Hello fellow Evo X owners!

Last weekend a buddy and I installed an ETS 4" intercooler along with UICP and LICP. After driving the car throughout the week, I noticed that there is a slight whistling sound when ever I push hard into boost right around 3k RPM and would remain hearing it until I let off the gas pedal. It's not really loud but can still be heard. I don't hear the whistling noise when I push moderately. Searching the forums, I started thinking it was a boost leak. Today I redid all the couplers and t-clamps making sure they were not being tightend on the notches of the piping. Made them tight but made sure they were not overtighten by using up all the thread on them. Sprayed soap and water on each end of the couplers, checked for bubbles, then had the engine revved a few times to see if bubbles came out on either side. Nothing, so put everything back together, and the sound is still there. The car feels fine, no lost of power feeling, or hesitation. The boost feels strong through out the rpm. Not sure if it is normal since the intercooler is bigger and piping is aluminum now. Starting to think I'm just paranoid and would like fellow Evo X owners who installed the ETS 4" along with piping to chime in if they heard this whistling noise or any particular leaking areas. Much appreciated!

 

Sounds like your prolly just hearing more noise now, sounds like you already did all the boost leak check list stuff. The only other way you could check and see is to data log the car while you get on it a few times. Or you can just call ETS im sure they would be happy to answer you question.

 

OEM piping is aluminum. The ets stuff is stainless steel. You should do a boost leak test.

 

Thanks for the input and corrections lol. Guess I'm going to have to do everything all over agan once more. Should be no whistling sound at all i take it?

 

If you installed an intake, you would have a whistling sound. But installing piping and an IC shouldn't really create new sounds.


Regardless of sounds, a boost leak test should be performed when any part of the pressurized intake tract (anything from the turbo outlet to where the intake manifold meets the head) is taken apart and put back together.

 

If you're spraying soap/water to check for leaks, and then just revving the engine, you're not going to see anything if there was a leak. Revving an idle engine doesn't build boost.


I had leak issues with my 3.5" ETS FMIC and was able to use launch control to find the leak, since it builds about 12psi through the system. I decided to do that since every time I drove on the road the top pipe would blow off. haha

 

Most common place for a boost leak i've found is the top portion of piping coming off the intercooler. That coupler has leaked on me before as I found during a boost leak test.

 

Make a boost leak tester for the inlet of the turbo. Then you can test the connections at the pressures or higher than you will be running.

 

sound like boost leak

 

Thanks again guys! I did forget to mention about having a intake installed already before I did the IC and piping. Read a few forms about it being the top part of intercooler usual spot for a boost leak after install. Going to a buddies house this Saturday to re do everything along with a boost leak test.