Raised motor air intake

zeratul · Sep 25, 2016

I worry about that. Seikel charges more for the installation of the air vents than for the parts themselves. It seems to take a complete day including removing gearbox. Nope, I won't try that myself. But Seikel is only a 3 hour drive for me.

estresao · Sep 25, 2016

The gear box have to me removed?!?!?!?!

Someone in the Spanish forum retrofited it by himself and I don't think he had to do that.... I'll ask him

bvddobb · Sep 25, 2016

Well, it is to raise the vents from gearbox, L-coupling and Haldex-coupling and rear differential. To access the vent holes, you need to take out a lot! Whether Seikel do it, yourself, or someone else: it is a whole lot of work. But essential if you want to cross rivers. The vent holes are the lowest point (30 cm) of water trouble...

We had it done by Seikel, together with the underside protection. And indeed, it took a whole day. See this thread.

estresao · Sep 25, 2016

OMG!!! I thought is takes a lot because the pipes have to be routed to the bonet

estresao · Sep 25, 2016

Confirmed! This guy had not to take apart any gear box, diff, etc.. the complexity resides in the pipe routing and accesing to the holes, which are not pretty handy

zeratul · Sep 26, 2016

bvddobb said:
Well, it is to raise the vents from gearbox, L-coupling and Haldex-coupling and rear differential. To access the vent holes, you need to take out a lot! Whether Seikel do it, yourself, or someone else: it is a whole lot of work. But essential if you want to cross rivers. The vent holes are the lowest point (30 cm) of water trouble...

We had it done by Seikel, together with the underside protection. And indeed, it took a whole day. See this thread.

bvddobb,
Who installed the Relleum design kit?
Who installed the VB Air suspension? I've now contacted 4-5 dealers from the official list for a quote and none of them ever replied.

I'm not sure about underside protection. I have a beach which was converted to "camper", but I had to strip weight (spare wheel, multiflex, awning etc) for the homologation in order to preserve all 7 seats (officially). Adding just 20kg of non-removable extra weight would be too much, it would become a 6 seater instead (every seat need 85kg "spare weight capacity" ). I think I can barely fit VB Air sus (+10kg) and the vents though.

The standard underside protection is plastic, guess it can be replaced if necessary. Even in Iceland...

bvddobb · Sep 26, 2016

zeratul said:
bvddobb,
Who installed the Relleum design kit?
Who installed the VB Air suspension? I've now contacted 4-5 dealers from the official list for a quote and none of them ever replied.
[...]
The standard underside protection is plastic, guess it can be replaced if necessary. Even in Iceland...

Hi Zeratul,

We opened a private conversation re. dealers and our experiences with the Relleum kits and VB air suspension.

Re the underside protection: the issue is not whether the original plastic underside protection can be replaced or not. The issue is: if e.g. a rock punctures the plastic underside protection, what will it do to the parts that were supposed to be protected? We wouldn't be too worried on the gravel pistes, but especially on some of the rocky maintain roads and the river crossings you can easily slide off a larger stone or rock, and than hit some other rock hard. Our underside protection has some minor dents and scratches already. We wouldn't compromise there if you would want to do any of the 'blue routes' out of the Iceland Trackbook.

estresao · Sep 26, 2016

I've retrofited Rival ones and so far so good.

zeratul · Sep 26, 2016

What price for those? And you fitted them by yourself?

estresao · Sep 26, 2016

Don't remember the exact amount, but was aroun 1000€ for the 4WD set (engine, deposit, exhaust and diff).

I've mounted it. It's pretty straithforward, but I recommend you lift the Cali to do it more confy.

Forote · Nov 14, 2016

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/index.php?threads/Snorkel-Vw-T5-Vw-T6.16312/

zeratul · Nov 25, 2016

I've ordered the raised engine air intake kit from Relleum design. Had a detailed look at it and this cannot be too hard to install by myself. I will let you know how it goes. Price wise this cannot be beaten at only 195 EUR. And it's 100% reversible.

zeratul · Jun 19, 2017

Today I've installed the Relleum design air intake raise kit. That was not too hard for a DIY job.
I did not install the pieces of foam to reduce the air intake's slightly added noise (around 20-30km/hour), I only hear it when the radio is off anyway. And it's easily revertible. I guess remounting the original pieces after our Iceland trip will take me about 30minutes max now that I know how it fits.
Great, air intake is now at > 100cm. Not that I'll ever try rivers that deep.

estresao · Jun 19, 2017

I'd like mull this option over vs conventional snorkel. What I've seen in the web is a price (885€ for T5.w) not "too far" from a conventional snorkel.

Aside of the chance to roll back to the original intake if you regret (wil you after pony up near 900€?), what's the advantadge?

zeratul · Jun 19, 2017

The price is only €225 http://www.relleumdesign.de/html/luftansaugung_t5.html
That's the biggest advantage. And you don't loose any aerodynamics and don't damage anything anywhere.

estresao · Jun 19, 2017

zeratul said:
The price is only €225 http://www.relleumdesign.de/html/luftansaugung_t5.html
That's the biggest advantage. And you don't loose any aerodynamics and don't damage anything anywhere.

Opsss!!! I've opened the other option. Is this one cyclonic? I'll come in August to Morocco and could be nice.

zeratul · Jun 19, 2017

Not cyclonic, and I'm not sure you'd want one ..
See here http://www.theadventureportal.com/the-snorkel-a-misunderstood-upgrade/

On the cali you can order a better air filter (which stays in plays) for dusty areas (like Morocco), I guess you could ask your garage if this part (perhaps just a better paper cassette) can be retrofitted. It all stays in place.

All this "raised air intake package" changes is the connection from the air intake filter box to the front air intake is removed, and is placed below the windscreen.

estresao · Jun 19, 2017

zeratul said:
Not cyclonic, and I'm not sure you'd want one ..
See here http://www.theadventureportal.com/the-snorkel-a-misunderstood-upgrade/

On the cali you can order a better air filter (which stays in plays) for dusty areas (like Morocco), I guess you could ask your garage if this part (perhaps just a better paper cassette) can be retrofitted. It all stays in place.

All this "raised air intake package" changes is the connection from the air intake filter box to the front air intake is removed, and is placed below the windscreen.

I have to read the article you shared with more time, but basically it says a "conventional" snorkel provide you with cyclonic features because the air ram design? I mean, one like Seikel one?

Regarding dust in Morocco maybe you are right and just taking with me a spare one to retrofit it when coming back should be enough.

bakerpr · Feb 27, 2020

estresao said:
Confirmed! This guy had not to take apart any gear box, diff, etc.. the complexity resides in the pipe routing and accesing to the holes, which are not pretty handy

Hi, do you have any further information on how this was achieved? Looking to implement the same on my T5.1 4mo and would like to approach it armed with as much information as possible