To Snorkel or Not

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Thanks for all the good advice girls and boys. Looks like I have a few jobs to do in the next few months. Snorkel, diff and transfer case breathers.

Make sure you post a few pics from your trip when you get home

Cheers Andrew

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Definitely get a snorkel. As others have said, $400-600 vs an engine rebuild = easy maths! Plus, you can enjoy crossings more with the increased confidence

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

Good opinions,
just to be objective, the air intake is quiet high, near the top if the drivers side gaurd, you would need water over 600mm deep to get anywhere near it, (I think u would have to plough in real hard, like some do). Your tyre height (o.d) is around 800mm ( that's deep for floaty prados) also intake faces rearward so momentum helps keep and splashes out. Bra up does also help this, If your in 1 metre water, you likely have other problems, naturally cars are not boats.
So likely over a metre deep to get some water in the intake. (yes lots of variables)
So the fact you said you are avoiding the worst, you could be ok, but would have to walk them all first, and not cross anything over 600mm (below the top of the rim).

I have driven 800mm (flat bottom) before snorkel not a splash. I have also seen cars drive through 800mm tarped up no probs.

With a snorkel I think 800mm is a safe limit, depending on current and surface.
So can I we go deeper with a snorkel ? Not really.......
But I have one :-)

The big question is can u guarantee crossing depths below 600mm?

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Bear in mind, having driven through a the same bog hole below in my Prado that presently does not have a snorkel, Muddy water was found at the air filter! Thankfully not enough that it had not penetrated the filter, but goes to show that you don't have to be in deep water to get into trouble. Do yourself a favour, especially if your intending to do water crossings...

Here's Gumboot charging through a 250 - 300mm deep section of muddy (and stinky I might add) water. It doesn't take much to force the slop up into every crevice under your bonnet & guards...

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

Bear in mind, having driven through a the same bog hole below in my Prado that presently does not have a snorkel, Muddy water was found at the air filter! Thankfully not enough that it had not penetrated the filter, but goes to show that you don't have to be in deep water to get into trouble. Do yourself a favour, especially if your intending to do water crossings...

Here's Gumboot charging through a 250 - 300mm deep section of muddy (and stinky I might add) water. It doesn't take much to force the slop up into every crevice under your bonnet & guards...

now theres the example of ploughing in hard lol....... that will get stuff splashed into your intake and air box.
like not past the air filter, but likely to stuff it in one hit!

FUN..........

[SOL Find all posts View Profile Close SOL]

The other thing it is not always your choice. Mate of mine a few years ago was traversing a track in outer Darwin during the wet. All was good crossing a shallow creek then some clown came the other way hooning along and swamped his cruiser. I had to go recover him as the other guy just kept driving.

SOL.

[djnapkin Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djnapkin]

Mate YES! Snorkel snorkel snorkel. A couple weeks after I bought mine (I had booked mine in to get a snorkel but it wasn't on yet), went out with a couple mates to Kinkuna NP. Sandy forshore area type driving, no black or clay soil or anything. Come up to what looked like a puddle from some recent rain. Mate went first in his very capable 4wd knowing he could get out if it got deep. He went straight through it no more than 12" deep. He called over the UHF that it was no problems and to just follow his line. I did. It turns out he just happened to drive across the ridges of ruts by fluke. I wasn't so lucky and slipped into the rut and got stuck. About 4" water through the car, but most scary was water was up to top of wheel arch i.e. centimeteres away from intake. The snorkel is cheap insurance for when you are not expecting to need it. Funny enough, I felt like a pretty lucky guy to only have to tear the interior apart to clean and dry it.

Doing a cape trip (which I have never done but it is on the to do list), I wouldn't even think about it without a snorkel, a water blind, and some spares such as belts, pulleys and starter motor or knowledge how to tear it down (which I have done before due to water/mud in it). Who knows what you'll come across (and that's the fun in it isn't it?)

*Yes I know it was 100% my fault. I should have walked it first. But all of us were 100% taken by surprise. And as above says, I'm not so sure I would walk a crossing first with crocs in the area. I would wait to see someone else go through first (and look where that got me once before)

[Hazza Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hazza]

I agree snorkel all the way. I have owned five 4wd's and none of them had snorkels. I have done the cape twice and didn't have the need but none of the crossing where that deep, some careful driving and luck did the trick. An old Hi-Lux I owned 15 odd years ago took in some water while playing in the mud hole that soon brought it to an abrupt load "ratatat" stop.

Even-though I drained the water and got it going and drove it for a week missing and farting I had no choice but to do a full rebuild (try that with a modern diesel). I bent two con-rods and I kept the worst one up on my shed as a reminder.

It's cheap insurance and should be one of the first mods IMO.

Having said that I better get a snorkel soon.

Hazza

[mackayvx Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close mackayvx]

I vote YES on the snorkel.
Everyone has given you all the reasons, but there are a couple more..

Youre giving your motor cooler air from higher off the road... Just think of the road temps and your wheel arch....
The engine bay makes that whole area stinking hot and im sure thst would increase the air temps as well.
Youre giving your motor cleaner air. All that dust the wheel flicks up dosent go straight into you air box.
And lastly youre RAMMING your air in rather than making your motor suck it in.

These are just my observations but I reckon a snorkel if definately the way to go.

Cheers drew.