Juat had a snorkel installed and the guy has pointed the head across the widscreen. Just curious as to why this might be? Not wanting to start an argument about what is better just the idea behind it.
Anyway here is a pic
Next save up purchase are some tyres and if money allows some steel rims.
Foward facing for open road driving to force feed clean air.
Side facing in dusty conditions or driving through scrub and trees to prevent dust and debris clogging up the air cleaner, whilst still getting some sort of forced air from the windscreen.
Rear facing for really dusty conditons or heavily treed areas where you are likely to rip the snorkel off, as it acts like a hook on branches.
Depsite what some might say the forced air effect from a snorkel does not add to the power output, however nice cool clean air certainly does. Preventing water going into your air intake is the sole purpose behind a snorkel.
Filmz64 wrote:Foward facing for open road driving to force feed clean air.
Side facing in dusty conditions or driving through scrub and trees to prevent dust and debris clogging up the air cleaner, whilst still getting some sort of forced air from the windscreen.
Rear facing for really dusty conditons or heavily treed areas where you are likely to rip the snorkel off, as it acts like a hook on branches.
Depsite what some might say the forced air effect from a snorkel does not add to the power output, however nice cool clean air certainly does. Preventing water going into your air intake is the sole purpose behind a snorkel.
Yea exactly why i got it put on. In my terrano I could see the tide mark of where water had got in after changing the air filter. I doubt I will ever get that close in the Jimny but more as insurance.
I always had mine side facing for the reasons above and also to stop water driving in - its a good compromise all round.
Sold my 1985, BJ74 MWB Landcruiser, rear locker, 33" MTs, snorkel, PTO winch, solid bars all round, spotties, AM CB etc.
Now just a 1994, 1kz Surf, pretty standard.
i find that when in a convoy of vehicles on a dusty road/track, the dust column rises way way higher than any snorkel.Hence i've always had doubts about "cleaner air in dusty conditions" line of thought.
Ive been told by a couple mechanics to never run it back wards, something about it struggles more to suck in the good old air the engine needs
To be safe run it forward on tar and then on across window on shingle, mines always across window as Im always on shingle roads, and instead of cleaning my filter weekly I do it monthly now, makes a huge difference in air quality
Snorkels where originally designed for dust roads in oz and then have proved there weight in gold for water crossings
I had always assumed that snorkels were originally developed to allow "breathing under water" hence the name. There is a great video about, probably on You Tube, of a US Army experiment on a truck with a snorkel that looks about 10 foot tall and the driver is wearing full SCUBA gear!
First time I visited Darwin about 10 years ago I was amazed at all the ARB catalogues driving around. But the majority of trucks over there are running the cyclonic style pre cleaner as opposed to the ram style we see here. My boss has one on his BJ70, and reckons the noise is quite distracting when driving with the window down. Mind you it must work as it certainly gathers some dust!
I guess the jury is still out on what is best, and it will depend on what and where you drive.. My ram faces fwd on road and at least rotated 90 towards the screen off road, full 180 in overgrown tracks.
Also interesting that many factory intakes are inside the front guards and on my old Nissan Mistral faced rearwards. On Korando 4x4 2.9 td, they face across the vehicle behind the front grille. I suspect Hilux's are the same inside the guard facing rearwards? My snorkel generally faces forward and on occasions have turned it rearwards in torrential down pours with gale force winds here in Canterbury. Water more than dust would be my main concern if it got in. Though when checking the airfilter have found more moths down the snorkel tube of late. Maybe I should leave it facing rearwards? I see most Aussie 4x4 's have the snorkel head facing forward. Aussie's sure lead the way with aftermarket snorkel use. My 2c worth.
I seem to recall something about an Aussie racer, Adam Bird in a yellow GQ, getting a better dyno performance with his snorkel facing backwards. This was the only thing they changed. They were wanting to see how much worse it was facing backwards but were surprised to get a better power figure.
Don't ask me to prove that. That is from the depths of my memory.
This off the Airflow site..... In the case of the air ram being turned away from the direction of travel the result is lessening of the positive pressure that is desirable. In the extreme, a vacuum is caused (i.e. turning the air ram backwards which may cause engine damage and should only be used over short distances).
This off the Donaldson site.... All Air Ram inlet hoods MUST be installed with the screen facing forward to ensure best performance. Airflow restriction will not be reduced if the Air Ram faces sideways; but if it faces backwards, restriction does increase and adversely affects engine performance.
But then this off the Safari site.... By rotating the air ram to face away from the prevailing wind/direction of motion, the air ram delivers additional protection from the choking effects of snow build-up inside the air intake.
Everyone is forgetting what causes the air to go into the snorkel as it is air pressure and not air speed. Now if the snorkel was high enough to be out of the pressure caused by the vehicle moving forward, then forward facing would be needed or you'd have a case or turbulent air behind the snorkel and no airflow at all and in this case if it was sideways the air would be sucked out of the snorkel. The vehicle going forward causes the air pressure to increase around the vehicle so if the air intake is in the zone then air will be forced (to a point) into the snorkel.
Nissan Terrano coilovers, turboed VH45, Safari axles, and some other stuff.
I face mine forward unless I go offroad, then I turn it across top of screen ( if I remember that is ) stops the mud from front wheels firing in there, have never found water in the air box from facing forward in the rain etc
Yea, though I drive through the valley of death (and it's mudbogs), I shall fear no trail;for tho art modified is my rig, and thy lift kit and lockers they comfort me. Amen
I have a pre cleaner on mine and it's amazing how much water it will collect it a rain storm. I haven't been bush bashing with it on, I'd probably just pull it off as I can reach it from my driving chair
