Carpokes

Meine44 wrote: Thu Feb 05, 2026 7:35 am

NCGermerican wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 4:53 am

Latitude48 wrote: Sat Jan 10, 2026 6:16 pm
Thanks for the feedback. I've seen 968 owners use them on RL and always wondered if they did any damage. Do you recall which model QuickJack you have? And do you need to use any support blocks in the front or rear to get everything level?

I’ll do a specific video on my YouTube channel for this to show it.

Did you ever get a chance to capture a video of your QuickJack set-up?

Gaspowered wrote: Thu Feb 05, 2026 10:38 am Regarding your AFM pvc sleeve dilemma...

I sometimes go to BAT and look at engine bay pics of very low mileage cars to get an idea of how some of the original wiring and vacuum line routes may have been originally done.

This is from a 3,100mile '89 Turbo.

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Cheers

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:56 pm Nicely done video! Love the Carpokes shout-outs! Thank you! And those gauges!

Sure seems like you have a vacuum leak. Did this start after doing any particular work, or just out of the blue one day?

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:56 pm A smoke test may be your next best move. That said, I see in one of the clips that you had the top of the AOS removed. How did you reseal it? Is it possible the j-boot is sucking unmetered air in through a leaking AOS top? It's a little shade-tree for such a nice engine bay, but spraying starter fluid around suspected leak points and listening for rpm changes is a time-honored technique, and one you can do in your pajamas at midnight without all the set-up of a smoke test.

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:56 pm Your balance shaft belt is a tad on the tight side.

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:56 pm If I saw it right, that flat black connector under the dash holds the signals for the tach, boost gauge, and oil level sender. Earlier cars with no oil level sender had a red 4-wire square connector.

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:56 pm Unrelated, but are your chips mapped for the 3 Bar FPR?

NCGermerican wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 6:03 pm

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:56 pm Nicely done video! Love the Carpokes shout-outs! Thank you! And those gauges!

Sure seems like you have a vacuum leak. Did this start after doing any particular work, or just out of the blue one day?

The low vacuum has been there for years. I just thought it was normal, but in one of my interactions with John Vitesse, he noticed that it was low but didn't really dwell on it. I thought maybe the gauge just wasn't accurate, but I just did an external vacuum test on it (using the FPR vacuum line) and it verified that my Autometer guage is reading correctly.

It is important to note that I replaced the short block on this car in August, and the reading is the same, so if there is some sort of vacuum leak, it's hidden somewhere and I just CANNOT seem to find it. That being said, what a vacuum leak wouldn't explain is why my idle is rock solid at 880-900. Typically, a vacuum leak would result in a much higher idle, wouldn't it?

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:56 pm A smoke test may be your next best move. That said, I see in one of the clips that you had the top of the AOS removed. How did you reseal it? Is it possible the j-boot is sucking unmetered air in through a leaking AOS top? It's a little shade-tree for such a nice engine bay, but spraying starter fluid around suspected leak points and listening for rpm changes is a time-honored technique, and one you can do in your pajamas at midnight without all the set-up of a smoke test.

I just finished filming my next video when I did a smoke test. I also did one before I started this latest project. I'm getting NOTHING. I just don't understand it.... From my research, and from what ChatGPT is saying, for the vacuum to be that low the vacuum leak would have to be pretty massive and therefore, should smoke like a chimney. But, I get no smoke coming out. I may need to try and put smoke somewhere other than the j-boot (I used the evap line).

For the AOS - I tried to reseal it, but it broke, so I shelled out almost $700 for a brand new one. I had noticed, even after the new motor, that there was oil residue on the top of the AOS. The whole start to my "mini-restoration" job was to originally try to remove that cap with the AOS still in the car. That's when I noticed that with an aftermarket downpipe (mine is fabspeed) you can remove the AOS heatshield and the AOS itself WITHOUT removing the turbo! So i removed the original AOS and tried to remove the cap after applying a little heat and it pretty much immediately broke. I figured, well, since I'm spending a boatload on a new AOS, I might as well spend more and get a new wiring harness! Can't take it with you, right?

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:56 pm Your balance shaft belt is a tad on the tight side.

I have tried loosening that belt so many times with no luck, that I even replaced the belt (which was still like new) with the other brand that is supposed to be quieter (I forget the brand). Still whines like a Banshee.

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:56 pm If I saw it right, that flat black connector under the dash holds the signals for the tach, boost gauge, and oil level sender. Earlier cars with no oil level sender had a red 4-wire square connector.

That's probably correct. When I helped a friend install his Kroon harness last year (his turbo was an 86), we had to swap over the red, 4-wire connector

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:56 pm Unrelated, but are your chips mapped for the 3 Bar FPR?

Yes - it's the Lindsey Racing "Maxx" chip, from when I bought their "300hp kit" a few years ago.

Is it possible that something INTERNAL to the system would be causing this much of a leak? Perhaps a bad brake booster (170K mile original) or diverter valve (aftermarket piston-style)?

I took some temperature readings on my header runners. Only cylinders 2 and 3 were over 400 degrees. Cylinder 4 would fluctuate between 300-400, cylinder 1 was consistently 280. So, that makes me think there's an ignition issue at least on cylinder 1. But - then it's a chicken or the egg conversation. Could it be low vacuum and lean condition causing misfires or misfires causing low vacuum and a lean condition?

I need to step away from this car for a bit. My son's A5 needs a rear main seal so I have to focus on that for awhile.

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:14 pm
ChatGPT is amazing but it's not always right on technical things like this.

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:14 pm I do suspect you have a vacuum leak based on all the clues, but it doesn't need to be 'that' big to get what you are seeing. The fact that the idle isn't too high means the leak is controllable with the ISV, which means it's not huge huge (or not a vacuum leak issue).

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:14 pm Have you checked your timing marks?

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:14 pm What is the injector duty cycle at idle?

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:14 pm Having been an arm-chair internet mechanic for decades, this feels like one of those situations where you eventually have a D'oh moment and discover something basic... The more I convince myself I have a one-in-a-million problem, the more likely it turns out to be some overlooked basic thing...

Tom wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:14 pm You can rule out the bypass valve, booster, ISV, AOS, etc. by capping them off... I'd probably try that. You wouldn't be the first to be fooled by a smokeless smoke test.