How to install a snorkel on Lada 4×4 (VAZ 2121, 2131)

06 May 2016 Lada.Online 52 189 0

Lada 4x4 is famous for its cross-country ability, but this is not the limit. Sometimes low air intake does not allow you to overcome deep bodies of water. To force ford deeper water obstacles, motorists modify their SUV. For example, they install a snorkel on a Lada 4×4.

The owners of such cars will have to decide how often they are going to drive in deep water, based on this they can:

• Make a removable, homemade snorkel;
• Buy a ready-made accessory and install it forever.

What types of snorkels are there for the field?

From an engineering point of view, a snorkel is an air intake pipe installed on the outside of the car. This device allows you to power the Niva motor up to 2 meters deep. This greatly increases the vehicle's capabilities when traveling in extreme conditions.

Based on the operating conditions of the Niva, I distinguish the following types of air intakes.

1. " Safari ". This option is intended for operating the car in the desert or sandy areas. The upper part of the air intake is installed to meet the movement of cars, which prevents grains of sand and dust from entering the power compartment of the engines.
2. " Swamp ". In this version, the upper part of the snorkel is turned against the movement of cars, the pipe supply to the filter is carried out secretly, for which the hood is cut. With this installation technology, the snorkel is protected from damage when moving from contact with branches.

Snorkel for Chevrolet Niva - overview of the range

A popular device from F-Dising will cost a car enthusiast from 6,000 rubles, and for the lazy half of humanity they offer a service - installation for 1,000 rubles. Supporters of high-quality and reliable products are invited to install an air intake on the hood made of LLDPE - linear polyethylene. Advantages of reinforced products:

• high physical and mechanical properties
• excellent performance properties
• crack resistance
• shiny surface (a la Australian Safari snorkel).

The cost of the reinforced product will be 3,800 rubles, the kit includes fastening materials, clamps, a pattern, and an air intake. A fiberglass product will cost 4,000 – 4,600 rubles, depending on the aesthetics: painted, unpainted.

Technical characteristics of snorkels

A gadget such as a snorkel (or air intake) is necessary to avoid water hammer when the car is immersed in water. It also supplies the SUV's engines with oxygen while it is in water.

When choosing a snorkel, you should pay attention to the following:

• manufacturing material.
• type of nozzle.
• main pipe diameter.
• mounting option.

The most popular models of air intakes are made of aluminum or steel. Such products are quite strong and durable, which allows the snorkel to be put into operation for quite a long time.

The upper nozzle of the snorkel is made in the form of a gander. One of the most popular nozzles are rotating ones, which allow you to rotate the air intake inlet.

The main volume of air is pumped through the main snorkel pipe, so you should pay attention to this when selecting a gadget. To power the VAZ 2121 engine, a device with a diameter of up to 60 mm will be sufficient.

Do I need to register my snorkel?

At its core, a snorkel is a plastic decorative element of the body: it does not affect safety and does not interfere with other road users, since it does not protrude beyond the dimensions of the car.

However, this provision applies only to factory products that have a certificate of conformity. In this case, the snorkel equipment of the car must be legalized by making changes to the PTS and STS of the car - this can be done at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. If you have a certificate, the traffic police cannot refuse to make changes to the documents. After this, not a single car inspector will be able to find fault with the owner of a car equipped with such a tuning element.

Video: a new reason to stop and check your car

With homemade snorkels the situation is more complicated. Since they do not and cannot have a certificate, it will not be possible to legitimize a homemade device with the traffic police. Therefore, the owner of a car with a homemade snorkel cannot avoid problems with traffic inspectors on the roads. As a rule, everything ends with a fine of 500 rubles.

What can you make a snorkel from for a VAZ 21213?

There are the following options for equipping a car with a snorkel.

1. You can purchase such a gadget from well-known manufacturers. This option is made from high-quality materials and is manufactured with a well-thought-out engineering design. However, the cost of a snorkel in this case will be several hundred dollars.
2. You can purchase devices from domestic manufacturers, in which case you will save on price. However, there is no guarantee of the effectiveness of the snorkel in this case.
3. There are also homemade snorkel models. In this case, you will have to spend additional time and financial resources.

