Brilliant idea! Modifying your plans slightly, I built mine in in an hour and found a vacuum leak in 90 seconds. The bike pump allowed for controlled smoke distribution. This really is the BEST automotive smoke machine you can build! Thank you!
Superb. I made it even simpler, using the screws in the soldering iron handle to screw it to the jar top, and then attached an inflation needle to the bicycle pump hose and stuck it through a small hole in the top. The wick is just a small cotton strip tied to the heating end of the soldering iron and dipped in mineral oil, very serviceable for single use. The smoke generator quickly found a big vacuum leak the first time I used it. Thanks again.
My modification to your jar would be to use a valve stem from an old wheel...or a new stem that can be pushed into the lid and it would seal on its own, instead of using silicone.
MrEvilWasp He’s referring to the air inlet only. You can put an old valve stem in there and it would seal itself and you just hook your pump to the valve stem. The hole would have to be precise for the valve stem seal cause it sometimes takes a lot of force to pop a valve stem into a wheel and pickle jar lids are not strong. The hole would have to be larger than a hole in a wheel otherwise you’ll bend the crap out of the lid trying to get that stem in there.
As dentist of 52 years I have been practicing " rigology" all that time to solve problems You're a genius........and a cheap one. Thanks, buddy...........
Finally found a good use for my cheap soldering iron. If you find one of those foot operated bicycle pumps that would work even better because you could step on it with your foot and pump while you lean over with both hands and look for leaks.
This is the best DIY. smoke machine I have seen on RUclips, I hade thought of doing something with a soldering iron and this method is what I was looking for, very well done and thank you.
I just made one! Instead of using a bic pen I bought Vacuum connectors from Amazon for about $10 (assorted vacuum connectors, 65 pieces). I then drilled and glued two 1/4 vacuum connectors onto the jar lid. Theyre a perfect fit for my vinyl tubing and bike pump. I can also connect the other half of vinyl tubing to the connector instead of the bike pump and blow into it :)
Bought a machine in the 90s. Man did that thing pay for itself quickly. Buy one or make one but get one if you do any mechanical and other things requiring finding leaks. Even used mine to find leaks in a a/c system several times.
My vapor canister vent is buried behind and below fire wall (under battery tray). without your smoke machine I would never have been able to detect this leak!!! Thanx a ton "Code Guy."
Wow and I have to pay over $100 so that I can get my mechanic to do a smoke test for my vehicle you are a genius thank you so much for the wonderful idea thank God for that blessing idea that you have
I built this same machine but just a little different... Works fantastic... Thank you.... I used a metal stem from a car wheel- and a barbed stem from an air line fitting. Cost me 9 bucks and I still have the pickles from the pickle jar. L.O.L.
OK, so I made one of these and it worked. Smoke came through the wiring on the soldering iron and I didn't realize my jar lid wasn't completely sealed, but it did well enough that I didn't have to tear my engine down again. THANK YOU!!!!
I made one. On the very top of the soldering iron the smoke was coming out where the electrical wires were so I put some atv sealant there. Once you actually set up the pump and start to move things around the epoxy didn't hold up, maybe because the jar top is flimsy metal and I made my pen pieces slightly longer than this video. Other than that it does produce the smoke as desired. I had to convert to a smaller hose to test the evap system so you might need another size hose that fits tight inside the bigger hose. Also the soldering iron tip actually has to be touching the sock to produce the smoke.
I was using a $7 harbor freight transfer pump with a cigar to find a vacuum leak. When I took the water injector out of the charge pipe to swap it, the thing was gunked up with tar shit. I like diy and this is a good solution but Smoke Pencil is $35. No assembly or confiscating a soldering iron.
A LONG TIME ago, a fellow showed me how to test carburetors for CLOGGED passages using a straw and a cigarette. Take a puff and BLOW INTO THE STRAW ... SIMPLE, but a real killer :-)
When I made mine I wrapped the glass jar in clear shipping tape and wrapped the bottom in some 2" wide vinyl tape so when (not if) it hits the shop floor one day I won't be chasing so many shards.
Great idea can build with things have laying around was going to buy one but you changed my mind thank you. The only change I'm going to do is use a aquarium pump for input air so that I can be hands free.
I just made one and it works great on the table. Now to head out to the shop on hook it up to the car. I hope I have vacuum leaks, can fix them, and my car will finally run well. Thank you.
