NOTICE |  General Order time frame is 5 – 15 working days for all products. Contact us for further information.

FAQs

What are your snorkels built from?

Our snorkels are engineered to the highest standards, with stringent quality control checks carried out throughout the entire production process.

Polished snorkels are constructed using premium 316-grade stainless steel tubing with precision mandrel bends. Our powder-coated snorkels are fabricated from high-quality 304-grade stainless steel. Each snorkel is meticulously ground and finished to achieve a seamless surface—whether polished to a refined grain or powder coated for maximum durability and aesthetic appeal.

Mounting brackets are built for strength and reliability—welded brackets are laser-cut from 3mm stainless steel and welded directly to the snorkel, while bolt-on brackets are precision cut from 2mm stainless steel and attached using our welded nutsert technique.

Do you get a lot of induction noise with a stainless snorkel?

Unlike conventional plastic snorkels, stainless steel snorkels naturally amplify induction and turbo sounds due to their rigid structure and smooth, free-flowing design. This is particularly noticeable when the snorkel is part of a full intake system running all the way to the turbo or inlet. The level of sound enhancement can vary depending on factors such as engine type, intake tract length, and turbo configuration.

Many customers enjoy the enhanced turbo and induction notes, finding it adds to the driving experience and performance feel. However, for those who prefer a quieter setup, we offer ram head options on many models. These maintain a full 4” free-flowing intake while helping to direct sound away from the driver and passenger windows—offering the best of both worlds.

How do you plumb the snorkel to the Airbox?

We prioritise quality, longevity, and secure coupling methods in every snorkel system we produce. For most applications, we utilise stainless steel tubing paired with high-quality silicone couplings to connect our snorkels to either the factory airbox or our Fatz Built Airboxes.

Our snorkels are engineered with precise outlet positioning, ensuring a clean and direct connection without the need for flexible convoluted hoses, which are often used as a workaround for poor design or planning.

Taking things further, we’ve recently introduced formed composite ducting into our snorkel integration strategy. This advancement frees us from the limitations of standard stainless or aluminium tubing sizes and shapes, allowing us to develop custom ducting solutions that fit perfectly—no compromises, just a quality-focused installation every time.

How should I maintain my Snorkel?

Polished Snorkels

Being that the snorkels are built in 316 stainless, there is little chance for tea staining or browning of the surface. If the surface does happen to discolour, the snorkel can be polished using general car polish and a rag. Should this not remove the marking, a fine scotch brite pad can be used in the direction of the grain. This will dull the snorkel surface and require polishing afterwards. Keep in mind any process will change the surface appearance and need to be applied to the majority of the snorkel to blend out the treatment.

Powder coated snorkels

There is little maintenance needed on powder coated products. The snorkel can be wiped over with some inox on a rag to blend out any light scratches. It is not recommended to polish a satin finish powder coated product, as this will turn it to gloss, which cannot be reversed. Should a deep scratch occur, the snorkel will need to be re–coated to completely rectify the defect

Do I Need to get a tune after fitting a Snorkel?

No, a snorkel will have little effect on the tune of a vehicle. The intake Air still passes through the Air filter and mass air flow sensor which will pick up any variances in air volume from the snorkel fitment.

Do I Need to get a tune after fitting an Airbox?

It is not essential to tune your vehicle after fitting a Fatz Built Airbox.

For common rail diesel engines, accurate readings from the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor are critical to proper engine operation. Since integration of the MAF sensor into the airbox outlet is required in most cases, we’ve invested significant time on the dyno with a range of vehicles to perfect the sizing and shape of our MAF housings. This ensures the sensor reads accurately, allowing the engine management system to operate as intended and automatically compensate for any increase in airflow.

While tuning is not mandatory, it can help unlock the full performance potential of any aftermarket upgrade—including our airbox. For those seeking maximum benefit, a tune can be an excellent next step, but it’s by no means a requirement for safe or effective operation.

Do I Need to get a tune after fitting a VDJ70 series intake?

Recommended, not essential. With our high flow intake for the VDJ70 series vehicles, we have the need to relocate the MAF, as the new section of pipe where the MAF was, is now 4”. This size is far from ideal to mount the MAF for general use. As such we have it mounted in a tube pressed to size, to match as close as practical, the factory MAF tube sizing. As this is very close to the factory specs, the reading will also be very similar. The vehicle is 100% drivable after fitment and without a tune. However, with the MAF being in a different location in the intake tract and the tube being marginally different from factory, it is preferred to have a competent tuner with MAF scaling ability, carry out a tune to get the best results

Do rear facing snorkels rob power?

