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LandymanStefan



Member Since: 30 Aug 2017
Location: Surrey
Posts: 860

England 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
Air intake enthusiasts I need you
Firstly I have a td5 which I intend to make a less restrictive custom intake for. A couple of points, I don’t want a full RAI and I don’t do any serious off road/driving through floods etc.

The easy option would be to route a neat pipe and intake flange to the inside of the standard side intake mesh grill. I’ve seen greeny’s one with his Tonga td5 and it looks great. Simple and effective. But the drawbacks I don’t like is that it’s still behind the front wheel and will continue to suck in all the dust the the tyres throw out when I’m in the alps.

I like the idea of a wingtop intake with a device similar to what you use for a wingtop snorkel, just without the snorkel and with a flange at the end of the pipe and obviously shorter than the wingtop snorkel adaptor pipe. So essentially a wingtop plate with a 90degree bit of stainless tubing coming out the top with a revotec flange and some mesh in it and all painted black. My thinking is that on the wingtop I can always see what’s going into the intake, it’s higher than the side intake, it’s away from the dust the front wheel throws and if it’s facing forward maybe I get ram air benefits.

The questions....

Is this a stupid idea?

Could I have the intake facing forwards? Is there an advantage of ram air? If it was facing forwards and it rains heavily and I’m on a motorway would it suck in too much water?
Revotec make and intake flanges that you can buy matching small mesh gauze/grills for so stones and debris aren’t a problem here.

Or would I have to have it facing backwards the same as wingtop snorkels?
If so would it be a bit starved of air as the intake would be in the slipstream of the pipe/intake flange if that makes sense.

Or would it be best to have it facing sideways in the same direction and the original intake. (I can’t visualise this though)

I’ve found all the parts I would need to build it on the internet, pre bent stainless 90 degree elbow, the intake flange, the intake mesh, metal for the wingtop plate and the pipe. Whatever the plan it will be reversible if I think it’s crap. Laughing
Post #837649 16th Jun 2020 9:39pm
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roel



Member Since: 08 Aug 2009
Location: Lelystad
Posts: 2039

Netherlands 2003 Defender 90 Td5 PU Caledonian Blue
I am a RAI / Snorkel person. I did it a while without but after some wet air filters I went for a home made Snorkel.

I don't believe in the RAM effect as my Nanocom and analog turbo pressure gauge show a steady pressure at full throttle from just over 2000 rpm to close to 4000 rpm after which it will slowly drop. So I think my standard turbo set at 1.25 bar keeps up only at very high rpms it falls short.
I remove all the restrictions in the piping before the airfilter housing and in the airfilter housing. I think that made a difference.

My Camel Disco had the snorkel head rearwards:


Click image to enlarge


My G4 D3 had the head off the RAI with a rear opening and some small slots in the front and there was a rain deflecting device in the head.


Click image to enlarge


So on my 90 I made the head opening at the rear and have a water catching device under the wing. With a manual tap below the wing to get the water out.
After a drive in the rain I can easily drain a cup off water out my Snorkel so even with a rear opening head it still catches water.



Click image to enlarge



Is that bad? No I don't think so. Water that is more or less suspended in the air will not harm the engine even if it gets past the airfilter. A lot off water in one go will damage the engine if it gets past the airfilter.
I think you will find a moist airfilter after a long drive in the rain as suspended water will get to the airfilter and then gets caught. You airfilter housing is behind the engine so it will be warm and standing water will evaporate will driving.

Just my viewa. Roel

1984 90 2.5 na Diesel - RR V8 (1994-2001)
1997 Camel Trophy Discovery 300TDI (2001-2009)
2005 G4 Discovery III 4.4 V8 (2008-2018) It's gone but it still hurts.
2003 90 Td5 (2009-now)
Post #837727 17th Jun 2020 8:51am
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sako243



Member Since: 08 Jul 2014
Location: Wales
Posts: 1186

Wales 1994 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Alpine White
If I've understood you correctly you're considering replacing the standard air intake on the driver side wing with one on top of the wing facing forwards?

