Best Snorkel for a Puma?

[RVR110]

I've seen a few threads about specific snorkels such as Airtec, Safari and Mantec, but not a comparison. I'm planning to buy a snorkel for my new Puma in about a month and would be interested in anyone's experiences, especially people who have experience with multiple brands of snorkel on Pumas.

Whilst some of the benefits mentioned would be a bonus (less noise, slightly better fuel economy, less dust) the critical factors for me are (a) must be waterproof and (b) must not negatively impact vehicle performance.

When I bought the Puma I decided against a dealer-fitted snorkel because they made it clear that it would be a "raised air intake" (i.e. NOT water proof).

I'd be interested to hear if anyone's had a snorkel impact (or cause) a warranty claim.

I'm also considering getting a Mulgo Ex-Box to get the ECU a bit higher and I'll be raising the breather tubes. I already have a water blind. Is there anything else to consider for preparing the car for water?

Past experience plays a big part in how people think about preparing their vehicles and I have a bit of a history with water... and if anyone has an explanation as to why Land Rover thought that lowering the air intake (compared to my previous 1985 110s) was a good idea I'd be most interested! It's kinda deflating knowing that the working depth for a Puma is 500mm but 700mm for a D4...

Thanks!

[Naks]

When I bought the Puma I decided against a dealer-fitted snorkel because they made it clear that it would be a "raised air intake" (i.e. NOT water proof).

No such thing as a 'snorkel'. All RAIs are just that: Raised Air Intake, and are fitted to prevent dust intake and get cooler air into the engine.

That you also prevent water from getting in should be seen as a bonus :)

[pc3]

I have a safari and think it looks better than the Mantec but its just personal taste really........I dont imagine one to be "mesureably" superior to the other.

[Scallops]

Naks is right - to be really waterproof, any snorkel will need a whole lot of extra work to make it so - but you would also need to extend all your breathers, too, if the snorkel was actually going to be used as a snorkel, per say.

I know it looks cool - I know it's fun, but some great advice I got from Neil Sutton at the Alice dealership was this.... "Land Rovers are not boats". A snorkel is good to limit dust ingress.

I have the genuine LR one - I'm glad I got it. It 'fits" the vehicle, as it should, whereas many other brands have a large footprint over the outside air intake vent which I think is just poor design and ugly.

That said, they are overpriced.

[austastar]

Hi,
the water ingress is not the problem of the snorkel, it is with the original landrover air ducting from the inlet at the mudguard to the air filter box.
You have to loosen and get at the joints of the plumbing and glue them together.
There is also two drains that will let water in as well.
The first one, just inside the mudguard, has a rubber flapper on it that I removed and inserted a length of plastic tube into and then gooped up the other holes.
I led the plastic tube up and jammed it onto a bolt on the brake booster.
Thus it wont let water in, but if I see rain water in there, I can lower it and drain it out.
cheers

[Lotz-A-Landies]

No such thing as a 'snorkel'. <snip>Well not actually correct. :angel:
1. "Snorkel" is a product name for Safari brand raised air intakes (http://www.safarisnorkel.com/docs/product.htm).
2. Austin Champ 4X4s had a snorkel, waterproof electrics and shielded (waterproof) ignition system designed to allow the Champs to wade through 6 feet of water. 6 feet 1 inch or a bow wave over the snorkel and the vehicle drowned.

[Drover]

I fitted a britt-part unit to my PUMA, made of steel, sounded good but at the time but now I am in the market for a good plastic one, probably a mantec - I think.

But one thing I did do was to rip out the original LR ducting and replace in with 3" Pirtec marine exhust tube (Heavy rubber tube with steel coil inside). Sika-flexed to the snorkel and to the LR adaptor for air box.

Part of the reason was to ensure water proofing and the other was to provide an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of air to the air box. The standard LR ducting is a variety of shapes and in one particular place narrows to about 2-3cm.

[one_iota]

.....

But one thing I did do was to rip out the original LR ducting and replace in with 3" Pirtec marine exhust tube (Heavy rubber tube with steel coil inside). Sika-flexed to the snorkel and to the LR adaptor for air box.

Part of the reason was to ensure water proofing and the other was to provide an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of air to the air box. The standard LR ducting is a variety of shapes and in one particular place narrows to about 2-3cm.



Even with the Safari Snorkel this is the wise thing to do.