1989 UBS55 Bighorn Custom Built Snorkel

[billyvanboheman]

I'm just in the middle of putting what's technically a home built snorkel on my 89 Bighorn.

I decided in the planning stage that I wanted to minimize hose work under the bonnet, less chance of failure of metal than flexi tube, also wanted to keep cost down as I am able to do most of the work myself.

Started by moving the power steer reservoir to allow room for the snorkel pipe to come through the inner guard close to the air filter box.

Before and after photo of the reservoir move.


Very easy to do, drilled 1 hole and purchased $15.00 worth of new hose to extend from pipework to reservoir.
In the photo the air filter housing is out for mods as well so looks like lots of room.


Next was the removal of all the surplus bits of pipe work that plumbed the air intake from beside the battery on the r/h side, behind the grill and into the air filter housing, plus the extra surplus plastic air filter housing secondary bits.

This is what I dragged out.


Next step was the blanking and moving of the inlet to the air filter housing as it was right behind the l/h headlamp and impossible to connect to a tube coming through the inner guard without some sort of radical ducting that I was trying to avoid, so out with the grinder and hole saw and welder and this is how it went.

The ground and cut before and after.



And after welding I have this.





And mounted back in the engine bay I am up to this point now.





I have found a company here in CH CH New Zealand called Autobend who have made metal snorkel tubes for a large number of different 4WD's in the past, and have all the plans for each stored in the computer, (easy to bend up another in very quick time).
I however am after a bit of a custom build as the plan they have for my model has a little short guard tube that goes through the guard at about the point I moved my power steer reservoir too,and then flexitubed to an also modified air filter housing.

I will post again when the outer part of the project is completed.

[Jimmu]

Nice work so far.

You should get some better air flow also.

The snorkle I have on mine has too many bends and restrictions I think.

Jimmy

[geeves]

Mine is done virtualy the same as yours although mine is an Airflow snorkle from a serries 2 Discovery and the fuse box has been moved back and out from the gaurd. (no cable cutting involved) Have you looked closly at the original inlet pipe? I finaly removed mine the other week and found that this nice undersized rectangular pipe is actualy split into 2 round holes at one point. Its not suprising it goes better. These 2 holes are smaller than my nostrils and the whole engine has to breathe through them.
Standard 2.8 bighorn must have the worst induction system ever made

[Harry]

Whereabouts on the intake system is that Alan?
Harry.

[geeves]

in front of the radiator. The comparison with my nostril size is a slight exageration In Billys second pic its the second piece from the right Near the top of the pic where the rectangular section seems to change profile it acualy splits into 2 one inch round holes with a gap inbetween It doesnt go round anything so dont know why. All that section has done on my truck in the last 3 years was rattle so now theres one less rattle and the last section near the battery was conveinient for running the winch cables through

[billyvanboheman]

This is the piece of duct from behind the grill that geeves is talking about, the end on shot is hard to get focus on but you get the idea.





Also here are a couple of shots of the progress on the snorkel project that happened last night.

I got brave and cut two 2 1/2 inch holes in my truck!!!







Just the pipe work to have bent up and weld the brackets on, paint and it's all go.

[Harry]

I found the bit while I was cutting up my $10 Bighorn the other day.Incidently the chassis had serious rust on the rhs rail next to where the exhaust flexi would be.It's scary when you're about cut the hole, still not sure if you're certain that it's in the right place.I want to use 3" tube so I'm going to be a bit tighter for space.Can't go through where you have because of the fold in the guard.Can't go too much lower because I want to fit my factory flares.Could go through the other end of the guard where you've put your p/steering reservoir unless I shift my winch solenoid pack to I don't know where.It might between the air filter housing and the inner guard.Air con's gone so the p/s reservoir could go round the corner a bit.The fuel filter will have to move to make room for engine bay part of the snorkel.Oh well, I guess I'll figure something out eventually.
Regards,Harry.

[billyvanboheman]

Time for a very long overdue update.

I spent some time at the workshop over the weekend and turned these



3 inch stainless :shock:

into this



So just a bit of cleaning of the welds to sort, and the mounting brackets and connecting hose for the air cleaner 8) .

And after looking at this post again for the first time in ages, I realised its coming up on a YEAR since I started this :shock:
I really need to pull finger and get it finished before the 26th :?

[geeves]

Should be good. Only issue I can see is the bottom bend going through the guard isnt going to fit very well. The 2 possible answers are to cut the guard further to accommodate the bend or do the same as Ive seen on a Vitara with a hard right angle bend for this one. All the factory snorkels effectively use the right angle bend method even though its not as good for air flow.

[billyvanboheman]

geeves said:

Only issue I can see is the bottom bend going through the guard isn't going to fit very well.

You are so very right, I forgot to mention the other part of the project which was turning this hole.




Into this hole




I did probably go a bit further than I needed to but it does the job.

I have had my welder mate suggest he has some 1.2mm stainless plate that we can make a very nice cover with, but I will see how it goes!

[muvit madness]

hi
comin along great dude. wouldn't worry to much about the elongated outer hole as the pipe elbow will most likely cover it any way. should be good to see the final product pic once finished. btw what size muddies you runnin?, as they look like they only just fit into your gaurds. which is always a tough on road look me thinks except when they scrub offroad tho .
cheers
muvit

[billyvanboheman]

muvitmadness said:

btw what size muddies you runnin?, as they look like they only just fit into your gaurds. which is always a tough on road look me thinks except when they scrub offroad tho .
cheers
muvit

See here for the run down on the 33's I'm running.

clubisuzu.proboards29.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Suspension&thread=1189548732

As explained they only rub in the top of the rear arches on hard artic, but not for long ;D

[dpswan]

Makin the first cut for the snorkle is fun/scary. i have done mine in a very similiar way with the inlet for the aircleaner going straight back towards the fire wall then out through the guard. I used another part off my spare bighorn to go through the guard the piece that sits under the intercooler. the plastic is very tough and has the S bend shape i needed to lie against the guard and line up with the airbox. the rest is pvc down pipe up to roof height and a flared intake with mesh screen. pvc pipe is easy to bend or flare with a heat gun and so far have only lost the top once from tree damage. Ps between the airbox and guard piece is the other bit of the flexi pipe from airbox lid.