What Does A Snorkel Do On An Atv?

A snorkel is a piping system that extends the intake of an off-road vehicle (ATV) to allow it to breathe in fresh air more easily. It is designed to protect the engine from water and mud damage by raising the air intake above water level, allowing the ATV to draw clean air into the engine. The benefits of snorkeling an ATV include less water damage and better air circulation.

Snorkeling is the process of installing a specialized system on your ATV to prevent it from stalling or getting damaged in deep water. In a perfect world, it keeps the water from accessing the belt drive and air intake. Snorkeling helps avoid water damage and enhances vehicle performance.

The main benefit of installing an ATV snorkel kit is the protection it provides against water. It allows air to reach major components of your 4-wheeler like the air box, intake, and exhaust portals. Without a snorkel kit installed, driving through deep water without a snorkel kit can result in water damage.

A snorkel system is built to keep water from entering the belt drive or air intake. Water in these components can ruin them. The most basic aspect of a snorkel system is to shield the engine and run the snorkel from the engine’s air intake system up high to a new one. When snorkeling an ATV, it is best to snorkel three things: the air box (breather for the engine), CVT intake, and CVT exhaust.

In summary, a snorkel is a crucial component of an ATV’s piping system, providing protection against water damage and ensuring efficient operation in deep water.

What are the disadvantages of a snorkel on a 4WD?

Maintenance can be another concern. A snorkel system includes components that need to be checked regularly to ensure they’re free of debris and properly sealed. Failing to maintain the snorkel can lead to issues with water or dust ingress, negating the benefits the snorkel provides.

Noise is another potential drawback. Some snorkels, particularly stainless steel models, can increase the intake noise. This is especially noticeable when the vehicle is under load. While some drivers enjoy the added engine sound, others may find it intrusive.

Installing a 4×4 Snorkel. Installing a snorkel for your 4×4 can be a bit of a challenge. It’s not as simple as just bolting it on. The process usually involves cutting into the vehicle’s bodywork. This can be intimidating, especially if you’re not experienced with car modifications. Most snorkel kits come with a template to guide you on where to cut and drill. These are the general steps involved when installing a snorkel.

Before you start, it’s important to gather all the necessary tools. You’ll need a drill, a hole saw, and a variety of wrenches and screwdrivers. The snorkel kit should include all the bolts, clamps, and hoses you need. Follow the instructions carefully to ensure a proper fit.

Do you really need a snorkel?

A snorkel is one of the best investments you will add to your 4WD. Whilst most people think you only need a snorkel if you are heading through deep water crossings, I would like to explain here how important a good quality snorkel can be to assist your travels and expectations of long service life from your 4WD engine.

Snorkels, like any modification, come at a price.. Get insurance that covers your modifications and accessories for what they’re really worth, including labour.

Obviously, without a snorkel, a trip to Cape York could be a problem. Lined up at one of the various creek crossings and seeing others getting stuck can make people a little anxious. By the time their turn comes around, they might hit the water a little hard, ensuring they don’t become one of the recovered wet vehicles. This will test your snorkel’s design for sure.

Are snorkels actually useful?

By H. Kelly Levendorf H. Kelly Levendorf is Chief Development Officer of Pro Dive International in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A PADI Master Instructor, he has been certified since 1980, teaching through multiple agencies since 1982, and has logged more than 5,000 recreational and technical dives. Thirty years ago I purchased a cutting-edge piece of equipment called the SCUBAPRO Shotgun Snorkel — a massive, rigid breathing tube with a black rubber torture device for a mouthpiece and a conjoined twin of a chamber for newfangled ease in draining and clearing. Though long since consigned to my collection of antiquated gear, I remember it fondly. Because of these fond memories, I tend to roll my eyes at divers who complain that today’s streamlined, low-profile, lightweight and flexible (read that as having comfortable silicon mouthpieces that drop or swivel out of the way) snorkels are too cumbersome. Admittedly, there are certain diving applications — cave diving for instance — where a snorkel is both unnecessary and a potential liability, but for the vast majority of recreational diving, the snorkel is an asset and should be an integral part of the kit. Any diver heading to a site from shore is well aware of the advantage of surface swimming with a snorkel versus using precious air from the cylinder. Even certain boat entries necessitate a surface swim to a down line, often against the current, where the snorkel once again preserves irreplaceable dive fuel. As instructors, we are passionate about teaching proper air management, and in a perfect world every diver would return to the surface with at least 500 psi. In the real world, though, divers occasionally surface with less than optimal air supplies. Here too the snorkel is invaluable for the return swim or even just waiting for the boat to pick you up. As the former owner of a charter operation specializing in drift diving in oftentimes substantial currents, I was only too familiar with divers who would surface at unplanned and, shall we say, generous distances from the boat. The presence of a snorkel during such longer waits for pickup — especially in swift, Gulfstream-spawned surface currents and wave action — was a matter not just of convenience and comfort, but of absolute life safety. And for those who complain that a snorkel is an impediment in drift diving and increases drag, after a deep sigh I suggest investing in a convenient folding type like the AquaLung Nautilus that fits easily into a BC pocket and can be attached in seconds. No diver wants to have to deploy a surface signal device, but only the foolish would consider making a dive without one. The same should be true of the snorkel. Here at Pro Dive, all candidates in our Career Development Curriculum are required to have snorkels, pursuant to PADI training standards. Pro Dive staff instructors are expected to lead by example, to assure that the next generation of instructors we train will themselves become role models to their own students. The snorkel is an essential part of promoting best practices. And hey, they even come in colors now.

