Started to fit the Southdown snorkel ..

... then the rain came and stopped play. So a few pics of what I did.

Couldn't be bothered to remove the wing ..

So, started by cutting the template out and marking the wing ...



cutting with a 'dremel' type thing ... cleaned the hole afterwards with a sanding disc.



Then removed the airbox and air inlet tube from the wing and routed some brake pipe through.




Slotted the new air inlet tubing along the brake pipe, job's a good 'un ...



Measured and marked up the A post and fitted the tube loosely so it could
be checked.





Then the rain came and stopped play for wetness and bad light!!

Doesn't look it in the pics, but there was a black cloud behind me although I was in sunlight, the rain came down like a monsoon!

Rest of this to follow tomorrow .. maybe ..

Looking good....
I have a dremel and keep forgetting using it for little jobs!!

Assume that brake pipe line you have routed will be to connect to axle/gearbox/transfer breathers?

Heh, nope, just used it as a guide to get the airpipe through, then pulled it out .. saved taking the wing off.

I already have breathers extended and coiled up in the space below the windscreen. I had intended to just run them up the outside of the snorkel when I could be bothered! Mind, they've been there a couple of years now and might be brittle so I may just get a new set .. maybe dayglo orange ... or do as you suggest and use the brake pipe down the tube to a manifold somewhere in the bottom of the airbox, then new, shorter, separate breathers to the axles and gearboxes. After all, the brake pipes new and cost me nowt as the job's been done and this is left over.

Thanks for the idea, given me something to think about .

Don't forget to fit the timing case and gearbox with wading plugs.......

oversteer said:

Don't forget to fit the timing case and gearbox with wading plugs.......

Click to expand...

LOL, yeah, now I have the snorkel I think I'll leave the wading plugs in permanent, but might make up a right angled banjo or similar so they're still open, IYSWIM.

I take the wading plugs out when I get home…

but, I've found out that even with wading plugs, the water still gets in the timing belt, not sure if you read about it here, but the theory is, when the cold water hits something hot, like the timing belt casing or diffs, they suck in air.
So, if you have the timing belt with a wading plug in, the only way to suck air in will be by forcing the seals and gasket on the casing….thus sucking water in.

My theory is that if you fit a wading plug with a breather pipe up to a higher point, when the casing is hit by water and it sucks the air in… will do it via the breather pipe, therefore not sucking any water in from around the casing.

So.. I've recently bought gearbox, transfer box, wading plug with breather and a manifold to connect all them to the extended axle breathers I already have…
and it only cost me 20 quid…
and they look good too!!

Do you still take them out afterwards or are they left in for good?

Where did you get those breather pipes from JP? Who makes them?

Actually I've had a think and I'm not going to do a 'breathing' wading plug, no need ... just do as I do now and put 'em in if I think it's going to need it, take 'em out the rest of the time!

jmattley - got them off ebay, do a search on ebay for wading kit, it will be the seller than on the pics have a piece of paper saying axledeep.com, very helpfull chap.

PaulD.. I used to do the same, but found that the wading plug completly blocking the "breathing" of the casing, made the water getting in through the seals. This happened just 1 week after fitting a new timing belt and taking extra care and extra sealent around the gasket.
So, I'll have the wading plug everytime i go for a "play" and then take it out when i get home.

[JP];848236 said:

I take the wading plugs out when I get home…

but, I've found out that even with wading plugs, the water still gets in the timing belt, not sure if you read about it here, but the theory is, when the cold water hits something hot, like the timing belt casing or diffs, they suck in air.
So, if you have the timing belt with a wading plug in, the only way to suck air in will be by forcing the seals and gasket on the casing….thus sucking water in.

My theory is that if you fit a wading plug with a breather pipe up to a higher point, when the casing is hit by water and it sucks the air in… will do it via the breather pipe, therefore not sucking any water in from around the casing.

So.. I've recently bought gearbox, transfer box, wading plug with breather and a manifold to connect all them to the extended axle breathers I already have…
and it only cost me 20 quid…
and they look good too!!

Click to expand...

I bought a similar kit from 'Wizard' on ebay awhile back, mine came with a neat 'manifold' which is bolted to the bulkhead, then axles, gearboxes, timing cover all meet here and then are routed via a single tube up inside the safari snorkel and exit just below the 'head', I have alos run the fuel tank breather to the snorkel as well. Wading plugs should always be left out when not in deep water, they allow oil to drain from the cam belt and clutch in the event a seal fails.

regards

Dave

Finished it last night but had a problem with the camera SD card so only managed to rescue a few pics, but enough to get a good idea of what's involved ..

Used this stuff to seal and glue everything together ... used it on my windscreen surround and it's made that waterproof, so should be good for a snorkel. Part No STC 50551 (didn't realise the pic didn't get the No in fully)



Holes in airbox bottom ...



Sealed with the sealant and these plugs ...



Fitting the reducer from pipe to airbox



airbox all fitted back ..





Top put on loosely for now. I will seal and adhesive it later.



