A job in Tucson showed me a better way to find vacuum leaks

I was working on a rough idle on a Ford truck at a shop in Tucson, and the smoke machine was booked. My boss said, 'Just use some brake clean around the hoses.' I sprayed a little near the intake, and the idle jumped. It was a cracked PCV elbow I would have missed. Now I keep a can of non-flammable carb cleaner in my box just for that. Anyone have a different trick for quick leak checks without a smoke machine?

3 comments

3 Comments

thomas_palmer21d ago

That non-flammable carb cleaner is a solid move. What specific brand do you grab, and do you find it works better than brake clean for not messing up sensors or hoses? I've heard some of those chemicals can eat at rubber over time.

king.wyatt21d ago

Grab the CRC stuff, seems gentler on hoses than brake cleaner.

kelly_west748d ago

Remember my buddy's old truck? He used some cheap brake cleaner on a hose and it turned all soft... like a gummy worm.