The reason you MUST do a "boost leak test"!! Don't pass go. Read this.
 

I know, as long as I have been "surfing" this site, I see the Boost leak tester threads all over, and I say "whatever", I dont hear any leaks, and I know the clamps are tight, so I don't need to worry................WRONG!!!! I had the car tuned in Georgia 3 weeks ago (15 hour round trip):crap: , I didn't get the numbers I wanted to.(MAXboost 23psi)I took it to the strip a week later, and it was SLOWER with the stroker, than it was with the 2.0L motor.:confused:

I then thought I would go to AMS and get it tuned on Meth (Didn't work, they saw a problem on the pump gas run, and didn't want to go further) The pump gas dyno saw the max boost PSI at 21!! and the HP was slightly LOWER also.

I did the boost leak tester, here is the how to thread:http://www.vfaq.com/mods/ICtester.html

I did it, and MY GOD!! I found 3 BIG leaks!!! One was probably done with installing the stroker motor, there was a "triangle" slit in one of the small vaccuum hoses, and one IC hose was leaking around the clamp. I had the AMS LICP which was a little "road rashed" from the wife coming in "hot" into the driveway and scraping it. that had a PINHOLE hole in it, and MAN did the air WHOOOOOOSH out of that puppy!!! I got all fixed now, but I NEVER would have found the leak in the small vaccuum hose unless I did this test!!!! NEVER!!

So if you look at all the TIME and MONEY I wasted on a Tuneless-tune, DON'T YOU do the same, do the boost leak tester BEFORE you go to a dyno run, or you will be disappointed. Dyno4mance and AMS did an AWESOME JOB with what they had to work with, and if I only did this damn test FIRST, I wouldn't need to write you this.

Hope you spend the hour to check FIRST.......Happy motoring.{thumbup}

P.S., I know this is a newbie mistake, and it probably has been discussed adnauseum, if so, take this as a personal venting.:lol:

Kevin,

I don't understand why AMS or the other tuner did not check this for you. Especially after the long drive to get tuned, the long wait etc....


The Boost Leak test should be done anytime you change ANYTHING on the car.

I didn't expect them to, they "squeezed" me in for the tunes, and I spoke to them, and we said "if there is anything catastrophic, or problematic" they would pull the car off the dyno. Andrew had my dash apart looking for "other" problems with the meth kit, and spend damn near all day on that. I need them for a DYNO tunning session, not to fix the car mechanically. It is MY fault, the car should have been on the rollers, strapped, tuned! I should have checked this stuff BEFORE I went to get the tune. I didn't hear any leaks, the boost gauge was reading "ok" I guess, but then again, i didn't get ON IT, with the stock injectors, nor when I got the larger ones scaled. I was waiting for some WOT pulls when it was tuned on the dyno. It was safer that way.

A SIMPLE boost check done by me would have solved all my problems!! 1 hour max. now look, I got 2 tunes, drove 25 hours JUST getting there and back, not to include the dyno times, and spent??? I got the car home, and am UN-TUNED!! In a sence. AMS did richen it up, as it was TOO lean before. I am going back real soon for another tune, with some REAL numbers. here are the 1st set of dyno numbers. AMS tune was less, because the LEAKS WERE GETTING BIGGER!!!

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...dyno-hp-tq.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...-boost-afr.jpg

I have been::lol:



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good post, ive been meaning to check mine but im too lazy and i drink to much

I would be eager to see a dyno after you found after the leaks....does the car feel to pull harder now? I would think that the biggest problem you had was in the vaccuum line if it was one of the ones on the boost controller.

I was told to "take it easy" until I get the "official" tune!!:lol: So I can't tell you till then. the one which was torn, was off a rubber hose on the EGR solenoid, It had a "V" shape tear midway down the hose it looks as if a screwdriver punctured it. I will keep you posted also with new graphs, and such!!!{thumbup}

:lol: Those were my excuses also, and look at all the TIME I LOST and money I LOST!! Which could have been spent drinking and being lazy, if I ONLY did the stupid leak test before jumping on a dyno!!!:beer:

with the homemade tester...I don't understand how the valvestem stays in there...wouldn't there be a leak around it since it's just pressed in? Or wouldn't it simply blow out?

^^^^ the same reason it doesnt pop out of your rim. You drill a hole in the PVC cap and pull it through from the back side. If you've ever seen a valve steem not installed in something you will see that there is a seat on the bottom of it that holds it in place.

gotcha...are the sizes that are listed in that write up the correct ones for the stock turbo?

My homemade tester doesnt leak. The valvstem i used has something like a shaft ring. Thats where it snaps in with the hole you drill on the PVC plug. Then i siliconed it thru the inside so it can be airtight.

I actually drilled into the PVC CAP, and screwed a valvestem in it. I used a different one, then they show in the diagram. screw in, NOT snap in. It works also. yes these sizes are for the stock turbo, (TME in my case)

Ill have to check mine.

I will have to check mine this weekend...just adding to the things that i need to do

I drag raced my car, and DIDN'T feel slow, or that there was a leak anywhere!! Good to do before Dyno, and before a race event for sure. make sure the car is Warm, and you use an air-tank (pick one up at walmart cheap) then fill it up at a gas station. I tried a bike pump, but that wasn't enough to "pressureize" the system.

Another interesting finding, is the way the stock IC pipes BALLOON under pressure,(20psi) makes you wonder about upgrading to Samco hoses, keep the pressure where it has to go, instead of ballooning up like that!