L322 Snorkel/Raised Air Intake.

[peter g]

58743

58744
I dont recommend this for the faint hearted, the time poor, or a less than serious DIYer.



I am quite happy with the results though.
I started by borrowing a D3/4 RAI and determined that it needed a bit of bending to rear and in towards the A pillar to match slope. I next purchased a $149 cheapie (I didnt want to risk wrecking the $1100 LR one).
Then applied a bit of heat to the area where bending was required.
Remove "blade" vent and test fit of new shape. I would have preferred to have tube fitted more snugly to A pillar, however would have required too much heating and bending with risk of damaging snorkel. There is a gap of about 30mm.
A bit of cutting into the mudguard support bracket was required to allow air tube connection to snorkel.
Mudguard was then removed to allow enlarged hole where existing air intake enters mudguard space, this necessary to allow air tube to return to rear. Space between chassis, guard liner and guard is quite limited but I managed to fit an 88mm heavy vinyl spiral tube in by squashing it into an oval shape. (I discarded the standard 75mm tube as it was very light construction and I wanted max airflow )
The blade vent was cut down to allow for airtube entry and a new fixing made for the new top of the blade.
Snorkel fixing to mudguard was possible with 3 of the original disco bolt fixings. Fixing to A pillar was made and the A pillar cover cutout to suit.
The above is a much simplified outline of what I did.
If anyone is interested I will put together some more detail and photos of cutouts etc which could help any else contemplating this. I recommend to allow plenty of time to think out each step carefully, final assembly is quite a jigsaw.
The Disco snorkel was a good choice as it has clearance for the clamshell bonnett, and the line at rear fits nicely to the door line where the top of the blade vent is removed.
Cheers
Peter

[Homestar]

Nicely done Peter. That's the sort of thing I had in mind. A couple of questions...

When you get the pipe in under the bonnet, how have you connected it to the engine? Are you still using the standard air cleaner and housing?

This is one of the areas I have an issue with. I pulled the air cleaner on mine today after getting back from a trip where we covered about 500 KM off road in a convoy. I was less than impressed with how the air cleaner and housing have handled this - there was some evidence that some dust may have made it past where the air cleaner mounts to the intake pipe. It is a crap system that can never really keep pressure on that joint long term - time will tell if I have ****ed the engine or not, but I cannot in good conscience leave it like it is if I plan to do more touring in it. It was a brand new filter before I left, but the vibration seems to cause them to come loose on this joint - not good news for the sort of work I plan to do with mine. I will be changing the air filter, oil filter an oil this week, but the damage may have already been done.

Lastly - any chance I can drop in one day and have a look? I get down to Geelong quite a bit for work and would love to check it out in person.

Oh, and have you got a link to he $149 cheapie you bought?

Thanks heaps - Gav.

[peter g]

Nicely done Peter. That's the sort of thing I had in mind. A couple of questions...

When you get the pipe in under the bonnet, how have you connected it to the engine? Are you still using the standard air cleaner and housing?

This is one of the areas I have an issue with. I pulled the air cleaner on mine today after getting back from a trip where we covered about 500 KM off road in a convoy. I was less than impressed with how the air cleaner and housing have handled this - there was some evidence that some dust may have made it past where the air cleaner mounts to the intake pipe. It is a crap system that can never really keep pressure on that joint long term - time will tell if I have ****ed the engine or not, but I cannot in good conscience leave it like it is if I plan to do more touring in it. It was a brand new filter before I left, but the vibration seems to cause them to come loose on this joint - not good news for the sort of work I plan to do with mine. I will be changing the air filter, oil filter an oil this week, but the damage may have already been done.

Lastly - any chance I can drop in one day and have a look? I get down to Geelong quite a bit for work and would love to check it out in person.

Oh, and have you got a link to he $149 cheapie you bought?

Thanks heaps - Gav.

