[Apollo12227]

Hey guys, I know this is the TJ section (i've got a yj) but considering we both pretty much have the same intakes, I figured this might help someone out who was thinking about a hombrew snorkle and intake. (this is mostly useful for the intake part...)

Total Cost For Intake and Snorkle combined: $227. But the "intake" part isn't really required, just the snorkel was $60.00 for pipe and bends, $77.00 for tip.

These prices compare to $380.00 for Safari Snork setup which just runs flexhose to your stock box... Or for both snorkle and cold air intake Vollant sells one for $780.00

1.) It completely eliminates the stock "air BOX" which already restricts the flow of air into your engine. As described... its a box... and anyone who has taken physics knows that fluid or gas motion when there are corner's involved is nothing less than a design flaw. The air flows into the stock box and gets diverted into a million different directions because of the corners, the filter is a flat plate meaning more surface area than really needed, and all of the air gets spread out inside the box, then must be "regathered" at the top to enter the engine, al the while taking 90* turns every few seconds.
2.) The orginial intake was behind the left front headlight and was about 3" by 1", hardly any air makes it thorugh and it's got about 6 direction changes before it gets to your engine. I know that "it works" but there are better options.
3.) It can be relocated higher in the engine compartment to prevent water intake.
4.) Cold air holds more O2 per square inch than hot air, more effective burn!

NOTE: Since installation i've noticed a slight increase in milage, 5 mph on my top end speed, i'm running cooler at the radiator, and the idle is a LOT smoother. As for torque/hp gains, not enough to tell, at least for me...

The Beneifits of Snorkels
1. They look AMAZING! (even if it's overkill on my heep)
2. They prevent intake of water during mudding/rivercrossing/making bad decisions!
3. They draw cool air from outside the engine compartment.
4. They force the air through the intake system, rather than the system having to draw in the air... this "force" is done by you driving and the wind forcing its way into the snork.
5. Rain can be kept from getting in 100% with the Safari Snorkle Tip...


THE INTAKE:

So let's start with the Custom Intake... I used PVC pieces to box in a 6" K&N "cone" style filter... The filter is 6" long, 6" wide. This design in general doesn't have to be used with a snorkle, you could technically route it anywhere you wanted to using flex hose from Advance/Autozone.

So to start us off we have the unpainted but completed intake, below i've got the parts broken down along with general price range. Forgive the hammer, ruler, and pen, I used those in the picture to show a size comparison... I had to "shorten" most of the connections you see below to shave a couple inches off the entire product, I used a grinder (lol, yep) to trim about 2" off every piece... Since I wont have extreme pressures such as plumbing bearing down on these connections, I only left maybe 2" of overlap between the parts to shorten the unit and the PVC glue I mentioned before bonds by melting the parts together, so "water-tight" isn't an issue between the glued parts.

The most important part of the whole setup is how the new filter will work... for a filter to function, no air can get past it BEFORE getting filtered, otherwise it's useless. Now luckily the K&N 6" x 6" filter has a rubber "ridge" all the way around it that actually sits PERFECTLY FLUSH with the 6" pipe, when I squish and snap closed the 6" x 4" onto the 6" pipe, it creates a PERFECT sill, I used two buckle clips similar to what you see on tool boxes/takleboxes, then silliconed the connection. There is no way water nor air is getting between the 6" pipe, the rubber "ridge" and the 6" x 4" connection.

So again, the K&N sits inside. I used PVC glue to glue everything together EXCEPT for ONE of the 6" to 4" connections on the intake side so that it can be re-opened to clean filter... I used "buckle" clips from Lowes (cant see in this picture) that clip the two pieces together then siliconed around the edge to prevent leaks.

This is a big friggen filter, it's rated for a ford f450... this was to reduce any resistance what-so-ever from the filter it's self.

Deciding where she sits...

So since i'm going to be installing this up against a custom snorkel, I decided to mount it along the passanger fender, just behind the hood, the snork will enter the hood and the canaster at this point.

The marks for where i'll be cutting the hole in the hood, along with a chunk of that lip that runs infront of the opening. I will build two brackets to hold the intake box to the fender (you'll see later). I made sure to place it where it wouldn't rest on the intake manifold (which would melt the pvc)

Oh yes, the irreversible part I used a 4" hole saw to perform the cut, i'll be using rubber door sills to tidy up the edges. I made the hole first because the exhaust shop where i'm going to have the snork made will make the bends based off my cut.

Here's the completed/mounted box... To connect the intake end of the box to the intake manifold I used some 3" flexhose from advance, it's flexible and durable, it sills easily with rubber connections (silliconed just in case).