In a very narrow range in operating circumstances, the snorkel, in rear facing configuration, may induce a negative pressure at the entry of the snorkel. If you have a very low powered, naturally aspirated vehicle, this may have a detrimental effect on drivability. For the majority of vehicles, there will be no noticeable effect on drivability or fuel economy. For turbo charged vehicles the engine is under light load state at cruising condition (100km/H) and, as such the turbo is already producing boost and not in a lag state. This means that it does not have to overcome the negative pressure at the snorkel entry to increase boost and airflow when accelerating. As such there is little to no noticeable lag in throttle response or acceleration at highway speeds. Anything lower than highway speed, the lack of air velocity over the snorkel head is not sufficient to consider it causing an issue. If you want to have every gain possible in your set up, a ram head will aid to a small degree in some conditions. We do offer ram head options for some vehicle models.

Why fit an after market airbox to my 4x4?

The answer to this is different for different people. In a lot of cases the vehicles we supply for have had performance upgrades on the engine and the factory airbox is now a restriction. Replacing the airbox may allow further power to be obtained or enable the power to be achieved easier. Other vehicles come from the factory with filtration issues,where the factory air filter housing allows dust to bypass. We see this all the time when fitting out to vehicles. Some customers are really just interested in the visual appearance of our products and want to increase the aesthetic appeal of their engine bay. Others are interested in the ability to have a re–usable, washable filter, that our oiled element filters provide. We also supply to customers who have done engine conversions and our airbox is better matched to the power output and/or intake location of the new engine. Whateverthe reason, our products will in all cases flow better, look better and filter better than the factory set up in your vehicle, allowing the maximum potential to be achieved when doing other modifications or having a tune applied.

What filters do you use in your Airboxes?

Fatz Built Filters

We’ve invested heavily in developing filtration solutions that meet the specific requirements of off-road performance—striking the ideal balance between filtration efficiency and airflow for both reliability and power.

Our Fatz Built air filters are custom-made to our specifications, designed specifically to meet the performance and durability demands of off-road environments.

We offer two high-performance filtration options:

  • A dry element filter with a filtration efficiency of 99.9%

  • An 8-layer gauze element filter with 99.4% efficiency

These filters have been thoroughly tested across a wide range of applications—from daily drivers to high-performance builds competing in Winch Truck Challenges and Off-Road Rally events—with consistently excellent results.

Available in both 7″ and 9″ lengths, our filters are suitable for general use as well as direct replacements for Fatz Built Airboxes. 

Our pod-style design provides key advantages over OEM panel filters, including a secure sealing interface with the airbox outlet. This ensures zero leakage even under high suction loads in clogged conditions. With high-quality filter media, you can count on complete dust retention under normal operating conditions—delivering peace of mind and peak performance where it matters most.

What happens to water, drawn in the snorkel?

We are conscious that water will enter the snorkel on occasion. As such, on all of our Airboxes, we have a duck style valve in the base of the box, to allow water to drain out. In some of our newer design boxes, where space allows, we also have a water deflector plate and drain tank. The water deflector plate is designed to deflect any water being drawn in with the intake air and divert it away from the filter. This is positioned between the inlet of the box and the filter. This is designed to, not allow any water to impact the filter directly and be drawn into the engine. This deflector plate is positioned to divert water into the drain tank. This allows a large quantity of water to drain away from the main box housing and the filter. The tank then drains via the duck valve in the base of the tank.

Are your Airboxes completely sealed?

No. We design our boxes for off road use and the use that the majority of our customers would experience. If our box is fitted and plumbed correctly, the only point at which water will enter is the drain valve. The valve is designed to allow water out but not in; however, it is not a complete seal. This is preferred over a completely sealed airbox, as the majority of people do not submerge their vehicle nearly as often as they will take water in the snorkel. As such, it is much more preferable to allow water to drain than to have a sealed unit and risk the engine taking in water, drawn in the snorkel. If a sealed unit is desired, the drain valve can be replaced with a blank grommet, the box will then be sealed.

Will fitting a high flow airbox produce more power?

It depends. 
The Rule is: you will only make as much power as your most restrictive component allows. In TD42 Patrols for example. If it is fitted with an aftermarket turbo and injection pump, then comes to us for a Snorkel and Airbox package. The vehicle will produce notably more power (we have seen 20hp gains). The vehicle will rev cleaner, feel more responsive and drive nicer. This is due to the supporting mods and the fact that the Airbox was the restriction. In a modern common rail, 200 series for example. In standard trim and engine package, fitting a snorkel and Airbox package will not immediately increase power to the same extent. There will be less restriction and a larger volume of Air available to the turbos. The turbos will gain boost quicker and with less actuation. This will enable torque to come on earlier, though this may not be noticeable from the driver’s seat and may not produce a larger power figure. The ECU controls boost and fuelling. It will not necessarily allow boost levels to raise when more air is available, unless programmed to via a tune or module. The same vehicle, will however see a restriction at the factory airbox when tuned to higher boost levels. At this point fitting an Airbox will produce a noticeable difference. In all cases a free–flowing Fatz Airbox will allow the engine to breath easy and achieve the same results easier, while supplying excellent filtration. 

Note: All Information provided is generalized for providing an understanding on our products. If you would like to know specific information, about products for your vehicle, do not hesitate in contacting us. It is the customers responsibility to make an educated decision on purchasing. We are happy to provide any information to help you in this process.