Anybody tried finding a vacuum leak with a cigar?

[SDMAN1981]

Anybody tried finding a vacuum leak with a cigar, and does it work?

Topic

[college man]

No but scotty kilmer makes it look good.

[SDMAN1981]

lol what’s that supposed to mean?

[college man]

scotty kilmer does it.

[SDMAN1981]

OK, I’m trying it now. Are you supposed to block and seal the top of the carburetor when doing it this way to create an air tight seal in the engine?

Also, I have used the starting fluid method in the past to find vacuum leaks, but don’t really feel comfortable doing it like that, so I’m trying the smoke way.

it’s an old chevy 350 with a Holley carb btw.

Thanks.

[college man]

You could try and seal it but not necessary.

[EricTheCarGuy]

You can also try this and use water instead of carburetor cleaner.

[Bluesnut]

It’s just my humble 2 cents, but I consider Kilmer a hack based on some of his comments and methods.

[Ren]

You could also use a can of liquid gas (used to solder for instance) and attach a rubber hose to one end and use the other end to aim at areas you suspect a leak while the engine is running. Much less chance of a fire this way.

[Bill]

I find the best way to find a vacuum leak without smoke is to use a propane torch. Remove the nozzle from the top (remove the restrictor but don’t lose it) and connect a piece of rubber washer/vacuum hose. With the bottle upright and open the valve slightly until you can hear gas escaping.

With the engine running run the end of the hose close to gaskets and other Intake components and listen for rpm changes.

[Author]

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