[MADMANx511]

Hey all,

Money's a tad tight at the moment, but I still have the urge to start modding my Vitara. I've been seeing a few nice custom steel snorkel jobs around and was wondering if it'd be best if I just built my snorkel rather than spend $300+ on a brand-name one?

Cheers.

[also76]

mate who has a jimny built his out of stainless. looks awesome, not to sure what it cost him tho, it wasnt actually that cheap in the end.

another guy made one from PVC pipe from bunnings. painted black looks awesome, light weight and does the job..

i was heading to stainless but after seeing the PVC job for like $60 ! thats what ima do

[alien]

IMO unless you're doing lots of water crossings just avoid a snorkel at all costs... theyre ugly and suck in more dust than the regular intake.

i only got mine (bought) after having a few close calls. i also run the snorkel head backwards which has helped keep my air filter far cleaner, but still dustier than it was pre-snorkel.

if you were to get one, i'd go bought over built. the fit and finish is far nicer, and in general the durability is also better.

[2stroker]

I agree with alien

[Lokidog]

Straight off the bat, Alien's answer is one of the most sensible answers on here for a while. If you don't really need it, don't do it.

[SSSIERA]

i like aliens idear, and i was gona do one but decided against it after seeing how much sierras love water ( i hate getting wet feet), BUT if you were to do it. ive heard that if ya go into any decent privatly owned exaust shop late on a friday afternoon with a fresh cold carton. it can create a perswasive situation!

mate got one made from three inch stainless exasute pipe by doing that!

but keep in mind that 4wding in water and tight budgets dont work well together!

[SierraDan]

SSSIERA wrote:

ive heard that if ya go into any decent privately owned exhaust shop late on a friday afternoon with a fresh cold carton. it can create a persuasive situation!

Cash works better.

[Gwagensteve]

I think the trend towards stainless pipe snorkels has been influenced by comp cars that run 4" snorkels. They run these because 3" pipe is too restrictive for their application.

That's not a problem for us.

I'd go off the shelf unless you like your car looking rough and hacky - because that's what I reckon pipe snorkels say. (And I've made them)

Alien hits the nail on the head though - Are you sure you need one? I don't run a snorkel and my car probably spends as much time in deep holes as many. My ignition gets wet well before my intake starts pulling water.

Steve.

[shep]

my air filter looks like new and it is at least 60000km old with most of that being either
in the bush or on dirt roads.
in my opinion nothing is better on the intake side of ya motor then the factory airbox
with a snorkel and a Donaldson precleaner.

[royce]

pipe snorkels are double ugly on a vit because of the shape of the guard, its not a slab like a sierra

you can get knock of ones on ebay but like everyone else dont worry about it till you are getting into that sort of terrain

on a carby vit ive seen the intake run into the steel panel under the heater intake at the back of the bonnet, not as water crossing proof but gives you the cold air part

[got_bar_work]

Yesterday i found out there a pain and get hooked on vines and stuff but is good to hold my winch rope tight when I throw it in the ps window so I don't have to role it back in
I made mine

[MADMANx511]

Hmm... Thnaks guys. At the time of typing this post I had had a tad to drink. I have never been offroad before lol.

I actually like the looks of snorkels, so maybe in 6 months I'll get a genuine Safari one.

Cheers.

[RIKSTR]

Which looks better????





Mine didn't get hooked up on much because it was the right height but if you drive on over grown tracks it is something to consider.

I also got sick of pulling grasshoppers and other huge bugs out of my airbox.

The next one I get will have a pre filter, even just a unifilter sock will be better than nothing

[Gwagensteve]

shep wrote:

my air filter looks like new and it is at least 60000km ...(because of a) Donaldson precleaner.

That's the key - and you don't have to run a snorkel to run a pre cleaner - there's no reason you can't run one under bonnet. (provided there is room - and in a sierra with a relocated battery, there is.

Lamborghini ran twin donaldson pre cleaners under bonnet on the LM002.



Just saying there's more than one way to skin a cat. If you need a snorkel, you need a snorkel, but very few people who run them need them IMHO.

Steve.

[alien]

LM002 were a funky-ass 4wd too =)



Didnt they have a v12 or something ridiculous from the countache?

[Gwagensteve]

Yep. 5.3 Litre V12.

Not actually all that expensive to buy now (not that I'm aware of any in Australia) but VERY expensive to keep running.
Also had some weirdness like freewheeling hubs that required a tool to engage etc.

