Hello, (Yes I have searched)

After fooling around with boost leak tests etc for a couple hours every day. I figured I would ask the community.

Problem - After performing a boost leak test upon installing a bunch of new equipment (basically an entire turbo kit, I will post equipment last). I now have pressure in the valve cover.

Now, I can pressure test up to 25psi, but air ever so slowly leaks out of the breather tube on the valve cover (the hose outlet on the drivers side of the valve cover that routes back to the intake). I should note as soon as I get down to around 10psi give or take 3psi, it will hold pressure for quite awhile.

I performed a boost leak test the day before I started the new install, basically just to narrow down problems such as this. ZERO air leaked from this same spot before the install.

What Ive tried - Nothing else is leaking on the engine.
I have tested the pcv valve. The 1 way pivot seems to be working correctly (and it wasnt touched in the install). It was tested off of the car to actuate upon air pressure as well.

I have hooked up the pressure tester to the throttle body, bypassing the turbo seals. Along these lines, I have no smoke of any kind or any weird smells in the exhaust. Hooking it up this way a small amount of air still came out of the vent hole on the valve cover.

Rings/Internals etc, again there is no smoke of any kind. Ive let it get good and warm.

I have rolled the motor over to tdc and retested all of the boost leaks above.

Mods -
SCM6152E
Hafe Manifold
Hafe O2
44mm Ebay wastegate (i know i know) - VTA
TBE
Injen Intake - (also have a buschur I could use)
PTE - 780s
Apexi AVCR
IX BoV - (not a mod but posted to clairify)
Buschur UICP
Turbo XS FMIC
Custom LICP

Now, last but not least. I have never capped this for a boost leak test before. On the test I did right before taking the stock equipment out, this didn't leak and was not capped. Should I be capping this with these new mods during a boost leak test?

Thanks again

 

Nothing huh?

 

your doing the test wrong. Air needs to be stopped before TB or it will go through the PVC (not fully seated with the small volume of air), or through the rings to the sump.

 

Ok, I guess I had just read too much and tried too many things over a couple days without a clear head.

So, remove the UICP from the TB - and cap the IC end, then remove the maf pipe and pressurize the system... and if it still pressurizes the valve cover the seals are gone?

^^ sorry I just spell things out to be clear

Weird because I never removed the TB/UICP connection before, although I guess I wasn't really testing for turbo seal problems.

By the way thanks for the reply C6C6CH3vo

 

I always did my test with the uicp connected. Thats how I found out my throttle body seals were leaking...and man, it was a huge leak.

 

So have I... actually replaced my tb seals about 30 days ago with the works kit. I think he was just being specific on testing turbo seals.

 

Ahhh ok, guess I miseed that part!

 

I think you just took a normal boost leak test way too far. Just attach you tester to the compressor housing inlet and pressurize. This will help you detect any leaks in the system up to the TB.

 

I will agree. My brain was fried after a few days of putting everything together. Not to mention I was testing the turbo seals the wrong way.

 

i cap off the intake of the turbo and i pressorize the system through a vaccum line into the intake manifold. this is how i found out my tb was leaking and my injector seals were leaking. the whole system (intake manifold all ic piping) should hold 20+psi without droping with no problem.
i believe the valve cover should not be pressorised as long as the engine is at topdead center