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2014 snorkel question

35K views 111 replies 20 participants last post by  raven33 
#1 ·
So I've had an interesting day. Why might someone from Houston be asking about snorkels today, of all days? The mind boggles...

Is there a snorkel available for the 2014 FJ that goes through the fender directly into the CAI? I've been planning to put a second battery in that space behind the intake.

Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
I, like many people, was caught out at work today when the whole situation started to crater. By the
time I was able to get out, the whole city was starting to flood. I detoured south until the freeways
turned into parking lots, then started taking surface streets. All of which were flooded.

Right about this time I got a call from my wife that our cul-de-sac was flooding, which happens if the
drains get clogged by debris. She just had leg surgery, and all our neighbors are elderly. So much for
just parking someplace, which I was starting to consider.

At one point I took a turn and my windshield wipers immediately started to make a new sound that sounded
just like "unh-unh" which kinda freaked me out. On the premise that if my FJ is saying 'NO" I should
listen, I backtracked at that point.

The FJ got me home in time to unclog the drains. We only got about 11 inches, but it fell really
quickly. And now my wife is now REQUIRING me to put in a snorkel. Who am I to argue?
 
#3 ·
Sorry for your predicament. If I had one I would uninstall it and drive it to you right now. Please let us know what we can do.
My wife's family is from and all mostly still in Puerto Rico. We were blessed to raise money and do some recovery work after Maria. Unfortunately there is no fast recovery and people forget quickly. Keep it on our radar. People here are very giving with their knowledge and I am sure their help/ money if asked. Everyone needs a helping hand at some time in their life. Please let us know the actual situation.
 
#4 ·
thanks! I'm okay and appreciate the shout, but really I'm just looking for information on what snorkel might work for my ride, without occupying that space behind the stock CAI.
 
#6 ·
Thanks very much for the link- that is indeed helpful and a great starting place.

I'm curious to hear a little more of your opinion, if you don't mind, on why the snorkel doesn't add much. It seems like you would get at least a few inches more water clearance. I'm guessing that once the battery terminals get submerged the engine is probably going to shut off, but that's part of the reason I want to put a spare battery in that behind-the-CAI space. It would gain another couple of inches at least.
 
#7 ·
Is it true that the 2010-2014 all have the CAI in the same place? It sure looks like it when I compare the photo in that thread to mine. That would help a lot.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Yep, same layout.
I'm in Spring Branch/Memorial area; got slammed!
I was in above axle water for a bit.
I have a snorkel, its an ebay knock-off, less than $100.00, but works fine.
I also have a dual battery set-up; mine is up front of the airbox (ARB compressor sits in the rear space)
A SCUBA kit is what you really need. It relocates the engine/trans breathers to the roof. Check this thread
He is a local Houstonian, "Rawmind Engineering"(?). Not sure if he still makes the kit.
I feel a bit safer w/ the scuba mod & snorkel.

HTH & glad y'all are OK!
D :cowsmile:
 
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#9 ·
Others will more than likely chime in but from my limited knowledge, the snorkel is designed to act more like an air ram and force cooler air into the intake from up higher on the vehicle where it encounters a larger airflow than it does from the wheel well. Your biggest concern with water and flooding isn't the battery, it's the floor boards. All your wiring is located underneath them. Again, just my basic understanding.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Your biggest concern with water and flooding isn't the battery, it's the floor boards. All your wiring is located underneath them. Again, just my basic understanding.
OK, this is more good info- thank you so much. I will inspect this area as best I know how when I have it jacked up for the SCUBA breather mod.

I can say for sure though that this floorboard wiring thing is not an acute, right now, kills the vehicle kind of problem. I drove, by rough guesstimation, maybe seven miles over about ninety minutes where the floorboards were at least repeatedly drenched, if not entirely submerged, the entire time.

(As I type that I'm thinking that Houston might be the only city in the US so flat, straight, and repeatedly underwater for that to be possible.)
 
#13 ·
#11 ·
Nice! We're neighbors. I live not far from the middle school/high school.

