should vacuum at idle read 18 to 20 or strictly 18 or 20? im checking for boost leaks again and if i get a steady reading im not leaking anything correct? which should it be?

Originally posted by eclipse982nrRST
should vacuum at idle read 18 to 20 or strictly 18 or 20? im checking for boost leaks again and if i get a steady reading im not leaking anything correct? which should it be?

Every car's different. If you're anywhere from 17 to 22 or so, you're looking good. It should be steady though (it idle).

Even if you're steady at idle, you could have a boost leak. At idle, you're only "checking" for leaks from the throttle body in. For a boost leak, your pressurizing everything from the turbo in.

That's why an appropriate boost leak test requires attaching a leak detector to the compressor intake and pressurizing the system. If it leaks, you'll hear hissing and your boost gauge will too quickly lose its boost level.

so what is my best way to check for a 'boost' leak. before i fed air with a air compressor thru the intake side of the turbo and found 1 leak on the hose coming from the valve cover to the intake manny (pcv valve hose). what is the best way to check for it again. what should i use? also, if i have a leak, the boost gauge will be doign something, the needle? should i be doing this with car running or off as well? thanks man.

Originally posted by eclipse982nrRST
so what is my best way to check for a 'boost' leak.
should i be doing this with car running or off as well? thanks man.

No... no... oh god no... NOT AGAIN!!!

see the following response to your posts...

http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=67303&mesg_id=67303&listing_type=search#67311

http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=67303&mesg_id=67303&listing_type=search#67304

http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=67303&mesg_id=67303&listing_type=search#67372

http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=67330&mesg_id=67330&listing_type=search#67344

http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=67330&mesg_id=67330&listing_type=search#67451

http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=67315&mesg_id=67315&listing_type=search#67496

dude i made a tester before but that was just using an air compressor and feeding air thru the intake side of turbo. i need to somehow create 'pressure' through the pipes instead of a air flow. a nice steady air flow from the compressor worked to find 1 big leak in the pcv valve hose connected to the intake manifold but i need to create stronger pressure to see if more pressure is leaking somewhere.

Impossible... just impossible!

here's the best tip I can give you. GO OUT AND BUY A GS-T OR A GSX. they are already turbo'ed and you wont have to deal with this custom stuff that is over your head technically. I feel like everyone on here has helped you 20, no... 50 times with this "boost leak tester" and you aren't getting it so that leads me to believe that a custom turbo or even a turbo kit is beyond your scope of ability.

so...

1) take it to a shop

2) sell it and buy a pre-turbo'ed car

3) buy a honda.

Originally posted by JasonESi_T

Originally posted by eclipse982nrRST should vacuum at idle read 18 to 20 or strictly 18 or 20? im checking for boost leaks again and if i get a steady reading im not leaking anything correct? which should it be?

Every car's different. If you're anywhere from 17 to 22 or so, you're looking good. It should be steady though (it idle). Even if you're steady at idle, you could have a boost leak. At idle, you're only "checking" for leaks from the throttle body in. For a boost leak, your pressurizing everything from the turbo in. That's why an appropriate boost leak test requires attaching a leak detector to the compressor intake and pressurizing the system. If it leaks, you'll hear hissing and your boost gauge will too quickly lose its boost level.

17-22? I don't know if you could really give a definate answer to this one. Every motor is different. Hell, my idle vac. is at 15-16ish

Originally posted by babybeclipse

Originally posted by JasonESi_T

Originally posted by eclipse982nrRST should vacuum at idle read 18 to 20 or strictly 18 or 20? im checking for boost leaks again and if i get a steady reading im not leaking anything correct? which should it be?

Every car's different. If you're anywhere from 17 to 22 or so, you're looking good. It should be steady though (it idle). Even if you're steady at idle, you could have a boost leak. At idle, you're only "checking" for leaks from the throttle body in. For a boost leak, your pressurizing everything from the turbo in. That's why an appropriate boost leak test requires attaching a leak detector to the compressor intake and pressurizing the system. If it leaks, you'll hear hissing and your boost gauge will too quickly lose its boost level.

17-22? I don't know if you could really give a definate answer to this one. Every motor is different. Hell, my idle vac. is at 15-16ish

Yeah, yeah...don't piss me off Brian. :P I'm just tryin to give the text book answer. It's not my fault if you have leaks all up in your shit, and your car doesn't have good vacuum. hahahah

weird...im at 10 vac at idle...hahah...then again, im on crower stage 1's

i'm at 22

I'm at 16-17 with Crane Stage 3's.

ok waite waite...lol...iv always been at 10 vac, and had a pretty good idle...no problems from it being at 10....wtf? if i just tap the gas a little then it will go down to 20...:scratch :wallbash

I'm at 19 hg's at fully warmed up idle..Letting off the gas when cruising, it goes to 25 hg's or so..I wouldn't trust Autometer's gauges for crap, so go buy a good vac gauge at a parts store and hook it up to your intake vac source..only good way to tell..If you are at 10 hg's with stock cams, then either something is wrong with your timing, bad gauge, or vac leaks at your gauge connectons..

well...I have crower stage 1's...those are not stock...they are a different grind then stock's....I don’t see why the gage could be it, cause it read boost right in line with the profec b 2...my profec reads the just about the same as the auto meter does....

We thought it was my cams making it do that...

Or maybe a vac leak

and for my timing to cause a vac that low at idle, I think It would cause some other bad symptoms...or am I wrong?

Your stage 1 cams will not cause your vacuum to be that low. I'm guessing your timing is off. Those cam's probably need to be indexed with cam gears according to the spec sheet that came with them.