How to Install a Snorkel Intake on your Wrangler

If you spend much time playing in deep water with your Wrangler, you may want to install a snorkel-type intake. This DIY walks you through the process.

One of the most easily-recognizable modifications made to the Jeep Wrangler in the off-road world is a snorkel-type air intake system. This system relocates the engine air intake point from the engine bay to the roofline, making it much safer for your Jeep to conquer deep water.

Due to the fact that installing a snorkel on your Jeep Wrangler requires cutting the body and mounting something to it, some owners might shy from this handy modification. Fortunately, forum member “dcharge74” put together a great step-by-step write-up of how to install the Volant snorkel cold air intake package on a JK.

The Beginning

When the OP first introduced his JK Wrangler snorkel DIY, he explained why he decided to go this route:

OK, here it is. I recently decided that, due to the conditions that I’m normally going to be wheeling in (i.e. mud and water), I needed to switch out my Airaid CAI for a snorkel. It’s not that I didn’t like the cold air intake, but I felt that it was too likely to suck in water and hydrolock the engine. I went with the Volant so I could have the best of both worlds, snorkel and a more free flowing intake. I know a lot of people don’t like the look, but I really like it.

He included some pictures of his simple air intake setup in the engine bay, complete with clear signs that some water had been making its way towards the throttle body.

He also shared a picture of the components of the Volant snorkel kit prior to the install.

The Under-Hood Install

The first part of the process is to install the Volant air box that holds the air filter and the tubing that runs from the box to the Wrangler’s throttle body. This is the most straightforward part of the install, as it is little more than bolting things down to factory mounting points.

The Exterior Install

Next comes the hard part, as installing the Volant snorkel to the Wrangler requires you to drill mounting holes in the body as well as cutting a large hole in the hood where the snorkel connects to the under-hood portion of the system.

The OP began by mounting the portion of the snorkel that attaches to the windshield frame.

Next, he walks us through the process of cutting the hole in the hood and mounting the intermediate tubing to the hood. This portion of the DIY should prove to be especially helpful, as the OP offers some shortcuts of how to mount everything on the exterior safely and cleanly.

Finally, the DIY ends with some shots of the OP’s JK Wrangler out playing in the mud, showing the Volant snorkel in action.

Click here to check out the entire how-to write-up, with far more pictures of each step of the process.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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