I used your basic design,but for some reason it was not working... i ended up cutting approx 1/3 strip of cotton sock soaked in mineral oil and rapped it around the entire solder iron metal and wrapped wire around it to hold... then in less than 5 mins i had all kinds of smoke...worked fantastic... i will never have a problem finding an exhaust leak of any kind again... mine cost me $4 to make seeing all i had to buy is a solder iron...oh yes and a life time 16oz bottle of mineral oil from walmart for $2... Also lid does not get hot anymore... Its AWESOME!PS i use a larger pickle jar 44oz makes a lot of smoke! Thanks
Excellent. Have watch several videos on making one at home. E bay sells several paint can ones for almost 80 dollars that does not produce this much smoke. Great Job and thanks immensely. Big Thumbs Up on clarity, camera and construction.
Love it other people on here have been saying that you need compressed air to do it but this idea of using a bike pump has been going through my mind for some time and using an old soldering iron for the heat is spot on all I need now is a glass gar and I am on my way.
I skipped the soldering iron and used some paper towels with a little motor oil. I lit it with a match and put the lid on. I had a hand pump similar to a bike pump and the setup worked well enough for me to locate my vacuum leak.
My smoke machine is very simple and puts out a HUGE volume of smoke. I remove the muffler on my lawnmower and screw in a 1/2 inch water pipe nipple in its place. I run a hose to a vacuum port, wire the brake so the engine runs by itself, and with the air cleaner remove I squirt automatic transmission fluid into the carburetor. It makes a LOT of smoke!
Very cool. I bought a fog machine at my local party and game store and attached an old shop vac hose to it. Then I adapted it down several times to a 3/8 clear hose.. It cost about $40 with a gallon of juice and works great with no smell or toxins...
Thank you for making the video. I modified the design to use tire valve stems for the inlet and outlet. They seem a little more secure in the lid. I also used a small air compressor with a tire inflator as the air supply. Anyway, this design worked great. I was able to find an exhaust leak in almost no time.
I made one of these and shared my results within a car group that I'm a member of. A member there commented and made sure to tell me that a can of brake clean was the best way to find a vacuum leak. I responded to him and asked "so what do you do for exhaust leaks?"
Comments 666...figured i would change that lol. This is pretty useful. Helped me find a vaccuum leak in my jeep I've been bvb chasing down for a while now. Come to find out the leak was in the cabin in the hvac system. Took me ten min to find it. Thank you!.
after i watched this 10 minutes later i have one built using 2 rubber valve stems cores removed same size jar and a switched hand held wood burner, 2 socks and mineral oil, bike pump, works amazeing! Thankyou!
Thanks for this. Saved a bunch of time and money. Didn't work at first with a sock, thinking not 100% cotton but some polyester or ?. Cut an old 100% cotton t-shirt into a large section and worked fine. BTW.. mineral oil is baby oil without the fragrance. Super cheap at CVS, etc. Also, didn't work at first as packed the material around the iron too tightly, works best when loose for airflow. Also just blew into hose vs pump. But when it started going after :15 or so, it was awesome!
Amazing! I’ve had an evap leak in our car for the last month or two and my mechanic is throwing darts replacing parts since he doesn’t have a smoke machine to properly diagnose. This well done tutorial has inspired me to take matters into my own hands, i’m heading to the store to grab some things and try this out this weekend?
I'm pretty sure I have some old pickles in the fridge. I'm excited to find this damn leak in the evap on my jeep. Replaced gas cap, esim module and I'm like this is stupid I need smoke. Thank you so much this is PERFECT.
Dude thank you I was about to spend 150 bucks or more because some other you tuber had some dyi smoking machine and like 20 items that totaled over 150 not including the air compressor lol
The price that some places want for these smoke machines is absolutely insane!! Snap-on has one that is $1,000 plus tax!! That is the top top of the line one but my God! You would think that it shot gold dust out of the hose or something. A shop that needed to use one day in and day out that I can see plus it's a tax write-off. But for the rest of us that only would use it few times a month if that, this is perfect! I have a small battery operated fan I robbed from an air mattress that I was not sure why or what I was gunna use it on but I know we're it's new home will be now!! I figured using the electronic fan so if checking EVAP systems u can click it on and go all throughout the car and not have to pump it and it will push smoke through any leak consistently. Way cool my man, thank you for the video!! :)
You saved me hundreds and a major migraine lol. Thank you. I just made one. Waiting for the epoxy to dry now 24hrs I gotta wait. I used the same epoxy since I had some already as well
I was going to buy a party fog machine and try to build my own leak detector but after watching this I just need to go to harbor freight and buy a cheap soldering iron and tubing. Maby find a bicycle pump at goodwill. Good info.