Where can I find a suitable snorkel?

You can purchase a ready-made model; a large number of manufacturers make additional devices for SUVs, or you can make it yourself. A factory-produced part will have several advantages: build quality, service life and the ability to contact the manufacturer in case of warranty claims.

The only drawback can be the cost, which is usually at least 14,000 rubles. But it is important to understand that the price is determined by the use of high-quality materials, namely especially durable LLDPE polyethylene, which provides a number of advantages:

• resistance to high temperatures and cracking
• mechanical stability
• design created specifically for a specific type of car

But there are also cheaper models characterized by simple design, the cost of which does not exceed 6,000 rubles. It is not recommended to use the cheapest options, because despite the apparent benefits, they may suffer minor mechanical damage over time. But due to the use of less plastic material in the composition, microcracks will appear on the body, through which water can enter the engine when forcing various kinds of obstacles. When using such materials, it is important to periodically inspect the snorkel in order to detect damage in time.

But there is also the most budget option - making a snorkel yourself. To do this, you first need to ensure reliable fastening in the engine compartment in order to prevent air leaks and bring the pipe as high as possible in the hood. To do this, first a horizontal part is laid under the hood, then a connecting tube is inserted into an additionally prepared hole between the windshield and the hood.

It is important to remember that the straighter the pipe and the shorter the path to the air intake, the better the aerodynamic qualities of the snorkel.

Installing a snorkel on a field

To perform this work, it is necessary to carry out the following maneuvers:

1. mark the mounting points for the air vents on the car body and drill a hole for them;
2. install the air duct in place and fit it to the body shell;
3. tighten the fastening;
4. connect the air duct to the filter using a corrugated hose.

Why do you need a snorkel on Niva 2121?

When driving through swamps or other obstacles, or in extreme conditions, a device such as a snorkel saves you from water getting into your car's engines and protects you from expensive repairs.

This product is installed on the right side of the Niva, on the frame of the wind window.

The nuances of installing a snorkel on a VAZ 2121

• The size of the air filter pipe must be larger than the size (diameter) of the snorkel.
• It is also necessary to ensure the tightness of the entire air supply system.
• Connecting a new air duct to VAZ 2121 engines has its own characteristics. When installing a snorkel, the carburetor body should be supplied with adapters; the selection of products must be made depending on the specific models.

Pros and cons of a snorkel

How to adjust a carburetor on a field 21213 video
Despite the obvious advantages of the snorkel, I will list the additional advantages of the air intake:

• Excellent motor protection against water hammer. Thanks to this, you can drive through shallow bodies of water with the engine completely submerged under water.
• Protects the engine air filter from dirt and dust. The benefits of this are obvious, especially if you often travel over rough terrain.
• Reduced fuel consumption at average speed. This is due to the direct air flow into the engine, which increases efficiency. The savings, although small, are still nice.
• Effective removal of moisture and snow through drainage grooves, which will prevent precipitation from getting inside the engine cylinders. Thanks to this, you can ride safely even in heavy pouring rain.

Despite the real benefits, the snorkel still has disadvantages:

• Some people don't like the appearance of the snorkel, which can ruin the appearance of the car. Although an SUV with an air intake looks more brutal than without it.
• When installing, you will have to drill a hole in the hood/fender.
• If the quality of the snorkel is poor, it may crack at low temperatures, which will lead to a leak.
• When driving in a forested area, there is a possibility that leaves and branches will become clogged with it. Severe damage to the air intake can also occur if it gets caught on a larger branch.
• Some snorkel designs can severely restrict the air flow to the motor. The device will begin to “choke” the engine.
• If the air intake and nozzle are installed poorly, water may get inside the engine.
• There is no point in using the device during city driving.
• When installed on fast passenger cars, the snorkel can be torn off by air flow at speeds exceeding 150 km/h.
• A slight decrease in car dynamics.
• The price of a snorkel can reach 30 thousand rubles. and more + installation cost.

