Freelander Snorkel Installation

This project is the result of a LOT of research, a LOT of waiting and unfortunately a LOT of money. I began my inquiry into the existence of a snorkel for the Freelander after I saw a picture of a Freelander sporting a raised air intake (snorkel) that was taken somewhere in the Western United States. The Camel Trophy Freelanders had these intakes, as will the G4 Freelanders when they make their appearance later this spring.

Why a snorkel? I certainly won't ever suggest you run your heavily computerized Freelander through water up to the windshield. A snorkel (raised air intake, interchangeably) is a huge benefit in dusty environments- the air filter won't get clogged up nearly as quickly. If you do end up crossing water that gets deeper than anticipated, the snorkel just may save your engine. Unfortunately, the computers and sensors will likely suffer a slow death from corrosion.

The company that makes the intake for the Camel Trophy and G4 Freelanders will be making them available eventually, but during my search I found something more interesting. I came across a web page for a company in Spain that makes snorkels for various vehicles. The difference is that these snorkels look incredible! They are streamlined fiberglass and follow the lines of the Freelander beautifully. Compared to the "stove-pipe" looking one on the Camel Trophy and G4 Freelanders, this one rocked! I had Google translate the page and I contacted the company- the rest is history.

Diego Roca from RocaSilva returned my email and after some discussion a snorkel kit for both my Freelander and Discovery were on the way from Spain. They arrived after some scrutiny from U.S. Customs Service (it was an odd looking package).

The installation was not difficult, but if you don't feel completely comfortable removing body panels and chopping big holes in them you may want to get help. There is a small amount of fabrication skill required- the ductwork elbow mount has to be cut and shaped slightly for a perfect fit. I'm sending the oem intake ductwork to Diego so it can be replicated and integrated with the snorkel mount- making a much easier installation.

	I placed the snorkel against the side of the Freelander and traced the inside of the snorkel mount on the fender with a sharpie. The instructions mention a 75MM hole, but I decided to use the tracing method instead. An important small detail is to make sure the rubber spacers that go between the top of the snorkel and the roof are in place when you trial fit the tube.
	This picture was taken from inside the wheel well, facing the rear with the splash guard removed from the wheel well. Behind some foam insulation is a bolt that would be easy to miss. It took me a minute or two of wondering why the fender wasn't coming off before I looked behind the insulation pad. Getting the fender off isn't too difficult. Two bolts at the top of the door opening, one bolt underneath the door opening near the jack point, the bolt shown here, the obvious ones across the top of the fender with the hood open, and two bolts up inside the removable panel in the splash guard. Side protection bars make this fender removal and installation slightly more difficult. The black tube at the top of the picture is the original air intake. The Freelander draws 100% of it's engine air from this tube.
This view shows better detail of the original intake. All the air the Freelander engine uses comes from this opening. It doesn't seem as if there's much place for fresh air to get into this area- but Land Rover knows best, right? The air tube removes with a single philips screw at the front, then the rubber plugs pull out of the metal mount visible here at the opening end of the tube. The top tab of this mount needs to be bent flush with the side panel or removed.
Now we have the fender completely removed as well as the original air tube. The round opening is where the front of the air tube was connected. The hole itself goes into an air-tight chamber which connects to the intake tube inside the engine compartment- which then feeds the airbox on the engine. The original air tube has a rubber o-ring which needs to be removed. Cut out about a quarter inch so the o-ring will fit into the hole in the metal side panel. Judicious application of silicone sealer during the o-ring installation is a good idea.
	Here's the elbow adapter for the new tubing. I put self-adhesive plastic tabs in various places around the elbow to hold the zip-ties, which in turn hold the elbow in place while the silicone dries. The zip-ties and adhesive pads were removed after the silicone dried. The elbow had to be trimmed at an angle so it had no obstruction inside the air chamber- I cut the end at a 65 degree angle before insertion. I found that a single wrap of rubber from an inner tube made the elbow fit more tightly. Be sure to allow plenty of time for the silicone to seal.
	Here is the assembly while I wait for the silicone to set. I reinstalled the splash guard to kill some time. Time for a McDonalds run etc. At this point I also did the most difficult part. Drilling a hole in the fender! I used the largest hole saw I had for the first cut, then followed up with a Dremel. The Dremel makes short work of the thin plastic fender. I removed the entire area that was marked earlier and hoped it fit- it's really difficult to "un-drill" a hole.
Everything fit perfectly! Don't forget to feed the wires for the side marker lamp through before bolting down the fender. The air tube feeds through the hole in the fender- in this picture I attached the large nut to hold everything in place while I bolt everything in. At this point- you can reattach everything. The final task is to slip the snorkel over the threaded air tube, install the nut and the waterproof door which covers the attachment nut. Once the snorkel is snug, there are two stainless steel screws which go through the corners of the snorkel at the roof line which hold the snorkel tightly to the roof. Of course, use silicone whenever you drive a screw into metal. Done! About four hours total working at a leisurely pace, including shaping, cutting and fabricating a couple parts. Later versions of this snorkel may have an improved fender tube.