They were a development of the Cheetah program which was Chrysler's tender for the replacement for the M151 Mutt (which was won by the AM General HMMWV.) Chrysler had a controlling interest in Lamborghini at the time IIRC.

The military versions ran 318 or 360 Chrysler V8's from memory. Rear engined. Spooky handling I think was the biggest problem with them. The LM002 is front engined.

[royce]

is there a cyclone style pre cleaner that isnt designed as an open intake?

I would think anywhere I could get one in the vit (and would like to due to teh crappy stock air filter) would reduce my water forwarding height a fair bit, if I could run a short intake pipe off it it would help a lot

[laurie]

sheps reason is why i fitted a snorkel. just to fit a donaldson pre cleaner
i expect to make savings in air filters that pays for the snorkel over time.
having twin batteries i have no room under the bonnet
.
royce mod a dyson ?

[royce]

laurie wrote:

royce mod a dyson ?

Ha ha I was just htinking then I could mod a donaldson insto a dyson, be cheaper

[BlueSuzy]

the Donaldsons are cheap! I was expecting them to be dearer. $50 on ebay..

Would there be a way to run them under the bonnet, still with a snorkel?

[Gwagensteve]

Like what Royce was saying... Maybe, if you put it in a sealed box, or shrouded the intake off and ran it to a pipe. Lots work to keep sealed though.

I think if I was going to run a donaldson and a snorkel though, I'd just put it on the top of the snorkel.

Steve

[shep]

BlueSuzy wrote:

the Donaldsons are cheap! I was expecting them to be dearer. $50 on ebay..

Would there be a way to run them under the bonnet, still with a snorkel?

go to a truck shop cos the ones the same size as a sierra's intake costs 28.50 in katherine.

wildcat spares are the go if ya have one nearby.

[BlueSuzy]

Thats as much as a vit v6 airfilter! Bargain!

Only thing that turns me off is the look of them. I know is designed for a purpose, and its a 4wd so i shouldnt worry, but i would have to hide it.

I've seen Lauries and the results in the bowl.

[Boneheimer]

So I had a quick search, and read that none of the Donaldson air filters are air/water tight, so im guessing that running a snorkel and one of those filters is kinda moot, unless the snorkel is to try and reduce dust intake???

Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong, or if there is a watertight model for this purpose...

[BlueSuzy]

^ im confused.

In your avatar, Your snorkel isnt air and water tight.

Light water in air is no problem to motors. Its the solid flow of water thats the problem.

[Boneheimer]

< That was when I bought the car, not sure if it was watertight because I pulled it apart before testing it.

Obviously the aim of a snorkel is to allow for airflow without any water intake, all I am saying is that if you put one in under your hood wouldn't you be susceptible to water intake - thus defeating the purpose of having a sealed intake system?

I also only realised this morning that there are snorkel mounted pre-cleaners that sort of make everything I have said pointless...

[BlueSuzy]

Boneheimer wrote:

Obviously the aim of a snorkel is to allow for airflow without any water intake, all I am saying is that if you put one in under your hood wouldn't you be susceptible to water intake - thus defeating the purpose of having a sealed intake system?

It will still be a *pre* filter with catching the big stuff to see in the bowl, its as easy as emptying a bagless vaccum, Then use your existing normal filter also

It wont be anymore susceptible to water intake that a standard intake.

But now i have another idea.

[Hybrid]

Could you run a precleaner on the bonnet as a kind of compromise between a snorkel and the stock intake? I mean it raises the intake point above the bonnet which is well and truly as deep as most would be game to venture. It would be a pain having to unbolt every time you want to raise the bonnet but it might be possible to make a seal that allows it to be bolted on to the bonnet permanently.

[Gwagensteve]

Search for "trolley tug" in the members section. It has exactly the setup you are describing. It was a pain to unbolt every time, so we have attached the Donaldson to the bonnet and the intake seals to the bonnet.

Steve

I'm on my phone ATM. I'll post a photo tonight.

[squibby]

BlueSuzy wrote:

^ im confused.

In your avatar, Your snorkel isnt air and water tight.

Light water in air is no problem to motors. Its the solid flow of water thats the problem.

Finally someone agrees with me. I'v been trying to explain to a mate of mine that rain down the snorkel isn't going to affect the motor unless it's some kind of torrential monsoon. I'm finding a lo tof dust is still being collected by my snorkel, I'll be needing a pre-clear I think or my filters ain't going to last very long.