Lost some vacuum!

Quickstop [UK]

Combating adversyty.
Re: Lost some vacuum!

I pulled all of the plugs out and they all looked rich as hell. Most likely because the loss of vacuum = increased FP. 2 plugs were completely fuel soaked. I leaked down the motor and not one cylinder leaked down more than 10 percent stone cold...


On a side note half of the lifters came "un pumped" from sitting. Guess I didn't need to change them after all

Man you are having a rough time with this truck. :(
 

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

Timing is dead on... I even swapped back to my MSD dizzy when I took the intake off.

The vac is consistant with idle, the idle tends to bounce a little though because the truck goes from lean to rich due some other strange issues.
 

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

Pressure test and leak down test aren't showing anything... What else can I check fellas?
 

sly dvl

Ya, it's got a Turbo
Re: Lost some vacuum!

Well, if you're confident that you've checked all the obvious external points, then it's time to look inside.
Maybe start killing cylinders one at a time to see which one make the least difference, and then concentrate on that cylinder. Broken valve spring, collapsed lifter, sticking valve, all of which probably wouldn't show up during a compression or leak down test since you're cranking over @ 300 RPM.
 

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

I just replaced all the lifters and looked at all the springs for broken ones. All the springs look good... I had the entire top half of the motor off and every thing looked ok.
 

dgoodhue

BuSTeD 4.3
Re: Lost some vacuum!

I could also hear the intake depressurizing if I put my ears down by the valve coverless heads. I don't know if that's normal, how fast the pressure should bleed off, or where its coming from. I would imagine the pressure would leak down eventually, but how quickly and where would it come from? I would imagine it would leak passed the piston rings... Any tips?

I have never pressurized my intake to check for leaks. Hoewever when i have done valve seals on these and trucks and on SBC's. I never hear the air leaking past the rings. I some time hear it leaking past a valve that isn't fully seated (usually a whack of a dead blow hammer on the top of the valve will fix that) I think the only noise you would hear would be if the intake & exhaust valve were open (assume the rockers were all all adjusted)

Have you thought about trying/borrowing a different intake manifold? I realize you have Vortecs which make a little more difficult to find a spare, but maybe someone who has their SyTy apart (imagine that!?) or is collecting parts would be kind of enough to let you borrow it.

At least the problems and symptoms you have posted in this thread sound an awful like when I have a intake problems. I understand your frustration, it took me 4 years and a lot of work to finally figure out my problems. I spend many many hours brain storming problems. I had fixed what turned out to be an unrelated electrical problem; It took me a good 80 hours to fix one summer, that summer when I started it back up and my problems still existed I was so frustrated, I left my car as is for 9 months. I was so disgusted.
 

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

Well when you pressurize an intake with the valves adjusted properly there will be open valves so the cylinders will see some of that pressure I would presume. Rings obviously don't seal 100 percent so some pressure should leak passed the rings as well as into the exhaust if the ex valve is open. I think what I'm going to try to do is take all of the intake rocker arms off which leaves all the valves closed. I should be able to seal the intake system better and isolate a leak better if there is one.
 

leadfoot

Member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

Is your harmonic balancer original or after market?

It is possible the rubber in the orginal shifted and giving you the wrong timing. :dunno:
 

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

Is your harmonic balancer original or after market?

It is possible the rubber in the orginal shifted and giving you the wrong timing. :dunno:

I just pulled the stock balancer off and put and aftermarket one on there 2 months because I thought the same thing chasing another issue... I even verified TDC to make sure my adjustable pointer is correct. Timing is good...
 

WyoSyclone

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

I guess you checked the FP regulator separately with your mighty vac? Pump it up to a few pounds and see if it holds pressure.

Have you replaced the IAC? If it's sporadically opening up (bad coil) it would cause a change in vacuum.
 

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

I guess you checked the FP regulator separately with your mighty vac? Pump it up to a few pounds and see if it holds pressure.

