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View Full Version : How to leak test snorkel ?



Stusgq
14th August 2012, 03:19 PM
ok guys,
as the title says, how do you test your snorkel for water tightness?? I'm assuming that if I block the intake end I should be able to hear/detect any leaks??

Sir Roofy
14th August 2012, 03:30 PM
thats about all you can do.the motor will labour or stall

growler2058
14th August 2012, 03:30 PM
I just used a shipload of silicone on all joints including the existing air intake but made sure all surfaces to be silicones were ultra ultra clean


Tap, Tap.......Who's there?

MC97GQ
14th August 2012, 03:39 PM
Hey Stusgq,

Just read in another thread a tip that might help you, get a sturdy plastic bag and cover the top of the snorkel, that should choke it enough to see if you have any leaks.

Mark

AB
14th August 2012, 03:44 PM
Once your happy with the above mate just check your airbox after some deep crossings of course just to double check.

kevin07
15th August 2012, 12:41 AM
struth i put a bag over mine the engine never changed at all,who can i thank for that i suppose a 1st year apprentice

MC97GQ
15th August 2012, 04:52 AM
Another thing is too, don't just check the Snorkel for leaks, but also between Snorkel and preliminary filter box, pre filter box and main filter and main filter and inlet manifold.

I have seen a few older 4b's where the flexible ducting between the pre filter box and main filter has cracks and holes in it.

Mark

Stusgq
15th August 2012, 07:11 AM
cool guys, thanks. I'll give it a go over the weekend. I'm more concerned with the actual snorkel itself - it's an AIrflow Snorkle and appears to have pin holes in the casting. I'll also pull the inner guard off and check out the state of fitting where it's hidden.
I get paranoid about stuff like that that has been done by previous owners, you never know whether they were contientious or not!

04OFF
15th August 2012, 07:51 AM
With my 4.5L, I took the Snorkel head/intake off , then taped a sheet of glad wrap at all edges onto a bit of cardboard, warm up engine, and "slowly" lowered cardboard gladwrap side down over snorkel intake.

If you slap the cardboard down fast, the engine will stall anyway with such a rapid drop in air and no time to adjust, covering the hole slow, sliding the cardboard across the top controls the rate of suffication, also be aware, just before you have fully covered the intake, the cardboard will at some stage get sucked down very hard and fast, so use a large enough bit of cardboard, so you dont ever get your fingers near the intake opening when the car is running.



I was very thorough when it came to sealing my snorkel, yet still found a tiny factory made hole (about 4-5mm in dia) hidden in the system, i was amased at how small a hole the engine could run on (ran very badly tho), a christmas tree clip with a bit of Sikaflex fixed it up.




When your leaks are fixed, the engine will stall, and a vacuum will remain in the system for a little while keeping the cardboard sucked tight in place.






After my accident, my car had been rolled over the snorkel twice, it looked good, but to be sure it had no leaks, i had the snorkel removed from the car, blocked off one end of the snorkel itself, and filled the whole thing with water, so this is another option if you have the snorkel removed from vehicle

patch697
15th August 2012, 10:47 AM
Grab a can of WD40 or the likes, spray all the joins, start it up & completely cover the intake, even if the engine stalls (which it should). Then go back over all your joins & inspect them, if you find any dry spots along any the joins where you had sprayed prior to start up you have found a leak.

This test can be performed on any & all suspect intake leaks with the engine running before you spray. if the engine idle changes in any way when you spay a joint you've found your leak.

oilpond
30th November 2012, 06:41 PM
Bro do the same as you check for exhaust leaks???lol get your family vaccum(the end that it is) and wrap a cloth around it and shove it in the end and turn it on(engine off and cold!) and any leaks will wissle baby:) I cant afford a snorkel yet (poor useless Bum) but i imagine that you take the top of and do the same...

oilpond
30th November 2012, 06:44 PM
Abit of hose to the ear helps find the pesky buggers!

Stropp
30th November 2012, 07:22 PM
start the car up and spray crc around the joints and if it leaks the revs will increase as the engine burns the crc.

04OFF
30th November 2012, 07:31 PM
The problem with the spray method, is you can't spray 100% of the whole surface of all the intake pipework and chambers, the hole i described in my previous post could not be seen, and no way could you get a spray to it, for this reason i say the spray method is not a very fail safe method.