Part One:

There's lots of snorkel threads on here. Everyone wants one, but they don't make one for our trucks. Some guys have gotten creative, and fabbed one up with PVC, dryer duct, etc. Not to knock anyone, but that's not the look I was going for. If it works for you, hey, go for it. I know that route would have been much cheaper than the one I took.

I wanted a real, honest to goodness snorkel on my truck. I'll cut to the chase, here's how it turned out:


So, if you're wanting to do the same, here's what you need, and what it'll cost you:

Snorkel ($157): I ordered a Chinese knock off on Amazon for a Series 106 Toyota Hilux. The windshield angle was fairly close, but I still had to get it warm with my heat gun, and pull it down a bit

Silicone Intake Parts ($113): This is what will really make the install look clean. Go to this website and look around. I know the air intakes changed on later second gens, so your needs might vary. I ended up needing a hump connector, a 3.5" 90°, a 3"-3.5 90°, a 3.5" silicone coupler, the port system they sell (to tie the breather into the intake) and t clamps to hold it all together

Spectre 9833 Inline Air Filter ($47): just cause you got a snorkel, doesn't mean you don't need an airfilter! This is a fairly low profile unit, 4" diameter, 10" long, with 3" inlets and outlets. They make larger sizes, but I don't think it's necessary, and space is at a premium under the hoods of these trucks.

Fittings, hose, clamps etc ($16): the breather on the driver valve cover ties into the air intake (at least on mine.) using a 1/2" male thread to 1/2" hose barb fitting, I connected a length of 1/2" rubber emission hose from the breather to the port I had installed in one of the silicone elbows.

Tools needed:
-Hole saw. I went with a 3.5" one, in hindsight, a 3" or maybe 3.25" would have worked better
-Drill with various sized drill bits
-Hand tools (socket/ratchet, wrenches)
-Some type of cutoff tool. I used my small air cutoff wheel
-Heat gun. This is kinda optional. Depending on how you mount yours to the fender, you might not have as much gap as I did. There is some flex in the snorkel also.
-A total disregard for your trucks sheet metal

 

Part Two

So, here's what comes in your snorkel box:


All you really will use is the actual snorkel, snorkel top, A pillar bracket, and a few of the bolts. The rest is to attach to the Toyota air box, which is useless to us.

Also useless to us is the cardboard templet that come with it, since it's for a Hilux. After much eyeballing, I plunged the hole saw deep into the trucks fender:


Too late to turn back now! (not really,though. These trucks are all over junkyards, a fender goes for like forty bucks, and it probably ain't hard to find one the same color.)

Drill the four holes for the mounting bolts and bolt the sucker on! (Sorry for no pics of this. I drilled my holes and got the snorkel bolted in place, and really didn't want to pull it back off. My bad)

Now, this is where I had to do some tweaking. Between the different windshield angles, and where I chose to mount it, there was a pretty big gap:



This is where the heat gun comes in handy. On the low setting, I slowly warmed up the "elbow" of the snorkel, while pulling the upper part back towards the A pillar. Didn't take much, but I was able to get it to sit much closer, and after it's bolted down, it lays fairly flush.

Drilling the holes for the A pillar was pretty tricky. You have to drill through both sides of the A pillar, and it needs to be fairly straight, so the A pillar bracket lines up. I didn't get my holes straight, so I had to enlarge them. Looks like trash, so no pictures for you! Lol. There's a trim piece on the inside that hides it, and weather striping on the outside. So all that's visible looks like this:


(there's three holes on the bracket, but due to the angle, I could only get bolts in two of them)

Heres how flush to the windshield it sits:


Not perfect, but I can live with it.

At this point, if you're just doing it for looks, congrats! You're done! Lol.

The underhood part comes next

 

Part Three:

So, you got the outside all done, now just to hook it up to the throttle body, and take her for a swim!

Depending on your year model and options, you might have to deviate from this guide.

My truck originally came with abs, the module has long since been taken out. So I can't exactly remember where it sat, but I have a suspicion it would be right in the way of where I ended up mounting the air filter housing.


The horn and that weird terminal block are in the stock locations, so that should give you an idea of where the snorkel comes through on the inside. I used the cut off wheel to remove enough sheet metal in the inner fender to be able to access the mounting bolts for the snorkel, and to allow room for ducting. I also moved all the stock wire harnesses and the harnesses I've added for lighting into the inner fender, just to make for a cleaner install. I had to cut and legnthen one factory harness. Just do one wire at a time, and you'll be fine.

Heres an overview of the whole setup:




Port system tieing into the crankcase breather:


After I got everything connected and tight, I decided to leak check it. Removed snorkel top, and with the truck running, I covered the opening with my hand. Had a leak, tightened the t bolt clamps, and tried it again. The engine vacuum started to collapse the silicone elbows, and was even pulling the hard plastic of the snorkel in! I got scared and moved my hand before the engine stalled out, but if it can pull that muhh vacuum, I'm satisfied with it!

 

Conclusion

I'm really happy with how the setup worked out. Total cost was a little over $300, not bad considering a real safari snorkel is upwards of $500 by itself.

It looks great, and I can't wait to take on some of the deeper mud holes next time I take it wheeling.

If there's any questions, don't hesitate to ask, and I will happily provide any requested pictures!

 

Great write up! As I've said I'm going to do this to my Jimmy this summer. Mostly for the look but I do get in a little deep sometimes in mud holes and spring time water crossings.

 

Looks great man! Thank you for posting good pictures!

 

Not gonna lie, the look was a major motivating factor for me! But I've watched one too many YouTube videos of guys going through water that's not even above their tires, and suddenly they find a hole and it's up to their hood. I realize the electronics aren't gonna play well with water, but I would much rather deal with that than a hyrdo locked engine and possible bent and broken piston and con rods. It's an insurance policy lol

Thanks for the compliments!

 

Thank you kind sir! This will make it easier. Although the newer second gens intake come off to the right of the engine, it would not be hard at all to put the whole in the same location. A few things you relocate but this all...

 

I was thinking the intake was different. Couldn't remember exactly. It comes off to the passenger side?

 

My 2000 is definitely on the left (driver) side.

Awesome job, BTW. I may end up doing this to mine. I avoid mud whenever I can because I hate the cleanup, but I do get into some pretty deep water crossings sometimes.