Gav,
I cut the rubberised existing tube through the straight section, so I have about 200mm of new tube protruding into the bonnet space. No changes to air box. I have never had the problem with the filter you mention, and have done quite a few 000k's in the dust. In the early days when I had a service at the dealer, the car came back with the rear screws not done up and the box not correctly fitted together. It is a bit fiddly to get right and the last screw is a pain to do up due to lack of clearance. I am sure you do it correctly but if in the past this has happened to your car the box may have become distorted in some way ? When I fit new filters in mine they always seem to bed in firmly at the rear, perhaps a spacer glued in at rear may help hold it firmly ? What I did experience 2 years ago after countless water xings one day was a few drops of water in the bottom of the box, this together with the desire to keep the filter cleaner in the dust has been driving me to come up with a solution. What I dont know is if the water entered via the drain holes in the bottom of the box or through the air intake. On balance I tend to think that the drain holes need to stay - I would be interested in other opinions on this.
The cheapie RAI is actually not bad, bore is smooth and the tube is quite strong. when mounted up there is no movement, it does have Discovery 3 on it in raised letters but I managed to remove them. The seller is on ebay, www.aussieautoparts.com (http://www.aussieautoparts.com) Fact 2/35 Salvator Dr Campellfield Vic
Ph 1300 06 07 08
Re a look, see my PM
Cheers Peter

[Defender Mike]

Just looking at this im wondering if a P38 Right hand mud guard would fit . Without the vents it may be able fit the snorkel much closer . Im not sure if the guards are the same but they look close. Im sure some one out there will know.:)

[donrover0]

Hi Peter,
Does the snorkel intrude on vision? The A pillar already quite big, so maybe not a problem?

Has anyone looked at a snorkel on left side? Yes, I know, more headaches with piping! I've been (very occasionally) thinking along the lines of home made one I fitted to my previous 1994 LSE; 3"ss tube and, can't remember what car the scoop came from now, from TJM, but as luck held out, it finished being quite close to roof so didn't catch tree branches, etc

[donrover0]

Forgot to mention that THAT scoop only suited to left A pillar; damn!

Yes, I did make the alloy sidesteps and bullbar; bar was centre section of a bent Landcruiser one from the tip; I made the outer wings.; fitted the original airbag "crushable" mountings and the machinery inspector passed it, along with additional fuel tanks, when in for the TD5 transplant inspection. No, no carton deal.

Back in the days when I had brake presses, folders, guillotines, migs, tigs.

[peter g]

Hi Don,
Re Vision, looking forward from driving position, cannot see snorkel. Looking forward thru side window can see 1/3 of snorkel tube, remainder is behind A pillar. If you pm me your email I will send more photos, (easier for me to send rather than post here).
Peter

[Graeme]

I've just learnt that the 4.4 TDV8 has a primary turbo on the RHS and a secondary on the LHS. For slower, low power off-road use where the majority of air would be via the RHS air-cleaner for the primary turbo a snorkel on the RHS only might be a worthwhile option to reduce dust intake.

[rar110]

I've just learnt that the 4.4 TDV8 has a primary turbo on the RHS and a secondary on the LHS. For slower, low power off-road use where the majority of air would be via the RHS air-cleaner for the primary turbo a snorkel on the RHS only might be a worthwhile option to reduce dust intake.

Does the 4.4 L322 have 2 air filter boxes? I read somewhere the 3.6 has a turbo for each bank. My 3.6 has one filter box on the passenger side. Here's two pics. 91497 91498

[Graeme]

The 3.6 is a true twin-turbo engine whereas the 4.4 is like the 3.0 TDV6 with a primary 1 side and a secondary on the the other side with an exhaust cross-over pipe across the back of the engine and an inlet isolation valve to isolate the secondary turbo, similar to the 3.0 TDV6.

The 4.4 has 2 air-boxes, 1 on each side. Your airbox is similar to the 3.0 TDV6 with 1 air intake and 2 MAFs, 1 to each turbo.

[rar110]

Thanks Graeme. I think I'd rather the 3.6.

I didn't know the 4.4 had a sequential turbo setup.

[Graeme]

I would have preferred non sequential too but I want the electronic shocks and the 8-speed gbox too.

[rar110]

I would have preferred non sequential too but I want the electronic shocks and the 8-speed gbox too.

I like the idea of an 8 speed. However, unique part numbers of left and right auto adjustment shocks puts me off, esp after Greg Milner's experience.

[Graeme]

I upgraded to a D4 from a D2 to get away from compromises with steel springs but now want to get away from fixed-valving shock compromises.

I would look at carrying a single non-CVD spare rear shock if embarking on a severe trip like Greg's.

[BobD]

Graeme, are you sure that the variable valving will make a significant difference for your type of driving? Won't the electronic shocks still be a compromise with the valving determined by LR, which may or may not be what you want, or are they user adjustable within a broad range?

