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How to track down a vacuum problem?

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Old 02-04-03, 06:16 PM
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How to track down a vacuum problem?

I wanna find my vacuum problem thats causing my looping idle. Its not the kind where there is a leak anywhere, because I am positive every hose is attached to something. I believe what is wrong is something is hooked up the the wrong spot and causing problems. I've looked over the diagrams without any luck of finding where it is, but I know its there.

Is there any way to figure this out? Is there a way I can eliminate most of my lines and then work back up until I find where the problem is?

Please suggest anything, I've been at this for 3 months now, and I'm not getting anywhere. Thanks.
Old 02-04-03, 06:24 PM
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The only thing I can think of is the old procces of elimination. Just try every possible thing that is hook up.
Old 02-04-03, 06:31 PM
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But thats what I did. I checked and triple checked everything.

What I am hoping to accomplish is to find a way to block off everything but the necessities to run the car and make it run right, and then slowly put things back together piece by piece until I locate the problem.

Thats what I need help with. Im sure HAILERS will know what is required to do that, but he never seems to respond to my posts, so I ask anyone who may know
Old 02-04-03, 06:32 PM
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Take a can of starting fluid (and have a fire extinguisher with you!) and spray specific spots of the intake and vacuum system one at a time. while the engine is idling. When the engine increases RPM after spraying something, that is where the leak is. Spray any joint in the intake and vacuum system. The leak could be one of the four gasket joints on the intake manifold, the rubber intake duct, etc.

Just be VERY careful around the exhaust manifold. Get a fire extinguisher by your side before doing this.
Old 02-04-03, 06:34 PM
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Originally posted by 88IntegraLS
Take a can of starting fluid (and have a fire extinguisher with you!) and spray specific spots of the intake and vacuum system one at a time. while the engine is idling. When the engine increases RPM after spraying something, that is where the leak is. Spray any joint in the intake and vacuum system. The leak could be one of the four gasket joints on the intake manifold, the rubber intake duct, etc.

Just be VERY careful around the exhaust manifold. Get a fire extinguisher by your side before doing this.
Well what I was saying is its not LEAKING anywhere, I mean all the hoses are connected. I have tried the starer fluid deal before, but I guess I can try it again.

Any other suggestions before I go blow myself up?
Old 02-04-03, 06:36 PM
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go bareblock, and only have 4 hoses on your car like MEEEE!!!
Old 02-04-03, 06:38 PM
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Originally posted by Liquid Anarchy
go bareblock, and only have 4 hoses on your car like MEEEE!!!
Move to California like ME!!!!!




Seriously though. Gimme the details on that process. Can I do it without doing anything irreversible so I can still fix it to pass emissions later? One note, I do have ACV removed with a block off plate in its place, so I think thats the major part right?

Fix me LA!!
Old 02-04-03, 06:39 PM
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Liquid!!?! (metal gear)

What do you have to do to get the engine to only 4hoses. I want to do that.
Old 02-04-03, 06:41 PM
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Originally posted by 1987RX7guy
Liquid!!?! (metal gear)

What do you have to do to get the engine to only 4hoses. I want to do that.
Hey! This is my thread!! Focus on me!! LOL Kidding of course. I would like to hear about it as well.
Old 02-04-03, 06:44 PM
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Yeah, I am interested in this too. I am having the same damn problem.

Jarrett
Old 02-05-03, 10:56 AM
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Bump for the morning people
Old 02-05-03, 07:15 PM
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bump again...
Old 02-05-03, 07:42 PM
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why wouldn't you use brake cleaner instead of starter fluid? you won't blow yourself up that way. if you're still running on stock hoses, replace them, they suck anyway. if that doesn't help, obviously, it's something else. do you have a rough idle? could be your seals.
Old 02-05-03, 10:09 PM
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land of the lost

Here in Syracuse,NY I use a dignostic tool called Vacutech. It is a machine that produces 1 psi of white smoke (like a fog machine for music shows) When hooked to a manifold vacuum port it will pump the intake/vacuum line with white smoke. With a good light you should be able to find any leak no matter how small. Snap-on sells this machine and I believe NAPA might as well. And if you local shops don't have a machine like this wake them up!
Old 02-05-03, 10:19 PM
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OK guys I think we misunderstood him. He posted that he thinks something is hooked up wrong, not that there is a leak.

Areexseven, go get a manual and get familiar with the vacuum diagrams in it. No one here can solve your problem w/o looking at your engine bay personally. Your description is bleak (loping idle). Did it just start doing this? Did it ever run good before? Did you recently replace all the lines and possibly mix something up?

AAaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!

You have me foaming at the mouth in anticipation of your findings. What is wrong with your fC????@@@!!

Mine is broke and I have a lot of work to do to it (porting, painting, fabbing) before I get to drive it again. I am going insane.
Old 02-06-03, 12:31 AM
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Lol. Sorry, I've described it before, and people ignore the description.

The idle randomly fluctuates through ~500 RPM intervals. Rev... Drop... Rev... Drop... Etc. It is at no set position, sometimes its low, like 1000-1500, sometimes its up to 2000-2500. I think it changes depending on the temp, but I can't be sure.

I have studied the diagrams, and as far as I can tell, it is right. My main question in this post is how to eliminate as many vacuum lines as possible until it runs properly, at which point I can put them back 1 by 1 until I find the cluprit (sp?). What I am asking is how I would go about doing that.

Oh, and its a fresh rebuild by atkins. I tore EVERYTHING apart and repainted the engine bay, and replace alot of stuff. Then I put it back together. It started and I have been driving it for like 400 miles, it just does this crazy idle now.

-edit-
sorry, I missed someone. Mark the problem is I don't think I have a leak. just misrouted lines. I believe this cause of something that HAILERS said about a line getting vacuum when its not supposed to would cause a problem like this.

Last edited by AreExSeven; 02-06-03 at 12:35 AM.
Old 02-06-03, 01:01 AM
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Old 02-06-03, 07:01 AM
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.
Old 02-06-03, 07:12 AM
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That picture just became my best friend!
Old 02-06-03, 07:49 AM
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it could just be part of the break-in period causing the problems. the motors are known to flood early during break-in or experience some other problems with the seals that could cause a bad idle. you haven't been driving it hard have you?
Old 02-06-03, 10:46 AM
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Ah, nice diagram, but mine is an S5 TII, and I have one just like that. Like I've said before, it is hooked up correctly as far as I can tell.

And no, I have been driving it very carefully. Never over 4k RPM. It always fires up perfectly the first time I turn the key.
Old 02-06-03, 10:09 PM
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do you want me to look for one for a turbo 2 or do you have it
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