CAC testing for air leaks & cleaning

Gypsy62 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 26, 2020 4:12 pm

A few months ago when I pulled the CAC & Rad, I wanted to confirm that the CAC had no leaks.
My solution: the HPLV 12v air pump I use for my dive boat, gorilla-taping a funnel onto the mishi intake hose.
The pics are for reference-only; I had the output-side of the CAC taped-shut:

It only took a few seconds of feeling the taught mishi hose and listening to the pump laboring to confirm that there were no [significant] leaks in the CAC.

It wouldn't be particularly difficult to perform the test with the CAC installed in-vehicle as well.

Also, given the considerable volume of oil that had been blown-through the CAC from both 150k miles of the original pcv-routing and multiple leaking turbos, I wanted to flush the CAC while removed. I used a low-pressure submersible pond-pump to circulate a solution of water and the mighty Ultra Dawn for 20 minutes. Judging by the muck in the bucket and color of the visible CAC interior, worked great!

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layback40 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 26, 2020 6:23 pm

You could have put it in a trough of water to make sure there were no leaks.

Gypsy62 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 26, 2020 9:33 pm

Yeah, I suppose you could just lay it flat with both flanges sticking-up and fill it with water, too.
In-vehicle, however, air is the answer. Better yet, if you have a smoke-machine laying around the kitchen...

flash7210 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 26, 2020 10:06 pm

For me, the film of black oil around the seam of intercooler end tank and core was all that was needed to convince me of an intercooler leak.

TKB4 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 27, 2020 10:19 am

For air the solution I would use especially in vehicle would be the trick I use getting diesel tractors etc started when they loose their fuel prime. Get an old inner tube probably free from tire shop . Cut one piece big enough to generously cover any "pipe" size you may need it for with a few inches extra. Cut a similar piece with the shredder valve in the center of it.

Place the plain piece over one end of intercooler and clamp it tight using the clamp you had on it.
Place the piece with shredder valve on other end in a similar manner.
Now apply air pressure with any pump or compressor source you have . A hand pump will also work well. If equipped pump to whatever pressure you want. I have a rig I made from air hose fittings with guage and a ball valve cutoff so you can pump up and leave a while similar to a coolant system pressure tester.

I would put it in water under pressure if I had it out of the vehicle.

Gypsy62 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 27, 2020 2:04 pm

Very cool method!
So, with the two pieces of vehicle-size innertube hose-clamp'd onto the in/out of the CAC, you just use the schrader valve to pressurize!

Your method is also better because the schrader valve is one-way, so after inflation you can turn off the noisy pump, observe how well/long the inner-tube rubber stays pressurized, but also LISTEN for leaks.

Your idea can be used to test other systems as well; AC comes quickly to mind...

Thanks!

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Mon Jan 27, 2020 2:06 pm

Any good radiator shop could pressure test it for you in a water vat.
There are still some radiator shops around that work on big truck and tractor radiators....

CAC testing for air leaks & cleaning

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