onespiritbrain Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 If you wheel and get around water/mud you need a snorkel. I was under the fallacy that snorkels are unnecessary and are for the desert/dust. That's wrong.. I went through a mud hole that turned out to have very deep ruts making it deeper than I thought and my engine is now toast... If you are wheeling you vehicle then a snorkel is your first upgrade. It is sheer luck I didn't kill my vehicle before since in been in deeper than this one before and she was fine. Water hits that box in the bumper the right way and your going to get a big drink of water and a mountain of trouble... That's my rant. You need a snorkel. I'll make a thread with my engine swap when I get started... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rc_cola_j Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 If you wheel and get around water/mud you need a snorkel. I was under the fallacy that snorkels are unnecessary and are for the desert/dust. That's wrong.. I went through a mud hole that turned out to have very deep ruts making it deeper than I thought and my engine is now toast... If you are wheeling you vehicle then a snorkel is your first upgrade. It is sheer luck I didn't kill my vehicle before since in been in deeper than this one before and she was fine. Water hits that box in the bumper the right way and your going to get a big drink of water and a mountain of trouble... That's my rant. You need a snorkel. I'll make a thread with my engine swap when I get started... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Any other pros (or cons) of a snorkel? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onespiritbrain Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 Pros: Your vehicle continues to exist if you happen to get water on the bumper Cons: You don't get to learn how to rebuild/replace your engine. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citron Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 I dislike the look of a snorkel. I have been thinking about doing a custom job and seeing if I can draw air from the vent cavity under the driver's windshield wiper. The passenger side is for cabin air, the driver side seems aesthetic. If I can make it work, then it should raise the air intake a few feet from stock, without needing any exterior mods. It won't be as high as a true snorkel, but it should be able to handle water up to the hood level. I don't want to even go that deep, then I have a whole host of other problems. By the way, you may want to check your diffs, tranny and t-case fluids. If water got in them change the fluid asap. You don't want things to start corroding. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onespiritbrain Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 I'm sorry.. I'm just upset because I love my jr50 and now she is severely damaged. Trail readiness should be a 4x4's first upgrades IMO. What I mean by trail readiness is protection of the vehicles ability to operate in the conditions found in normal trail riding. Snorkel, breather extensions, skid plates, and such.. a winch should be next, then on to a lift, aggressive tires, body armor, etc.. because unless you are going to wait until the end of a build, a strong focus on trail readiness should come first. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onespiritbrain Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 I dislike the look of a snorkel. I have been thinking about doing a custom job and seeing if I can draw air from the vent cavity under the driver's windshield wiper. The passenger side is for cabin air, the driver side seems aesthetic. If I can make it work, then it should raise the air intake a few feet from stock, without needing any exterior mods. It won't be as high as a true snorkel, but it should be able to handle water up to the hood level. I don't want to even go that deep, then I have a whole host of other problems. By the way, you may want to check your diffs, tranny and t-case fluids. If water got in them change the fluid asap. You don't want things to start corroding. 10-4 brother. Pray for me, I haven't checked them out yet. I just did the transmission a year ago and I'm really going to be heart broken if it is damaged also. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 Man, that really sucks! That almost happened to mine a few weeks ago. This is the fix I did for the time being. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onespiritbrain Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 I'll go ahead and be honest... this whole thing was operator error. The second I saw how deep I was I should shut the engine off. I feared killing my battery so I tried to keep the engine running while winching out and that is what murdered my engine; me. I will say, I had my family with me and my poor jr50 got us back to safety before she went on home to 4x4 heaven. I am terribly saddened by the death of my jr50 but soon she will rise again! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citron Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 I met a guy at a conference that had one of these. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MDUQRSO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492980703&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=car+battery+jump+starter&psc=1 He said it works great, he had jumped his car with it before. Also, may want to look into a dual battery setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onespiritbrain Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 Man, that really sucks! That almost happened to mine a few weeks ago. This is the fix I did for the time being. That's awesome dude. I am glad you have taken measures against water ingress! I don't know exactly how much water/mud makes its way into the engine bay and what is safe for short ram style intakes during a hard hit into a bog but I can tell you my entire engine has been soaked with red mud from a very shallow mud puddle. Granted I do not have my splash guards on so entry into the engine bay is unrestricted. So be careful because I think that box mechanism in the bumper prevents water ingress into the engine by letting water drain while still sucking in air. Without it I believe water ingress might be even more likely. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onespiritbrain Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 I met a guy at a conference that had one of these. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MDUQRSO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492980703&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=car+battery+jump+starter&psc=1 He said it works great, he had jumped his car with it before. Also, may want to look into a dual battery setup. Absolutely dude. A winch without a second battery, even if it's just sitting in the back unhooked, is a bad idea. Of the two times I have used my winch, 1 I needed my vehicle to be off.. if that ratio continues then a second battery isn't just a good idea, it is required. If your about to flip over and you stop to winch back to safety the. You are likely going to need your vehicle off as not to damage it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 That's awesome dude. I am glad you have taken measures against water ingress! I don't know exactly how much water/mud makes its way into the engine bay and what is safe for short ram style intakes during a hard hit into a bog but I can tell you my entire engine has been soaked with red mud from a very shallow mud puddle. Granted I do not have my splash guards on so entry into the engine bay is unrestricted. So be careful because I think that box mechanism in the bumper prevents water ingress into the engine by letting water drain while still sucking in air. Without it I believe water ingress might be even more likely. