Boost leak test: Huge leak or bigger problem?

[patrarch]

Despite everything i've read about how useless using a bike pump to do a boost leak test is, it's how i've always done it. I have an air compressor and regulator, I am just too lazy to hunt for the damn regulator. The thing is, with but a few pumps I have always been able to hear hissing. I've read about everyone else who tries a bike pump pumping forever and nothing happening. I've never been able to pinpoint my leaks though. Are my leaks just SO HUGE that a bike pump works for me, where as other people have tiny leaks that take more pressure to show, or what? I found one that sounded like the general area of the TB elbow so I replaced the gasket there twice, and no change. I used permatex gasket maker on it after that and now it sounds like it's stopped. (or else I have a bigger leak elsewhere so this one isn't even getting pressure.) Now I hear a HUGE leak from either my BOV or the UICP coupler that's right next to it (short route ic piping). I did a permatex+gasket paper on the BOV flange and there's no change in the sound of the leak.

My concern is the fact that I hear a huge leak after merely 1-2 pumps of the bike pump. It's not a hiss, it's like when you let air out of a balloon. I'm wondering if theres anything else that could be happening because it seems crazy to me that theres this huge of a leak that it sprays air after 1-2 pumps of a weak bike pump. I can't feel any air with my hand anywhere around the BOV or coupler. I sprayed soapy water along the top of the coupler, but I can't get to the bottom of it.

My biggest question is how do you check the bottom of couplers and the TB elbow flange where you can't get to it or see it? I've had boost leaks for the majority of the time i've owned the car. Every time I fix one 2 more appear. I replaced all the the IC piping with short route FM recently, brand new couplers and everything. I loosened, adjusted the couplers and retightened and no change in the sound of the leak.

 

[No_Skillz]

The reason that most people don't use a bike pump is that they have so many or such a big leak that they never build enough pressure to find where it is. Instead of relying on sight feel for leaks, use soapy water and coat the intake tract at connections and possible leaks up to the intake manifold and including the injector seals. Make sure to spray enough so that any leaks will form bubbles. Find and fixing one leak only to have 2 more pop up is completely normal since you will hold more pressure after fixing a large boost leak and the smaller ones show up.

 

[patrarch]

So If I can build pressure with few pumps of a bike pump then that means I have few and/or very small leaks...i.e. it's a good thing not a bad like I thought?

 

[No_Skillz]

Correct.