Table of contents:
How to Test an ATV Snorkel for Leaks
16 November 2022
An ATV snorkel is a key part of your machine when you’re riding in deep mud or water. The moment that you’re ATV starts acting up or taking on water is the moment you know that your ATV snorkel leaks. Fortunately, testing an ATV snorkel for leaks is an easy process that you can figure out at home in no time at all.
The harder part is discovering where exactly the leak is. A proper ATV snorkel test will help you discover if there is a leak and then where it’s at as well. It’s actually a good idea to test your ATV snorkel for leaks before you go out riding as a small leak can be incredibly damaging to the engine as water will get into the intake and you’ll be in for a lot of work to fix it.
Hand Test
There is a simple and fast way to test for an ATV snorkel that leaks. All you need to do, in a well-ventilated area, is to start up the engine to your ATV. The snorkel functions as the main air intake so that when you go underwater or deep in the mud, the engine can still get the air that it needs. This means that when this intake is covered up, the engine won’t have any air. Without oxygen, there’s no combustion, meaning a failing engine.
Simply cover the snorkel with your hand once the ATV is started up. You’ll start to feel suction almost immediately, and within a few seconds, the engine will start to bog and most likely die. If the engine dies, there’s likely no large leaks that you need to be worried about and your ATV has passed the snorkel leak inspection.
Once the machine dies, you’ll still feel the suction on your hand and the vacuum that’s formed inside of the snorkel. If this pressure holds, you likely don’t have any smaller leaks either, as the vacuum is completely sealed off. If you feel the pressure start to diminish, you may need to look for smaller leaks.
Finding the Leak
Finding a tiny pin prick in an ATV snorkel is difficult at best. There are a couple of ways to figure out where the snorkel leak is without even having to take anything apart.
The best way is to spray the area you think may be leaking with a bunch of starter fluid. The starter fluid will evaporate much quicker around any spot that’s receiving air from both sides of the snorkel, leading you to the spot where the leak is.
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