier to inspect.

Like I said before, this is not a critical mod that must be made or my truck is going to explode. I am just presenting research, evidence, theory and speculation so that we can be better informed as to the exact workings of the TJM/Airtec snorkel system.

 

[paflytyer]

Paflyter: with the large area of the air box the engine isn't pulling enough of a vacuume to keep the air box from draining.

I understand that. Take a look at the pic pfran posted and the location of the hole he is talking about. I don't think water would drain from that hole while driving in a heavy rain.

 

[pfran42]

I understand that. Take a look at the pic pfran posted and the location of the hole he is talking about. I don't think water would drain from that hole while driving in a heavy rain.

Why not? That is a relatively large dead space zone. Any water flowing down would collect there first before making it's way through the pass-through tube which sits about 1/2 - 3/4" higher than that location.

Here is the part that goes into the fender for reference:

 

[paflytyer]

Wouldn't one small hole right there create a vacuum that would pull air in as opposed to let water out?
There's got to be a reason why there aren't any snorkels with a hole on the bottom side of the snorkel body.

 

[pfran42]

Wouldn't one small hole right there create a vacuum that would pull air in as opposed to let water out?
There's got to be a reason why no snorkels have a hole on the bottom side of the snorkel body.

I think the reason is b/c 99.9% of snorkels on the market have the detachable intake mount (that removes water) like I posted earlier. Also, these traditionally are mounted worldwide on 100s/105s with the circular air boxes that have the duck-billed one-way water escape valves.

Also, this design is very different on the intake side of things. On the older models , you could rotate the intake head backwards as to not have rain hitting it head-on. The intake itself was angled downward which reduced the amount of water that could enter the tube.

The combination of this specific ram air model and the US-spec'd air box without a one-way valve is undoubtedly very rare in the larger scheme of things.

I mean how many US-spec'd 100s have the newer model TJM Airtec ram air snorkels?...50?...100?

 

[ckkone]

Wow, all this talk about something that is not even an issue....

 

[pfran42]

Wow, all this talk about something that is not even an issue....

I dunno. I think there was some knowledge gained. I bet most people did not know that their NA-spec'd air boxes were not sealed.

But overall, you are right. It is not really that big of an issue.

 

[Sverige]

Okay, that answers half my question. Some water down the intake from a carwash pressure spray probably won't be an issue. The other part of my question, any concerns that the snorkel itself would get knocked loose or ripped off by the brushes slapping the car? I'm specifically asking about the brush carwashes because those are the most common in my area.
Thx!

 

[Sverige]

Has anyone here run their truck through a brush carwash with the TJM?

 

[PhrogsPhorever]

Has anyone here run their truck through a brush carwash with the TJM?

You actually wash your truck?

The snorkel is on there pretty good if you mount it properly, I don't think a brush style car wash would do anything. Maybe the octopus style car washes The weak part would be the door jam mount. If that concerns you, then ditch the self tapping screws and replace them with rivnuts, they will be stronger than a screw in sheet metal.