How do I make / buy / use / troubleshoot a boost leak tester? [merged]

[Turbo Monk3y]

All boost leak tester threads are combined here.

i read somewhere maybe the Vfaq about making or buying a boost leak tester of some sort but never found it.... the reason being my acceleration seems slower than normal and all ive done to my stock car so far is take out the air box put on a K&N filter and cut the dump tube i have my boost guage sitting in a box not hooked up yet. and since those 2 mods it when i go wot on the car i can hear the turbo spool up and it sounds nice but i can also hear a sound as my rpm increases the SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH sound does too. the sound comes from the same area as the BOV i think maybe i got a #@%#@%#@%#@% stock bov and it cant handle over 11-13 psi??? Then i shift and it makes the nice BOV sound WHOOOOSHHHH... but my car seems to be a little slower.. any ideas before i go check every tube clamp and tube????

 

[steve]

I used a quick connect fitting for my compressor. Trying to use a bike pump to test for leaks doesn't work very well if you have any leak larger than a TB shaft seal because you can't pump fast enough to build any pressure.

Steve

 

[DSM MAN]

What else could you use besides a bike pump if you dont have a compressor or anything like that?

 

[oldman]

You can rent one for $20 or buy one for $50, beats paying a shop. An air compressor that is.

 

[steve]

I suggest you go get one of the storage tanks they sell at Walmart and such for filling your tires that you pressurize at the gas station and a cheap regulator. You fill the tank up to 110+ psi and set the regulator to 20 psi so you don't blow out the diaphram on the WGA, FRP, or BOV.

Steve

 

[oldman]

But if you have multiple leaks, you'll be making multiple trips to the gas station.

 

[noz]

if you don't have tanks or air compressors, you can just go to walmart and buy a cheap portable tire inflator that comes with a psi gauge on it already. should be less than $10 bucks

 

[steve]

But if you have multiple leaks, you'll be making multiple trips to the gas station.

No question about it. When I first started doing leak tests, my real air compressor with a 25 gal tank had to run to keep up and that was just from small leaks in a vacuum line, the thermo valve, and shaft seals.

if you don't have tanks or air compressors, you can just go to walmart and buy a cheap portable tire inflator

They work for inflating tires but have the same problem a bike pump has, not enough volume to keep up with anything but the smallest of leaks.

Steve

 

[DSM MAN]

One more quick question, just so i know for sure. How much psi is safe, so i dont blow something out and cause more?

 

[99gst_racer]

One more quick question, just so i know for sure. How much psi is safe, so i dont blow something out and cause more?

Rule of thumb is to set the compressor the same as your boost controller. For example - If you're running 18 PSI of boost, then set your air compressor to 18 or 20.

 

[tr5900]

I did a boost leak test today.Before installing the tester, I found oil in my intake pipeand in the turbo inlet.While doing the leak test,at 10 psi,i hear a leak at the throttle body and air bubbles coming coming out in the oil in the oil pan. Is this normalwhen doing the test or did I do something wrong?

 

[ozzeran]

I did a boost leak test today.Before installing the tester, I found oil in my intake pipeand in the turbo inlet.While doing the leak test,at 10 psi,i hear a leak at the throttle body and air bubbles coming coming out in the oil in the oil pan. Is this normalwhen doing the test or did I do something wrong?

did you change your oil while the car was pressurized? If so why?

 

[oldman]

The oil in your intake comes from the breather valve on the valve cover. You can reroute it to a catch can to avoid it.

 

[tr5900]

No ,I did not change the oil for or after the boost check. My car runs fine. It does laek boost when it is over 10 psi

 

[CyberEye]

On the V-faq it says to use a piece of rad hose with an Outer Diameter of 2.5". I picked up a piece from my dad's work, 2.5" outer diameter, but the inner diameter does not look nearly big enough to fit over the turbo inlet. I'd go outside and check but it's bloody pouring out.

What's the size on the inlet side of the turbo? (16g)

 

[psychlow]

2.5'' worked great on my 14B and 16G...

For what it's worth, the inlet of 14Bs and 16Gs are the same size.

 

[CyberEye]

Allright, made an intake leak tester, fought to get it on my turbo (hose was a tiny bit too small). Got it on and clamped down, then started to put air into it. Boost gauge did not move one bit???
Not too sure what's going on, I couldn't hear any leaks. So I'm guessing I'm doing something horribly wrong, or the air is leaking out (very quickly) as I'm putting air into it, so I can't hear it.
I think where my J pipe bolts up to my turbo is leaking so that could be it. Any other reason why the boost gauge wouldn't move? It works fine while driving.

 

[krazywhitboy]

how much air did you put in? where is your boost gauge tapped in at? maybe you aren't putting air in at all?

 

[CyberEye]

how much air did you put in? where is your boost gauge tapped in at? maybe you aren't putting air in at all?

quite a bit, needle didn't even move. Gauge is tapped between the intake manifold and the fuel pressure selonoid.

 

[laxdudeee]

Either you are not putting air into it, or it is leaving as fast as you are adding it. Have somebody sit in your car and tell you if the needle moves beacuse you will loose air, especially if you have a leak. Are you using an electric pump? Maybe the noise of the pump is draining out the noise of the leak?

 

[CyberEye]

Either you are not putting air into it, or it is leaving as fast as you are adding it. Have somebody sit in your car and tell you if the needle moves beacuse you will loose air, especially if you have a leak. Are you using an electric pump? Maybe the noise of the pump is draining out the noise of the leak?

There was someone in the car watching the gauge, needle didn't move at all. I could hear the air going in, like when your filling up a tire. It was coming from a hog with a gas motor, motor wasn't running at the time.

 

[oldman]

Are you using a bike pump?

 

[Darksyne]

Turn the engine over to TDC or BTDC before running the leak test to close the valves and allow you to pressurize the intake.

 

[Psycron]

I'm having trouble finding the parts to buy what I need from Home Depot or Lowe's. I would like to see pics of your Boost Leak testers and/or any makeshift parts you used. Where can I buy a valve stem for it? Any help would be useful. Thank you

 

[Tomeek]

I hope that this will help, just used my PAINT program since my illustrator is not on this pc

 

[seth98es]

I just made one with a valve and gauge(+$12 extra) because my compressor doesnt have one and I dont want to put 120 psi through my motor