Have you replaced the IAC? If it's sporadically opening up (bad coil) it would cause a change in vacuum.

Rob, I did check the FPR seperately... It will pump up to 20 and slowly bleed back down. I don't think it's supposed to hold is it?

I do have another IAC I can throw in just to see
 

WyoSyclone

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

Rob, I did check the FPR seperately... It will pump up to 20 and slowly bleed back down. I don't think it's supposed to hold is it?

It should hold... it's a closed system. If it's bleeding down you'll have decreasing, or not optimum, FP during boost conditions.
 

dgoodhue

BuSTeD 4.3
Re: Lost some vacuum!

Have you replaced the IAC? If it's sporadically opening up (bad coil) it would cause a change in vacuum.

At least in my experience with IAC, I don't think it would cause his problem unless the pintle was almost flopping around. (you would have a noticeably surging idle) I am not really sure if you would lose that much vacuum with an just IAC leak either and it would think it would have appeared in leak testing.
 

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

It should hold... it's a closed system. If it's bleeding down you'll have decreasing, or not optimum, FP during boost conditions.

I tested anothe Mallory fpr that I had laying around for an old carb motor and that did not hold vac either. If I pinched the hose to the barb fitting it held so it wasn't the pump leaking.
 

WyoSyclone

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

I tested anothe Mallory fpr that I had laying around for an old carb motor and that did not hold vac either. If I pinched the hose to the barb fitting it held so it wasn't the pump leaking.

Well, you really need to give it pressure, not vacuum... and make sure you have a clamp on the hose going onto the fitting.. it will leak otherwise.
 

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

Just loosened all the intake rockers and pumped the motor with the compressor right at the throttle body. The boost gauge went up to 20psi and stayed there. I am confident that I do not have a vac/boost leak of any sort. I guess that's a good thing. I'm going to throw some plugs In it and fire it up...


A few lifters did come unpumped (again) from sitting so I may watch them closer...
 

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: Lost some vacuum!

I'm stumped... I put new plugs in tonight, rechecked the timing and fired the motor up. It's idling at 800rpm and only 12-15lbs of vacuum. The idle is not staying steady and wbo2 shows the truck idling lean. I bypassed the PCV system and charcoal canister as well to eliminate things. Seems like a mechanical issue but i don't know how? Motor leaked down tested perfect and it will hold 20psi of pressure with out any leaks....
 

Typhoon #2131

SAVE THE TA-TAS
Re: Lost some vacuum!

help me find 5lbs of manifold vacuum!! My truck always idled about 18lbs of vacuum and held it steady... I was driving it home from work the other day and i noticed it was running funnier than normal. Felt kind of laggy just under normal driving, I started checking gauges and noticed I was cruising at 50mph in OD and only had 10lbs of vacuum. If I barely moved the throttle it would zero out. At idle it was was only pulling 12-15lbs of vac. I'm having other issues with my truck (whole other story) but I wasn't even boosting it at all so I don't see what I could have hurt??

I did my own version of the "bike tube" test and did not find any leaks, I pulled the intake manifold off changed the lower intake gaskets even though they looked perfect. I checked the lower and TB gaskets, both were perfect... I used my vacuum tester and checked every line that I disconnected right from the upper plenum. vac ball/hvac/cruise line pumped up to 25lbs and held it. Map/AFPR pumped up to 20lbs and very slowly bled it off, Boost gauge, boost controller, alky controller line pumped up to 20lbs and slowly bled off as well (normal?). The charcoal canister line off the TB would not pump up any vac which i think is normal, but I capped and started the truck with no change.

Truck doesn't idle high and IAC numbers seem to be normal. The truck will randomly idle up and when it does the vac goes to 10lbs... I'm thinking its something mechanical. Any ideas??

Sorry I'm new to this and trying to learn all the terms. What is the "bike tube" test? Is that the same as taking carb and choke cleaner and spraying it over the intake and all vac. lines?
 
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