Airbox Snorkel Adaptor

[Disco4TT3]

I might be 'fixing' a problem that no-one else has.. but I recently fitted a Safari snorkel to my D4 2010 3L. Supplied in the kit is an 'elbow' adaptor that connects to the supplied rubber snorkel hose. The idea is for the 'D' snout of the airbox to fit into this elbow opening with liberal amounts of silicone to seal it.

Personally, I wasn't happy with the fitment - the airbox snout didn't fit inside the hole of the elbow adaptor well enough for my liking and even if it did, I wasn't happy with having to cut out, clean and reapply silicone each time I remove the airbox (which seems to be a lot lately).

So I decided to make my own 3d printed part. I tested a few different variations and this is the current one. It involves a very short adaptor that converts the 'D' shape into a round 74mm connection, a 74mm silicone elbow, a short 74mm joiner and a few hose clamps.

IMG_1068.jpg IMG_1069.jpg IMG_1070.jpg IMG_1071.jpg

For the 3d nerds, I printed out of PLA first and ran it for a few months - to my surprise it didn't deform at all, but it was brittle and snapped when I removed the airbox the next time. I printed the final piece using Nylon for its strength and heat resistance. It's been in there for about a month and seems solid and survived my latest airbox removal today. I can even hear intake whooshes with my drivers window cracked open, so seems to seal well

I'm going to continue testing for a bit longer with it friction-fitted (its pretty snug) and then the plan is to permanently attach the adaptor to the airbox with some suitably strong, heat resistant sealant.

Thoughts?

[DiscoJeffster]

Interesting. In 15 years of ownership I’ve never had a need to remove my airbox other than to fit the snorkel.

[Disco4TT3]

Interesting! I must definitely be doing something wrong

[loanrangie]

Looks good and better than most of the adapters supplied in snorkel kits.