Snorkels are more of a hindrance than a help when you’re underwater.

By Ethan Gordon Ethan Gordon is an instructor and a journalist who works primarily in the diving and travel industries. For 15 years, he has held instructor ratings from both PADI and SSI, and has trained hundreds of people how to dive in New England waters. As I swim along underwater, my scuba gear on my back, I enjoy the meditative silence and wonders that the reef has to offer. I think how lucky I am to be a scuba diver, to be able to enjoy this subaquatic utopia. All is well. My Chi is in balance. Suddenly, I’m startled by a tap on my head … and then another, and another as I turn this way and that to see who it is. There’s no one close enough to be tapping me. “What is that phantom flanker that keeps flogging the side of my head?” I wonder. It turns out to be a foot-and-a-half-long piece of plastic bound to my noggin by my mask strap. To add insult to injury, it’s attached to my strap by a piece of rubber that causes the hefty tube to hit me even harder each time I try to remove it. The incessant beating leads to a case of underwater road rage as I fight to release the offensive article of gear. My moment of Zen has passed, all thanks to that snorkel. I can assure you that if Tarzan had a nice set of scuba gear instead of a muddy reed freshly plucked from the riverbank, he would have used that to aid him in his aquatic escapades. Like a reed, snorkels are primitive. I don’t care how many fancy wave blockers, wind reducers, pan pipes, etc. they put on the top, all of those contraptions add more weight and resistance. Put simply, snorkels are for cruise-ship passengers who enjoy the Caribbean’s reefs from an aerial perspective or for recreational free divers. Scuba divers, on the other hand, are meant to have a streamlined head free of line catchers, drag makers, noggin whackers and the like. After all, what is the meaning of SCUBA? Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. The key word being ‘Underwater’ – a place where snorkels just don’t work. That being said, I keep a foldaway snorkel tucked in my BC pocket for that rare occasion when I might need it at the surface. However, even at the surface, the snorkel can sometimes become a hazard. For example, how many times have you witnessed someone’s snorkel getting tangled in the drift line that dive boats float off the stern? Underwater, the snorkel is not only useless, but it actually creates a hazard when you consider many of diving’s overhead specialties that require the extensive use of guide lines — wreck diving, cave/cavern diving and ice diving to name a few. Even just being near the ascent/descent line on a typical dive can cause a snorkel to get tangled, resulting in the loss of the diver’s mask while underwater. Regardless of your decision “to snorkel or not to snorkel,” don’t show up to your first wreck- or cave-diving class with a big ole tube stuck to the side of your head. That’s like a college freshman showing up to pledge week with a T-shirt that reads, “Paddle me!”

What are the disadvantages of a snorkel on a 4wd?

Maintenance can be another concern. A snorkel system includes components that need to be checked regularly to ensure they’re free of debris and properly sealed. Failing to maintain the snorkel can lead to issues with water or dust ingress, negating the benefits the snorkel provides.

Noise is another potential drawback. Some snorkels, particularly stainless steel models, can increase the intake noise. This is especially noticeable when the vehicle is under load. While some drivers enjoy the added engine sound, others may find it intrusive.

Installing a 4×4 Snorkel. Installing a snorkel for your 4×4 can be a bit of a challenge. It’s not as simple as just bolting it on. The process usually involves cutting into the vehicle’s bodywork. This can be intimidating, especially if you’re not experienced with car modifications. Most snorkel kits come with a template to guide you on where to cut and drill. These are the general steps involved when installing a snorkel.

Before you start, it’s important to gather all the necessary tools. You’ll need a drill, a hole saw, and a variety of wrenches and screwdrivers. The snorkel kit should include all the bolts, clamps, and hoses you need. Follow the instructions carefully to ensure a proper fit.

Does a snorkel add horsepower?

Purchasing a vehicle snorkel ought to improve your car’s performance at most engine speeds. Furthermore, it should reduce fuel consumption and make your engine run cleaner. Not all snorkel body designs produce a cold air induction effect. This effect improves fuel efficiency while also improving engine power. Once installed, your 4WD will be ready for new adventures and maybe some river crossings and let’s be honest….just look cool.

