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I know a cold air intake will cause a small improvement on performance, but I like the idea of crossing rivers. Will a Snorkel have a similar impact on my xj as a cold air intake?
Also, what exactly do I need to do to install a snorkel when it comes to under the hood?
Yes if installed correctly, but like I said that getting a snorkel to insure that water doesn't get into the intake and sucked up by the engine is the least of your worries. I would be more concerned with a lot of other things. Such as diffs, transmission, transfer case filling up with water via breathers, shorting out everything electrical in the jeep. Water entering into the engine through distributor, intake manifold, valve cover breathers and exhaust. Ruining any interior you have, ect.
Just because you slap a snorkel on doesnt mean you can go driving through rivers.
As long as you look into stuff before you do it you will be fine. snorkels are great for other reasons though. I have one. As before stated they are a true cold air intake. I have one though for driving through the bay flats. There is a lot of 4-6 inch deep puddles that I have to go though pretty fast to keep from getting stuck on the way to some fishing spots. The snorkel just insures that the intake wont go sucking up any of the water thats getting splashed up into the engine compartment.
So how does a snorkel work in driving rain or heavy fog? How does water not fall right in through the mouth of the snorkel?
Yea its going to but Its not enough to do anything. No different than how your stock intake is set up. The water should fall to the bottom of your intake box. But some guys run the snorkel intake facing backwards because they think it would be a issue.
So how does a snorkel work in driving rain or heavy fog? How does water not fall right in through the mouth of the snorkel?
The biggest concern with water getting in through the intake is if enough water gets into a cylinder to hydrolock the engine and causing internal physical damage. It takes a healthy gulp of water to do that. a little bit of rainwater is not a big deal.
That being said, properly designed and manufactured "ram" scoop style snorkel heads will be designed to allow water to drain out through the bottom of the head.
You could also turn the head of the snorkel backwards so that it draws air in from behind (adviseable when driving in extremely dusty conditions). Incidentally, if you look at the Mantec snorkels on the Camel Trophy Defenders and Discoveries as well as the snorkels on military spec Mercedes G-Wagons you will see that the intake points to the rear.
Or you could just get a bowl-type precleaner snorkel head and not worry about rainwater getting in.
Well I'm no expert of course but if rainwater does get in the snorkel and into the engine it wouldn't do bad but probably a little good because hydrogen eats carbon (right?) and that would clean up a little of the carbon build up. Just seems like it would work out that way and the amount of rainwater that would get in even in a heavy downpour at 65-75 mph wouldn't be enough to water lock your engine
"Three guys had to walk to safety after driving around a barricade at Route 113 and Pikeland Road in West Pikeland, Wednesday afternoon April 30, 2014. The Jeep Cherokee they were in stalled about half way through the flooded section of roadway, leaving them stranded. (Tom Kelly IV/Daily Local)"
Snorkel questions
