Technical FINDING VACUUM LEAKS the easy way

No, that's just a seam in the jar. I've been putting in maybe two tablespoons, not even a puddle at the bottom.

I just burned up another iron, this time an old Archer. I had it hooked up and putting out smoke briefly but couldn't find my leak. Must take a good quality iron, or I wonder if you couldn't use something else for a heat source, a copper coil or something?

 

Too much screwing around. My nephew uses a stick of incense inside a coffee can. Poke 2 hoses through the lid, snap it on, one hose to the engine, one to his mouth, done deal.

 

The windshield washer fluid container and pump work great,just punch a hole above carb in air cleaner lid and stick the hose in it just add ATF.pump away.


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After a bit of thought, I guess he said he uses several sticks burning onside the can. Lots of nice flavors available too, make the garage smell any way you like it to.

 

I have one of these https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vacuum-Lea...498826?hash=item4b4180abca:g:LRkAAOSw~TBa0-zK works great

 

I can not take credit for this method. A member in the Early Rods of Tulsa Car Club showed us that using a spray can of WD-40 & applying a shot to the different suspect places will identify the leak when the idle speed chances.

 

I used a $5-something wally mart soldering iron.
Several uses and no failure!
just knock it out of the epoxy and glue in the high quality Wally chinese iron?

BABY OIL has a low temperature smoke point.
Maybe you are running it way too hot?
I plug mine in for a few mins to get a lot of smoke, then unplug it for a few. It still generates good smoke.
Then I alternate plug-in and plug-out every few mins as a temperature control.
It still generates plenty of smoke.
maybe you are running it too long and too hot because of an oil that needs lots of heat and temperature?
baby oil, and off-and-on power might make the difference.

oh, and I wrap a wick from an oil lamp around the iron to make sure it stays wet with oil, and never goes dry. if that helps

hmmm, but wait a minute-
when I'm soldering, I usually leave the iron plugged in for long long periods without trouble.
maybe a good quality iron is getting harder to find....

I did see a video of someone using a cigar. Maybe if you get frustrated with the irons, adapt a cigar inside the bottle ?


WHY BE ORDINARY ?

 

I like the unlit propane torch method. Works every time, finds the smallest leaks. Still, this smoke thing looks like fun.

 

The smoke generator deal for $5 is a good tip, great idea. But there are still going to be occasional situations, like say on the side of the road, where you don't have it or can't use it. That's when a squirt can with something like diesel oil may be the option available for the moment.

A case in point; In my younger days I had a buddy with just one car that he drove to work everyday and raced on weekends. (We all pretty much did back then.) So he has a good enough reputation that this other young fellow with a similar car, same 396 engine shows up at his second floor, over the landlord, apartment rental. He's got an erratic, fast idle and no no clue why. There's no workshop, no garage, just a gravel driveway. I had just read the oilcan trick in a car magazine a couple weeks before so I mention it to my buddy and he thinks it's worth a try. We find the leak in about 30 seconds at the carb gasket. Turns out the fellow had the carb off or changed and re-used the old, crusty gasket and thus the leak. I'm not arguing or talking against the smoke generator. Not at all. I'm just saying that at that particular place and time, the answer didn't cost $90 on eBay or $5 at Walmart ...... it was available free, and fast.

Obviously the smoke generator is the better choice, especially for multiple leaks. But it might not hurt to toss a can of 3-in-One oil in your traveling tool bag for the road.

 

I use brake cleaner, spray around joints or manifold if its drawing the revs will pick up when sprayed