I was on the northeast side of town; all of I-10 and 610 were already black on the phone map so I eventually got to 59 South. I got through downtown and midtown quickly, but then it turned into a parking lot so I got off and started working my way west on Richmond and West Alabama, which already wasn't possible in a car. Probably should have gone through Bellaire instead. Sketchiest part was going under 610 on Richmond - water was tire high, splashing over the hood, all the way past Sage. Westheimer was fine past Fountainview.

That SCUBA mod looks awesome. That is exactly the kind of thing I am looking for. I know a company that makes small manifolds and fittings. I will definitely look into that.
 
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#19 ·
rev, left you a VM
 
#20 ·
x2

A snorkel is mostly to get clean air up high for the engine while driving in extremely dusty conditions.

A scuba conversion involves moving a number of breathers (and adding some to parts which normally don't, like starter and alternator), to avoid having to replace wheel bearings, etc. a few months later (or from having to replace all fluids the next day, to save all of the bearings).


Norm
 
#21 ·
What would you do to prevent water incursion into the starter and alternator?
 
#23 ·
BTW, rev.3:11 was kind enough to meet up today, and answered a lot of my snorkel questions. Plus a lot of other questions. Many thanks to a great guy.

Rev has a 12 inch Android touch screen head unit that is making me insanely jealous. I had no idea such a thing even exists! First things first though.
 
#24 ·
Ordered the ARB universal diff breather kit. Seems like a high-yield place to start.
 
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#27 · (Edited)
Lol. You're in for a treat then, because I'm barely getting started.

We need to be clear about the situation I am talking about: getting around in the flooded City of Houston. It's paved terrain that is totally flat and rectilinear in three dimensions. The driving surface has no real bumps or drop-offs. Every turn is simple. It just happens to have experienced no fewer than four separate 'five hundred year floods' during that past decade. So figuring out how to cope with high water is the only consideration-- not mud or rock or anything else.

I think it's reasonable to flood my ride on a controlled basis for testing purposes, and have figured out how to do so in my driveway (braced wooden forms with pond liner). So let's get this debate on.
 
#29 ·
once the fuse boxes get wet it's game over. so unless you plan on relocating them all to the ceiling I wouldn't recommend stopping in water higher than the bottom of the doors. that's just me though
 
#31 ·
I wouldn't recommend stopping in water higher than the bottom of the doors.
I definitely did this last week, more than once. Got not a drop of water through the door seal.
 
#36 ·
Lol. The prevailing solution seems to be 'buy an alternator with a lifetime warranty' and replace it for free every time you destroy it, as opposed to actually waterproofing it. Plus they seem to think it's mud that kills it rather than just water. There wasn't any mud involved for me.

So long as the alternator doesn't quit during the actual run through the water, I'm fine with replacing it afterwards if I have to. I'm not planning to do this intentionally- I'm preparing for what I feel is an inevitable next emergency.
 
#33 ·
Interesting. I have the newer engine configuration so hadn't thought about this. If I understand correctly, the prefilter isn't completely sealed, presumably so you can clean/replace it?
 
#44 ·
Lol. I've actually seen one of these in LA. It's a cute toy for $200k.
 
#50 ·
I almost forgot!! I highly recommend pulling the seats and center console out, removing the rubber flooring and removing All of the glued on insolation underneath the rubber flooring. once that gets wet there's really no way of drying it without removing it. and if you don't it will mold. Just a helpful tips from a guy who's had pooled Creek water in the entire floor ;)
 
#53 ·
Interesting. That's also the one area I haven't yet put down any Fat Mat.

If you don't mind my asking, how did that creek get into your FJ?
 
#52 ·
Here's a shot of the rear vents.... The wider rectangular ones on the bottom left are literally just flaps of rubber.

So don't forget to check your rear areas too if you go really deep.
Open it up, dry it out.

:cheers:


Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
 
#54 · (Edited)
Here's a shot of the rear vents.... The wider rectangular ones on the bottom left are literally just flaps of rubber.

So don't forget to check your rear areas too if you go really deep.
Open it up, dry it out.

:cheers:
Understood sir, and thanks- that picture is worth gold. I checked in the jack storage and nothing got in there, at least, but I will indeed open it up. As soon as it stops raining.
 
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