So decided I would do a boost leak check today. The tools I was using are below:

 

1 vac/boost leak plug

1 piece of blue tubing as I have loads sitting about in the shed and its great for hearing small leaks.

1 halfrauds tyre pressure inflator thingy

 

 

Sadly, I didn't seem to be able to get any pressure in the system, nor was I able to find any leaks. Thought maybe the tyre blower upper may just not be giving enough air. So, I decided to get the smoke matches out of the boot and try again. At first, I can't see it coming out from anywhere, but then sure enough, it showed itself. Sadly it's coming from down near the drivers side turbo and I can't actually see where it's coming from due to the huge manifolds so I'm gonna have to get it up in the air at some point. On a plus point, I went round and tightened everything as a matter of course anyway.

 

Ay guesses what it might be? Turbos/manifolds/external wastegates?

If it's coming from above the drivers turbo, it may be the short connector hose on the intercooler pipe work. It's no more than 4" long, with a jubilee clamp at each end. Mine was leaking from there, and I actually managed to tighten the clamp with about 18" of extensions on a 7mm socket from the front of the engine!

 

Worth a look for starters, all of the pipe clamps are known for being loose.

Thought there'd be more guesses lol.

 

I'll struggle to get under the car sadly as I don't really have a safe enough driveway so I'll need to get it to a garage at some point.

I'm not sure that compressor will be large enough? You only need 5psi but you need a good volume of air. Someone else might be able to clarify this.

As for your leak, you've got those greddy turbos haven't you, with external wastegates? The same applies that there's an in and and out that could be loose. As you say you will just have to get under and hunt.

Yep, you 100% need a larger compressor

As for your leak, you've got those greddy turbos haven't you, with external wastegates? The same applies that there's an in and and out that could be loose. As you say you will just have to get under and hunt.

 

Why would external wastegates have a bearing on a boost leak test?

Just because the feed to the vac feed will no longer be directly next to the turbo and if the gate was letting by it would come out there rather than in the exhaust(iirc his are vented to astmosphere) I don't know how they are laid out, I can't say XYZ because personally I wouldn't know. So I've commented on what I do know, there's an input and output pipe the rest I can't say anything so I didn't.

Yeah the turbos would have the normal inlet and outlet. They don't have an actuator which is where the normal vac lines are to control boost etc, instead this is on the external wastegates so there's a vac pipe or 2 on them I believe. Just wish I had a way of getting under the car, I've jock a trolley jack but no axle stands etc. Been thinking about getting some wood and building some ramps.

 

In regards to the compressor, I was pretty sure it wouldn't be up to the job of building up any pressure, but that being said, with the addition of the smoke, it did point out a leak (just the one).

 

Is there any small and portable compressors you can buy that would be good enough? Thinking it'd be worth having as I'm often doing boost leak tests (normally at petrol stations).

Well, after having the car in a garage for 2 hours hunting for this darn air leak... I finally found it but I couldn't fix it as the garage was closing and I didn't want to fool it up and then not be able to sort it.

 

The garage manager didn't charge me for using his ramps which is awesome.

 

So, the leak seems to be on the drivers side turbo outlet pipe. The silicone coupler has a jubilee clip which seems to have come off the silicone bit. It's pretty impossible to get at from under the car but I can get my hand down from the top but can't get the jubilee clip back on.

 

I'm guessing ill have to pull the pipe off and then get the jubilee clip on the silicone before putting it back on. Just hoping ill be able to do it. Looks a bit of a pig to be honest but the only other option looks like you'd have to drop the engine down.

 

Daft thing is, you wouldn't even know there was a leak under normal driving, drives fine, idles fine. I'm guessing this could be why it stalls sometimes after being on boost but I fairly drive it hard.

I dunno If you will be able to on your turbos, but I can slip my arm down by the brake master with a few things removed and do it up with a screw driver. Corse it also depends wether the person who fitted it originally though about it, and didn't go putting it backwards round the back or some annoying configuration.

Hopefully light at the end of the tunnel for you. Maybe a job for someone with small hands?

Yeah. At least its not been causing any problems. Not even a rough idle or anything. I can get a spanner on to it. Just a shame its fell off the pipe really. Will try to take a photo of where it is etc to show what I'm dealing with

On the 2nd picture, you can just say see the jubilee clip next on the bottom (top in the picture) of the blue silicone thing.

 

I'm thinking, I'll try to undo the jubilee clip so it is fully open, then slide it back up and tighten as I'm noe convinced I'll get the silcone bit back on the turbo if I pull it off fully. Now I need to go and get a small enough spanner to fit.

 

Update.

I've got the new clamp on the MAF intake.

Tightened all the fuel pipes.

Loosened all the clamps holding all the silicone pipes that goes on to the turbo. This allowed me to push the whole lot on to the turbo outlet better and in turn, get the clamp on it properly. Took the car out and it was boosting to about 14 psi which is loads better. Still stalling though when I dump the clutch after boost. I'm thinking I should really do the recircs next.