Safari Armax Snorkel: video product test

V8 70 Series Cruiser owners who have the factory raised-air intake should take note that the three-piece product isn’t sealed against water ingress.

Yep, that’s correct, it’s not a real snorkel for deep-water wading; it’s only a raised-air intake for cleaner air. Sure, there are a few options with replacements, but, for my Troopy with its free-flowing mandrel-bent exhaust and modest power upgrade via a DP Chip, I wanted as much clean air shoved down its gob as possible to allow the engine to feed the best it can.

The huge four-inch-throated Safari Armax snorkel is said to flow up to 70 per cent more than both the OE snorkel and its own standard-sized Safari replacement, while offering a water-tight system that won’t feed water into the engine during deep water crossings. The snorkel is UV stabilised, comes with a lifetime warranty, and is made in Australia.

From the four-inch opening with the ram head atop, air flows down the A pillar and along a bulbous tube on the front ’guard that measures up to roughly 15cm in diameter (that’s huge) before being squeezed into a modified airbox inlet.

During fitment of the snorkel, the airbox is also cut and modified with the included hardware to ensure maximum airflow through the air filter, which is left as standard.

Some water will enter the ram head when driving in the rain, but the design of the head base allows water to escape via slots and mouldings, preventing engine harm due to water ingress. In highly dusty conditions where you’re following other vehicles too closely, dust will get in.

You have two choices here: slow down to separate yourself from the vehicle in front; or loosen the ram head, rotate it and retighten it using a Phillips screwdriver. You’ll lose any air-ram effect by doing this, but it should only be a temporary change.

Since installation of the Armax snorkel, the 4.5-litre engine seems to spin up smoother and faster than before, resulting in improved acceleration – I haven’t had it dyno’d, so this is just a seat-of-the-pants observation. Fuel consumption use hasn’t been checked over long enough periods to be sure of any improvements, so the jury is out on that at the moment.

In addition, the suffocated air-induction noise from the OE snorkel head has gone, suggesting there are no air restrictions with the Safari Armax kit installed – a great indication of how much more free-flowing it now is.

DIY installation is possible, but there is a lot of cutting (outer mudguard, airbox and extra holes in the panel work) to mount the whole system. I opted for my local ARB outlet in Port Macquarie, NSW, to do the job for me. Watch how easy they make it look.

AVAILABLE FROM: www.arb.com.au
RRP: $594 (plus fitting)
WE SAY: Sealed system essential for all V8 70 Series Cruisers