For those who often drive in extreme conditions, the advantages of a snorkel outweigh all its disadvantages.

Considering that the price of a snorkel can be quite high, let’s look at how you can make it yourself.

How to make a snorkel with your own hands on Niva 2121

To set up a snorkel yourself, you need the following:

1. Prepare clamps and tubes.
2. The top should be slightly bent towards the rear of the machine.
3. Additional pipes are welded to the gadget to allow collection of atmospheric pressure, which are installed in the air intake system.

To create a finished structure, you need to have three materials: corrugation, metal and plastic.

Plastic corrugation will be easier to install due to its flexibility.

The length of the corrugation should be no more than 2 m, the joints must be securely fixed using clamps. Holes are made in the area of ​​the windshield on the driver's side for further fastening the corrugation to the pillar.

The end of the pipe is covered with a ventilation grille, the outermost part is bent and fixed with brackets.

During work, all holes are carefully coated with sealant and covered with sealing tape to prevent corrosion.

Homemade snorkel for Niva

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qcww7iFk520

Our primary task is to raise the air capture point above the water level. The fastest way is to run a snorkel from the air filter pipe along the upper edge of the Niva's front wing to the roof level. The horizontal part of the device is carried out either from the bottom of the hood or from the outside of the car body. If you manage to take the first path and install a snorkel under the hood, then, firstly, it will be protected, and secondly, you will not need to make holes except in the layer between the hood and the windshield of the car. The main thing is that the path from the air intake point to the engine is as short as possible in order to reduce aerodynamic drag.

What is a snorkel made of? Use a metal pipe, preferably stainless steel. The distance between the pipe walls should not be too small. The optimal value can be considered 60 mm

If you make a device from plastic pipes, you need to remember that it will not be distinguished by either strength (and for any device for an SUV this is the most important quality) or beauty

The part of the snorkel that will go up should be installed by attaching it to the windshield pillar. The end of the device must be bent to one side or somehow protected from rain and splashing water. Otherwise, the very first rainstorm will provide you with a major engine overhaul. There is also a need to relieve the increasing atmospheric pressure, for which the pipes are welded. This is necessary to ensure a reduction in the pressure generated in the differential axle breathers, gearbox, and engine crankcase. The pipes should be welded to the air intake system.

Connection of pipe to engine

The most important point is the tightness of the structure you create. The penetration of water, sand and other foreign particles into it can adversely affect the operation of the Niva engine. Don't forget to use high-quality sealants. Polyurethane and silicone options can be considered really good. They are the most resistant to various types of vibrations and are useful for maintaining connection connections.

Useful tips

1. Having installed a snorkel on the Niva, remember that now you have a car capable of moving on water and overcoming huge wetlands.
2. Do not forget also that the car has a gasoline engine and requires a properly functioning ignition system to operate. Why is it worth taking additional measures to protect power supply units?
3. In any case, avoid situations where the generator and spark plugs are flooded with water. Also, do not forget about the cooling fan; if water gets under its blades, it will be splashed all over the engine compartment.
4. Any car enthusiast knows what an important role the cooling fan plays in a car. This device protects the engine from overheating in hot weather. However, if you drive an SUV across small bodies of water, the fan can cause damage to the car, since it is not capable of spinning its blades in water. As a result of such actions, the radiator may become unusable, which is extremely dangerous when the car is moving. To solve this problem, there are viscous couplings, which already have a fan when entering a denser environment. You can also use a regular forced rejection toggle switch.
5. When lubricating spark plugs, be sure to check their condition. Car enthusiasts spend a lot of time treating the entire electrical system with sealant, but it is much easier than installing a snorkel. At the same time, silicone sealant is easy to apply and can be washed off if necessary.
6. Drivers should also pay attention to turning off their headlights. Always do this if you are going to cross a swamp or body of water, as water entering it can cause an immediate explosion. The headlights may also have sluices to drain any trapped liquid.
7. The snorkel is installed on a Niva car by experienced car enthusiasts who know how to perform a similar procedure. Drivers who do not have such experience should pay attention to sealing all systems. It is imperative to seal the hole in the hood through which the air duct will enter the engine compartment and all pipe joints. This option will not cost too much and as a result, motorists will be able to overcome fairly deep bodies of water in an SUV.
8. A snorkel is an additional device that expands the capabilities of the VAZ 2121, but not as a converter of a car into a tank or aircraft.
9. It can be recognized as one of the mandatory parts of the car, which has to overcome areas flooded with water. It is extremely necessary when participating in rilly raids. Therefore, the selection of a snorkel, its installation and operation must be taken seriously and responsibly.
10. When a homemade air intake is assembled and installed, sealing all dangerous areas, any car enthusiast will want to try his car in action. Well, good luck to you! And take care of yourself and your car.

