Ok - maybe that's a bit flippant title...but maybe it caught your attention?
How many of you out there have used a commercial smoke machine for evap testing? Let me elaborate:
I'm getting a code for a "medium leak" on my TJ (no, it isn't the gas cap) and so I wanted to smoke it (reg is coming due in Sept) - but no way could I afford to buy a real smoke machine...so I made one.
It does make smoke, and the PSI is probably way less than 1 (uses a small aquarium air pump). I'm using a 25W soldering iron as my heat source (this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01125AV7S?tag=wranglerorg-20), a pickle jar, a bunch of silicone sealant, etc, etc. Leaks from the jar are minor; most smoke exits the jar.
I just don't know if its enough smoke for testing with; right now, it's a decent wispy flow from the end of the output tube. I'm not expecting to produce gargantuan clouds - but I'm not sure if what I am making will be enough to spot wherever my leak happens to be, once the smoke makes it thru the system.
So I'm wondering if anyone has used a commercial machine of any sort, and how much smoke it made? If I need to make more smoke, my only real option would be to rebuild it with a higher wattage soldering iron, without needing to do something more custom (ie, break out my supply of nichrome wire and start really experimenting). If I need more air output, I can probably buy a more powerful pump.
If I can find my leak, that'd be gravy - though I fear what I may find (I know that the TJ has a big chunk of its evap system behind the passenger side rear wheel well, and that part is expensive...and that there's a line that goes to it that likes to break and is virtually unobtanium - I'm praying it's neither of those, and something much simpler and cheaper).
One last thing - based on what I have gathered, the TJ has a schraeder valve in the engine compartment on the driver's side, and this is where you are supposed to pump the smoke into (after removing the valve stem) - I have located that valve, and I have the tool to remove the stem...but I do want to verify that this is what I need to do; ie - get a smoke machine producing smoke, pump it into that line, and look around the engine compartment, under the vehicle, and at the read passenger wheel well to see if I see smoke exiting; does that all sound correct (assuming I am producing enough smoke, and a proper amount of air flow)?
Thank you, everyone.
How many of you out there have used a commercial smoke machine for evap testing? Let me elaborate:
I'm getting a code for a "medium leak" on my TJ (no, it isn't the gas cap) and so I wanted to smoke it (reg is coming due in Sept) - but no way could I afford to buy a real smoke machine...so I made one.
It does make smoke, and the PSI is probably way less than 1 (uses a small aquarium air pump). I'm using a 25W soldering iron as my heat source (this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01125AV7S?tag=wranglerorg-20), a pickle jar, a bunch of silicone sealant, etc, etc. Leaks from the jar are minor; most smoke exits the jar.
I just don't know if its enough smoke for testing with; right now, it's a decent wispy flow from the end of the output tube. I'm not expecting to produce gargantuan clouds - but I'm not sure if what I am making will be enough to spot wherever my leak happens to be, once the smoke makes it thru the system.
So I'm wondering if anyone has used a commercial machine of any sort, and how much smoke it made? If I need to make more smoke, my only real option would be to rebuild it with a higher wattage soldering iron, without needing to do something more custom (ie, break out my supply of nichrome wire and start really experimenting). If I need more air output, I can probably buy a more powerful pump.
If I can find my leak, that'd be gravy - though I fear what I may find (I know that the TJ has a big chunk of its evap system behind the passenger side rear wheel well, and that part is expensive...and that there's a line that goes to it that likes to break and is virtually unobtanium - I'm praying it's neither of those, and something much simpler and cheaper).
One last thing - based on what I have gathered, the TJ has a schraeder valve in the engine compartment on the driver's side, and this is where you are supposed to pump the smoke into (after removing the valve stem) - I have located that valve, and I have the tool to remove the stem...but I do want to verify that this is what I need to do; ie - get a smoke machine producing smoke, pump it into that line, and look around the engine compartment, under the vehicle, and at the read passenger wheel well to see if I see smoke exiting; does that all sound correct (assuming I am producing enough smoke, and a proper amount of air flow)?
Thank you, everyone.
