FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes, of course. Since the pro-kit offers a mounted boost gauge, it allows you to monitor the pressure going into the system. All you need to do is attach the boost leak tester to your turbo inlet and pressurize the system.

No. Basic tools are needed if you need to get to your turbo inlet — for example, a screwdriver to remove a clamp off the turbo. It's recommended that you or a friend have an air compressor to pressurize the system.

There are basically 2 types of kits:

1. Standard Boost Leak Tester — attaches to the turbocharger's inlet flange. For most cars with an easily accessible turbo — 4 cylinders and inline 5's and 6's.

2. TIP-Kit (Turbo Intake Pipe Kit) — attaches to an intake pipe before the turbo, typically after the MAF housing. For cars with hard-to-reach turbos, usually boxer engines (Subarus), V6's, and V8 twin-turbo cars. This requires plugging any lines attached to the pipe, or you may not be able to build pressure — it may just blow through into the crankcase or atmosphere.

Purely preference — but there are some differences in how you test:

Tire Valve — shoot air in like inflating a tire, let off, then watch the gauge to see how your system holds boost. Pros: easy to watch bleed rate when letting off; no regulator needed. Cons: may need a partner to hold the line on a stubborn leak; needs a tire inflator attachment.

NPT Compressor Valve — continuous air supply while you listen for leaks. Pros: easier to test alone; gives you time to feel around the engine bay; you're away from the tester in case it blows off. Cons: needs a regulator and more cautious compressor settings; harder to watch bleed rate.

Not really — as long as you remove your oil cap, and are conservative with the amount of pressure you put in the system.

Start with a low pressure (5 PSI) and work your way up in 5 PSI increments up to your max boost level. The rule of thumb is not to exceed what your max boost would be while driving. You'll catch the big leaks first — fix them and retest, since there may be another leak lingering at higher pressure.

A boost leak sounds just like what you'd expect an air leak to sound like — you can hear it, and it's pretty obvious.

If you can't build any pressure, make sure all the lines are connected. If they are, increase the test pressure. If you still can't build boost, you either have a very large leak (which should be audible) or your air pressure is being lost through a different route.

Typically, when testing at an intake pipe before the turbo, you must plug the lines on the intake pipe between the tester and the turbo. These are usually crankcase lines that don't see boost and will direct air pressure into the crankcase instead, preventing you from building pressure.

Be cautious — wear safety goggles. If the boost leak tester is not secured, it could become a projectile under pressure.

Remove your oil cap. This relieves crankcase pressure. When the system is pressurized, some compressed air travels past the throttle body, into the intake manifold, and into the combustion chamber — then down past the piston rings into the crankcase and up past the valve guides into the area under the valve cover. Removing the oil cap relieves this pressure off the oil seals (crank oil seal, camshaft, rear main oil seal, etc).