DIY smoke test machine

I want to thank LIVipers. He gave me instructions on how to create a smoke test machine out of a fog machine from party city. It worked like a charm. I found a bad vacuum leak where the return IC tube mates up the intake plenum. My hat is off to you. Absolutely beautiful.

I'm glad it worked! Though i can't take any credit, as I learned of it here on sccoa. But to all those trying to diagnose a leak, its a cheap way to do it yourself.

Tom

Details felas my motor goes in Friday! I may need it lol

davec73 said:

Details felas my motor goes in Friday! I may need it lol

Click to expand...

Dave you know you can always call me.

Just pick up a fog machine from party city or iparty. I also grabbed a hand siphon kit from harbor freight. It is the siphon kit with a ball pump in the middle of two hoses. It was like 7.99.

I then removed the hose and nipple off one end of the ball siphon. Make sure you remove the side that will allow you to blow through. The ball siphon has a check valve that only allows flow in one direction. (BTW I only used this because the end of the ball flange was close in size to the output of the fog machine. . You can use any suitable adapter here. I will say the 3/8 hose off the ball siphon is perfect for plugging into a vacuum port on the back of the inlet plenum)

I then grabbed duct tape and taped the end off the ball siphon in front of the fog machine output. Just make a good seal here with the tape. It can leak a little here and doesn't need to be perfect but get it as tight as you can.

I then removed the CAI and stretched a rubber glove over the throttle body inlet. I then removed the vacuum hose running from the PCV valve to the vacuum port on the back of the inlet plenum.

Next you take the hose from the other end of the ball siphon that is now attached to the fog machine and plug it into the open vacuum port on the inlet plenum.

Turn on the smoke machine and let it warm up and once warm it will push smoke down through the tube and you will find any and all vacuum leaks.

The fog machine cycles so it will turn in and off every 2-3 minutes but it is more than enough time to find all of your issues.

You can also just buy a cheap cigar and a piece of vinyl hose. I hook the hose to the vacuum nipple for the SC bypass and blow the smoke in with my mouth. You have to make sure you open the bypass so the smoke can get into the IC piping

If you blow cigar smoke into your engine to find a problem, then you might be a redneck.