While in the process of my sportsman after sinking it in a swamp up to the seat, I have decided to go ahead and do a snorkel kit.

I have been doing a lot of thinking on the airbox seal, and want to know how others think about this idea.

Run silicon in place of the seal on both the airbox and airbox lid, and put saran wrap over each before putting the lid in place, once you have the saran wrap in place, put the lid on the airbox and clamp it down, it should then harden in place and form a seal that will always match. Then take a lighter once the silicon dries and melt away the saran wrap.

BTW, first post, enjoy the forums!

 

Sounds like it should work ,once,the silicone stretches.
The problem is that ,the airbox lid get kinda warped with age ,plus an airbox seal is like $13.

 

welcome to the forums. i've had my bikes to the seat many of times in water and the factory seal has always done a good job of keeping the water out. but others have used silcone to seal the air box up, but it's a pian in the butt i think to remove the lid after it's silconed.

 

If it works with the stock then I guess I will just go that route, I had just got the impression that the stock seal didn't do a great job, it's a 2002, so I'm certain for a stock to work I would have to get a new one. The one on my airbox sits real sloppy like.

 

Get a new seal, the stock set up should be 100% water tight or atleast have to be under water for hours for enough water to drip into the air box to reach the intake of the carb or throttle body.

 

Lots of guys use silicone that snorkle and run deep. Just use a new seal, put the lid on and run a light bead around the outside. If you need to get into the airbox...once you get the silicone seal started it peels right off.

In reading and watching what some of these swamp water runners do...no way I would trust that OEM seal. The swamp running is pretty extreme and they take the measures to make sure they aren't dead in the water.

Wenty

 

Now how about the seal on the clutch cover? Does that work well too, if not 10 years old of course.

 

Your belt would slip in only 2 feet water if the belt housing were not water tight. Just make sure your two new snorkel pipes extending off the two belt housing vent tubes connect together water tight at there junctions.

Do not forget the vent hoses for the front diff and tranny also have to be raised or let into the snorkel or air box.