Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Has anyone tryed the goannawhere snorkels that are advertised in 4WD Monthly?They are a lot cheaper than Airtec or Safari models yet look the same as an Airtec.Is it better to spend the coin and get a renowned brand or are these ones just as good?

Cheers

Buckshot wrote:Has anyone tryed the goannawhere snorkels that are advertised in 4WD Monthly?They are a lot cheaper than Airtec or Safari models yet look the same as an Airtec.Is it better to spend the coin and get a renowned brand or are these ones just as good?

Cheers

Goannawhere is 4WD systems, and the snorkel is the "airflow" brand. I have installed two on GQs, no problems with them indeed still using one. Others prefer to spend more, personally I have no doubt the $500 snorkel is better than the $290 one but for me, it's not $210 better so the cheaper one will do

Jason

EDIT: sorry, originally wrote it was airtec, but it's "airflow".

There are some things in life, where you get what you pay for: Cheap socks and undies are useless, pay more and buy good quality, you'll spend less in the long run, but I can't see that a snorkel is one of those things where it's worth paying extra for a "brand name" version.
Have a look at how watertight the seal into the air intake is, and then as long as that's sound, and it's sufficiently large enough for the airflow required for your engine, then why would a dear one be any better than a cheaper one?

This may be total crap but I do remember hearing somewhere that there was a problem with the airflow ones being porous.

Happy to be told differently.

Sometimes the cheaper products don't fit as well as they should - the fitting instructions can be crap, the supplied templates (if any) may be incorrect, mounting hardware may be missing or defective.

All of these are "correctable" problems, if you have the time, skills and patience to handle them. Or, in the case of the GQ, have feedback that it all works OK. Also, if you're paying somebody else to install the cheap product, they may perform dodgy "fixes" so you don't necessarily get the result you were expecting - like a watertight snorkel. (Or using roofing screws to mount headlights which WERE mounted with M6 bolts! )

Sometimes, for some people, the extra $210 is worth avoiding the grief.

YMMV

Scott

Maggot4x4 wrote:This may be total crap but I do remember hearing somewhere that there was a problem with the airflow ones being porous.

Happy to be told differently.

I painted mine

Porous ??? Just how long would a snorkel have to sit submerged to allow enough water in to be dangerous. Besides, the thing has a bloody great hole at the top which rain can get into.........................................

How many snorkels are asked to function fully submerged anyway ?

I have one of these cheapies fitted to my FJ60, though I did fit it myself and was meticulous with sealing, fit and corrosion proofing. It's been great. Hardest part was putting the hole saw to the brand-new red paint job

Aren't they all made out of recycled plastic anyway ? Must cost about 50c to manufacture.

Most airboxes have a water drain in bottom of them, and if it can get out, it can get in.

I have one of these snorkels but havent fitted yet.

Where can i get this fitted???? Roughly how much will they charge?

Cheers

i wouldnt bother with goannawhere products, i was going to get a snorkel for my GU but i got a few bad reports on quality off them so i ordered a safari and got it fitted. i only got a reply from goannawhere after i had already fitted the safari so i wasnt too happy with the speed of their response to my question.
and i havnt really heard anything good about them yet.
i spose its up to you how much you want to spend on your truck.
if i was building up a budget rig then i would go for the cheaper product, but as has been said before you pay for what you get

I have an airflow snorkel from 4wd systems.

The template was fine, it all lined up okay.

4 years down the track it still looks the same.

I get minimal mud/dirt/water in the air filter box and it collects in the purpose built container in the bottom. Air filter replacement times are as per normal servicing, extra when you've been offroad and following other cars on dusty tracks.

As per installation, I did it myself and can say that you must seal all the pipes properly as per any other snorkel on the market. haven't been in water up to the bonnet, but i'd be confident in it.

I'd be more worried about things like the oil dipstick letting water in.

Toy80Diesel wrote:I'd be more worried about things like the oil dipstick letting water in.

I guess that's an issue to some degree, but on any given day I'd much rather have a bit of water in the oil than water streaming into the cylinders!

chimpboy wrote:

Toy80Diesel wrote:I'd be more worried about things like the oil dipstick letting water in.

I guess that's an issue to some degree, but on any given day I'd much rather have a bit of water in the oil than water streaming into the cylinders!

yeah changing the oil isn't too hard

But just making a point that people are very concerned about getting water in the air box, and rightly so! But there are also a lot of other things I'd be concerned about in the engine bay. Everything has a breather of some variety.

So where can i get one of these templates from?

Jimbo wrote:So where can i get one of these templates from?

