Many people think a snorkel is something you need when crossing rivers. A Sprinter has a maximum wading depth of 50 cm, or 60 cm if it has been slightly raised. That is so little that a snorkel is hardly necessary for this purpose.
More important is the fact that the engine will draw in less dust. When driving along dusty roads, the dust concentration decreases rapidly as you get higher above the ground. The air is also cooler.
If you Google snorkels for the Sprinter, you will find plenty of suppliers. The price is around €600. I thought that was rather expensive for what is basically a plastic pipe and a few pieces of hose, so I checked what China had to offer. I found a complete snorkel kit on AliExpress for €100 plus shipping.
A plastic pipe is a plastic pipe, so the only potential problem was whether it would fit properly.
I went for it, and I was not disappointed.
The Chinese snorkel fitted perfectly. No installation instructions were included, apart from a template for drilling the holes. But this isn’t rocket science.
Of course, you feel a little nervous when you are about to drill a 10 cm hole in the bodywork. Once that was out of the way, though, the rest of the job went quite smoothly.
Here’s how I did it
You need a 10 cm hole saw. The one I could get hold of was intended for electricians and was 102 mm in diameter. It fitted perfectly. The saw was designed for plasterboard/wood and had coarse teeth. A fine-toothed saw for metal would have been more suitable, but by drilling carefully and taking my time, it worked fine.
Start by applying masking tape to the area where you are going to drill. This protects the paintwork in case the drill slips. Then tape the template in place. Find the centre of the large hole and drill a pilot hole using the same diameter as the centre drill on the hole saw.
Also mark the two mounting holes, but DO NOT drill them yet. Wait until you have drilled the large hole and can test-fit the snorkel so that it sits correctly against the A-pillar. Even a one-millimetre error in the position of the mounting holes can make a significant difference to the position of the snorkel on the A-pillar. I made the mistake of drilling all the holes at once and paid the price for it…
Take the time to paint over the exposed bare steel with some primer to prevent rust. Epoxy primer would be preferable.
Inside the engine compartment, it is a good idea to move any wires out of the way. Secure them with a piece of wire. You will first drill through the bodywork and then through the inner wing.
Drill a pilot hole in the inner wing as well. It is at a slightly different angle from the bodywork, so the hole saw must not be too tall; it needs to fit between the bodywork and the inner wing. Mine was 53 mm high, which worked well.
Once the large hole has been drilled, attach the A-pillar bracket to the snorkel tube and put it in position. Get someone to help hold it while you check that the flange on the snorkel is centred in the hole.
The flange on my snorkel was a little short, but there was enough room to get the hose leading to the air filter through the inner wing and still get a good fit.
Mark one of the snorkel mounting holes next to the large hole. Remove the snorkel and drill the hole. You will need a rivnut tool. These are inexpensive and readily available online. Install a rivnut and screw the snorkel into place. Rivnuts were included in my kit.
Mark the second hole and the outline of the mounting bracket on the A-pillar. Remove the snorkel and drill the second mounting hole as well as the holes for the bracket.
The bracket can be secured with pop rivets or screws. Use Tec-7 or a similar sealant to prevent water from getting into the A-pillar. Do not use silicone; it will eventually come loose.
The bracket was at a slightly incorrect angle, but I straightened it a little with a couple of blows from a large hammer.
Then screw the snorkel firmly into place.
Connecting the snorkel
The hoses are then fitted inside the engine compartment.
Remove the pipe leading to the air filter. Lay the hoses out in the engine compartment so you can see which one goes where.
Start with the hose that connects to the snorkel. On my kit, this was the one with an indentation. A little soapy water on the flange makes it slide on easily. Secure it with a hose clamp.
Then fit the other hose to the air-filter intake, and finally connect the two hoses together.
The whole job took 2–3 hours.
The snorkel I bought: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007915026016.html
