alright you guys thanks for the help, maybe i was just stressing.

 

I dunno about the fact that it's normal to experience blow by if the engine is warm. I just got done doing a two step boost leak test. From the turbo inlet and from the upper intercooler pipe.

From the upper intercooler pipe, there is no audible air comming out of my valve cover but from the turbo inlet there is. This points to the turbo bearing leaking air. I am sure there is an acceptable tolerance there, but It leaks pretty good, like to where it's hard to build past 8-10psi, where with the upper IC pipe it's easy to build past 8-10psi.

Having said that, yes the air will leak down very slowly, but you shouldn't hear a rush of air out of the valve cover.

 

It all depends where the crank is stopped, you can stop the crank at a position where you cant even do a boost leak test that theres so much blowby. I just experienced it on my new motor.

All motors have some sort of blowby otherwise there will be excessive build up in the crankcase.

You should always pressurize from the turbo inlet only, pressurizing from other areas can blow turbo seals.

 

okay so i just got a video and uploaded it onto you tube.
you can hear me rev it a few times, you can also hear my motor still revving and the boost needle dropping.
take a look at it guys and see if its something of concern.

btw, next time i do a leak test ill make sure to do it from the turbo inlet.

here's the vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1_q7jmXe6M

 

As far as getting blowby where you stop the crank, that does not make sense. You wouldn't get pressure into the valve cover, because your valves were open, you would leak pressure into your exhaust. The only way pressure can get into the valve cover from the combustion chamber is
A) Around the pistons into the crankcase and back through the pcv system or
B) Through the valve stem seals
C) A bad head gasket

I have eliminated all of those by only pressuzing the UICP and combustion chamber and not getting any leaks from the valve cover.

I was just stating my results
A) Test UICP and engine, no leak anywhere except a little out of my injector seals
B) Test at turbo inlet = bad leaking out of the valve cover, which means the only variable there that could possibly go into the valve cover is the turbo

As far as your last statement goes, I am not sure I understand how pressurizing from other areas besides the turbo inlet would hurt turbo seals, I would expect the opposite of what you said to be true. Pressurizing AT the turbo inlet could hurt the turbo seals.

Of course unless you mean pressurize the system from the turbo to the UICP, which I have never done. I was talking about pressurizing the entire system (turbo inlet) versus only pressurizing the UICP and engine.

 

i pressurized from my intake hose, basically taking off the air box and putting the tester in there.

 

Yes, that is what we are talking about when we say from the turbo inlet, although I put my pressure tester right on the compressor, because it has a nice lip there.

 

i thought turbo inlet would be directly on the turbo, i meant i took off the "box" and attached the tester to the intake piping.. so basically i think i had some air going to the BOV.

 

this is what they mean by installing it directly on the turbo inlet. hope this pic will help.

 

That's the same color coupler I have, did you get it from tuboxs by any chance? I have another one that fits on the lower end of my UICP, which is how I narrowed it down to being the turbo that was leaking into the valve cover. Not sure if it's normal for a turbo bearing to leak air, but mine certainly is.

BTW, I understand what the previous guy was saying, he was somehow mounting the tester on the intake right where it normally connects to the airbox. Not sure why you would do that as there is not usually pressure there.

 

not sure on the coupler, my buddy sells those kits and he made me one
http://turboboostleaktesters.com/

here is another pic of it, ofcourse add a clamp on the turbo side as well.

 

yeah man that helps ill test it again on monday i think.

 

I read your post wrong, i thought you were pressurizing from the turbo outlet pipe (lower pipe/jpipe etc) the way you worded it, which can hurt the seal on the turbo.

You're correct on all the boost going out the exhaust if the cams are turned a certain way where it all escapes through the valves, which happened to me on my new motor.

Either way you did not need to come in here and explain how to do it when I already explained how to do it for the OP.. pointless. If you have that much blowby from testing at the turbo inlet your rings/seals are shot. Ive owned plenty of old dsm's and never could i ever not test from the turbo inlet and build over 20-30psi and it takes 5-10minutes for it to get to 0 if you truelly have all leaks sealed. and testing from the turbo inlet will also pressurize everything the upper piping will as well.

why would pressurizing INTO the turbo hurt it? do you understand what happens during boost? the turbo sucks in all the air through the intake. good luck hurting the turbo through the turbo inlet.

I agree you can test via the upper piping if you really want to stress test the throttle body / intake manifold area and bypass the valve cover, which can be annoying sometimes, but for the OP's sake he should be testing at the turbo inlet for now like every other normal boost leak tester does.. its the standard.. but i agree if you have bad leaks and cant find them due to the valve cover releasing all the pressure through the pcv valve than yes your method is the way to go.

Either way this is only going to confuse the OP now, since hes very new with these cars. and he needs to test through the turbo inlet FIRST. it will cover ALL aspects of the engine.

 

Your methods also a good way to detect if you have a faulty pcv valve also. Dont get me wrong ive used the upper piping before to test, but if theres no issues out of the ordinary than theres no need to go that route.. but if you want to be 100% sure you have no leaks than yes test the upper directly.

For now i think we should let the OP test from the inlet and if his car can hold good boost without leaks hes fine, but clearly he cant because he said his intercooler has a hole in it.
evo intercoolers are tube and fin right? maybe its possible to seal the leak somehow.. ive never experienced a hole in my intercooler so im no help here with that subject.

 

yes its normal if the seals are not warm, they will leak.. even new turbo seals. when the turbo gets hot the seals expand and you will have no leak than.. if you get into boost and you see a smoke screen behind your car, than you know your turbo is done for.. other than that you're good to go. Another way to tell if the seal is leaking is to inspect your intercooler piping inside for oil residue, if none don't worry about it.