I've got two 90* bends comming out of the last PVC connection before the flex hose for the rubber heater hose that goes from the valve cover and another that comes from the old airbox... These are on the filter side of the box to prevent contamination... I epoxied (plastic welded) them in so there wouldn't be a leak and silliconed all joints and connections, then pained over them with black paint so you cant even tell they are silliconed. I used weather stripping on the white rod that runs over the top to prevent vibration, and i'll be replacing the yellow cord with a blue one

Snorkel

This portion of the project is still in progress... I've got exhaust piping complete but I have to admit the snorkle design and placement was NOT my idea. I'll give credit at the very end of the post!

So I know snorkels are supposed to be run into the fender, but jeeps are also "supposed" to have torque bolts for everything lol, so the entrance via hood is my personal favorite. Now there are a lot of chop shop PVC snorks out there that look like someone threw it together with duct tape... I'm attempting to avoid such a look.

I purchased the pipe from Midas here in East Orlando, and the guy there custom bent the tubing for me to match the body. Took him maybe 20 minutes. I had the hole cut BEFORE buying the pipe so that they could match it up in the shop. In the end it only cost me $60.00 for the entire pipe with bends... Technically you COULD just buy the pipe and run it into the hood, then flex hose it to your stock airbox... but I hate the stock airbox setup , personally...

For the tip to keep the rain out, i've purchased the 3" Safari "ram air" intake tip for the top of the snorkle, its an expensive little devil at $77.00, HOWEVER it doesnt let rain down your snorkel, "how this is done" is specified on the below link, along with the ability to purchase.
Safari*Snorkel*3"*Air...

(Oh and didn't mean to getmyself in the shot lol, but figured it wasn't worth editing myself out)

FINISHED!!

CREDITS: I got the snorkel idea from Jeep Forum from YJake, and Fyrdriver and his awsome writeup: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f12/homemade-jeep-snorkel-w-pics-794294/ , HOWEVER, the intake Idea I thought up on my own, there may be others like it, but none that I have viewed... I spent a couple hours in lowes figuring this out.

Questions/comments/concerns are welcome.

[1ATony]

That looks pretty cool

[LandoCommando]

Looks good. What are you going to use to cap the snorkel?

[blubaru2002]

That is really cool.

Definately paint that sucker.

Not trying to be a d-bag but that pipe is gonna get uber hot in the sun and increase intake temps by a lot don't you think???

[Apollo12227]

Ill be Using the safari tip for it that seperates rain water from the air lol.

As for painting yeah it's definatly not finished yet I'll paint it highgloss black and shorten it a bit. As for the heat my buddy has one up and running on his tj now and after a couple minutes of driving it cools off because of all the air moving through it lol, where I wheel I'm under shade anyway but in Moab or Arizona that could definatly be a problem lol, I'll have to see how it works in the summer.

And thanks for the input guys I was worried you would all be irritated that a yj guy was tossing a post over here lol, but like I said after I made mine my TJ buddy had one on his 3 days later but his snork is already painted and actually mounted.

[blubaru2002]

Now all you gotta do is put an exhaust snorkel on that badboy and you'll be set. too much?

[jdub2k5]

those bends seem really restrictive

[jdub2k5]

Originally Posted by blubaru2002

Now all you gotta do is put an exhaust snorkel on that badboy and you'll be set. too much?

I thought about doing that myself... intake on one side exhaust on the other

[Unlimited04]

poor choice in filter and airbox, but its a sound idea. I'll added to the CAI FAQ.

[TjBryce]

This is a pretty decent set up. I like the airfilter box a lot. But not to be a D!ck, you should've not necked the manifold side of the filter tube to down to 2inches. I think the stock tube is like 3inches. So you are going to get less air into the manifold and it might even be at a lower pressure then it normally would be.

[Apollo12227]

I was worried about that 2" as well and I wish I found a better option that wouldn't result in the box being longer however with YJ's the stock intake is 1" by 2.5" rectangle located behind the driver headlight facing DOWN 90* lol and it's behind A WALL lol and this system is going to have air forced through it all the time so I don't forsee an issue in my case, so I testdrove with what I got and noticed improvement more than loss.. So did my TJ buddy but 3" would definatly be better lol.

Keep in mind this old heep is my daily driver so if intact it did ruin my already terrible yj milage and drivability lol it would be gone and I wouldn't post it to ruin someone's existing setup.

[Ej132]

very interesting, i like it

[BlueFlame]

Now you need one of these to top it off-


Search around and you can find them from $20. (Some brands run 100!)

[TheBoogieman]

I'd spend the extra money and buy one that fits.

[jondotcom]

So do you do river crossings or something? Just wondering why you would do that? Is the air quality better up there

To me it looks like a good spot to put bubblegum wrappers and golf balls