Finding a vacuum leak in the engine

[Fordman999]

So I suspect I have a vacuum leak somehwere in the lines of the engine. I have heard that a smoke test with a cigar would work to located where the leak is as the smoke will come out out of the crack or damaged line. My question is what line do I disconnect to put smoke in??

 

[Fordman999]

Well guys I figured out what to do. I saw on youtube a guy us a $30 smoke maching and they taped off the air intake and opened the throttle and tied the smoke machine to the air intake and were able to find the air leak with the smoke. All should be a sealed system from the air intake at the throttle all the way to the exhuast. Any smoke leaking from any lines and that is where your leak is!

 

[LMHmedchem]

The other thing you can do is to carefully spray very small bursts of starter fluid around the hoses where a leak might be found. If there is a leak, the starter fluid will get sucked into the vacuum system and cause the engine to rev.

It should go without saying that you need to be careful with this approach and use the starter fluid very sparingly, but I will say it anyway. Most mechanics have a can of starter fluid sitting around somewhere, so this is easy to try.

LMHmedchem