BajaNomad

to snorkel or not to snorkel

4x4abc - 5-30-2016 at 05:57 PM

Aussies won't leave their home without one
Overlanders carry them proud like an erect youknowwhat
seen them on commercial trucks, some military
but Baja racers (breathing more dirt than air) don't have them

what are the pros and cons?
feel free to add your religious perspective
rumors are welcome, too


willardguy - 5-30-2016 at 06:06 PM

lol.....shopvac hose and some duct tape!

El Jefe - 5-30-2016 at 06:11 PM

Awesome installation. Such fine workmanship.

Pros:
1. You will appear really macho driving a snorkeled rig around town where it lives 99% of the time.
2. It will give you enough confidence to cross that four foot deep flooded vado.
3. You can keep the motor running and the AC on when you are stuck in the San Felipe mud flats with the tide coming in.

Cons:
1. You will appear really macho driving a snorkeled rig around town where it lives 99% of the time.
2. It will give you enough confidence to cross that four foot deep flooded vado.
3. You can keep the motor running and the AC on when you are stuck in the San Felipe mud flats with the tide coming in.

RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
Heck with parting the Red Sea, with a long enough hose you can just drive across that bad boy.

[Edited on 5-31-2016 by El Jefe]

TMW - 5-30-2016 at 06:21 PM

I've never given a snorkel much thought. Probably because the only place I've ever driven where there was a deep water crossing was in what some call turtle canyon and others call Calamajue canyon. There use to be at least one deep crossing but the last couple of times I've been there the water was no more than a few inches deep

I went thru there in 2004 pre-running the Baja 1000 and water was over my front wheels on my 93 Toyota truck. Got me thinking what if for a moment. Another time in the same truck we came to the water crossing on the El Compadre trail just north of the Indian village near Ojo Negros. The water was deep and flowing very fast and when we saw a full size Ford truck standing up on the front end we turned around.

I've seen videos on YouTube where guys were driving almost under water. I don't think it's very smart to do that unless you don't really care about your vehicle.

If I lived in an area where crossing deep water was a way of life then I'd get one. I think some of the flooding back east it would be helpful.

AKgringo - 5-30-2016 at 06:56 PM

Even with the much simpler military vehicles that had fording kits, there is a lot more to it than adding a snorkel! With all the modern electronics and controls, fording kits are not practical for a vehicle you want to keep.

An argument could be made for keeping the air intake a little higher to reduce dust intake, but for street rigs, I think they are more ornamental than functional!

Edit; Forgot the religious part, "And on the eighth day, K&N created snorkels!"

[Edited on 5-31-2016 by AKgringo]

David K - 5-30-2016 at 07:42 PM

Toyota Tacoma owners who think they may cross water close to 18" deep ever: Perform the Rear Differential Breather Mod!

Our front diff has a true (two-way) breather located up high on a tube but the rear diff instead has a spring-loaded (one way) vent on the differential. This does not allow air to break a potential vacuum in the hot differential when you drive into cool water.

Water can be drawn into the diff through the axles... It happened to my nearly new Tacoma in 2010 when we crossed the bog near Mission Santa Marķa, twice! The diff oil gets a milky look when water contaminates it. I did the mod and never again have had water get into my dif.

Here is my photo-filled "how-to" (posted on Tacoma World forums): https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-differential-breather...

chuckie - 5-31-2016 at 02:12 AM

Is that a "Snorkel"? I don't think so, but it does get you back into the verbal action, eh? ME ME ME! ...

chuckie - 5-31-2016 at 04:19 AM

I have not much experience with "snorkels" but this unit has one which apparently is pretty functional. We talked about deep water crossings (they had been cruising around Alaska and Western Canada). He said that they had forded a stream that was deep enough that the bottom of the Truck box/cabin was covered. His concern at that point was not that the engine would quit but that they were beginning to be turned sideways as the rig tried to float. He smilingly commented that the decision to cross that stream was a "poor choice" Under the hood, a good number of wires and breakers had been routed high on the firewall, enclosed and smothered with gorilla snot. My German is poor and his English wasn't much better, but I am sure he said those circuits were for fuel pumps etc. It was of course a diesel....


bajatrailrider - 5-31-2016 at 07:08 AM

The only place a snorkel would help. If your driving off road,alone (No truck in front of you) It would keep air cleaner,a little more clean. More dust under hood,any dust in front of your snorkel useless. On our Baja bugs with air cleaner on carb,its plunged up in less then one hour. After relocating 1 foot above carb,out of dust from rear wheels. We are able to go for weeks.