Template comes with it when you buy it.

Is yours new or secondhand?

You could probably get away without a template if you are extra careful. Its the front hole for the air pipe that is visible in the front corner. Other holes are covered by the unit so there is margin for error.

mine is second hand.

I think it would be very difficult without the template, so I'd try to get one either from 4WD systems or someone who has one still.

got their :
snorkel, dual battery system, long range tank, suspension kit, and a front lokka for about $3k.

Installed it all myself three years ago - all good.
Suspension kit was average but you get what you pay for - no complaints.

I got an airflow snorkel from them about 6 yrs ago and have had no problems

not porous???? WTF - who said that? I think your arce isn't porous buddy!

I had template problems. check template against snorkel. mark hole centres if not accurate. use new template. job done, easy.(just remember--"measure twice, cut once fukkink") As for sealing, if in doubt add more silicon.

you get what you pay for nolonger applies in this day and age

the genuine nissan snorkels were pourus (from reports ) and there dearer than the rest

i don't have a snorkel on the gu but the cargo barrier and other little bits i got of goannawhere fitted perfectly , were delivered to my door on friday when i only ordered over the phone on wed arvo.
when i get one it will be from them

i think alot of companies get a bad wrap not because of the product but more because of LACK of customer care , if someone takes forever to get back to you than there slack but that doesn't mean there products are crap .

just my opinion

chimpboy wrote:I think it would be very difficult without the template, so I'd try to get one either from 4WD systems or someone who has one still.

I've fitted a snorkel without template and its possible with a bit of sense and care, but dont be suprised if some of the holes need to be redrilled slightly bigger because of it.

The Airflow snorkels are made by Gibson in Melbourne and they make heaps of other plastic products for industrial applications.
http://www.gibsonrm.com.au/

Beastmavster wrote:

chimpboy wrote:I think it would be very difficult without the template, so I'd try to get one either from 4WD systems or someone who has one still.

I've fitted a snorkel without template and its possible with a bit of sense and care, but dont be suprised if some of the holes need to be redrilled slightly bigger because of it.

I believe you, but the main hole with an airflow snorkel strikes me as a challenge; the way the snorkel is shaped you can't line it up very easily to mark the first hole, and there is not a lot of extra plastic on the snorkel to cover up even a fairly small error.

sudso wrote:The Airflow snorkels are made by Gibson in Melbourne and they make heaps of other plastic products for industrial applications.
http://www.gibsonrm.com.au/

Looks like you'll be able to get the template and fitting instructions from them

chimpboy wrote: I believe you, but the main hole with an airflow snorkel strikes me as a challenge; the way the snorkel is shaped you can't line it up very easily to mark the first hole, and there is not a lot of extra plastic on the snorkel to cover up even a fairly small error.

you are correct in saying its the front hole thats the problem, but you could cut it closer to the windscreen a little and cut more if necessary, bit at a time. the bolt holes are well covered so they aren't a problem.
I found it needed to be bigger anyway, because you had to get the tubing in at the same time. You could probably do it inside the gaurd, but then you cant see if it has a good seal or not. So i did it externally and then just slid the whole tubing inside the gaurd.

Toy80Diesel wrote:

chimpboy wrote: I believe you, but the main hole with an airflow snorkel strikes me as a challenge; the way the snorkel is shaped you can't line it up very easily to mark the first hole, and there is not a lot of extra plastic on the snorkel to cover up even a fairly small error.

you are correct in saying its the front hole thats the problem, but you could cut it closer to the windscreen a little and cut more if necessary, bit at a time. the bolt holes are well covered so they aren't a problem.
I found it needed to be bigger anyway, because you had to get the tubing in at the same time. You could probably do it inside the gaurd, but then you cant see if it has a good seal or not. So i did it externally and then just slid the whole tubing inside the gaurd.

I painted mine with plumbers pipe adhesive/sealant - won't leak and won't vibrate loose. I don't like the idea of being a butcher and cutting unnecessary hole in your guards. Seal it, shove it in from inner guard, done - byardiful!!!!

GQ Bear wrote: I painted mine with plumbers pipe adhesive/sealant - won't leak and won't vibrate loose. I don't like the idea of being a butcher and cutting unnecessary hole in your guards. Seal it, shove it in from inner guard, done - byardiful!!!!

Its not an unnecessary hole, its the same hole, just slightly elongated to fit the tube and its clamp. I found that the room in the inner gaurd was too tight to even work with the sealant and do up the clamp.

But i'm guessing by your name you have a GQ which may be different to the 80 series.