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Kaput Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2002 Posts: 859 Location: Lakewood, CO
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:42 pm Post subject: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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I am posting this to hopefully help someone else in my situation. I have been struggling for years to get my bus to idle properly. Though it had run well at speed I was having trouble for years with stalling after running at higway speeds for any period of time. I was having to set my idle high (about 1200) to avoid the situation and thought it was a carb problem. After replacing the carb with a new one and getting similar results I started looking further into vacuum leaks. I used wd40, a propane torch and carb cleaner to try to find the leak previously but nothing seemed to cause a spike in RPM. So with determination to find an answer I tried this Cigar solution from Scotty Kilmer's Youtube channel and found the leak in a few minutes.
Link
I used an old bike tube and connected it where the air filter would be, opened the butterfly on the carb and blew in smoke from a cigar. I could see within a minute or 2 that there was smoke coming from the passenger side where the manifold connects to the head. Now after tightening it down I am FINALLY able to idle at 850 RPMs and go for a drive and have it settle right back down.
I am often reluctant to post here because this would probably be obvious to many people here (this post is not for you) but for others in this situation, it may save you years of carb adjustment frustration. |
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airschooled Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012 Posts: 12721 Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:44 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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Not obvious at all, nice fix! _________________ Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com |
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vacca_rabite Samba Member
Joined: July 04, 2021 Posts: 72 Location: PA
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 7:58 am Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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https://youtu.be/1BbU4JeyzMo
I made a smoke machine from stuff I had around the house and some parts from Home Depot. A little more sustained then trying to use a cigar.
https://youtu.be/tixozqgSwN0
Here is the Youtube video that I got the idea for the smoke machine from. I built it for about $50 - though I used a good bit of stuff I just had around the house. i only needed to buy the pipe fittings and nicrome wire.
I did try welding wire like the video, the nicrome works a LOT better.
Zach _________________ 1972 T2 Bay Westy in restoration
1976 Porsche 914
196? Empi Sportster Dune Buggy |
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skills@eurocarsplus Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007 Posts: 16855 Location: sticksville, ct.
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:10 am Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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i hope it backfires and blows scotty's pea brain out. of all the YT folks out there i can't stand him.
it's a very old trick. i learned that from an old MB tech chasing vacuum lines for the power lock system. having said that just buy a smoke machine. even a home made one is cheap and produces way more smoke than a cigar/cigarette could _________________
gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
Jake Raby wrote: |
Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
Brian wrote: |
Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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Cap10323 Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2016 Posts: 604 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:14 am Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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I hate Scotty Kilmer, but this is legitimately a good tip.
An even better tip, is to use one of those "douche bro" box vapes that produces the insane clouds of water vapor. It smells better than the cigar and you get way more vapor/smoke.
But I hate the smell of cigars, so maybe that's just me.
You can also buy a fog machine from the halloween store this time of year, and connect it to a small aquarium air pump. That works very well too and costs about $30. _________________ -Ian
'77 Westfalia - 2.0 F.I |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12846 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:26 am Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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Ughhh
_________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22638 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:24 am Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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I built mine with a stage sage stick and small compressor, pictures in my gallery
Corrected [/s] _________________ .ssS!
Last edited by Abscate on Wed Sep 15, 2021 3:49 am; edited 1 time in total |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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I didn't know what a "stage stick" was, and then was intrigued about how you build a smoke machine with a drum stick after googling it!
I hope using sage helped exorcise the demons plaguing your Eurovan!
I need to build one of these things. I've done the cigar trick (maybe from that same annoying guy's video) successfully. I've also tried building a machine with a soldering iron as the heat source, but it wasn't enough too keep stuff burning for long enough to be effective. _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 12:36 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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based on a suggestion by Gary, and for $60 I had a new one complete with pressure regulator, wick, cables, heating element, and hoses delivered to my door a couple years ago. Added a little mineral oil and works like a charm. In 5 minutes I found the vacuum leak that caused a misfire in the Sable I had been chasing for years. Like I wanted Cigar ashes in the MAF or TB _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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cmonSTART Samba Member
Joined: July 15, 2014 Posts: 1915 Location: NH
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 1:32 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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I tried building one a few years back out of a pain can but had a hard time getting the right amount of air in. It either kept going out or went all Chernobyl on me..
