Does anyone have a good method for keeping water out of our air intake? Every time I get into the deep splashy stuff my air breather gets swamped. I currently have the stock air cleaner system.

 

A custom pipe would be a cheap upgrade. I've seen them with a Y pipe that has a stub about 2" at a curved part and this can help to catch water. Generally, running pipes as high as you can is best, some even run them outside to the roof, but I don't think that looks so good, a splash plate under the air filter will help too. I used to run a foam pre-filter at the tip and this would help to stop most of the water.

 

I found a trick that works pretty well on older Fords. Take the factory air cleaner assembly and remove the square tube from the side where the heat riser attaches. Then go to the carb flange and bend the little tabs up so that the air cleaner can rotate on the carb. Point the hole on the outside of the air cleaner assembly towards the firewall and put the wingnut back on. This way the engine is drawing air from the fire wall and the part of the air cleaner that's soild is facing the front of the engine. This keeps water from splashing on to the air filter element.

"Like a Rock"; on the sides of roads everywhere.

 

Thanks for the tips. I've tried turning the intake around so the inlet faces the rear and that helped but I still get to much goo and water to the filter. I don't understand about the Y pipe. Could you please elaborate. One of the next things that I intended to was is some sort of prefilter. What type of filter element would be good for that.

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-Apr-01 AT 01:39 AM (EST)[/font][p]My daily driver has one of these Y pipes stock. Basically think of a cold air hose that ducts from the air cleaner to the fender or the front. As air passes one of the curves, it has a branch that catches water, water is heavier than air and as it passes the curve, it goes into a side pipe. I first thought this was a thing to make the intake quite, but it has seperate baffles for that.

I would think some PVC pipe from Home Depot would do the trick, sort of like the drain catch in the bottom of the sink, heavy stuff stays down there. As for the prefilter, they make these for offroad trucks, they are basically course foam and some use K&N filter oil to help catch dust, but it would help to control water as well. If you use a K&N filter, they have oil on them and that plus the prefilter and a redirect pipe would help a lot.

Also a cap over the filter inlet that makes the air turn a sharp corner would help too.

If you look inside of a wet/dry shopvac, you'll see how they keep the water mist from blowing out, it's just some foam.

 

I built a snorkel intake using 3" abs pipe and a sealed airbox with a foam filter and a tractor precleaner on top. Unless the roofrack dives below water, the engine is sucking air not water.

 

>Does anyone have a good method
>for keeping water out of
>our air intake? Every time
>I get into the deep
>splashy stuff my air breather
>gets swamped. I currently have
>the stock air cleaner system.
>


This is what I've got going for my '75 F100:
-First, I swiped the factory breather assembly off a '89 chevy silverado (including the big air duct/hose.

-Next, mate this hose with some three inch flexible tubing (you should be able to find this at a home improvement store, it kinda looks like that hose on the back of your clothes dryer, only smaller). Use a three inch to five inch pvc adapter and some hoseclamps (a little silicone probably wouldn't hurt, either).

-Then, find a three inch header reducer and two flanges. get some of the cheap paper gaskets and bolts as well. Using a hole saw, drill a three inch hole in your firewall (being very careful, of course, not to hurt anything on the other side). Drill three bolt holes, using one of the reducer flanges as a template. Then install the reducer on the firewal, and clamp the loose end of the three inch tubing over it.

Your truck will then draw air into the engine from the passenger compartment. Presto! no more drowning!

 

If you play really hard then the snorkles the guys are talking about is what you need. Most folks will do fine with a splash plate and most importantly a good K&N filter and added K&N foam prefilter. Thats what I use and it works great. It would be a lot easier and quicker for you do.

If your knuckles ain't bleeding you did something wrong.

'72 F-250 "Hi-Boy" 4x4, Dana 60/HD44, FE428 @ 400 ponies , 4-speed, custom suspension w lift, mud on black.

 

thats right pro, the oiled foam filter really keeps the water out, and those tiny dust particles, much better than a papers element filter. the prefilter from K&N is a good idea to, but harder to fit if you're using a snorkel, I do use one though its worth the extra effort

If you didn't build it, its not really yours.

 

If you do that trick with pulling air in thru the passenger compartment, I'd find a way to put a flapper or something onto it to keep any unwanted flames/backfires out of your vehicle,especially if the truck is carbed. Other than that, I think that is a very good idea!

88 F-150 4X4 XLT Lariat w/5.0 EFI 5 spd (DAILY DRIVER)
86 Ranger 2WD w/2.3L EFI 5 spd to be 351W 4bbl C4 (NEW TOY- DETAILS WHEN FINISHED)
85 Old Cutlass Supreme 350/TH350 Holley 4160,Edelbrock Performer intake, el-cheapo headers, General Kinetics 270H series cam, 15.588 best 1/4 mile with original 10 bolt 2.41 gears (OLD TOY)