Snorkels and heavy snow?

[flyingwil]

Wil, yes I got the snorkel on, thanks! Not too many problems. I just hope I put enough goop around everything to seal it up, it's kinda hard to see. And I had to remove one of my Canada flag decals on my fender which was surprisingly hard to get off. $60 brokerage charge from UPS. :ar15: Bastids.

What a gip, and loosing the flag too. You have any pics?

 

[Backroad Explorer]

I had a Safari Snorkel on my "89" ExPo Suburban at 8000' in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Calif. We would get up to 60 M.P.H. winds at least once a week during the winter at our house and not once did I have any problems with performance or ingestion of snow in my snorkel with it facing foward. It was on my Burb for 6 years no problems. Hope this Help's.

 

[Willman]

No problems here!

:ylsmoke:

 

[Z O O R O P A]

I'm still unsure what a safari snorkel does for gas engines?

I understand a diesel increases wading depth but a gas engine has far more electronics in most cases and ways for H2O to get in. I suppose in dusty conditions in might help . . . anyone have insight into this?

very cool discussion by the way!

 

[SOAZ]

I'm still unsure what a safari snorkel does for gas engines?

I understand a diesel increases wading depth but a gas engine has far more electronics in most cases and ways for H2O to get in. I suppose in dusty conditions in might help . . . anyone have insight into this?

very cool discussion by the way!

First of all I don't have a snorkel on my gas engine, but here is what I think it can help with.
I have forded a couple rivers where the water/mud flowed into the intake and got the air filter all muddy and wet. To me this means that I was very close to hydrolocking my engine and having a very bad day. I was thinking of adding a snorkel for this reason.
I think this was one of the rivers. We had to cross it to get home too or I wouldn't have. I don't have fun risking my baby lulu. (thats the truck)
I was also going to get a pre-cleaner from a place like donaldson. That way the cleaner will serve its primary focus for me; to get the sand and dirt out of the air before getting to the air filter.

 

[SOAZ]

There is a reason the Eskimos have so many different words for snow.

A wet snow is not going to blow into the snorkel, however a dry snow in a heavy wind will find its way into everything. I would cover the snorkel intake, unless it is a heavy wet snow.

I bet in really dry snow this would still get snow in it to some degree, but I think it would solve some of the other issues with the snorkel type with the big opening.
Plus, many of us drive in dusty conditions which the normal snorkel doesn't do a great job with. This one should filter out the big chunks. What does everyone think about this type of prefilter. I'm not sure why everyone doesn't use these. I only occasionally see them.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I'm still unsure what a safari snorkel does for gas engines?

I understand a diesel increases wading depth but a gas engine has far more electronics in most cases and ways for H2O to get in. I suppose in dusty conditions in might help . . . anyone have insight into this?

very cool discussion by the way!

There are a couple of ExPo threads that detail the merits in depth, but I'll give you the cliffnotes version. You don't finish your water-fording protection by installing the snorkel. Distributors, ECM's, axles, trannies and t-cases amongst other things need to be high vented or sealed. In the case of Toyota, the distributors on many gas models (such as the 2F/3F setup) has an o-ring sealed dizzy. So keep the computer dry and it can and has been proven to run under water. In the case of a Tacoma, the stock air intake is just a few inches above the passenger front tire, it doesn't take truly deep water to soak your air cleaner and start causing ignition woes. Again, water protection isn't a 1 stop job, the snorkel is in many cases the easiest part.

 

[Backroad Explorer]

How about the cold air intake side of a snorkel. Like the K&N systems. I gained about 5% mileage increase on my Samurai when I built my snorkel. Tested over several tanks of fuel with and without snorkel hooked up.

 

[OldSven]

Haven't had a problem yet with snow making it down the tube. After a trip to the dunes this past fall somehow full size moths, and other critters made all the way to the filter in-tact

 

[Z O O R O P A]

thank you for the explanation!

That makes perfect sense

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I'm still unsure what a safari snorkel does for gas engines?

I understand a diesel increases wading depth but a gas engine has far more electronics in most cases and ways for H2O to get in. I suppose in dusty conditions in might help . . . anyone have insight into this?

very cool discussion by the way!

The vulnerabilities of electronics are very exaggerated. At least when talking about late model vehicles. I've already had mine in water depth approaching that of the factory air intake. I didn't have any problems, but I sure wasn't having fun waiting for just one unseen hole to dip the air intake below the water level and ruin my engine. And this was with ZERO preparation done to the electronics:

The snorkel is the first line of defense again catastrophic engine damage. It's as simple as that.

 

[xcmountain80]

Haven't had a problem yet with snow making it down the tube. After a trip to the dunes this past fall somehow full size moths, and other critters made all the way to the filter in-tact

Oh F-bomb that, I'll ski in powder but driving.... well at least it warmer.

Aaron

 

[OldSven]

Oh F-bomb that, I'll ski in powder but driving.... well at least it warmer.

Aaron

Powder is a blast to wheel in, it's the "end of the season" snow/ice that is tuff:cow:

 

[xcmountain80]

Yeah come to think of it I guess the same goes for skiing ice and slush aren't fun.

Aaron

 

[Wasatch]

Just wanted to bump this ancient thread. Anyone have updated experiences with their snorkels during heavy snowfall?