huge boost/vacuum leak i cant pinpoint,Please help

[camas90gsx]

I have a mojor boost or vacuum leak that is causing my car to run fully rich and bog down.Basically,i was on my way back from the beach last weak and was getting on it pretty good and it was running amazing.Then on the way back when i would give it any throttle it would go up to fully rich and bog down until i let off.It reads perfect at idle and if im at a steady pace cruising it is perfect afr's as well.
The first thing i thought was that it had something to do with the e-85 i got being bad causing it to run rich,but i burned tat tank out and filled up with fresh e85 and even added a little e98 from english racing and still did not cure it

.The i tried to do a boost leak test and the gauge wont even register when i pump 40 psi into it.I ran the boost leak tester on my buddys talon and it worked perfect and we were able to fix some of his leaks.I made sure it was at tdc when i did the test,i have gotten to the point where i have tested it where the pistons are at all different spots and no different,it still wont hold pressure.I can hear the air going through the intercooler,but its like the leak is so big that you cant hear anything coming out anywhere.Basically,there is no sound or sight of any leaks anywhere,but it is not even building up enough pressure to be able to pinpoint any leaks.Normally when i do a blt if i have a leak i can hear it whistling or i will spray soapy water and find it but its so massive that you cant hear it because there is no resistance at all.I pulled out the spark plugs and the pistons look perfect and did a leak down test last night and it held oil in all cylinders.
Upon visual inspection all of the couplers look good and pipes look good as well,short of yanking off the whole intercooler system and intake manifold.I have the ic pipes off now and they all look good.My next step is to pressure test the core,but it looks perfect.I will keep working my way up until i get to the intake manifold,but i would like to avoid taking off the intake manifold if possible.It is just such a bi*** to get the intake manifold off when the engine is still in the car.
Right now the car will start and idle for a minute and sit at 22 in hg of vacuum for a minute,then go up to 8 to 10 in/hg of vacuum and trey to die until i pump the gas.If i try to drive it its fine until i give it a little throttle,then it shoots up to fully rich and bogs out.Basically its metering a certain amount of air coming in through the maf and giving fuel according to that amount of air coming in,and its got such a big leak that its giving way more fuel than air.Im just stumped on where to look next since the pipes and couplers all look great.Any help would be wayyy appreciated.Please help y'all!!!

 

[Bud92gsx]

The following is for comedic porpuses only..Do the smoke test.




This one is for realz..BLT to 20 psi, or 5 psi over what your going to run.

 

[H@xtGSX]

Personally, I found it much easier to take each major section of pipe off, cap one end, and BLT each section individually. Then BLT the intercooler by itself. Once all the gaps in the pipe are fixed and you know there aren't holes in the intercooler, assemble them back together in the car, but don't connect it to the throttle body elbow. Cap the whole assembly at the elbow connection point, and BLT from the turbo compressor outlet connection. That'll let you figure out everything to the throttle. Now, if you BLT from the throttle body elbow into the engine, I'll bet your throttle plate shaft seals leak. I have seen few that didn't. Also, you may hear vacuum lines hissing from pinpoint holes and cracks in them, and leaks around the MDP sensor. Check the brake booster line too. If there is anything wrong with it, it can cause a massive boost leak. The base of the PCV line can leak some too, and lastly, the injector seats. They can let by air too if they are cracked. Hope that helps.

 

[Gsxhero]

i blew cig smoke into my upper intercooler piping between my bov and throttle body and there was alot of smoke seen coming from my throttle shaft seals. if its a big leak the smoke will work. the shaft seals would be a hard leak to find with soapy water as most people would only think to spray it on hoses ect, not the throttle return spring and tps. good luck

 

[camas90gsx]

SOLVED!!! There was a crack in the end tank on the i.c. core!!!![/QUOTE]

I went to e.t.s. since they are local here and they honored their lifetime warranty and welded it up for me in like 10 minutes.I took it out for a drive and its running perfect,which is great because i went to get a tune yesterday and he based it on what it should be not how i was running yesterday and he was dead on.Thanks again MY1GDSM,you nailed it for me once again.Im pretty sure we will be well up over that 400whp # i wanted.