Article courtesy of: Michael Kirk-Williams, Australian engineer and designer ofAirflow Snorkels. Editor: Lori Palmer.

What is the purpose of a snorkel on an ATV?

System actually moves the intake. For your air box which is where your air your fresh air comes in for the engine to a higher location. But you have to remember the CVT. Also has an intake.

Are ATV snorkels worth it?

Snorkeling helps increase power. This is an added bonus that comes with installing an ATV snorkel. Although the snorkel is designed for use in water, its main job is to improve airflow to the engine, which it will do whether in or out of the water.

This increased airflow provides the ATV with additional power even when it is out of the water. Therefore, the benefits of a snorkel kit go beyond its waterborne benefits. Snorkeling provides you with a smoother, more consistent ride when you are on land, thanks to the extra power it provides your engine.

Snorkeling increases your opportunities for ATV fun. Because an ATV with a snorkel lets you tackle more terrains than a regular ATV, it means that you are not restricted to riding on trails or flat road surfaces. You can take your ATV virtually anywhere when you have a snorkel attached.

There are some areas of the world, which are not too hard to get to, but feel inaccessible because you do not have the correct vehicle to get you there. However, with a snorkel-fitted ATV, you will easily be able to reach these otherwise hard-to-reach places. The opportunities that you are afforded when your ATV can ride through deep water, make snorkeling worth it.

Do snorkels affect engine performance?

A snorkel cannot improve airflow into your engine in any meaningful way, but it can certainly restrict it when you make the engine substantially bigger, and leave the snorkel stock. And one of the best ways to limit power production is to restrict inlet airflow.

Many racing classes use this method to even the playing field. The WRC certainly used to. (I don’t know if they still do.) Mods were unlimited, virtually, but you had to run a controlled air restrictor in the inlet. It’s hard to get around that – literally.

So, LS GU beard-stroker has fitted an engine that’s 29 per cent bigger, which needs to rev 25 per cent faster to make peak power. Engines aren’t pumps, of course, but you can think of them like pumps for ballpark analyses such as these.

What are the disadvantages of a snorkel?

The impact of snorkels is not all positive though. They are a source of drag in the water, which is not a good thing when they tug on the mask, a decidedly critical piece of equipment. They can also be a source of entanglement, for example, with kelp or hair. And they can be incompatible with some equipment configurations. So, what to do?

Pro position:A snorkel provides an option that can be helpful in normal situations. This is a straightforward argument. When a snorkel is needed it is likely to be needed quickly, so having it readily available is a valid choice for preparedness.

Con position:The need for a snorkel is low when carrying ample gas supplies or on sites where surface swimming is unlikely, where entanglement is likely (wrecks or caves), or where they offer little utility (ice or caves). The irritation of it getting in the way when hanging from the mask also makes it less desirable.

Do snorkels make a difference?

It also usually provides more airflow than what your vehicles air-box, without a snorkel, is able to take in. Water crossings are another reason that a 4×4 snorkel is a must-have on your vehicle.

Stainless Steel vs Plastic Snorkels. The difference between a plastic snorkel vs a stainless steel snorkel is fairly obvious. While they both serve the same purpose (to provide your motor with lots of cool, clean air) there are a few points of difference worth mentioning.

• Snorkel Aesthetics. While the look of a snorkel is obviously personal preference, the popularity of the stainless steel snorkel aesthetic is growing. A brand such as Meredith Metalworks stainless steel snorkels (see here) are designed to be recessed into the guard making them follow the body lines of your vehicle, presenting a sleek, smooth finish.

The good quality stainless steel snorkels (such as those from Meredith) are also designed to be completely seamless, which adds to the overall modern and classy look of the vehicle it’s on. Stainless steel snorkels usually come in either powder coasted black or a brushed/polished silver chrome finish.

What does a snorkel allow you to do?

Snorkel masks cover your eyes and nose, so you can see underwater without it going up your nose. The snorkel is a flexible tube that allows you to breathe while you have your face in the water. You hold one end in your mouth and for air exchange to happen, the top of the tube has to poke out about the water’s surface.

This splash guard helps keeps water out of the snorkel that could get in there from splashes from waves or other swimmers.

Semi-dry snorkels also have a purge valve. The purge valve is located at the bottom end of the snorkel letting you get rid of water in the tube really easily.

Dry snorkels and semi-dry snorkels have the same features such as purge valves, but dry snorkels also have a float valve.

Why put a snorkel on your 4×4?

Along with providing cleaner air, a 4×4 snorkel also provides cooler air to the engine. This cooler air entering the combustion chamber is more dense and thus provides a moderate improvement in power and can even increase the fuel efficiency of your overland vehicle.