What is a snorkel for?

1. Main purpose. The engine inlet pipe, located at the level of the car roof, is necessary to protect the engine from water ingress when crossing water obstacles;
2. Additionally. Air intake through a snorkel reduces contamination of the air filter when driving on sand and dusty roads (which was the root cause of the appearance of snorkels on cars);
3. Additionally. Cooler air helps increase engine power (cold intake). This is relevant if the air intake is made outside the engine compartment (the snorkel is removed from the engine compartment).

Chevrolet Niva Svetly › Logbook › Installing a snorkel

First you need to get some tools. Namely, metal crowns for 64 and 52 (or 54). In the morning I wandered around construction stores, bought small items and crowns. I took the last crowns, 52 were missing, so I took 54. The pleasure is not cheap, 2 crowns and a holder cost almost 1500.

We seal the place where we will drill the wing with masking tape.

We attach the template from the instructions.

You need to be very careful with the template from the instructions! F-design is lazy to print instructions as expected and reproduces them on a copier, which is why the scale floats. In my copy, the hole with a diameter of 52mm had a size of 50mm. It seems like a small difference, but the holes for the bolts will float away. Therefore, I got hold of an electronic version of the instructions and printed them out at 100% scale. After that everything came together.

Next, I removed the roof rail cover (I suffered for a long time) and installed the bracket. The hole in the lid was first drilled according to the instructions - 3cm up from the bottom edge of the lid. It turned out that you need to drill 4 -4.5 cm. Fortunately, the lower hole was completely blocked by the snort.

I drilled the wing with a crown and primed the edges with an anti-corrosion primer. After measuring ten times, I drilled 3 holes for screws. I attached the snorkel to the top bracket and tried it on, checking the template. It matched the pattern, not to say perfectly.

Everything is drilled and primed

Next, I removed the battery, removed all the wires, and removed the air filter housing. I started drilling a hole in the wall of the fuel compartment.

And there's also an amplifier

The site has been cleared and drilling has begun.

Drilled the amplifier. I also primed the hole.

Next, I partially unscrewed the fender liner and drove it away.

The main part is placed from under the fender liner, the black bend is placed from the engine compartment. I first put its seal into the hole, and then threaded the pipe.

Then I installed the seal on the snort itself and put it on the pipe protruding from the wing. It fits tightly, but the pipe from the inside rests against the body and the snork is pulled onto it when the screws are tightened.

I screwed it on with Tien carefully so that there were no strong distortions.

The main part is completed, let's move on to the filter. Once the filter was removed, I immediately changed the filter element.

I installed these filters:

The lower part is dusty and full of debris

The top is perfectly clean

Salonnik also changed for the company.

The inlet from the plumbing to the filter box is placed in the box using sealant. I coated the pipe with sealant, inserted it into the box, and then somehow put it all back in place. The idea came up to glue the pipe to the box so that they could be easily removed together without breaking the seal. To be safe, I disassembled the box again, removed the volute and coated the joint with sealant from the inside.

There was even a little bit of water here once.

Of course I put the snail back.

I returned the battery to its place, screwed on the filter box, connected the ABS unit connector (I removed the harness so as not to interfere with drilling) And this is what it looks like under the hood:

Soon there will be photos of what the car looks like now...