4x4abc - 5-31-2016 at 07:42 AM

Quote: Originally posted by chuckie  
Is that a "Snorkel"? I don't think so, but it does get you back into the verbal action, eh? ME ME ME! ...


I simply rephrased a question from another member
Quote: Originally posted by willardguy  


well let me ask you this, do you believe snorkel's keep dust out?


and chuckie, next time you are in La Paz, let me buy you a beer (or two). We don't need more enemies (unless you an arms trader) - we need more peace.

TMW - 5-31-2016 at 07:48 AM

Nomad The Squarecircle (Roy) has a snorkel on his Land Rover. I don't know if he had it installed or it came with the vehicle.

David K - 5-31-2016 at 09:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
Nomad The Squarecircle (Roy) has a snorkel on his Land Rover. I don't know if he had it installed or it came with the vehicle.


Here is Roy and Blanche driving down then up the Widowmaker in May 2007 when the Land Rover was still fairly new:



willardguy - 5-31-2016 at 09:40 AM

IMO aesthetically these things just reek of grocery getter (hummer3 on 22's) sounds like unless you'll be crossing some deep water, leave the snorkel home with the K&N!

[Edited on 5-31-2016 by willardguy]

StuckSucks - 5-31-2016 at 10:21 AM

Let's apply a little logic. Do you live in Baja or the Southwest US where where you don't find a lot of deep standing water? And if you're driving in said Baja or SW US and you come across a 6' deep water flow, are you going to consider crossing that water now that you're sporting a snorkel?

I endorse a snorkel if you're driving in the Australian Outback or down a muddy road in Alabama. But in drought-land? Seems like a no-brainer.

Barry A. - 5-31-2016 at 10:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
Let's apply a little logic. Do you live in Baja or the Southwest US where where you don't find a lot of deep standing water? And if you're driving in said Baja or SW US and you come across a 6' deep water flow, are you going to consider crossing that water now that you're sporting a snorkel?

I endorse a snorkel if you're driving in the Australian Outback or down a muddy road in Alabama. But in drought-land? Seems like a no-brainer.


------besides, in our beloved SW USA and Mex. deserts, we KNOW that if you wait a few hours the "flood" will most likely dissipate and you can go on your way. (Texas excluded, lately)

TMW - 5-31-2016 at 11:43 AM

Here is Roy's SUV in Jan. this year with a snorkel.



Here is a better one fron Jan. 2015.





[Edited on 5-31-2016 by TMW]

David K - 5-31-2016 at 11:48 AM

So that, and the largest tires he can fit on it are a couple of his after-market mods...

chuckie - 5-31-2016 at 12:16 PM

Do they come in colors?

4x4abc - 5-31-2016 at 12:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chuckie  
Do they come in colors?


like all senior overlanders despise tall and wide tires (skinny or nothing) - they can imagine snorkels in all colors - as long as they are black.

chuckie - 6-1-2016 at 02:28 AM

I am out of cigars...

Emerson - 6-1-2016 at 09:41 AM

In my case (FZJ80) I installed one for cooler air; some engine configurations may get hotter than others; I've measured more than 30 degree difference intake air temperature before and after; got the data from the DashCommand OBD2 scanner.

I case of very silty and dusty roads; i just flip the top intake backwards, very seldom BTW.

The subjective "cool" factor is a secondary pro/con.

BooJumMan - 6-2-2016 at 03:29 PM

FZJ80 here as well and have one. I used to cross a river every trip in Central Baja every year until about 10 years ago. It has been bone dry for quite some time. Waiting for the storm that breaks through. ;) It does help as a cold air intake.

chuckie - 6-2-2016 at 04:23 PM

That makes sense to me...Better than some of the heat boxes they sell as CAI's....Cold air is good...

BajaBreak - 6-7-2016 at 09:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by chuckie  
That makes sense to me...Better than some of the heat boxes they sell as CAI's....Cold air is good...


