Making a Mantec snorkel water tight. HELP please.

[ando90]

Hi guys, sorry if this topic has been discussed already.....

I recently purchased a mantec snorkel for my 90 puma. Just wondering what is involved in making it water tight?

Do i need to purchase new internal hose/clamps or can the factory hose be sealed with silicon etc

The factory hose into the air box definitely does not look water tight, any ideas/advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks
Ando

[Blknight.aus]

thats funny the implication being

someone thinking that something on a landrover that needs to be leak proof will actually not leak.......

[dmdigital]

Sikaflex up all the joints and it will be fine. That's all I've done.

[KarlB]

You need one of Nugget's kits. See http://www.aulro.com/afvb/verandah/173502-puma-sealed-air-intake-kit-safari-snorkel-3.html.

That said, you need to be mindful that the recommended maximum wading depth for a Puma is 500 mm which is close to the sills. At 600 mm you have water on the floor in the front of the vehicle. At 750 mm you have water entering the back. At 900 mm you reach the bottom of the air intake, but at this depth some sensitive electronics and battery are under the water. From the external air intake, the ducting rises within the engine compartment with the bottom of the ducting (at its lowest point) being close to 1000 mm. We are talking some seriously deep water here. The Defender is not a boat. You MAY be able to get through such depths for a shortish distance but you MUST NOT STOP. At that depth you clearly should use some sort of sheet over the front of your vehicle to make a bow wave and to keep the water out of the engine bay. In water crossing, a raised air intake is not a snorkel as some would like to foolishly consider them. However they are useful to keep splashing and small waves, etc. from getting into the air intake. If the water is 500 mm or less then you should not need a wading sheet. You can change gear, etc. At depths greater than 600 mm you will start to loose traction because of flotation. This is a particularly serious issue if the water you are crossing is fast flowing. You also need to be mindful that if you cause any damage to your vehicle by crossing water deeper than the recommended maximum you may find that you are not be covered by warranty nor insurance.

There are however a few simple rules you should follow regardless of whether you have a raised air intake (waterproof or otherwise) or not:

1. Always walk the crossing first to check depth, currents, obstacles, etc
2. Is there a shallower alternative crossing?
3. If in any doubt: don't do it (much better to get home feeling a bit of a coward than to not get home at all)
4. Plan your recovery before you enter into the water (what are the consequences when you do get stuck?)
5. Prepare your vehicle and contents (wading sheet, vulnerable valuables raised, etc).
6. Select an appropriate gear (you do not want to change gear mid crossing)
7. Proceed cautiously but with determination (this is how you should tackle every serious obstacle)
8. After the crossing, dry your brakes and check your vehicle for water ingress.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[ando90]

Thanks heaps for the advice guys!!

[nedflanders]

Some great advice there, diff breathers especially the rear as that's only as high as the rear inner wheel arch, the rest are at the back of the engine (TD5) moving the electronics with an exbox and sealing the battery box could also help, but as has been said avoid if possible. I have heard of fans snapping blades on deep water without a blanket!!

Mine nearly broke down yesterday with a soaked air filter, think the air box lid wasn't sealed properly after the last service!! I'd sack the mechanic but it was me :mad:

[mudder110]

howdy should you not seal the air cleaner dump valve as they don't work anyway?

[n plus one]

howdy should you not seal the air cleaner dump valve as they don't work anyway?

There seems to be mixed views on this. I fitted Nugget's air box kit, silasticed up everything (valves included) then fitted a marine drain bung (manual type) low in the air box. I leave this open for normal driving and seal up when there's any water crossings.

Seems to work well - I also put rubber grease on the air filter seals (though this is mostly to improve dust sealing).

[nugge t]

I have always been a bit of a sceptic about whether or not water enters thru the standard type snorkel hood. As a result, I run a Sy-Klone pre filter and it is recommended in that case to seal the dump valve.

I also did some rough testing (involved a vacum cleaner and a drum of water but no animals!) of several styles of dump valves and had very poor sealing results so I am inclined to block them.