I don't smoke, but actually considered getting a cigar at the time and trying. _________________ '78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50332
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:37 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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Maybe a cigar slid down into a piece of tubing which is connected to a hose. No way I would want to breath that crap into my lungs. |
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aeromech Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006 Posts: 16954 Location: San Diego, California
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:00 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/EVAP-Smoke-Machine-Diagno...632-2357-0
$68 delivered but you’ll need lantern wick and mineral oil. Both can be bought through amazon _________________ Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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timvw7476 Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2013 Posts: 2196 Location: seattle
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:09 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
i hope it backfires and blows scotty's pea brain out. of all the YT folks out there i can't stand him.
it's a very old trick. i learned that from an old MB tech chasing vacuum lines for the power lock system. having said that just buy a smoke machine. even a home made one is cheap and produces way more smoke than a cigar/cigarette could |
Where would be the fun in buying a smoke machine?
I enjoy puffin' on a Swisher Sweet & saving a few bucks while getting lightheaded. It's one pleasure I refuse to give up.
Plus the confused look on the clerk when I buy a two-pack of baby cigars with my Powerball & Mega Millions tickets & beers. Clerk: "I thought you didn't smoke?" Me: " I do not. Except for when I'm working." |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:15 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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Wildthings wrote: |
Maybe a cigar slid down into a piece of tubing which is connected to a hose. No way I would want to breath that crap into my lungs. |
If you're smoking a cigar properly, you aren't trying to get it into your lungs. And especially if you're using one for a smoke tester, you'd just pull the smoke into your mouth, and blow it into the tube. _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50332
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:40 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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vwwestyman wrote: |
Wildthings wrote: |
Maybe a cigar slid down into a piece of tubing which is connected to a hose. No way I would want to breath that crap into my lungs. |
If you're smoking a cigar properly, you aren't trying to get it into your lungs. And especially if you're using one for a smoke tester, you'd just pull the smoke into your mouth, and blow it into the tube. |
Still not going to do it when I can just let an air compressor do the blowing. |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22638 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 3:53 am Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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vwwestyman wrote: |
I didn't know what a "stage stick" was, and then was intrigued about how you build a smoke machine with a drum stick after googling it!
I hope using sage helped exorcise the demons plaguing your Eurovan!
I need to build one of these things. I've done the cigar trick (maybe from that same annoying guy's video) successfully. I've also tried building a machine with a soldering iron as the heat source, but it wasn't enough too keep stuff burning for long enough to be effective. |
😎😎😎
_________________ .ssS! |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22638 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 4:28 am Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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Scottys audio works great in the body shop, for paint removal. _________________ .ssS! |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12846 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 4:51 am Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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Abscate wrote: |
vwwestyman wrote: |
I didn't know what a "stage stick" was, and then was intrigued about how you build a smoke machine with a drum stick after googling it!
I hope using sage helped exorcise the demons plaguing your Eurovan!
I need to build one of these things. I've done the cigar trick (maybe from that same annoying guy's video) successfully. I've also tried building a machine with a soldering iron as the heat source, but it wasn't enough too keep stuff burning for long enough to be effective. |
😎😎😎
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Truly sage advise. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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sjbartnik Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2011 Posts: 5994 Location: Brooklyn
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 5:49 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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Wildthings wrote: |
Maybe a cigar slid down into a piece of tubing which is connected to a hose. No way I would want to breath that crap into my lungs. |
If you breathe cigar smoke into your lungs, you're gonna have a bad time
But yeah I take your point. Cigars may not give you lung cancer but instead you get throat cancer or oral cancer. Yay! _________________ 1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650 |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12846 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 6:35 pm Post subject: Re: Finding Vacuum Leaks with a Cigar |
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sjbartnik wrote: |
If you breathe cigar smoke into your lungs, you're gonna have a bad time |
Wait, what? So you’re supposed to pull a Clinton & not inhale?!? _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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