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You are here: Home / Equipment / Raised Air Intakes – Are They Really Necessary?

Raised Air Intakes – Are They Really Necessary?

Published April 9, 2015 By Mick Farmer

It’s hot, it’s dusty and it’s dry – so why should you consider fitting a raised air intake?

1. Cleaner Air

Primarily, raised air intakes help get cleaner air into the filter.

Normal engine air intakes are situated near the front wheel arches. In dusty environments, like dry unsealed roads and sand the air filter can get clogged up easily and possibly damaged.

Raised Air Intake - 110 Defender
If you do have one fitted then remember it’s there when you are negotiating off-road obstacles. Over hanging branches, for example, can cause considerable damage.

2. Water Crossing

The secondary benefit of a raise air intake is that it can allow a deeper wading depth than standard.

I don’t particularly like the word snorkel. Visions of tropical fish and coral reefs come to mind. A vehicle cannot do this.

They can go fairly deep but that depends on surface and current flow. Flotation/ buoyancy coupled with a fast flowing river…

  • If a vehicle is taken through water above the recommended wading depth then all sort of things need to be checked for water contamination.
  • Prep work has to be done to try and eliminate the damaging effects of water getting into bell housings, timing belts, electrics, breaking fans that smash radiators.
  • Also the raised air intake will have to be checked for water tightness, damage etc.

If water does enter into the engine through the intake system then it’s generally good bye engine.

Inspection

If you do fit a raised air intake to your vehicle, make sure to regularly inspect /maintain the hoses from the intake to the filter, and likewise from the filter to the intake manifold.  And of course that the main components are intact!

Raised-Air-Intake---Broken


Separate Advice for Up Armoured Vehicle Manufacturers

Do not fit raised air intakes. If you need more info as to the whys, please contact me personally.
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Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Mechanical, off-road driving, raised air intake, recovery gear

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About Mick Farmer

For the last 20 years, I have been the lead trainer /director for OnCourse. Have played a leading role in developing their courses into, probably, the best off road training courses, globally.

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