Harbor Freight Leak Down Tester a good choice?

[TrevorS]

Or should I be considering others?

I'm looking to get a reasonable quality leak down tester for very infrequent use. The lowest price I've found is made by U.S. General and sold by Harbor Freight for $34.99 plus $8 shipping.

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

The alternative I'm looking at costs near twice as much at $73 shipped -- a Star Products CLT-2PB.

STAR CLT2PB - 2-GAGE CYLIN-LEAK TESTER +CASE

Is there enough difference between these two to justify the higher price? Any experience with these or other "low" cost testers?

 

[snowborder714]

I have the HF tester and it seems to work fine. It helped me confirm that my rings are not in good shape. I'd say it'd be fine for just occasional use.

 

[kthackst]

I love Harbor Freight but I don't by anything with gauges or "ON" buttons. The only things I trust from Harbor Freight are wrenches, sockets, and anything that is made of one or two chunks of steel.

I mean I bought a piston ring compressor and the spring steel was too stiff to compress the rings in a circle... it only could compress to an oval... So it couldn't fully compress the rings...

Moral of the story. I wouldn't trust it. But hey you can always return it if it doesn't work. Good luck and let us know what you do.

 

[lacroixdp]

I have their leakdown tester and their compression tester - they both work perfect. Make sure you check their prices online - they'll typically have 20% off coupons and they'll price match off their online store.

 

[zimfro]

Post up your thoughts and experiences if you end up buying and using it. I only trust Harbor Freight for things I don' t plan on pushing to the limit or using often.

 

[JamiesTSI]

Like mentioned up above, I also have there leak down tester and it seems to work fine. I think I paid $29.95 for mine from Harbor Freight.

 

[TrevorS]

Thanks all !

I have their leakdown tester and their compression tester - they both work perfect. Make sure you check their prices online - they'll typically have 20% off coupons and they'll price match off their online store.

I tried searching for 20% off coupons and found one that's supposedly printable, but clearly states duplicates or computer printouts aren't acceptable. Found another that doesn't say that, but does say non-transferrable, so I guess it's up to the store's discretion -- at least they get a name and address out of it !

In any case, at the moment, Harbor Freight is looking a pretty good option, and it turns out there's one not far away! Unless someone has good experience with a "low" price alternative, I'll probably leave it at that.

 

[kthackst]

There are 20% off coupons in motor trend.

 

[TrevorS]

OK, so I picked up the Harbor Freight tester and tried to connect it to my air line quick disconnect, and naturally it doesn't fit WTF! So, I don't know if this is a new "Universal Standard" or just a different "Universal Standard", but I'll have to visit Sears tomorrow and see if I can either find a replacement for the tester inlet or build a quick disconnect adapter. Glad I didn't wait 'til I wanted to use it before trying it .

On closer scrutiny, I see the air bore on the HB tester fittings is smaller than mine -- must be two classes of uses -- my best guess anyway.

 

[lacroixdp]

Yes - there's two standards for air hookups. You can go to Harbor Freight and pick up just the fitting and switch that out for less than $1.

 

[TrevorS]

Thanks for the Harbor Freight Vs Sears tip. Turns out my original Craftsman 3 ball disconnect from way-back has slightly tighter tolerances and the Chinese disconnect inlets have slightly wider barrels. Switching to the Harbor Freight four ball Chinese disconnect solved the problem -- it works with both versions Industrial inlet. I guess my old disconnect just became a souvenir !

 

[TrevorS]

OK, I used the Harbor Freight Leak Down Tester today, but the maximum pressure I was able to apply to the cylinders without swinging negative on the zero calibration was roughly 15psi. That isn't really as audible as I'd like when trying to trace leaks.

So, my question is how do you change the sensitivity of the percentage leak measurement so that you can apply higher pressures, such as the advertised 100 psi, for instance?

 

[TrevorS]

Just a follow up,

I returned the Harbor Freight Leak Down Tester today. I asked their technical support, and at the store, and on this forum, and I wasn't able to find out how to calibrate the tester for anything other than the original aprox 15 PSI. According to the website, the operating range goes up to 100 PSI. So, I gave up on it.
If anybody does know how to adjust it for other operating pressures, please fill me in .