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk The stock system is certainly designed to drain water if any gets in, but mine certainly wasn't due to the holes being plugged with mud. I figured this solution would be better because instead of the water being able to come in right by the tire (I don't have the front part of my inner fender due to my bumper; this probably wouldn't have happened stock) it has to go way up in the engine bay, and I don't have much mud splattered in there usually. I try to take it easy with deep mud anyway. This was what prompted me to do this mod; happened in a hole about a foot deep with a pretty solid bottom, so it's not like I was pushing my luck compared to what I've done in the past: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onespiritbrain Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 The stock system is certainly designed to drain water if any gets in, but mine certainly wasn't due to the holes being plugged with mud. I figured this solution would be better because instead of the water being able to come in right by the tire (I don't have the front part of my inner fender due to my bumper; this probably wouldn't have happened stock) it has to go way up in the engine bay, and I don't have much mud splattered in there usually. I try to take it easy with deep mud anyway. This was what prompted me to do this mod; happened in a hole about a foot deep with a pretty solid bottom, so it's not like I was pushing my luck compared to what I've done in the past: Wow man, you barely escaped the fate my poor jr50 has suffered! The drainage function being clogged with mud is a great point to show that these vehicles in their stock form are not really "trail ready". I'm glad you didn't kill yours! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Wow man, you barely escaped the fate my poor jr50 has suffered! The drainage function being clogged with mud is a great point to show that these vehicles in their stock form are not really "trail ready". I'm glad you didn't kill yours! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Definitely ready enough to get you hooked on offroading, but needing upgrades to really be ready. Luckily I was with a group of people, and one of them who looked like he came straight out of Duck Dynasty was able to help me get it running and kinda fixed enough to get off of the trail. Will be looking into a snorkel later this year or next, until then I'll be taking it easy on the water. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrow Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 I have a Safari Snorkel on my WD21 which isn't to bulky like some I have saw & I would also recommend ARB Differential Breather Kit gets mounted at highest location you have on your vehicle which I have on my WD21 as well with lines hooked up to it for my Front & Rear Diffs, Transfer Case & Transmission which will help for water getting into them. Sorry to hear of the loss from this. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgallant Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 They are pretty trail ready but you need to aware of the shortcomings and adapt, deep water/mud is always an issue. Alternator, battery , air intake can all be effected and as OP and many others have found out very expensively. The trick is to take really easy on the skinny pedal, lower gear higher revs not full speed in. Not as much fun but a lot easier on the pocket book. I have crossed some pretty deep water in my R50 without issue, but it is rare for me and I walk through 1st every time if it is over a foot deep. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onespiritbrain Posted April 27, 2017 Author Share Posted April 27, 2017 I have a Safari Snorkel on my WD21 which isn't to bulky like some I have saw & I would also recommend ARB Differential Breather Kit gets mounted at highest location you have on your vehicle which I have on my WD21 as well with lines hooked up to it for my Front & Rear Diffs, Transfer Case & Transmission which will help for water getting into them. Sorry to hear of the loss from this. Thanks man I have crossed some pretty deep water in my R50 without issue, but it is rare for me and I walk through 1st every time if it is over a foot deep. +1 from now on... actually if I can help it, I'll never go into a mud/water hole again. My snorkel will be there in the case that I have no choice. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cbiggy Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Sorry to bring back this dead thread but, does anybody know what the height of the oem intakes' air entry is? I want to make my own snorkel but until that I don't want to drown my first car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onespiritbrain Posted March 6, 2018 Author Share Posted March 6, 2018 (edited) You mean like the height of the bottom of the air box from the ground? Or the height of the opening to that piece of junk that’s in the bumper? To update this thread: I still haven’t installed a snorkel.. but I may have new incentive since the thing drank another gulp of water..... this time it looks like it was probably I giant puddle during some of this crazy rain we’ve had here not long ago.. I opened up the air box to have a look see at the filter and first thing I saw was RUST all over the place and when I lifted the filter I saw half an inch of muck....! I think the thing would be better without that strange growth in the bumper. I mean the thing sticks down there where all the water is so it can slurp it up as a straw might..!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited March 6, 2018 by onespiritbrain 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 When I removed my stock bumper for my tube one, that whole thing was exposed. Only took one good mud puddle to flood the engine. I highly recommend removing that squid-like apparatus, plugging the hole on the bottom of the air box (sheet of plastic and silicone), and putting a new hole (~4" diameter, with screen mesh to keep out stuff) in the top. You'll have to relocate the temp sensor too. If you'd like I can take pics of my ghetto setup. Have had zero issues with heat soak and have had it in plenty of water no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cbiggy Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 You mean like the height of the bottom of the air box from the ground? Or the height of the opening to that piece of junk that’s in the bumper? To update this thread: I still haven’t installed a snorkel.. but I may have new incentive since the thing drank another gulp of water..... this time it looks like it was probably I giant puddle during some of this crazy rain we’ve had here not long ago.. I opened up the air box to have a look see at the filter and first thing I saw was RUST all over the place and when I lifted the filter I saw half an inch of muck....! I think the thing would be better without that strange growth in the bumper. I mean the thing sticks down there where all the water is so it can slurp it up as a straw might..!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk The opening that the air initially enters the oem intake system if that makes any sense... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mechanic58 Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 I have avoided having to purchase and install a snorkel on all my vehicles for more than 30 years simply by staying out of deep water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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