Intake Manifold Removal

[undefined0000]

I've been having terrible luck with this TSi I picked up last week, and I want to get it running right. Found out that some of the vacuum lines weren't plugged in and I had a bad FPR electronic solenoid thing, so I jerry rigged that, but I noticed hissing near the throttle body and figured that was it, so I replaced the gaskets and still have the hissing. Its coming from underneath, so I assume its the intake manifold gasket. When I'm idling, the car just really wants to die, and it runs weird while I'm driving etc. I want to replace the gasket, but don't have much experience with this kind of stuff, and I also don't have much money. I just need some advice, what to remove, what to look out for, etc. Thank you!

 

[BurrowZ]

I had a hissing from the throttle body and it turned out that the bottom portion was missing a screw. Verify those are all there, and you might possibly want to check the gasket between the two. Your ISC o-ring may be bad as well.

To remove the intake manifold you need to unbolt all the bolts from the head, remove the vac lines, remove the throttle cable, remove the UICP, unbolt it from the support bracket underneath it (which can be a huge pain btw).

You need to find out exactly where that leak is coming from though. If you want to save yourself some money and stop guessing where you are leaking, do a boost leak test!

2G Turbo DSM Boost Leaks -How to test and fix

 

[undefined0000]

I'm probably gonna have a shop do the leak test, because I don't have an air compressor or drill (at college).

 

[BurrowZ]

Can you borrow a drill?

I doubt most shops have even heard of a boost leak test. If you bring it to them, they are going to smoke test it. Smoke testing will find you vacuum leaks as well.

 

[undefined0000]

Doubt it, first year here, and I know no one .

And so a smoke test will help find boost leaks too? I think I can do that with a cigar (scottykilmer video) .

 

[H@xtGSX]

You are going to get your car hooked on nicotine and it is going to be constantly pestering you for a smoke test...

The throttle body shaft seals leak too... Mine sure do, and I have "fixed" those little bastards twice. They still leak.

 

[undefined0000]

Not sure how to take that, and I'll have to look at that too. if I don't end up taking anything apart tonight, I'll post a video of what's going on with my poor 'ol talon. I really hope I can get this running right soon, cause its my daily

 

[boosteclipse]

While the car is at idle, lightly spray some carb cleaner in the areas suspected of having a leak. If your idle increases you have found the leaking area.

 

[jmartinez1228]

You can build yourself a boost leak tester for fairly cheap using parts from home depot or most hardware stores for $30-40 maybe. If you dont have that then you surely wont have the money to have a shop do a smoke test.
Being that you don't have much $ my first suggestion would be to have your throttle body rebuilt (if in fact it was leaking), second suggestion would be to find a good used t-body. 92-94 throttle bodies are more common then 90's. I doubt it would be the intake mani gasket but you never know.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Easy and cheap to build youll be glad you did it yourself, its one of those things that turbo owners need to use frequently to find leaks.

 

[H@xtGSX]

I built my tester for about $10... Jmartinez must have a fancy tester.

It is just a rubber pipe coupler that fits my intake piping, a pvc end cap that fits in the coupler, and a tire nipple from O'Rileys that's installed on the cap. I just use a pipe clamp to attach it to the intake and fill'er up. I also usually use a second pipe coupler with cap in it and no nipple to cap off the intake pipe at the throttle body elbow or intercooler, just to isolate leaks.

 

[undefined0000]

I could buy the parts for the boost leak tester, but I don't have 1. A drill and 2. an air compressor. I'm 99% sure theres a bad boost leak in that area somewhere because I increased the fuel pressure, and its running better now, not only that, when I release the gas pedal, the RPMs stay in the 1500-2000 range, and I think the computer realizes this after a little bit of sitting, because it bogs down to 500-1000. I would pay someone to build one for me and ship it to me, I think I might be able to use the compressor at a gas station or something.

 

[H@xtGSX]

I am feeling charitable... I changed my intake tubing size to a 3" pipe, so my current tester is too small. If your intake piping is between 2 1/4" and 2 1/2", I'll send you mine for free. Just cover the flat rate box.

 

[undefined0000]

Pretty sure its all of the stock piping, would that work?

 

[Lou98GSX]

i believe the first gens had a paper gasket that used to crack and cause vacuum leaks . try the carb spray method if you don't want to have it smoke tested or can't do the boost leak test. even spraying oil will temporarily seal the leak or make the sound change .

