The tenacious “drowned”: how to turn an ATV into a submarine
- May 19, 2023
- 0
Quads are not suitable for cross country skiing. And if such a device is available in your suburban garage, then you are quite a happy summer resident! And
Quads are not suitable for cross country skiing. And if such a device is available in your suburban garage, then you are quite a happy summer resident! And if your “scoundrel” is equipped with snorkels that allow you to effortlessly overcome water obstacles (and this is a separate kind of fun), then you can be completely jealous. However, if you approach the issue of snorkels objectively, they do more harm than good, and here’s why…
The air intake tubes that are positioned at the level of the ATV handlebar are not standard equipment. And that’s why if you have a freshly purchased quadric, you don’t see the manufacturer’s warranty as your own ears, because from the point of view of a dealer who provides after-sales support for equipment, snorkels are nothing more than interference with the design and violation of the factory specification of the product.
Disastrous alignment
Of course, one can argue, they say, such refinement does not hurt, but on the contrary, it improves the parameters of the “four-wheeled friend”, because when forcing deep puddles and small streams, water enters the engine and variator is excluded. In part this is true. But if when installing the “trunks” the joints were not properly sealed, then at the first dive the water will be in the system, wetting the air filter, it, in turn, will become limp, crack and the dust will go into the combustion chamber. The result is sad: after a few miles, blue smoke from the exhaust will be an indication that the engine needs to be overhauled.
However, you can ruin the motor with hermetically soldered snorkels. After all, an incorrectly selected diameter of the external air inlets leads to an incorrect formation of the fuel-air mixture (a pipe with a diameter that is too small will make the mixture too rich). Carbon deposits from completely unburned fuel will settle in a thick layer on both the candle and the valve seats, which will sooner or later lead to serious engine damage.
The size of the “cavity” matters
The variator will also suffer from the insufficient diameter of the snorkel, as the cooling will be disturbed. Be prepared for frequent belt breaks, wear on transmission weights and over time, oil seals are sure to start leaking. And in order not to spoil the “varicose vein”, the intake and exhaust snorkel of its cooling system should be the same with the smallest possible pipe diameter of 55 mm, and ideally – 63 mm.
In addition, snorkeling with an ATV without raising the radiator does not make sense, since diving into a deep puddle will clog the cells of the heat exchanger with dirt, which will inevitably lead to overheating of the “fiery heart”. And at the same time, installing a radiator offset is another intervention in the design of the quadric, which is another reason for the dealer to void your warranty. Why?
Yes, because such an “improvement” is eloquent evidence that this all-terrain vehicle is driven not by a girl for bread in a summer cottage, but by a quadromaniac frozen to the head by the swamps. So, if there is a snorkel, the owner of the “square” regularly and with pleasure demonstrates the technique where the crayfish hibernates.
Bad investment
By the way, for the same reason ATVs with snorkels in the secondary market are sold longer and cost on average 20-30 percent cheaper than exactly the same ones in the standard configuration. And this despite the fact that at least 25-30 thousand rubles were spent on such a tuning. That’s the paradox: the money invested in an ATV devalues ​​it.
… So to snorkel or not? Here, of course, it’s up to you to decide, but if the warranty is not an empty word for you and you really count on it, then remote air intakes are definitely not for you.
Well, if you do not believe in a “beushka” or a free warranty repair in your country garage, then snorkels can be quite useful, which will greatly expand the off-road capabilities of your ATV.
Photo avtovzglyad.ru
Photo avtovzglyad.ru
Photo avtovzglyad.ru
Photo avtovzglyad.ru
The air intake tubes that are positioned at the level of the ATV handlebar are not standard equipment. And that’s why if you have a freshly purchased quadric, you don’t see the manufacturer’s warranty as your own ears, because from the point of view of a dealer who provides after-sales support for equipment, snorkels are nothing more than interference with the design and violation of the factory specification of the product.
Disastrous alignment
Of course, one can argue, they say, such refinement does not hurt, but on the contrary, it improves the parameters of the “four-wheeled friend”, because when forcing deep puddles and small streams, water enters the engine and variator is excluded. In part this is true. But if when installing the “trunks” the joints were not properly sealed, then at the first dive the water will be in the system, wetting the air filter, which, in turn, will become limp, cracks and dust will disappear in the combustion chamber. The result is sad: after a few miles, blue smoke from the exhaust will be an indication that the engine needs to be overhauled.
However, you can ruin the motor with hermetically soldered snorkels. After all, an incorrectly selected diameter of the external air inlets leads to an incorrect formation of the fuel-air mixture (a pipe with a diameter that is too small will make the mixture too rich). Carbon deposits from completely unburned fuel will settle in a thick layer on both the candle and the valve seats, which will sooner or later lead to serious engine damage.
The size of the “cavity” matters
The variator will also suffer from the insufficient diameter of the snorkel, as the cooling will be disturbed. Be prepared for frequent belt breaks, wear on transmission weights and over time, oil seals are sure to start leaking. And in order not to spoil the “varicose vein”, the intake and exhaust snorkel of its cooling system should be the same with the smallest possible pipe diameter of 55 mm, and ideally – 63 mm.
In addition, snorkeling with an ATV without raising the radiator does not make sense, since diving into a deep puddle will clog the cells of the heat exchanger with dirt, which will inevitably lead to overheating of the “fiery heart”. And at the same time, installing a radiator offset is another intervention in the design of the quadric, which is another reason for the dealer to void your warranty. Why?
Yes, because such an “improvement” is eloquent evidence that this all-terrain vehicle is driven not by a girl for bread in a summer cottage, but by a quadromaniac frozen to the head by the swamps. So, if there is a snorkel, the owner of the “square” regularly and with pleasure demonstrates the technique where the crayfish hibernates.
Bad investment
By the way, for the same reason ATVs with snorkels in the secondary market are sold longer and cost on average 20-30 percent cheaper than exactly the same ones in the standard configuration. And this despite the fact that at least 25-30 thousand rubles were spent on such a tuning. That’s the paradox: the money invested in an ATV devalues ​​it.
… So to snorkel or not? Here, of course, it’s up to you to decide, but if the warranty is not an empty word for you and you really count on it, then remote air intakes are definitely not for you.
Well, if you do not believe in a “beushka” or a free warranty repair in your country garage, then snorkels can be quite useful, which will greatly expand the off-road capabilities of your ATV.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