Personally I think that's a silly idea. You mention picking up dust from the Alps through the side intake - I assume you've experienced this with all the dust in the filter? Reason I'm questioning this is because if you take a wet Land Rover and drive it along a dusty road, at least in my experience, it flicks up below the air intake.

I think the wing-top one is going to be particularly bad if you are following someone. LR were actually quite clever with where they positioned the intake as it's out of the main streams of dust from following people and when wading (if done correctly) it sits in the trough behind the bow front allowing you either a greater area of margin or to go slightly deeper if required. Also think of when you going through puddles, at least on the pre-puma bonnets, I tend to find the water will stay on the bonnet for a long time and when you slow down / speed up will move forwards and backwards along the bonnet (and thus into the intake if it's on-top).

Once again, unsurprisingly, LR really seem to have put some thought into the design of the location of the air intake. Ed
82 Hotspur Sandringham 6x6
95 Defender 110 300Tdi
Post #837729 17th Jun 2020 9:32am
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roel



Member Since: 08 Aug 2009
Location: Lelystad
Posts: 2039

Netherlands 2003 Defender 90 Td5 PU Caledonian Blue
With a almost correct bowwave the spot where the intake normally sits stayes clear:



Click image to enlarge


But in thight spots you cannot trust the bowwave not hitting you:



Click image to enlarge


Luckily my intake was high under the wing near the indicator but still I had a wet airfilter. Roel

1984 90 2.5 na Diesel - RR V8 (1994-2001)
1997 Camel Trophy Discovery 300TDI (2001-2009)
2005 G4 Discovery III 4.4 V8 (2008-2018) It's gone but it still hurts.
2003 90 Td5 (2009-now)
Post #837741 17th Jun 2020 10:51am
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discomog



Member Since: 09 May 2015
Location: Notts/Lincs Border
Posts: 2495

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Santorini Black
It would have made a better photograph if you had the windows open Rolling with laughter Defender 90XS SW
Mini Countryman Cooper S
Morgan Plus 8
Post #837747 17th Jun 2020 11:18am
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LandymanStefan



Member Since: 30 Aug 2017
Location: Surrey
Posts: 860

England 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
Haha nice photos roel and some interesting points you and sako have both made.
With the fact there’s not real advantage of having it forward facing not dissadvantage of having it rear facing. Also I see on those wading pictures your wingtop vent is clear from submersion Wink not that I’d ever do that to my landy.

Sako I hadn’t really considered the following people aspect, probably because i don’t have any Land Rover friends. And yes when I was in the alps last year I had clouds of dust billowing out of the arches front and rear with a load of it being sucked into the intake. Was rather happy I took a spare air filter with me for the motorway journey home.

This is sort of what I’m after given the advice, just the right angle peeping out of the wingtop vent facing backwards with a diagonal cut down and a mesh grille inside to keep the leaves and crap out.

Click image to enlarge


Essentially I could buy the right angle to prototype with and see how it looks before. The intake pipe I will be able to use regardless if it’s going to the side intake or the wingtop so there’s no really waste or large investment here. Just a small stainless elbow which is £15.


Click image to enlarge
Post #837757 17th Jun 2020 12:09pm
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sako243



Member Since: 08 Jul 2014
Location: Wales
Posts: 1186

Wales 1994 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Alpine White
Don't need to be following a Land Rover - just need to be following someone. I know what it's like to be in Surrey and think about heavy rain on say the M3 or A3 and people keep cutting in front of you kicking up water over the windscreen. Perhaps a more realistic scenario of funneling stuff down a forwards facing intake.