And the whole finished thing ... needs a bit of a clean, whatever I touch i get it mucky, doesn't matter how careful I am ..





So, a few observations ..

I've not sealed the wing/tube plastic 'grommet' to the body yet, going to give it a few days for all the bits to bed in and settle, and I want to edge the wing hole first.

The self-tapping screws for the A-post bracket are crap, and I appear to have run out of M6 rivnuts, so ordered some to do a 'proper job'. Similarly the Allen bolts supplied are soft (self-tappers and allen bolts are stainless so obviously soft) so they'll be replaced with decent socket screws as soon as.

The flexible tube from snorkel pipe to airbox is the main bit .. it's the right diameter to fit inside the standard airbox inlet hole, but can't be held in reliably without the reducer .. which could be easily made up, IMHO and the length is just enough (1.5m) with just a tad extra, so it isn't pulled or pinched too tightly. A 1m length simply wouldn't do.

It's not necessary to take the wing off, but the wheel well plastic shrouds are a b'stard to remove and refit properly! It's hard labour, and very fiddly, pushing stuff past other stuff, but it can be done in about ten to fifteen minutes! If you have the strength of Garth, the thin arms of Mr Bean, and the dexterity of a chimp then it might be easier ..

The wing hole template as supplied seems to make the hole too big at first, but there's a fair amount of manouvreing to do and it does make sense for clearance and to keep from bending the wing. I'm going to use some rubber tubing, split lengthways, to 'edge' the hole, the stainless snorkel tube almost catches and I suspect might make some vibration noise, so this might stop it.

Altogether it all seems to fit nice and closely, with the snorkel top below the roofline so won't intrude on the scenery/foliage too much I hope. Looks good, and seems strong enough to withstand knocks, once the mounting bracket bolts etc are sorted! I think I'm going to make an extra bracket to bolt through the top and to the roog gutter, might stop tea-leaves who fancy nicking the top from actually doing so successsfully!!

Certainly, IMHO, worth the money. I got the unfinished thing for £139 from Southdown, via ebay .. for something like this that's out there getting hit by the brush and trees I wouldn't bother with any finishes or painting it (though black stoved might be good!!) as it's just gonna get scratched anyway .. this way you only need a bit of wire wool and it's cleaned up again!

Nice, good write up there in the end.

Further to all this ...

Did a test of how sealed the air system is. Took some foam and let it get sucked onto the grille at the top of the snorkel, my hands aren't big or flexible enough to stop the air ingress. Jeez .. the vacuum created collapsed the turbo pipe between the airbox and turbo and pulled it off the turbo! Don't think any water will get in ...

Heard a couple of small hisses of air being drawn in, but notalot, so as per plan I'm going to let it all bed for a week of driving and test again. I suspect some more sealant on the joins might be necessary. I haven't done anything to seal the air filter top other than just make sure it's sat square and correctly over the airfilter. A close look at it shows that the filter makes a good seal betwwen box and lid and anything extra might compromise it ..

cracking job there paul,think it's time to get meself a dremmel and get cracking on with mine'gonna go with your idea of leaving it unfinished though bit of wirewool or some autosol should keep it looking respectful.

thank's for taking the time to do this write up it's goona help me imensly.

good write-up!! i got a safari snorkel on mine and fitting is pretty similar except for the wing part, bit fiddly but do-able on ya own.

biggest problem ive had with mine and summat you might wanna look out for ..... my snorkel top was facing forward like yours and it got caught on every hanging branch, nearly ripping it off. ive left mine facing the back now and branches slide round it without getting stuck in it and ripping it off. also driving through rivers and deep puddles the water splashes onto the back of the snorkel top now instead of going straight into the hole.

Cheers.

I also wondered about turning the topround, but mine fits so closely that you can't!

No worries, we'll see what it's like in practice .. I can't believe it'll be any worse than the intake in the wheel well ..

I thought about turning the top of mine around but it would be inline with the gutter, so in heavy rain when you brake it would go straight down the intake, prob not enough to do any damage but would soak the filter.

Just been to have a close look, and the area that will allow rain in is miniscule really. There's also a small lip where the tube goes into the top, and the front grille bottom is lower than the top of the tube. If a straight route is taken the water needs to travel almost horizontally to get in. Then, even if water does get in, it's unlikely to get over the lip and more likely to just dribble away. In the sort of downpour that might cause problems I doubt I'd be driving fast enough to force the water over the lip ..

If it does get bad, or branches might be a problem I can turn the top to face the windscreen and present a smooth face to the brush, looks like a good, simple, well thought through design to me.

Great post! Great timing! I think you were reading my mind!

I have just had a Southdown bought me (Well it was my birthday!)

I have one question if you don't mind......
Thought I would also get the wading kit/ breather pipes so checked out ebay but one of the kits says " contains the replacement access cover to correctly cover the timing box area" the other kits on there don't mention this and are slightly cheaper. Don't mind paying for the right bit but thought I would ask before I bought.

Mine is a 3dr 200Tdi by the way!
cover