Did a boost leak test today....

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

and I just wanted to say, "BOOYAH!".

The only leak I found was at one of my meth nozzle hose connections. Finally!! Some consistently good BLT's!!

And here's some pictures for you to look at for your trouble of clicking into this thread!

Good Day!

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[lacroixdp]

Sweet! It's nice to not have any new leaks pop up!

 

[habitatguy187]

That's pretty high for a boost leak test. I thought you generally weren't supposed to go over 20ish psi?

 

[gsxtasy]

That's pretty high for a boost leak test. I thought you generally weren't supposed to go over 20ish psi?

WTF What if you run more than 20psi worth of boost?

 

[Artago]

Did it hold 30 PSI? If so, for how long? Or did the needle slowly drop? I'm still unclear as to the proper procedure for a BLT. Did you cap the PCV and Valve cover breather? Did you have to put the pistons in TDC?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

I actually accidentally set the compressor to 50psi today for a second because I forgot to watch the gauge on the compressor and just started cranking it up like I do with all of my air tools. I go in to look at my boost gauge and it was a little bit past the 6 o'clock postition!!

Yes, I run more than 20psi. Why should we stop at 20psi? I'd love to hear a reason. If it can handle 30psi on a BLT that means it will handle it in real world conditions. Well, I mean at least the pressure on the IC piping anyway.

Problems that you may have at 30psi won't show up at 20psi. I've had problems with my FPR hose popping off at higher pressures. If you don't test it beyond what it will see in real world conditions, you're pretty much wasting your time, IMO.

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

Did it hold 30 PSI? If so, for how long? Or did the needle slowly drop? I'm still unclear as to the proper procedure for a BLT. Did you cap the PCV and Valve cover breather? Did you have to put the pistons in TDC?

Thanks,

Tom

Yes, It will hold 30psi but...

I don't do my BLT's like everyone else. Most people use a bike pump where they pump it up and see how much pressure it will hold. Using a compressor as it bleeds down you'll just use more air out of the rest of the tank while the regulator keeps it at 30psi. I generally turn the compressor off so that I can hear where leaks are coming from and let it bleed down. But, it takes a while for the tank to lose all of it's pressure.

I do not cap the PCV valve or the breather line. Why? Because in action these parts are not capped and should be checked for leaks also. The only thing I do is zip tie the MBC's supply line closed because there is a vent built into it. That is an anticipated boost leak.

I don't bother putting the pistons at TDC. I've never had a problem with losing air out through the valves. Either the intake valves are closed and an exhaust valve is open or the intake valves are open and the exhaust valves are closed. The likely hood of the engine stopping and a valve being at full lift is minimal on a 4 banger.

I generally look at my guages to determine the amount of losses I'm seeing. If my compressor's gauge says 25 and my boost gauge says 15, I know I have a major problem. If you look at them you'll see they pretty much match eachother.

I then spray down all of the IC piping with some soap and water and see if they bubble up indicating a leak. Fix the leaks and retest.

 

[Artago]

Yes, It will hold 30psi but...

I don't do my BLT's like everyone else. Most people use a bike pump where they pump it up and see how much pressure it will hold. Using a compressor as it bleeds down you'll just use more air out of the rest of the tank while the regulator keeps it at 30psi. I generally turn the compressor off so that I can hear where leaks are coming from and let it bleed down. But, it takes a while for the tank to lose all of it's pressure.

I do not cap the PCV valve or the breather line. Why? Because in action these parts are not capped and should be checked for leaks also. The only thing I do is zip tie the MBC's supply line closed because there is a vent built into it. That is an anticipated boost leak.

I don't bother putting the pistons at TDC. I've never had a problem with losing air out through the valves. Either the intake valves are closed and an exhaust valve is open or the intake valves are open and the exhaust valves are closed. The likely hood of the engine stopping and a valve being at full lift is minimal on a 4 banger.

I generally look at my guages to determine the amount of losses I'm seeing. If my compressor's gauge says 25 and my boost gauge says 15, I know I have a major problem. If you look at them you'll see they pretty much match eachother.

I then spray down all of the IC piping with some soap and water and see if they bubble up indicating a leak. Fix the leaks and retest.

Cool, that's pretty much how I do my BLT's. Thanks and good luck with your car.

Tom

 

[My1GLaser]

If you were interested, yYou could get one of these to put in the cap to stop the airflow and see how long your system holds the pressure. I got it at Lowes in the air compressor/tool area for about $8.