boost leak test

[bjw24]

Ok so I bought a boost leak tester w/ gauge. I tried to do my first boost leak test ever and failed horribly. I hooked it up to the turbo's inlet and used a compressor. I set the compressor at 30psi.. no reading at all on the gauge.. I set it to 90psi.. still no reading on the gauge.. idk wtf is going on? Theres air blowing out of the boost leak tester and I'm sure it works.. I don't think the system is getting charged at all?

 

[RallyEclipse98]

Have you checked for obvious leaks? Maybe that's why you're not hearing them.

 

[BOC Jason]

Make sure that you tighten down the clamps on the tester its self super tight. The first time i tested mine, the pressure built up to about 6 psi and about that time the tester shot off the turbo and scared the crap out of me.

Other than that you might want to take off the oil cap on your valve cover and take a listen. Get a buddy to put air into the system for you.

 

[1tgalon]

Ok so I bought a boost leak tester w/ gauge. I tried to do my first boost leak test ever and failed horribly. I hooked it up to the turbo's inlet and used a compressor. I set the compressor at 30psi.. no reading at all on the gauge.. I set it to 90psi.. still no reading on the gauge.. idk wtf is going on? Theres air blowing out of the boost leak tester and I'm sure it works.. I don't think the system is getting charged at all?

Why did you do the boost leak test in the first place? Was the car building boost while driving before? If it was not the second poster was probably right in saying you just have a pipe blown off all together. If it was then maybe there is some user error (doubtful but you never know over the internet) involved or the gauge is busted. What tester did you buy or did you make one? Can you tell if the system is becoming pressurized at all? Do the hoses swell or anything?

 

[Gstclipse69]

What do you mean air is blowing out of the tester? No air shoud be blowing out of the boost leak tester. You should be able to pressurize the system and no air should come out anywhere unless you have a bleeder type boost controller and then you'll need to block off the wastegate and pressue source. Otherwise when you put air in it should stay and leak down slowly. If it is leaking thats your boost leak.

Boc jason, try pressurizing to 25 psi and that sucker poping off! Bruised my hand and sounds like a shotgun when it comes off. The neighbor even came over and asked what the hell I did.

 

[BOC Jason]

Boc jason, try pressurizing to 25 psi and that sucker poping off! Bruised my hand and sounds like a shotgun when it comes off. The neighbor even came over and asked what the hell I did.

haha, mine was during one of those midnight surgery sessions i'm sure that we all know and love. It it was somewhat quite around my house and BAM.

I jumped pretty good.

 

[bjw24]

the car runs rich as shit.. It builds boost but I have never checked it for a boost leak and was thinking maybe that was why it was running so rich.. The gauge was purchased from a website.. it should work fine.. It's ####in boggy when im in first gear also it has to be warm or it wont move barely at all.. sometimes when i shift into 2nd if i miss the rpms it bogs down pretty bad black smoke comes out of the tail pipe also when I shift and when idling for a period of time. also I meant boost comes out of the tester when its off therefore I know it's going into the system.. I have the SB racing manual boost controller.. cheapest one they got

 

[BOC Jason]

Check your turbo to manifold. As well as where the manifold meet the engine block itself. There could be a leak big enough to where you would just automatically lose air.

 

[bjw24]

ill do that tomorrow.. i have no idea how to tune this car not one bit.. heres a log.. also this tune was done by someone else idk if it got reset or not but this is what it looks like.. hope i did it right.. also I noticed my car builds almost no boost when i take off in first gear.. it builds it fine in second..third ect? i need help sorry for being so no0b

 

[crensinivon]

Start at the manifold. If this is your first test do it in small sections. If you have alot of small leaks even it will never build up enough pressure for you to hear.

 

[gsturbo02]

could this leak also change the idle when driving my car does this when clutch is released come to a stop i have to give it gas to keep it from stalling do i have a leak or could it be a bad idel speed control?

 

[BOC Jason]

Two things i would check would be..
and bad IDS sensor
or a boost leak on the o-ring of your BISS screw (located on your throttle body)

 

[bjw24]

howd the tune look?

 

[gsturbo02]

so dis could be a bad isc ??

 

[BOC Jason]

Easy way to check is it test the ISC with an ohm meter.

 

[gsturbo02]

i have an ohmreader what do i look for

 

[No_Skillz]

Start at the manifold. If this is your first test do it in small sections. If you have alot of small leaks even it will never build up enough pressure for you to hear.

I'm agreeing with Steave here. If this is the first time you are doing a BLT then you might have trouble building pressure. This means you have lots of leaks, and these leaks will cause many problems, such as your running rich and idle problems.

Try starting at the TB to eliminate a large portion of your intake system. Spray soapy water at all areas that might be suspect to a leak (injectors, gaskets, TB seals, etc). Eventually add on pipes and fix leaks as you go.

 

[gsturbo02]

would the best way be using a smoke pro? locate it faster ? ill try dat first and if the problem persists ill start changing things out such 02 sensors isc etc... thanks

 

[No_Skillz]

would the best way be using a smoke pro? locate it faster ? ill try dat first and if the problem persists ill start changing things out such 02 sensors isc etc... thanks

If you have a smoke pro and you can pressurize to 20psi, by all means. I've never done it that way but I don't see how that wouldn't work (except maybe you have so many leaks that it just causes a big smoke cloud in your engine bay).

 

[gsturbo02]

nah i dont but shops here has it ill just let them diagnose it iam fed up with not finding the vacuum hose leak visually so uma try dat way also i was thinking it could also be the isc or the sensors ....

 

[No_Skillz]

Do one thing at a time and you'll have a much easier time figuring out whats wrong or eliminating possible problems.

BLT is definitely the easiest and least expensive thing to do, so do it first!

 

[gsturbo02]

whats the range should i look for on the isc test ohm reader what numbers tell u it is working fine ??? yea ill try the blt first do u have instructions in building one and what steps i should do first how many psi etc thanks...

 

[No_Skillz]

IC Pipe Tester

Not sure about the ISC, never had a problem with mine. I'm sure you'll find it with a search.

 

[gsturbo02]

thanks...