All the NAPA part numbers and prices for straight coolant hose:
http://newengdsm.org/forums/viewtopi...highlight=NAPA

This is the stuff that is great for intercooler couplers. Not sure if the price is per foot or what. Seems to me I have paid $12 for a foot of 2.25" hose.

 

Just wanted to say thanks for making this post. I finally got the motivation to go out there and test my car. Just like you, I found a leak at my BOV flange (I have the same intercooler pipe and BOV as you do). My leak was coming from the center of the BOV directly under the outlet of the BOV. I did just like you said with the RTV but im waiting for it to dry overnight before I go check it again. My other 2 were on my intercooler pipes and they were also fairly big leaks. I cant wait for get my car back together so I can go see how its boosting. Thanks again for the write up

-Leonard

 

Glad I could help!!!

 

I see your point, a suggestion to the people out there would be to remove the hose nearest to the intake manifold and put a end cap there. This would circumvent putting any pressure to the engine. It would also let you see 23+ lbs of pressure on the system.
When you are done you can re-connect the intake and do one last test @ 8-10lbs to see if you are loosing any pressure at the intake manifold point.
My feeling is boost the whole system except the engine as far as you would go with a MBC, Would that be as high as 25lbs? This would let you know your true Physical Integrity!

 

Okay, can somebody please explain to me what I'm missing?

Stock IC plumbing...
I made a boost leak tester, capped the IC plumbing at the intake manifold, removed the bov and capped it, removed the MBC and capped both hoses, and capped the nipple from the turbo outlet. Somehow, when I pressurize it, air still gets into the engine and ends up leaking out through the greddy oil catch can. The only way I can figure out is that it's getting into the engine through the turbo... Or did I miss something?

 

Are you putting pressure in from the intake pipe or right from the turbo? The Intake pipe has a hose that runs to the valve cover which would need to be taken off and capped.

 

i removed the intake and attached the leak tester directly to the intake of the turbo... the only way that i can figure that air is escaping is through the turbo somehow. that doesn't make much sense to me, though...

 

I had the same problem. I couldn't get it to hold pressure, so I just gave up.

 

unless somehow it's going through the wastegate actuator?

 

I rather buy this if you are lazy to make one for yourself.

http://www.boostpro.net/prodz32tester.html

Btw, good job on the DIY pressure tester.

 

okay, i gave up on trying to figure that out... it must be going through the turbo and i couldn't find anything to plug the rubber lower IC plumbing with.

anyway, i was still having problems yesterday after finding the boost leaks and decided to give it another shot today... got the same results, then connected the intake manifold pipe instead of capping it. it wouldn't hold ANY pressure that way... even from just straight running the air at max blast. i set the engine to TDC and tried again... same result. i had already checked the vacuum hoses a few times, but i decided that one more time won't hurt. everything looked good, but then i got under the lift and started looking behind the engine...

i don't know how, but i barely glimpsed the end of a hose... the damn thing was almost completely inaccessible. you can't see it from the top, and it's very difficult to see it from the bottom and only at an angle from the left wheelwell. there's some sort of stock 1g BOV-looking thing or maybe more like a wastegate actuator that's located underneath the intake manifold. the top is gold... and has a nipple on it that wasn't connected. the only way to get to it was by reaching in far from the top and doing it by feel. as soon as i connected it, all my troubles went away...

unfortunately, all of this was also complicated by a MBC that went bad about the same time that the vacuum hose must have blown off... at WOT in some gears it would reach max boost but then 50% of the time it would max out at 1 bar. didn't make it easy to diagnose...

 

Yesterday I made my leak tester and found that I had a leak at the flange where the Buschur Lower I/C pipe meets the turbo. This pipe is a pain to get on and off. I had to remove the starter and take off the bolts to the waste gate bracket. I used some high temp RTV and got it nice and tight. Now I cant get the waste gate bracket back on. because the I/C pipe is in the way.

When you pressurise the system dose it hold air. When I do it, the air leaks out. I get to about 15PSI and have to check for leaks while I pumping air into it. It is loud and makes it hard to do.
I'll have to check the thing under the intake manifold.

 

i doubt yours is off unless you've been having problems... i had the symptoms of a massive boost leak: stumbling at partial throttle and WOT. definitely worth checking, though...

 

I found a few boost leaks and fixed them, but I still not sure whats wrong. I put everything back and took it for a drive and it seemed to pull harder.

My boost guage never hit 21psi only like 15psi. and it takes a long time to get that.

I plan to trace the boost guage tubing/vacume line, and see if there are any kinks.

What else? play with the MBC and dial it up?

I think it might be the wastegate but I'm not sure. I hope not.

 

Do you hook it up after the maf and then pressurize the system.