I have a collection of old soldering irons. I'll be doing this. I just fixed a P0159 caused by a leaking EGR tube gasket. Could have used this. I used a vacuum as a blower to pressurise the exhaust system and then skurted soapy water everywhere. A smoke machine would have been easier. Best of all, the fix was nothing more than replacing two severely eroded nuts that were so far gone the tube's gasket was no longer compressed.
so i made one of these a month ago and today i tested it and it worked like a champ. the top get hot and i used an aquarium 12 volt dc pump from ebay but then switched to my compressor. but i think the dc pump would have worked as i had it connected to the car and there was a schrader valve in the way i did not see at first. but thanks for your easy to make machine. it did the job perfect. i did not use the bic pen i got some fitting from lowes and some clear tubing 4 sizes so i had enough to make connections to the car. great job
Thanks for the feedback on how the smoke machine worked out for you. I like the idea of an aquarium pump. Did it seem to give enough air volume into the system to find the leak? How hot did the top of the lid to get, Did It start melting the vinyl tube? The soldering iron that I worked with had a plastic handle that I was able to make sure it did not touch the metal lid. Do you think the Soldering iron was too close to the metal lid? Thanks again for your comments.
Brilliant ! thanks for that I’ve a vacuum leak somewhere proving difficult to see/find and didn’t want to buy something I’ll probably /hopefully only use once 😂
Made one on the weekend pretty much like yours. Worked great to find the leaks in the intake of my Toyota 7M-GTE. I have to say would have been a tough find without this. (Seals around the injectors). Thanks a bunch!
so i made one but have not tested it on a car yet but so far it looks like it will do the job. i connected it to my compressor that has a regulator on it and i can control the air down to nothing. thanks a bunch for sharing this tip.
WOW,,, what a superb idea, save a ton of money,,as the old saying goes, 'there's no smoke without a fire' 🙂👍 Thank you for posting this video,and sharing your idea's ,,,😇 Bless
This is genius! Thank you so much. My car has been sitting in the shop for 3 months because the shop owner was too cheap to invest in a smoke machine. Now I can tow it out of there and do It myself. Thanks again.
I was thinking of how to use a holloween smoke machine and my leak down tester to rig up something. This will help me figure out how to use the two items together. Thanks for the tips.
I made one of these this past weekend and this saved me 300 bux as with the smoke I was able to discover that the idler pulley had rubbed up against the tube from MAF to the throttle body. Not easily seen because it was down below. Grabbed another at a local scrap dealer. ETest complete. 5 Stars
Glad to hear that it worked out well for you. I really appreciate your comments and your success story. Those small little leaks are hard to fine without a smoke machine. Thanks again for your comment.
Wow thank you i reckoned the home built do it yourself style way to find an evap leak on my 06 chev silverado but this was a huge help thank you! You just got yourself another subscriber.I seen some other interesting thumb nails im exited to watch. You know I've been working on cars and trucks for 34 years and i always keep learning new stuff mostly through reading books/manuals and now recently on internet.I live in a rural area where there's not alot of people around or available to ask or work with so this is a real blessing for me.Thanks again.
Better to use atf. Mineral oil can flash burn once the iron gets it to a high enough temp. And in that jar that would make for a bang and glass shards everywhere. I use atf in mine and use a glowplug for the heating element. Atf has burn inhibitors that keep it from igniting from high temps. Puts off just as much smoke
I was thinking about buying a smoke machine, but after watching your video im definitely gonna make one myself.thanks for sharing your idea with everyone ...keep up the good work
I ended up making a 12v coil heater wound around a sock in a paint can. I bolted male 1/4 inch M style quick air connects on each side of the can. The inlet side was tapped and plugged. Then a tiny hole was drilled so a tiny amount of air gets through without regulating my shop air.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It is kind of funny that the pickle jar and a BIC pen can be so useful. If you do end up building one please let me know how it worked out for you. If you have any improvements please let me know, this info will help us all out. A system doesn't have to be expensive to be effective. Thanks for the comment
That does not necessarily mean the valves are bent! It could be just leaking and you would need to grind them. Much easier fix. But another quick note on this same system that I built, I use a pump that plugs into my cigarette lighter. Gives you a free hand to do other stuff. And I agree, being able to have that glass and see how much smoke is in there makes a big difference. You would normally never wait long enough and have enough smoke to make a difference. Unfortunately the first few times I built this, I used hot glue and it ended up melting because it just got hot again. I ended up usingJB weld and for some reason another it came off. It was just getting way too hot! So now I'm going to try it with some permatex.
What a GREAT idea! I wish I would have watched this sooner. It would have made finding an evap leak so much easier & faster. Thanks for the video. I'm going to make one today.
@@siktwistofFATE89 look for a rubber line that goes to the charcoal canister. Each vehicle will differ. If you can find an evap diagram for your vehicle, that will help you out.
