First objective was filtered air in a serviceable water tight canister. There were not many aftermarket options for canisters; those that were available blew the budget. I went to a local auto store and opened all the K&N filters boxes... I found a desirable K&N filter I wanted and combined it with a Stainless Steel Paint. The two were a perfect match, almost more than a coincidence I feel. (Fig 2) Just these two parts alone could run independently of everything else in case of severe snorkel damage from a roll-over or fire. Built in redundancy!


(Fig 2 – Filter applied and roughed-in for fit)

I found 8 clips, which were bolted to the side with lock-nuts and lok-tite. A dried RTV Bead on the opening provided a permanent reusable gasket. The elbow is ABS, and the OEM rubber collar connected it to the Throttle Body. A hole was tapped on the Elbow to allow filtered Crank-case ventilation. (Fig 3) The face (bottom of the can) was reinforced with a layer of sheet metal and RTV for impact strength due foreign objects projected by the fan. Several layers of paint were applied inside, and out, to inhibit rust from forming.

(Fig 3 – Canister Assembled)

Second Objective was to figure out materials involved to connect all this. Choosing a poor material might be hazardous to the engine should it fail. Aluminum, Copper, Rubber, PVC, and ABS were all considered. Of all these materials, I found PVC to be the most dangerous. UV damage, and thin walls simply make it unusable. In the right conditions, would warp from heat. In about a year it would shatter/crack because of exposure to outdoor conditions. Aluminum/Copper was a good choice, but difficult to work with and not very impact resistant unless it was thick, it maybe used in a second generation snorkel rebuild. (Fig 4) ABS was a great choice because of the ruggedness, and all weather spec, it was also widely available. Rubber was also used to allow for engine movement and vibration. 2.5” was a good size after examining other snorkel systems with larger engines. V-8’s can comfortably get away with 3” system provided there is no back pressure.

(Fig 4 – Canister Installed)

After assembling the canister, it was obvious where I would need to route the system. Originally, I had conceived the idea of routing into the cab and out in front of the windshield. But I really disliked the idea of trying to make that a clean seal from rain/snow. I also considered just drawing cabin air, but found this to be a very dangerous idea should the engine malfunction and backfire. So I chose to route it to the side, traditional I guess. However, the Charcoal-Gas evaporator canister was in the way. It was relocated to the lower battery tray, and to my surprise, no additional hardware was required to do so, the hoses and wires fell into place. It was another perfect fit. (Fig 5) You can see the evap sits snug below the clutch reservoir and uses otherwise wasted space.

(Fig 5 – Evap Relocated)

Now it was obvious where the system would need to go outside. This is more painful than it looks and reminds you that you’re committed to the project. (Fig 6) If you have second thoughts, a Club sticker could cover this. Using Masking tape minimized paint damage.


(Fig 6 – Hole Saw Carnage)

I found Roof Flashing in Home depot makes a perfect Bevel cover. Objective 3 was looking good.


(Fig 7- Rubber Flashing)

Routing it up the side wasn’t a problem, securing it might have been. Again, looked around and found a product called Zip-Stick. It’s a vinyl zip-tie and is used to hang pipes, it was heavy-duty and had bolt holes already in place. Fastened to the windshield hinge, it showed no movement or rattle. (Fig 8)

(Fig 8 – Secured and running high)

Finally, my intake is high. But now there were more serious problems… How to keep it dry on rainy days, what sort of water separation method? What about ingesting tree leaves on the trail? What about Air restrictions, should it be a ram or risk it being vacuum? I looked elsewhere at working solutions. Hummer desert versions had a clever Sand/Air Separator. The water Separator was good too. But both bulky. ARB’s ram method was a concern too. On a rainy highway, you can ingest a good amount of water, it’s also allot of drag, like we need more of that. I’ve seen some people simply put their entire filter up there to do the work.. bad choice too because of water exposure and filter deterioration. I looked at my local trash truck and saw the solution. Simply cap the intake, and put it in a favorable area. A 4” ABS end-cap worked well. Securing it to the pipe wasn’t difficult either. In this configuration, I’ve easily added pre-filters and socks over the intake in less than favorable conditions. 4 Large notches ensures a good unrestricted surface area for air (Fig 9) As an added bonus, it’s aero-dynamic. Further more, it is getting a ram-air effect off the windshield, but not close enough to sip water from it. What more could I want?

(Fig 9 - Intake)

The system was installed. And it worked! (Fig 10) A situation like this was a perfect example of why it was a good idea.. our stick test only showed this pool to be 3” of standing water. Although not shown, the entire hood was submerged later.

After thoughts about this system includes rebuilding it in Custom Aluminum tube. Additionally, maybe adding some resonance baffle box. The sound is awesome, you can easily hear any engine hiccup or malfunction when it happens. However, it does get sorta loud on the highway with the continuous engine drone.

Conclusion - The performance is great and it looks awesome. But you can’t stop there. Since using the system, I’ve discovered long term effects and damage from water exposure. Greatest damage was the Transmission which I’m still running. Smaller items include a whole distributor worn beyond service, and a thrust bearing which died long before it’s time. As stated above, the snorkel is engine insurance, but not a license to cross bottomless rivers. Electrical systems are still exposed and a Clutch can still saturate to become useless among other things.

Hope this gives you some insight on what it takes to build a functional snorkel system. Please give me credit if you choose to post this elsewhere. Thanks!