[Graeme]

I can't guarantee that LR has set its CVD algorithms to provide what I'm looking for but CVDs are used in top of the line luxury vehicles to provide a better ride than conventional shocks. I can't be sure of the reason why a 2010 RRS glided past my then new D4 that was thumping its way along a rough section of the free-way heading north from Melbourne but at the time I wasn't aware that CVDs were an option on the RRS. I've been the full circle with my D4's shocks but even the currently-fitted more sedate 2012 updated versions still don't provide the ride to allow my wife with her back problem to travel comfortably.

If necessary I will build my own controller to provide a softer, albeit probably with a less refined ride. However from all reports, both written and verbal, the ride is superb perhaps only marred by the standard low profile tyres if fitted with 20" rims, for which there are alternate solutions including 18" rims if sufficiently determined. That the L322 suspension has more travel than the D3/D4 suspension means that there is greater flexibility in raising the suspension if that helps. After-all, Llams plugs straight into these vehicles and custom calibrations are easily accommodated.

Anyway the D4 has done 150K so a good time to wind the clock back and upgrade to the next level.

[Melbourne Park]

I've just learnt that the 4.4 TDV8 has a primary turbo on the RHS and a secondary on the LHS. For slower, low power off-road use where the majority of air would be via the RHS air-cleaner for the primary turbo a snorkel on the RHS only might be a worthwhile option to reduce dust intake.

I know with Off road vans, the dust ingress issue happens at speed, not at slow speeds. Cruising at speed on a dusty dirt road is when the filter is more likely to get covered IMO ... I am not sure that a snorkel would actually get lest dust than the normal intake in that scenario ?? I know the claims are they get lest dust, but I do wonder if such claims are valid. Once snorkels had a cyclonic dust isolator on the top of the snorkel. Such devices would work very well in preventing dust getting to the filter. But they don't seem very popular these days in 200 / 100 / Prado / Discos etc.

[Graeme]

I fitted a snorkel to my D4 after experiencing dirty filters after 10K kms with my normal use which includes gravel roads but not generally following other vehicles on dusty roads. The air intake above and behind the front wheel is in the same approximate position as the L322 so I suspect the L322 will also get filters dirty quickly. However as the secondary turbo on my 3.0 D4 doesn't get much use, I suspect the 4.4's will get even less use hence the benefit from just a RH snorkel. In the UK the secondary's filter is usually quite clean even though the primary's gets quite dirty. I wont be in a rush to fit a snorkel though.

I have a self-cleaning extractor hat on the D4 from the V8 Toyo for outback travel. The induction noise is too excessive to warrant fitment for normal use.

[GregMilner]

Off topic I know (snorkels to shocks) - Graeme do you know if you can actually get non-CVD spare shocks for the L322? If so, where and how much, any idea? And do you know if they are side-specific like the LR ones?

[Graeme]

For MY10 where CVD were an option on some vehicles the non-active damping rear shocks for the 3.6 are part# RPD500760 and they are not handed. The 5.0 uses a different part# so must have different valving.

Unplugging a CVD will disable active damping resulting in a harsh ride, as evidenced when the wiring on a front CVD fails. Obviously the CVD ecu monitors the shocks for continuity of the circuit so I will be experimenting to discover what high value resistor needs to be fitted to provide the necessary feedback for a disconnected plug - high value to consume very little current and therefore not get hot. A resistor the same resistance of the shock's solenoid will obviously work but a far higher resistance one will not get hot. I suspect a 10K will work - the IC standard pull-up / pull-down resistor value.

I may acquire a set of cheaper Bilstein rear shocks that fit all L322s to carry 1 or possibly both as spares on rugged trips plus 2 resistors to allow front CVD operation to continue, probably even permanently fitting the (rear) resistors via switches in the rear fuse panel area for ease of shock change-over if required. The Bilsteins may even be more suitable than genuine MY10 non-CVDs in conditions where CVDs could fail, but are reported to provide a harsher ride than genuine for normal use. The resistors could be permanently wired and connected but a failed electrical circuit to the shock or a failed solenoid coil in the shock would then never be detected by the CVD ecu.

The ride from fitting non CVD rear shocks without using resistors and therefore front CVDs are disabled causing harsher front shocks may be acceptable anyway - probably much better than a pogo-stick rear end. I'm assuming that all CVD operation is disabled if 1 shock's circuit fails but that my not be the case - needs to be checked by road testing with 1 shock unplugged - eg unplug 1 front and test if the rear ride is now harsh.

Bilstein approx 115 GBP each + frt, genuine approx 207 GBP each + frt

Edit: RPD500760 is applicable to all L322