To be honest I'm struggling to see the benefit of relocating it for your purposes. If I was in your position I'd focus on making the internals less restrictive and see whether there's any benefit. Then you might as well play with different locations to see if it makes a difference. Ed
82 Hotspur Sandringham 6x6
95 Defender 110 300Tdi
Post #837796 17th Jun 2020 2:31pm
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LandymanStefan



Member Since: 30 Aug 2017
Location: Surrey
Posts: 860

England 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
Yes the main aim was to make the internals less restrictive to the side vent but then thought about routing it to the wingtop if I’m doing it. There is essentially next to no benefit but I don’t think much loss either. Slightly higher, possibly less dust/possibly more water but all completely reversible. Might buy the stainless elbow, hold it init position and see if it looks daft.
Post #837807 17th Jun 2020 2:53pm
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bankz5152



Member Since: 02 Feb 2017
Location: South London/North Kent
Posts: 2068

2004 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Epsom Green
Use a wingtop air intake with a snow cowl over the top. Use a genuine/OEM Air filter and youll be fine. If youre worried put some fine foam over the wing intake under the snow cowl.

You can run a 4" pipe from the airbox to the wing top.



Click image to enlarge


Or get rid of the lot including the airbox and use a Honda S200 air filter left under the bonnet Instagram @defender_ventures
Empire Tuning - Agent
Post #837870 17th Jun 2020 6:59pm
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LandymanStefan



Member Since: 30 Aug 2017
Location: Surrey
Posts: 860

England 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
That looks like an easy option, have you got any more pictures?
Post #837880 17th Jun 2020 7:40pm
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bankz5152



Member Since: 02 Feb 2017
Location: South London/North Kent
Posts: 2068

2004 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Epsom Green
That that really then use a snow cowl on top instead of a rai



Click image to enlarge
 Instagram @defender_ventures
Empire Tuning - Agent
Post #837883 17th Jun 2020 7:54pm
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diesel_jim



Member Since: 13 Oct 2008
Location: hiding
Posts: 6035

United Kingdom 2006 Defender 110 Td5 SW Epsom Green
I recently binned my old snorkel and made a new pipe out of 3" stainless, and ran 3" plex pipe to the air box, and years back I did the airbox mod

My Td5 really seems snappier now, much less restrictive, It's really noticible (have a good tune and VGT turbo as well)
Post #838086 18th Jun 2020 6:43pm
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LandymanStefan



Member Since: 30 Aug 2017
Location: Surrey
Posts: 860

England 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
Did you go to the wing top or the side vent?
Post #838596 20th Jun 2020 9:27pm
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diesel_jim



Member Since: 13 Oct 2008
Location: hiding
Posts: 6035

United Kingdom 2006 Defender 110 Td5 SW Epsom Green
A hole straight down through the wing top just in front of the bulkhead.



Click image to enlarge
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Post #838600 20th Jun 2020 9:37pm
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LandymanStefan



Member Since: 30 Aug 2017
Location: Surrey
Posts: 860

England 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
Well I finally got round to changing my air intake. I ended up looking at the heater intake box on the passenger side and thought that would be ideal on the drivers side for an intake with its drain hole and 4” outlet.

So I purchased and LHD heater intake and squeezed it in under the wing, bit of a nightmare without removing the wing but I got it in. It didn’t line up perfectly because of the brake servo it couldn’t go fully back so I cut the overlap of the hole out and made a thick foam gasket out of soundproofing foam I had left over and it seals pretty well to the underside of the wing.

Bought a 4” revotec outlet flange to go in the back of the box then a 45degree reducer from 4” to 3” so I could route it under the steering arm with a 90 degree bend and used some intake ducting to the airbox. I’ve finished off with some Kbps hi force intake vents in Santorini which match my grill and light surrounds.

I’ve done the airbox mod as well and I honestly can’t believe the difference. My td5 isn’t remapped and really I was just doing this mod as an excuse to tinker. I didn’t really believe there would be a noticeable difference in performance. Throttle response is much better, lag is greatly reduced and I find when at very low speeds creeping around town I don’t have to drop into 1st. Forgot to take some pictures today in the daylight but here’s a few from the process and when I finished off last night. The bolts holding the box in place are now gone and it has the U clips for self tappers like the heater side. Still a little tidying up to do but overall it’s a good result.



Click image to enlarge




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Post #870313 29th Nov 2020 8:21pm
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