 

[undefined0000]

I'll give it a try tomorrow, hopefully the weather is better. I really miss having a garage. I would have had the whole engine apart and cleaned by now if I was at home

 

[BurrowZ]

Okay, here we go.

1. Purchase boost leak tester necessary parts
2. Purchase cheap drill (cordless are $30?) from Walmart or something
3. Make boost leak tester
4. Return cheap drill
5. Mix up soap and water in a spray bottle of some sort
6. Go to gas station with free air, use to boost leak test
7. ???
8. Profit!

Or buy H@xt's Boost leak tester and then follow from step 6 after receiving it.

Or use carb cleaner..

Post back with your results, we will be glad to help!

 

[undefined0000]

So for the boost leak test, I just hook it up and start pumping air till when? Cause the car pumps will go to whatever PSI you want, and I'm only running like 12 psi right now

 

[AK Maniak]

So for the boost leak test, I just hook it up and start pumping air till when? Cause the car pumps will go to whatever PSI you want, and I'm only running like 12 psi right now

What your doing is checking to see if it holds the pressure. Go to around 20lbs and see if it holds; if not then you obviously have a leak. Spray soapy water around what you think is leaking because most of the time the leaks are very small and hard to see. The air being released through the leak will cause the soapy water to bubble a bit.

 

[undefined0000]

Alright, thank you very much. You guys are awesome! Btw. I got the gasket for the intake manifold, and one side has orange sealant stuff around the ports. Which direction should that side face? AND When I did the throttle body gasket, the gasket for the outer part of the throttle body (throttle body to the curved pipe thing) has one side that has a lip (raised around the port) Which direction should that face. I suspect I might have done that wrong and it might be making a leak.

 

[bryanwheat]

Alright, thank you very much. You guys are awesome! Btw. I got the gasket for the intake manifold, and one side has orange sealant stuff around the ports. Which direction should that side face? AND When I did the throttle body gasket, the gasket for the outer part of the throttle body (throttle body to the curved pipe thing) has one side that has a lip (raised around the port) Which direction should that face. I suspect I might have done that wrong and it might be making a leak.

The intake manifold gasket can only be installed one way so you will get it right if you actually install it.

 

[Bojangles465]

if it is vacuum leak id say do a smoke test, who knows even if thats not the hissing, its still good to be certain that you have no boost leaks, so test away!

 

[undefined0000]

Well, so I just went out and messed with the car a bit again, and when I start it up, it really struggles to keep the idle, and I open the hood and listen around and occasionally theres a "POP" and the motor slows down and picks back up and it happens randomly and scares the crap out of me when I'm listening. Could that be a small back fire or something? Too much/little fuel? Could I be killing the motor from running lean all this time? I've driven it about 150 miles since I got it and who knows how long this leak has been there.

 

[bryanwheat]

if it is vacuum leak id say do a smoke test, who knows even if thats not the hissing, its still good to be certain that you have no boost leaks, so test away!

The problem with a smoke test is that they do not pressurize the intake at all, so if there is something that isn't wide open it won't show up on a smoke test.

 

[H@xtGSX]

The problem with a smoke test is that they do not pressurize the intake at all, so if there is something that isn't wide open it won't show up on a smoke test.

Exactly. A smoke test isn't really very good for boost leaks. If they are big, they'll show up, but otherwise they will escape a smoke test easily.

Unless you've done the classic "hey guys, watch this!" and floored it, I don't think you've caused much, if any, damage. Despite all the problems we cause by messing around with the motors in these cars, the motors themselves are actually some of the sturdiest 4 cylinder motors ever made, so you don't have to baby it too much. They can handle more abuse than you'd think. There aren't many 2L motors than can be built to handle 1200hp, but you have one of the ones than can, so don't worry too much. Just get the leaks sorted, do your maintenance, and listen to the old farts here for everything else. Do that and you'll be fine.

Send me a PM with your details and I'll send you my tester. That will help get you headed in the right direction at least. .

On your car, you'll just hook it up to the turbo intake and pressure it up. It'll leak some past your oil seal in the turbo and make a bubbling noise in the oil pan, but that's normal. You'll likely be looking for leaks on the lower section of the pre-intercooler hose, the intercooler connections, the bypass valve flange, and the throttle body and elbow. Those are the common places. The other thing to check is the intake snorkle going into the turbo. Make sure it isn't leaking any behind the mass air flow sensor, because that can also cause these problems.