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snorkus...get rid of it or leave it where it is?
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:53 am
by Wouter1973
Hi! I'm from The Netherlands, I drive a Sub Legacy 2.0 GL. Completely stock, except for the wheels. On this forum I read a lot about removal of the snorkus thing, and the general idea on this forum was 'get rid of it'. However, on the DutchSubaru forum I read that it's not a good idea to remove the snorkus, because the airfilter would suck moist air without the snorkus, there would be a danger of damaging the engine that way. So...what should I do? I have to admit that I wouldn't complain if I'd hear a bit more of the boxer-sound when I drive...
And suppose I decide to remove the snorkus: should I remove the side-panel on the passengers-side to be able to remove it?
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:48 pm
by legacy92ej22t
I'd remove it. If you're planning on doing any creek crossings I would leave it in though.
Remove the passenger wheel well liner to get access. Then it's just a couple bolts. If you want to hear what it will sound like without completely removing it at first you can undo the bolt that holds it to the air box and then push the snorkus back into the fender and to the side. If you decide you like it then you can remove it completely.

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:06 pm
by Brat4by4
Or just hack it apart. Open the box up after removing it and remove the pipe that connects to your airfilter. Then rebolt that pipe to the airbox. That way you don't suck in hot engine air (less horsepower). And don't worry about sucking in moist air, it is actually good for the engine. It helps prevent detonation. They actually have water injections systems on cars to help stabilize high horsepower applications. And what do you think happens when you drive down the highway in the rain?

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:43 pm
by dzx
I cut mine at the bottom of the U and then put it back in.
Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 6:19 pm
by Wouter1973
Ok, did it! Cut mine at the bottom of the U, and put it back in, without the resonance box around the pipe. I guess the airflow should be a bit better now. Resetted the computer and went for a drive. I didn't notice any change of sound or increase of power or something..in fact, I didn't notice any difference at all! I think I'll leave it this way, because theoratically the airflow should be much better this way.
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 9:07 pm
by J-MoNeY
There shouldn't be much of a power increase at all. It's more for sound. I'm leaving mine on.
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 1:08 am
by Nomake Wan
It is removing restriction from the intake system, and with a high-flow drop-in filter in the airbox, there's little restriction left. I've noticed a slight increase in torque (as per the chirping tires that didn't chirp before) as well as a very slight overall power increase. I'd guess about 5hp increase, tops. But since I didn't dyno my car before the mods, I have no way of knowing how much it really increased.
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 8:52 am
by Wouter1973
Those chirping tires could be due to worn tires too...
I didn't remove my snorkus for more power, I did it for more sound and I have to say the result is kinda disappointing...maybe there's a very slight increase of 'growl' when you put the pedal to the metal...
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 11:27 pm
by 93forestpearl
I wouldn't worry about water or anything. After I hit a deer last fall, I've had no plastic fender liners so the airbox hole is open to the fender. The fender has been filled up with snow, hit with lots of water and whatever else I've driven through. I've put on about 40k miles with it like that, and have only needed to clean my K&N once.
Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 1:15 am
by kidwired
I just yanked my out today. I cut the U, then I removed the blank (fog light?) from under bumper and cut off the back so now it will be my air intake bezel. Tomorrow I'll pick up some flex duct and connect the intake tube to the bezel and deal w/ the bezel attachment.
Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 11:27 pm
by danct
kidwired wrote:I just yanked my out today. I cut the U, then I removed the blank (fog light?) from under bumper and cut off the back so now it will be my air intake bezel. Tomorrow I'll pick up some flex duct and connect the intake tube to the bezel and deal w/ the bezel attachment.
Send some pictures when you are done... I am curious abolut the result!
Good luck!
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:22 am
by Redlined
indeed! let us know how it works, I was considering using the Foglight blanks (with some plastic hosing) as air inlets for a break cooling system, but this might be a better idea. (would see better use on a day to day bassis than break cooling ducts)
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 4:34 pm
by kidwired
my fittings are all made up using snorkus cutoffs, bezel and screen. I just need to find 1' of flex tube to fit. I think RV wasteline will work.
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 5:31 am
by kidwired
mmmk heres some pics
I used RV waste line
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:35 pm
by scottzg
Not to burst your bubble, kid, but that looks like a restriction.
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:49 pm
by vrg3
Yeah, corrugations like that cause a lot of turbulent eddies... A simple rule of thumb is that corrugated tube can flow about as much air as a smooth tube of half the diameter.
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:54 pm
by scottzg
I was thinking about the tiny mesh intake outlet.
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:15 pm
by vrg3
Oh. I dunno... I think that part probably isn't much worse than the screen that's already on the MAF sensor.
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:38 pm
by THAWA
hehe, intake outlet

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:46 pm
by vrg3
Hehehe. Such a restriction that air flows the other way.
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:47 pm
by tris91ricer
Intake Point of Entry? Iunno..
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:52 pm
by scottzg
THAWA wrote:hehe, intake outlet

vrg3 wrote:Hehehe. Such a restriction that air flows the other way.
91legacy_sleeper wrote:Intake Point of Entry? Iunno..
Sthop makkin fum ov meeee!

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 9:05 pm
by kidwired
maybe...
I'm not too concerned about the mesh, right there air is going to be hitting it pretty hard.
The corrogated tube is the issue I think, it's all I could find to get it done. I was at the shops at the race track today and noticed a similar setup but they had a much smoother (and more durable) looking flex tube. Gotta find out where to get some. Maybe I'll just go dumpster diving lol
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 1:13 am
by VRoman
Wouter1973 wrote:I didn't notice any change of sound or increase of power or something..in fact, I didn't notice any difference at all!
Hm... After I took mine off the engine now screams at full throttle!

At 4000 rpm and full throttle it is impossible to hear what a passenger says! Well, I didn't just take it off, I also cut about 3-3.5 inch diameter holes in the fender and air filter box, so that the air filter gets the air directly from the inside of the fender with nothing in between them.
kidwired You might want to put some tension on that "waste" line to lower restriction. Also a velocity funnel can be useful, but then it won't match your nice bumper setup.

A couple weeks ago I was thinking about ram air intake, and I calculated that at about 20 mph the speed of air outside the car is equal to the speed of air inside 2.5 inch intake pipe on a 2.5 N/A engine at 6000rpm. Anything above 20 mph would create a slight boost on the engine. 14 mph if a 3 inch intake pipe is used. Of course actual speeds would have to be a little higher in order to overcome additional restriction of a long intake pipe. I think ram air can be pretty useful at high speeds.
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:49 am
by vrg3
Did you double-check your math? Cuz I come up with something closer to 90 mph:
A 2.5 liter four-stroke engine consumes 1.25 liters of air per revolution.
At 6000 RPM, this is 7500 liters per minute or about 27500000 cubic inches per hour.
2.5 inch pipe has a cross-sectional area of about 5 square inches.
So air would be going through a 2.5" pipe at about 27500000/5 = 5500000
inches per hour, or about 87 miles per hour.
Did I get that right?