Thanks!

 

[IE_DSM]

I guess Harbor Freight is like shopping on eBay. Sometimes you luck out others you get PWND. i bought an engine compression tester, the thing didn't even screw into where the spark plugs go.

 

[afoolahm]

I found this thread on google. My Harbor Freight leak tester did the exact same thing.
I am returning it. I need solid results but I suspect I have some bad exhaust valves. I want to be sure before I leave the bottom end in the car and go for the head work.

 

[Ol' gearhead]

The main advantage to HF / US General / Pittsburg tools is price. That said, they do work, and can be made into better leakdown testers with a simple modification. The working pressure for the tester refers to the INPUT pressure. It will take the stated 100psi, the first gauge measures this pressure. between the 2 gauges there is a small orafice, the size of a #60 drill, that limits air flow. The second gauge reads the pressure on the engine side of the restrictive orafice. If you want the gauge to work at multiple pressure settings, then you MUST change the second gauge. 0-120 psi or anything close to that works fine. The difference is that you will no longer have the pretty colors that indicate condition, you will have to do the math. If you stick to test pressures of 100, 50 and 25 psi, it si real easy. Testing at 100 psi if the second gauge reads 89, you have 11% leakage. Hearing the leak gets a lot easier at higher perssure. Essentially, by changing the gauge, you turn a $30 HF tool into the equivalent of a much more versatile (and expensive) device. Hope this helps.

 

[Calan]

Holy thread revival!

I like the idea, but I think you would probably need to re-calibrate the orifice size for a specific pressure if you want it to truly be accurate.

 

[Jon91TSi]

After much reading online, the consensus is to replace the leakdown % gauge with a standard air pressure gauge, that way you can apply whatever pressure you would like, the difference between the two gauges is the % of leakdown. Pretty simple.

The main advantage to HF / US General / Pittsburg tools is price. That said, they do work, and can be made into better leakdown testers with a simple modification. The working pressure for the tester refers to the INPUT pressure. It will take the stated 100psi, the first gauge measures this pressure. between the 2 gauges there is a small orafice, the size of a #60 drill, that limits air flow. The second gauge reads the pressure on the engine side of the restrictive orafice. If you want the gauge to work at multiple pressure settings, then you MUST change the second gauge. 0-120 psi or anything close to that works fine. The difference is that you will no longer have the pretty colors that indicate condition, you will have to do the math. If you stick to test pressures of 100, 50 and 25 psi, it si real easy. Testing at 100 psi if the second gauge reads 89, you have 11% leakage. Hearing the leak gets a lot easier at higher perssure. Essentially, by changing the gauge, you turn a $30 HF tool into the equivalent of a much more versatile (and expensive) device. Hope this helps.

+1 on this, didn't even see it!

 

[TSi Kid]

Harbor freight tools always work great. They just break very shortly after.

 

[TrevorS]

Wow! just noticed there'd been further activity on this thread -- thanks for the tips !

Harbor freight tools always work great. They just break very shortly after.

I have a number of HF tools and if you're careful about which ones you buy (do a little research first), they can be quite decent . In other cases, there's the possibility of modding a marginal tool and making it decent.

 

[PerfectStorm]

Harbor freight tools always work great. They just break very shortly after.

I'll agree to that. Watch out for the wrenches, I've busted a knuckle or two using them... LEakdown tool should work like designed for it's original designed purpose using designed functions properly.

 

[BigTyla]

I bought the Harbor Freight leakdown tester and removed the % gauge and replaced it with a 100 psi gauge from Lowes. I also had to get a 1/8" NPT to 1/4" NPT adapter as the gauge I bought was 1/4" NPT (Lowes doesn't carry 1/8" NPT gauges). The leakdown tester works great now!

Also, be sure to bring a 20% coupon with you to HF. They have them in the Sunday newspapers all the time and I stockpile a lot of them for my frequent trips there. You just have to know what to buy and what not to buy there.

 

[dalesmitsu]

Harbor frieght now carries Goodyear air hoses. I've heard bad reviews here about their hoses.

 

[Alexvw]

Same thing happened to me, ill have to try this mod thank you!