Everything on hold for a while as the temperatures have plummeted to the point I found Woolly Mammoth tracks in the backyard this morning...
Have a ton of stuff to do in the lab as my research has been piling up and undergraduates are morons...
But, it is good to take a breather. Since it is now January, it is time to plan expeditions and file for grants. I am also sponsoring a Venture Scouting crew at my University so both the local kids and my students can participate.
Restocked my Field Trauma kit last night. Adjusted the contents of my towing and recovery kit to reflect the lift too. Ordered replacements for stuff that wore out over the last six months like tire plugs and glow sticks. Bought bulk fender rivets and the special tool that makes installing the easier.
Really excited to install the third window doors and the snorkel- had to order an 80mm hole saw. Also ordered a proper cyclone pre-filter for the snorkel.
While I am at it, I will add a tirade about snorkels.
I spent the last few months doing a ton of research on intake dust control systems as Bert clogged up five, yes FIVE stock style filters in 90 days. Yep, you read that right. Five Fram extra guard filters at 20$ a pop. I don't even want to think about the wasted fuel. I called and wrote to numerous vendors and manufactuers about dust control applications. I vetted everything from mild to wildly expensive. Ultimately by my math, the Elephant by Mudmasters.pl I procured for 200$ total, will pay for itself quickly as long as I keep up on my strict preventative maintenance schedule. And, it will look frakkin' cool too... :wink: Take that ARB and your wildly overpriced snorkel kit! Lowest price I could find for a KJ Safari Snorkel kit was 400USD not including shipping and with all things ARB right now, lead times were unacceptable for the price plus shipping cost. Hence the hours plowing through Brazil, Czechia and Poland via the web- the three areas that still produce KJ stuff other than our brethren Down Under.
A snorkel does not increase your fording depth. That is determined by things like tire size and lift. Anyone that tells you otherwise is an idiot. Fact.
On a stock KJ fording depth is about 600mm (20in) at 10mph according to the owners manual. The popular Old Man Emu based lift only adds an inch or two to that.
The actual purpose of a snorkel is cool air and particulate control. It gets your air intake up near the roof and when properly installed, reduces dust and such in your air system. Period. Sure it looks cool too and most folks that install them are after looks, not function. The cool air/increased horsepower/fuel savings claims are mystery math marketing gibberish. I'll let you research that on your own. And folks, just a reminder- Social Media and Wikipedia reading is NOT research.
My next statement is controversial, but before you berate me, hear me out.
A K&N Apollo air box system is what should be installed with the snorkel if you are using it for what it was designed for. If you going mall rated or instagram-ready, stick with the stock airbox. In most consumer applications K&N 50k mile filters really are junk if you go with the most commonly sold unit. They were actually designed for occasional driving applications like race cars and non-street legal off road vehicles.
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This set up is a bad idea. This sort of system is not really designed for daily driving. This filter will let all sorts of particulates into your engine as many of the gurus here have stated, even when properly used with the filter oil and regular washing. And trust me, I bet most folks that use these things never oil them or wash them properly if at all...Also the cold air intake will not work with a snorkel.
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This is the Apollo and its close relative the Volant (not a jeep application pictured). These are also known as closed box air intakes. As you can see, the filter is housed in a shroud and when you buy the right size, connects directly between your snorkel and the top end of your 3.7. In my application the outlet of the snorkel is 80mm (3.15in) and reduces down to the 76.2mm (3in) diameter Apollo and direct into the top end. However if this system is used alone, it is no better than the previous intake, even when properly oiled! It is also a bit of a pain in the buttocks to maintain. (I will replace the socket hear screws with thumb screws right out of the box.) Personally, I prefer the Donaldson Power Core in a Volant box due to my use of them in Baja Bugs, however, I got lazy and cheap, relatively speaking, and chose the easier to install and adapt to my snorkel Apollo.
To properly use the Apollo with a snorkel, one must have the inlet pre-filtered.
The basic pre filter is just a sock, or as the folks that were trying to drive around in 1980 when Mount Saint Helens b.lew, pan.ty hose. You need to use something like this and remember to clean it regularly:
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A sock like this obviously reduces particulates and bugs and even water without reducing intake too much. Again I stress this has to be cleaned regularly. Here in the Omaha metro, we always have a ton of dust in the air year round. I spend tons of time in the deserts of the western US and even more time in the Nebraska Sandhills.
There are a few other prefilter options, but the reduce airflow far too much and are heck to clean:
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Also, these are of questionable filtration power...
While I will use a sock for daily driving, any time I am headed into what I call severe dust country (Millard County Utah, any of the limestone graveled roads on the agricultural grid, etc.) I will use the proper pre filter for the application:
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This is the Donaldson Cyclone Pre Filter. I'm a bit old school, but Donaldson basically wrote the book on pre filters. They have a wide range of them for a wide range of applications. Call me superstitious, but I'm afraid to use other brands and knock-offs. Gran Daddy swore by Donaldson on his farm equipment and much of it is still in service with other family members so Imma trust his advice. These are also known as Sand Cups, Top Hats, Cyclones and C.rap Tr.aps.
Pictured next are properly outfitted off road snorkel applications for dusty conditions:
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And here is a sock application:
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Whew. Guess I shouldn't post after a po.t of coffee and a few double shots of espresso. (laughter)
