ARB Safari Snorkel Install

All photos: Gregory McDonald

I’d been wanting an extra margin of water fording safety and a cleaner intake source than under the fender well, so I ordered an ARB Safari Snorkel. A couple of weekends ago my friend Greg — awesome guy that he is — came up to help me install it. It worked out pretty well and took about 5 or 6 hours from start to finish (including a trip to the hardware store for last minute supplies).

If you install one yourself here’s a list of things you’ll need. Read through your instructions fully before you go to the hardware store to get supplies. I didn’t, hence the extra trip.

Apart from the standard tools, you’ll need:

• an 86mm (3-3/8″) hole saw (this may be different for your truck)
• Loctite
• drills up to 1/2″ diameter (the instructions call for larger but if you follow this method, you won’t need them)
• silicon sealer
• ratcheting box wrench (to tighten the nuts inside the fender well without removing the fender)
• a step drill, if you already have one (they’re about $50 so I just used a series of drills)

Here’s the biggest tip of the whole exercise: use the template only to drill the big, 86mm hole. Mark the small, snorkel bolt holes as well but use the bolts themselves to determine their exact positions. The template may not be accurate — it wasn’t for us. Use the same method for determining the positions of the A-pillar holes and you’ll be dead on.

Be sure to follow along with your instructions, if you do this yourself. I’m only going into a general level of detail in this post.

So here’s how the install went for us. Click on any photo for an extra-large version.

The first thing we did was sort out all of the parts and put them in a compartmentalized tray.

The next thing we did was remove the mudflap and wheel well liner.

The thing at the top of the wheel well that looks like a trumpet bell is what the ARB instructions call the “bottle boom.”

Next we removed the air cleaner assembly.

Next we marked the template holes. Again, JUST CUT THE 86MM HOLE. I read this in advance too, just like you’re doing, and then totally forgot about it when we went outside to actually do the work.

Put a drop or two of Loctite on the stud bolts and screw them in. If you temporarily double up two nuts on a stud bolt, you can use them to get the bolts tight.

Now, because we didn’t follow our own directions and drilled the bolt holes with the template, we had a problem…

We then used a blow torch to melt the plastic where the snorkel came in contact with the antenna. This is an issue with North American model Monteros. On right-hand-drive Aussie, English, and Asian-market Pajeros and Shoguns, the antenna is on the other side of the truck.

After we heated up the plastic, we made a divot in the snorkel with a piece of metal pipe. Be sure to heat up the pipe too, otherwise it will chill the plastic on contact and it won’t deform.

Next, line the casting from the ARB parts kit in the hole that formerly held the bottle boom and mark the bolt holes on its tabs. It’s difficult to tell when the casting’s tabs are centered on the bolt holes so I rotated the casting in the bottle boom hole and marked arcs on the tabs through the bolt holes. Then I marked the center of one arc, lined that up with one bolt hole, then marked the arc on the other tab through the other bolt hole. Perfect. Everything was centered up.

Once everything is lined up and fitting, bolt the A-pillar bracket to the upper part of the snorkel such that the A-pillar screws are facing out. Hold the snorkel so that the first A-pillar screw makes contact with the A-pillar. Give the snorkel a thump right at that spot so the screw makes a tiny dent in the A-pillar. That’s where you’ll drill your first hole. Keep progressing like that until all of your A-pillar holes are done.

Now silcone both sides of the gasket that fits between the fit the casting and the inner fender wall and bolt the casting in place. Be careful here. The gasket is this and can easily move out of position.

Next, attach the short piece of hose, slide on the hose clamps, and fit all that to the snorkel — use some silicon sealer on those connections too while you’re at it. Don’t tighten the hose clamps just yet. Make sure the holes in the casting tabs line up with the bolt holes for the old bottle boom.

Take the A-pillar bracket off of the top part of the snorkel and screw it into the A-pillar.

Now slide the fender washers onto the stud bolts. A dab of grease will stick the fender washers to the inside of the fender so they don’t fall off while you try to hand tighten the nuts. Starting the nuts in the very top, inside of the fender is tricky. It takes a deft hand. I couldn’t do it but Greg somehow managed. A ratcheting box wrench is a life saver here. No socket will fit into that tight space.

Once the snorkel is bolted to the fender, the last steps are to tighten the hose clamps on the short hose connecting the snorkel to the casting, and to reinstall the airbox. Be sure to seal the airbox / casting connection with silicone. There aren’t any hose clamps for that side, just press-fit gaskets.

It was a fun project. I’d say it’s within the grasp of anyone handy with tools.

Have fun if you install one yourself.

Thanks for all of the help Greg, and the great photos!