I've been reading alot of posts on this forum as well as others about people hydrolocking their jeeps with as little as 2 tsp. of water... I am seriously considering purchasing a snorkel but I have a few questions that concern me... Where we wheel around here in wharton state forest there are alot of mud puddles that like to splash up and over our XJ's and I would be worried that the forward facing snorkel would just catch all this water like a cup - - is there some sort of protection with all standard snorkels? (Safari, ARB, AirFlow) Also, has anyone had any trouble with the snorkels in the rain with that getting in there?

 

I made my own out of ABS pipe. I couldn't justify spending so much on a safari snorkel etc. I used a couple bends to point mine straight back and I haven't had any problems with it. No matter what you might suck in with it up above the windsheild, its not going to be as bad as what you can suck in where the stock intake is. I've seen a write-up somewhere where the guy ran his intake into the cowl under the wiper mechanism for the added protection.

 

You really have very little to worry about if you're going through puddles. Hydro-locking should only happen when you submerge your air intake. I have not heard of people doing this in puddles. I blast through puddles on the trail with no issues on any of my Jeeps. I've also had my rig in some deep water crossings, and have had no issues either. If you're going to be in deep water a lot, then a snorkel is for you, if not, then spend the $$ elsewhere. HTH!!

 

i used to take my 2wd ranger thru mud puddles hitting thme at 20-25 km/h and the water was always up over the hood and it never hydro-locked...that lil truck was sick...i kinda miss it

 

I'm not saying that a puddle is gonna hydrolock anything however... Cherokees and Rangers are 2 different vehicles by 2 different manufacturers with 2 different intake setups. Most ford vehicles (including rangers i'm pretty sure) draw air in from inside the fender where (unless you are submerging the front end pretty deep) its hard for too much water to get in. Cherokees on the other hand draw air in from right behind the driverside headlight/turnsignal. This makes cherokees more succeptable to the intake of water. I once drove through a creek that was little more than a puddle and if I had stopped in it, it wouldn't have been up to the bumper I don't think. White steam started coming out of my tailpipe a bit so I checked the air filter and it was soaked. Hence the $30 Home Depot upgrade.

 

Check out MadXJ.com for that write up on the cowl intake. It looks real simple how that writeup describes it. Then you'd be safe from any water issues as long as your cowl isn't underwater. Certainly enough protection from even the biggest of mud puddles!

 

A wet air filter is a far cry from a hydro-lock situation. The last thing you want to do in a water crossing is STOP, IMHO. Just saying...

 

If the filter is wet, it means water got in there correct? If enough water gets in there, it hydrolocks correct? This, in my opinion, was enough reason to put a snorkel on it. If you think its a waste of time, fair enough. I know that if I were to stick it in a puddle that "didn't look that deep", I'd regret not having it. To each his own though.

And no, I wasn't saying to stop in the middle of a water crossing, I was just trying to give an idea of how deep the creek was.

 

Well I'm def. getting one...my last xj was a 91 and had the filter on that one soaked a time or 2 (or 30)...I figure I'll treat the 01 a little better this time... Is the cap on the snorkels that are pre made removable? Maybe I could get a hummer style cap and slap it on the top..then I wouldnt have to worry about rain OR big puddle splashes...

 

I have a home brew cold air intake with a cone filter right behind the stock hole in forward firewall on my 91 XJ. I made a mount that holds the filter as high as possible without hitting the hood. So far, the only time my filter has been soaked was when the drivers side tank blew out of my stock POS radiator.

 

So, what did you give for your 2001 XJ? What model is it? Just curious. I plan on looking for an 01 when and if my 91 ever meets a rabid tree or random drunk driver up close and in person.

 

well my 91 went to xj heaven and I decided after cruising around in a 95 intrepid it was time for me to upgrade to another xj... I got it for about 4000 from a local dealer here in Jersey..it was a bit pricey for what I was looking for but it's in mint condition and I haven't had a "shiny" vehicle in quite a while hahah I love the 8.25 out back and it feels a hell of alot more solid than my 91 ever did..

Anyway, after the intake and i guess some dielectric gel, do I have to worry about the coil pack at all? I know distributors don't like water much but haven't had any experience with the coil pack... would this pose a problem??

 

Sorry, never said I thought it was a waste of time. Just merely pointing out the experiences I've had. Please take no offense, as none was intended. I've never had any issues with the situation you were referring to, so I wanted to bring that up...that's all. If you feel it necessary to run a snorkel, then run one. To each their own. If we all had the same opinion, this would be a pretty boring site...don't you think??

Peace out!!

 

XJersey, another question for you. Do the newer XJs have the alternator mounted up high on the front of the motor? That is one thing I worry about on my 91 XJ, water wise. I hate the alternator being mounted down so low. BTW, that 01 is a great looking rig.

 

I personally run an ARB snorkel, and anything splashing up into the snorkel will not be a problem. They were designed a long time ago and used on landrovers in convoys to keep the intake out of dust and also water. Resonators in your intake system will keep water out if you get a little bit in. I don't know what 2 tea spoons of water means, if you mean a small puddle then yes, if you go through it like a moron ***** to the wall then and you floor it the suction WILL suck water into your engine. If you are worried about a snorkel facing forward the ARB system allows you to face it in any direction you'd like. Some guys run it facing backwards.