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Smoke Testing Holden VZ

scaredyet

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Just purchased a smoke tester machine off eBay to check for vacuum leaks etc.


I have bad fuel economy 14.8L/ 100km and not sure what is causing it.

I'm just wondering where do I stick the long black hose? Is it meant to be a tight fit?

What else can I do with the machine?
 

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lout

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i would plumb it into the hose to the brake booster
remove hose from booster
plumb into booster first and look for smoke around brake pedal
once that checks out, plumb into removed hose
if you see smoke you need to think if smoke could get there naturally
ie manifold vacuum to throttlebody is a normal passage
so seal throttlebody
 

Fu Manchu

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They usually have an inflatable ball that goes into the intake pipe.

Yeah, if not, use the booster line or the port on the side of the throttle body.
Disconnect the hose on the throttle body. Plug it with a bolt. Disconnect the intake pipe near the MAF sensor.
Use a disposable glove or two over the end to seal it. Cable tie the glove/s on.

Bear in mind the leak might be the booster or the hose at the throttle body so there is still two places a leak could be.

You can smoke test the exhaust too. Find leaks before the o2’s or cracks in the exhaust manifolds.
 

Lex

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I'll give it a go tonight. Mine didn't come with the bladder
I used a silicone glove (disposible gloves) & elastic bands for the seals, maybe even appropiate (size) hose clamps when l did mine.
 

Fu Manchu

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Just purchased a smoke tester machine off eBay to check for vacuum leaks etc.


I have bad fuel economy 14.8L/ 100km and not sure what is causing it.

I'm just wondering where do I stick the long black hose? Is it meant to be a tight fit?

What else can I do with the machine?
Mate that’s decent for the money!

As for what else it’s used for,
IMG_7648.jpeg
 

scaredyet

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I just did the smoke test and I can happily say there's no leaks at all. Thanks FU for your ideas
 
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Fu Manchu

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Did it hold its pressure?

You won’t see lots of smoke. It will be tiny whisps.

Try with a laser pointer or a torch.

Do it in a dark space.


Then test the exhaust the same. As I mentioned before. Then you can be really sure it’s all good.
 
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scaredyet

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Did it hold its pressure?
To be honest I didn't think to check that. I'll do it again properly. It was dark I was using my phone torch to see what I was doing.

I found something else while looking for smoke.
Could that leak be where the silicone is meant to be?
 

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krusing

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When I was fixing the Adventra, I bought a Smoke Machine and found a number of leaks, it did come with a pump up bladder [like the one used for blood pressure machines].
And I bought the tube type one from eBay, that you can place on the exhaust outlet at the rear, and can be used on inlet manifolds.

The leaks I found -
  1. Where the brake booster connects to the manifold - I cut it back 20mm and refitted it
  2. The LH PCV pipe from the back of the LH cam cover, where is passes around the coolant filler was split - cut that section of the pipe out and fitted some rubber fuel line with small locking hose clamps.
  3. The Vapor solenoid pipe from the solenoid to the intake manifold [just behind the TB] - was split where is passes under the manifold from the LHS to the RHS, cut that section out, and used fuel line with some locking hose clamps.
And that fixed the intake side,

Then I tested the exhaust,
The leaks I found were at the the LHS engine pipe to the manifold - remove the engine pipe and cleaned both mating surfaces and refitted it
&
The RHS joint after the CAT - remove the rear mufflers, cleaned the mating surfaces and replaced both LHS & RHS gaskets [behind the CATS] , keeping in mind, this wasn't a easy task, because there is a lot more hardware under there on an Adventra, to cater for the bigger Trans, and Transfer case.

This might have nothing to do with your issue,
But the other day I filled the Adventra up, and I mean TOPPED IT UP to the filler, I then noticed petrol drip out under the back wheel,
So I suspect the breather pipe may be split or similar, which may possibly cause the loss fuel on a left hand turn,
or it may cause it to evaporate.
Hence less fuel in the tank, but the DTE thinks its used more, so the reading of used fuel is higher.

That said, I am going to let it run down to 1/4 tank, and used the smoke machine on it.

I am assuming you received smoke liquid with it,
If you did, and run out of it, you can use Baby Oil in the machine, and works great,
The disadvantage with baby oil, is the baby oil smells a bit unusual when its heats up in the machine.

Funny story -
My nephew wanted his car smoke tested, and so he offered to buy the baby oil at the local supermarket,
Apparently the girl that served him, knows him through a mutual friend,
And the comment was
"So what are you going to use this for"
he tried to explain, but he got a bit embarrassed.:rolleyes:
So its a bit of a family joke now. :D
hahahahaha
 
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