went to the big cypress visitor center and he said the trails are open for jeeps and he showed me some pics of the trail. jeeps up to the top of the fenders in water. so I ask opinions but not ridicule please
when do you need a snorkel?
- Thread starter 59 wagon man
- Start date
You need a snorkel when water gets deep enough to the point where the intake will suck it in. Once water gets in the cylinders, you've got some problems (bent or broken rods being the biggest issue as the piston slams into a liquid. Liquids don't compress very much). Personally, in the US at least, I don't see the use for them unless your jeep is a trail rig only and you've taken plenty of other precautions. Just slapping a snorkel on a TJ won't allow you to fully submerge the engine. It won't hydrolock, but all the electrics are going to be jacked up pretty quickly and unless you run extended breather hoses, your diffs, trans, and transfer case aren't going to be happy.
The biggest issue I see is that many of us use our jeeps on the road too. If you get stuck in windshield deep water, your interior is going to be ruined. Mud and mold are just two issues. Unless you have a hardcore mud bogger that you don't use on the road, I would say don't bother with a snorkel.
The biggest issue I see is that many of us use our jeeps on the road too. If you get stuck in windshield deep water, your interior is going to be ruined. Mud and mold are just two issues. Unless you have a hardcore mud bogger that you don't use on the road, I would say don't bother with a snorkel.
To the top of the fenders is really too deep for a stock Jeep or one with the wrong transmission. What transmission are you running? The 32RH, AX-5, and AX-15 transmissions have vents that are vulnerable to water ingestion. Plus if you're not running the factory air intake with the vertical trumpet in the intake that makes it easy for the engine to suck in enough water to cause hydrolock and destroy the engine. I personally would not take a Jeep into deep water despite what some of the Jeep ads have implied they can do. A snorkel will only help if every other part of the Jeep is sealed or has remote opening vent hoses with openings placed well above the deepest water your Jeep could conceivably encounter.
Unless water can get in the airbox there's no need for a snorkel. If water is high enough to get in the airbox, you have other problems, differentials, transfer case, transmission ... there are breathers all over the place.
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All but one of the comments here so far are useful, and true.
Deep water fording is a very specialized use for a TJ and requires many modifications to successfully accomplish. Vents, electrical system, intake, exhaust, control systems...each needs to be addressed and set up for deep water. Can you do it? Sure. Be aware that the effort is roughly equivalent to setting a TJ up for hard core rock crawling, the drawback is none of the parts are easy or cheap. It's more than just a snorkel.
Deep water fording is a very specialized use for a TJ and requires many modifications to successfully accomplish. Vents, electrical system, intake, exhaust, control systems...each needs to be addressed and set up for deep water. Can you do it? Sure. Be aware that the effort is roughly equivalent to setting a TJ up for hard core rock crawling, the drawback is none of the parts are easy or cheap. It's more than just a snorkel.
Best to wade the crossing - if too fast and too deep don't put your Jeep in it. A snorkel is one thing I will never install for all the reasons mentioned in previous posts. I like my ride too much to ruin the electronics, transmission, t case. I don't really even like submerging the axles- one poor seal and then you'll have a bearing stranding you on the trail. Sure I do it but don't like it.
TJ2
TJ Expert
You DON'T need a snorkel.
I live in the Hawaiian island for summertimes during my teenage life. We had a Willy's and never been out beaten by rigs with snorkel. But we always did not dare to push deep though.
Any time the river water flows above the hood, the driver needs a sinker for him not to float away and being washed out by the stream.
I remember most of them dies out in the middle of the river... even the ones with snorkel.
IMHO your rig will look good with snorkel but does not serve a purpose.
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If you’re submerging your Jeep to the point where the water is over the airbox (at the point you’d need a snorkel) you have a lot more issues than just your engine sucking up water. Ask some of these guys like @Goblin what all that water does once it manages to get into your transmission, diffs, etc. Just wanted to throw that out there so you know what you’re getting into (though I’m sure you do).
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Well, most of the replies respected that request...
I can't swim, so if I'm looking at a body of water that might require my rig to have a snorkel, I'd be looking at this option, instead: "REVERSE"
OP
to all of the helpful comments I appreciate them .I will be the first to admit my jeep days go back about 3 months before that is was 30 yrs ago I had a big block k5 blazer but water above a few inches was never something we dealt with so deeper water has my concern. I know all about hydrolock as my buddy had a pantera in his shop that the owner said was leaking oil. turned out the velocity stack funneled our heavy florida rain right into his engine. he said it made a weird noise as he drove it to the shop. that is why I asked before I did it as I never thought about the other vents . my jeep has a 5 speed manual in it. as far as the airbox it is the one with an upward pointing trumpet
What model year and which engine? Later 5-speed transmissions have remote vents but early 5-speeds have a vent hole on top of the transmission.
OP
sgtjdgelinas
TJ Enthusiast
I've relocated all my vents. I ford water about bumper deep pretty regular. That's as deep as I feel comfortable going. A properly set up snorkel would get me more depth capability, but I don't fully trust them. And reverse is always my best option
So, to answer the OP's question, in my experience, anything higher than my bumper. YMMV
**EDIT** They kayak is in case I misjudge the water depth. I can still get back to dry land.
So, to answer the OP's question, in my experience, anything higher than my bumper. YMMV
**EDIT** They kayak is in case I misjudge the water depth. I can still get back to dry land.
Many years of water wheeling. The water down here is stationary so no worries with risk of any raging rivers like you guys have up north
In all my year wheeling in water (2006 through roughly 2010) I have yet to put a snorkel in my TJ.for starters make sure your Axles, Transmission and Transfer Case breather lines are good and make sure they are high as possible. In my case my 6speed manual trans NSG370 had no hose just a cap so needless to say it took plenty of baths until I learned about the breather cap. The TJ factory air intake is very good based on the design. the intake hose gets the air from the top half of the airbox there are small holes at the bottom for drainage.
I have never had any issues with electrical connectors at all I did have to replace my starter twice and my AC compressor clutch also went. Never go fast into an area without knowing how deep it is. I have seen people sink their Jeeps because they are not careful. I basically crawl slowly in an unknown area until I know the depth then I can play fast also never wheel alone.
The deepest I have ever taken it has been just below the bottom of the headlight bezel
My old CJ5
In all my year wheeling in water (2006 through roughly 2010) I have yet to put a snorkel in my TJ.for starters make sure your Axles, Transmission and Transfer Case breather lines are good and make sure they are high as possible. In my case my 6speed manual trans NSG370 had no hose just a cap so needless to say it took plenty of baths until I learned about the breather cap
. The TJ factory air intake is very good based on the design. the intake hose gets the air from the top half of the airbox there are small holes at the bottom for drainage.I have never had any issues with electrical connectors at all I did have to replace my starter twice and my AC compressor clutch also went. Never go fast into an area without knowing how deep it is. I have seen people sink their Jeeps because they are not careful. I basically crawl slowly in an unknown area until I know the depth then I can play fast also never wheel alone.
The deepest I have ever taken it has been just below the bottom of the headlight bezel
My old CJ5
Trying to remember, but I thought the vent on my nv3550 was just mounted to the top of the transmission. I found a picture...
TJ2
TJ Expert
I do not know what trans. the Willys has, for I remember when I was a teenager the river water flows (splash) over the tub at our seat level sometimes while crossing some streams.