finding vac leaks - tricks of the trade?

[TERRA Operative]

Yea, squirting raw LPG all over your running engine with a bit of garden hose is a good idea.



...............um.

[SillyCarS]

get a bit of hose, one end to your ear and the other to the suspected area

resonance baby

[JustenGT8]

^^^ done already, same with water.....read 1st post

[ChrisO_ke11]

Another thing is check for broken or perished vacuum lines,could be the problem there, pinch hoses while running including booster hose

[TERRA Operative]

I usually follow the pipes/gasket edges with my fingers until the noise changes (from my fingers on the break), although this doesn't work too well if you have 1000000000 vac lines in a typical FWD engine bay....

[brett_celicacoupe]

put a mosquito coil in the intake piping. use a spare piece of intake piping with 1 end blocked or partially blocked.

light it and wait for smoke to fill the intake. it should be pretty safe.


people use that method to check for leaks in small boat hulls.


i just realised you probably dont even have mosquitos in ACT

[ChrisO_ke11]

yeah thats true but chalk, tape, string or wire tied around to identify different vac lines helps, so does pinching hoses with long nose pliers, that what i do at work

[JustenGT8]

Hmmm, I have mossie coils? Somewhat dubious though

[fixeruperer]

i just realised you probably dont even have mosquitos in ACT

isnt that were parliament is

[brett_celicacoupe]

is there ever a position in the crank revolution where the intake manifold is isolated from atmosphere (ie at least 1 pair of valves closed for each cylinder)


if there is then you can pressurise the intake and spray soapy water around

[brett_celicacoupe]

or put a butt plug in the exhaust and pressurise the intake.... continue with soapy water method

[grotty100]

Hey Justen,

I don't know the history of your engine, but here is something to consider:

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...ak%2C_internal

Here's a good guide to finding leaks:

http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/may/TECH2TEC.HTM

Cheers.
Grotty.

[oldcorollas]

submerse the car in water and look for bubbles...


oh wait....

[fixeruperer]

hehe i was going to say that before but i thought it was to far of a stretch for a joke

[oldcorollas]

i have no shame...