Living in Los Angeles I cringe when I see one. Maybe 1 in 100 times I've thought the vehicle may have seen or would see water.

That being said, i do like the idea of pulling air outside the engine compartment, because i have a midsize dodge with a v8, so it gets rather heat soaked in there. I'd like to make something i could easily extend with water bottles and duct tape, for those rare minutes i may actually want a snorkel. Make that tecate cans and tin snips if we're talking about crossing Mexican waters .

motoged - 6-7-2016 at 10:11 AM

Snorkles......essential mod for poseurs :rolleyes:

chuckie - 6-7-2016 at 10:26 AM

Prevalent on incredibly clean Land Rovers....

StuckSucks - 6-7-2016 at 11:46 AM

Quote: Originally posted by motoged  
Snorkles......essential mod for poseurs :rolleyes:


Quote: Originally posted by chuckie  
Prevalent on incredibly clean Land Rovers....


Could not have been said better.

4x4abc - 6-7-2016 at 12:23 PM

the entire 4x4 field is like a bunch of 13 year olds rambling about sex - a lot of enthusiasm, no knowledge.

And then there a few older guys who know. But they decided to sell junk to the kids.

TMW - 6-11-2016 at 11:03 AM

Just in time for DavidK.

AKgringo - 6-11-2016 at 11:13 AM

I have been playing with the idea of running the air intake to inside the cab, near the steering wheel. That way I can quickly do some rescue breathing when my Kia starts to choke. And yes, I said when, not if!

chuckie - 6-11-2016 at 12:51 PM

Mine will go as close to my dogs butt as I can get it without surgery....How is that cute thing for the Takoma going to keep snow out? looks to me like it is a gatherer of such....

David K - 6-11-2016 at 04:17 PM

No thanks TW.

mtgoat666 - 6-11-2016 at 08:19 PM

Which looks more stupid on a 4x4, snorkel or testicles?

Frigatebird - 6-11-2016 at 09:49 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chuckie  
....How is that cute thing for the Takoma going to keep snow out? looks to me like it is a gatherer of such....

Just spin the top intake around, or drive in reverse. :smug:

bajabuddha - 6-11-2016 at 10:02 PM

No one'th mentioned the $800 added expenthe of rear-leaf airbagth and comprethor inthtallation to carry thothe mathive juevothe that grow from having a thnorkel thticking out of the thide of your thuper big Thtud-Mobile. * Inthert Tim Allen Grunt here.* :dudette:

BajaBreak - 6-13-2016 at 07:10 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
I have been playing with the idea of running the air intake to inside the cab, near the steering wheel. That way I can quickly do some rescue breathing when my Kia starts to choke. And yes, I said when, not if!


My brother did that with his race truck years ago. Ran ductung from the manifold to a cone filter. Was very effective, but rather loud inside.

As for all the other posts between the above and mine, you are all hilarious! Thank you for that, I needed a good laugh!

BajaBreak - 6-13-2016 at 12:46 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Which looks more stupid on a 4x4, snorkel or testicles?


The snorkel adds more of a blind spot also, so it gets extra stupid points.

Really someone needs to develop a snorkel with testicles attached to the base. That would really make a nice package for those 'hardcore off-roadewrs' in need of ego supplementation.

Ken Cooke - 7-9-2016 at 04:17 PM

I thought about having one installed on my Jeep after crossing the swamp on the Mission Impossible Trail in 2008. I drove into the swamp in 2WD and being that the Jeep is fully manual, I could not shift into 4LO. My engine stalled eventually after hitting some mud, and I was completely stuck. Opening the hood of my Jeep, water from the swamp was just inches below my CAI.

4x4abc - 7-9-2016 at 10:01 PM

why would anyone after leaving pavement chose 2WD?

willardguy - 7-9-2016 at 10:05 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
why would anyone after leaving pavement chose 2WD?


you want to get somewhere fast? check with the SCORE or LOORRS boys;)

Ken Cooke - 7-9-2016 at 11:07 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
why would anyone after leaving pavement chose 2WD?


Because my 4:1 transfer case is super low, and before I hit a tree root, I was most of the way through the Swamp.