My version of a cowl snorkle

Driver's side/middle has the wiper motor, passenger side has the cabin intake or whatever it's called. It's a big 6" vent located on the floor of the cowl.

I wanted to make a snorkel on the driver's side but I couldn't get a hose in there. Too much wiper crap so I used the passenger side and it comes out of the cowl like the humvee version.



I used the K&N on my TJ and that was a mistake. During the dry summer months, the trails get dusty and I started noticing a very slight layer of dust on the inside of the intake tube. This bothered me so I went back to stock and fabbed up my own snorkel. They call it a cold air intake but in reality, there's no cold air under the hood.
 
I think it's called a CAI because it's intended to suck outside air in from behind the headlight. But then, the stock setup would be a CAI as well, and even more so :laugh3:.
 
I didn't want to play with PVC and angles so I took the easy road - a $20 flexible tube.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f177/kevin108s-2000-xj-build-867428/index6.html#post8805654

snorkel10-.jpg
 
Looks good man.

I ended putting a sectioned piece of tubing inside the accordion tube that is in the cowl. It sits at the bottom, and acts as a buffer for any major water that comes in. I did in fact find a dirty water stream in the cowl tubing where a large volume of water made it into the tube. You just have to be careful. I've had water over the hood with no issues.
 
Great idea. I going to do this to my rig too! Thanks Dukie.
 
Does anyone who has done this have a ScanGauge or similar device to compare intake air temps before and after? That is something I haven't been able to check, but am still curious about.
 
I can't believe I never stumbled onto either of your threads. I was thinking specifically of the reading the IAT sensor sees, but that works too. I feel kind of stupid now, but thanks.
 
hubs97xj said:
Does anyone who has done this have a ScanGauge or similar device to compare intake air temps before and after? That is something I haven't been able to check, but am still curious about.
Click to expand...

I installed a cowl intake two summers ago along with ambient and air box thermometers. A ScanAGage, that had been previously installed, monitors the intake manifold temp.
The cowl intake dropped the intake manifold temperature 10-15 degrees, even more when cruising at freeway speeds.
After almost two years of all sorts of weather and over 20,000 miles, I see no downside to the cowl intake.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/sets/72157622703531169/
 
I know I'm reviving an old thread, but I'm interested in this mod and have a quick question. Right now I still have my 4.0, and I am thinking of going ahead with this cowl intake. However, later down the road I will be stuffing a 5.3L into the engine bay. I know the intake routing will work, but I'm just curious as to whether or not the cowl would provide sufficient air for a V8? I would install an inline sealed housing for a filter (much like the Ford Explorer uses).
 
i have no idea how the routing would work, but i see no problem with air supply as long as you use at least a 3" tube.
 
you could always make a Y and send it off to the other side to...
 
Im wanting to do this but I'm one of those who likes to be a fast splasher I'm wondering if this still provides protection for that so for those of u how fast have u splashed through puddles??
 
full speed. No worries. I tested mine with a garden hose on full blast directly into the cowl...not a drop.
 
Just inherited an xj and this will probably be my first mod (easy and cheap...ish).

This may be a stupid question, but couldn't you just run pvc from the cowl, to the throttle body and stuff a cone-style filter on the cowl-end?

For instance, in kevin108's picture, it looks like he could've gone 5 inches to the left, cut a hole, and ran straight to the throttle-body...or am I crazy?
 
you could, and it's been done before (on the left hand side). However i see a few issues with this method:

1) you have to remove the cowl every time you want to change/clean the air filter.
2) it will be a LOT louder in the cab since the inlet for the a/c system is also in the cowl
3) There is a high possibility of water being able to soak the filter and render it useless, or even allow water into the engine.
4) You need to keep the filter away from the "open" grating in the cowl cover to prevent the filter from getting wet when it rains/snows/ etc.

Using the stock airbox when possible allows easy changes to the filter element, as well as providing a safety net in case water actually does make it out of the cowl and into the intake tube.
 
dukie564 said:
you could, and it's been done before (on the left hand side). However i see a few issues with this method:

1) you have to remove the cowl every time you want to change/clean the air filter.
2) it will be a LOT louder in the cab since the inlet for the a/c system is also in the cowl
3) There is a high possibility of water being able to soak the filter and render it useless, or even allow water into the engine.
4) You need to keep the filter away from the "open" grating in the cowl cover to prevent the filter from getting wet when it rains/snows/ etc.

Using the stock airbox when possible allows easy changes to the filter element, as well as providing a safety net in case water actually does make it out of the cowl and into the intake tube.
Click to expand...

4 good reasons to NOT do it my way. just thought it would eliminate something else from the engine compartment and maybe increase performance. Looks like it'll be too much of a hassle.
 
It's a neat idea and it was well-executed, but i'm not sure it does a whole lot better than just boxing off a section under the hood...
 
Porch951 said:
It's a neat idea and it was well-executed, but i'm not sure it does a whole lot better than just boxing off a section under the hood...
Click to expand...

how so? You're raising the inlet by over a foot, and moving it backwards 2-3 feet. How would you keep water out and stiff have the airflow needed?
 
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