@@kylejohnson3382 thanks bro I ended up hooking up into the hose that goes into the engine I was going to work my way forward to back and found my purge valve solenoid was bad.and that was after I replaced my vent solenoid on my charcoal canister which was a bitch to do I had to drop my gas tank to access it.lol but all is good now knock on wood.
Brilliant idea! Modifying your plans slightly, I built mine in in an hour and found a vacuum leak in 90 seconds. The bike pump allowed for controlled smoke distribution. This really is the BEST automotive smoke machine you can build! Thank you!
Built this machine recently, i didn't expect much but oh my, i am IMPRESSED at how well it worked, i've found turbo vacuum leak in 5min!
So far this video is the most practical and economical machine on youtube. Smart thing to do.
@I SURVIVED WWIII with IRAN lmao 😂
You seen them videos of the kid modifying grinders too.
Ŕ
7
L
As someone who considers myself a resourceful person in all aspects of life , I greatly appreciate this build!
+1
This is the first time I've been excited about my EVAP codes. Thank you ECG and the hands that did the work. Subscribed based on this alone.
Superb. I made it even simpler, using the screws in the soldering iron handle to screw it to the jar top, and then attached an inflation needle to the bicycle pump hose and stuck it through a small hole in the top. The wick is just a small cotton strip tied to the heating end of the soldering iron and dipped in mineral oil, very serviceable for single use. The smoke generator quickly found a big vacuum leak the first time I used it. Thanks again.
My modification to your jar would be to use a valve stem from an old wheel...or a new stem that can be pushed into the lid and it would seal on its own, instead of using silicone.
One valve foi and one for out
You would still need epoxy to seal the soldering iron into the jar lid
MrEvilWasp
He’s referring to the air inlet only.
You can put an old valve stem in there and it would seal itself and you just hook your pump to the valve stem.
The hole would have to be precise for the valve stem seal cause it sometimes takes a lot of force to pop a valve stem into a wheel and pickle jar lids are not strong.
The hole would have to be larger than a hole in a wheel otherwise you’ll bend the crap out of the lid trying to get that stem in there.
It would melt u clowns. Lot of you! Valve stems are rubber fools!
@@javaidsadiq5775 Except for the metal ones, fool!
As dentist of 52 years I have been practicing " rigology" all that time to solve problems You're a genius........and a cheap one. Thanks, buddy...........
Finally found a good use for my cheap soldering iron. If you find one of those foot operated bicycle pumps that would work even better because you could step on it with your foot and pump while you lean over with both hands and look for leaks.
This is the best DIY. smoke machine I have seen on RUclips, I hade thought of doing something with a soldering iron and this method is what I was looking for, very well done and thank you.
I just made one! Instead of using a bic pen I bought Vacuum connectors from Amazon for about $10 (assorted vacuum connectors, 65 pieces). I then drilled and glued two 1/4 vacuum connectors onto the jar lid. Theyre a perfect fit for my vinyl tubing and bike pump. I can also connect the other half of vinyl tubing to the connector instead of the bike pump and blow into it :)
Bought a machine in the 90s. Man did that thing pay for itself quickly. Buy one or make one but get one if you do any mechanical and other things requiring finding leaks. Even used mine to find leaks in a a/c system several times.
My vapor canister vent is buried behind and below fire wall (under battery tray). without your smoke machine I would never have been able to detect this leak!!! Thanx a ton "Code Guy."
Wow and I have to pay over $100 so that I can get my mechanic to do a smoke test for my vehicle you are a genius thank you so much for the wonderful idea thank God for that blessing idea that you have
I have seen this type of smoke machine previously but never with such a good explanation of how to build and use it. Thank you !!!
Thank you so much for posting this, the soldering iron is genius!
Awesome kit. I built this today and it showed 2 vacuum leaks that were causing a cel.
Thankyou very much you are a legend.
Where u buy that specific design of bic pen from? I cant find it anywhere
@@javaidsadiq5775 Wal-Mart
@@da324 No such place as wal mart in England. I built a better one anyway
@@javaidsadiq5775 Javaid? Is that you? Its me..
@@dr.yahyaelewa1628 Who's me? I don't think I know you
I built this same machine but just a little different... Works fantastic... Thank you.... I used a metal stem from a car wheel- and a barbed stem from an air line fitting. Cost me 9 bucks and I still have the pickles from the pickle jar. L.O.L.
i often got smoking when cooking but before this video i got no idea. this is the best car equipment,thumb!
OK, so I made one of these and it worked. Smoke came through the wiring on the soldering iron and I didn't realize my jar lid wasn't completely sealed, but it did well enough that I didn't have to tear my engine down again. THANK YOU!!!!
I made one. On the very top of the soldering iron the smoke was coming out where the electrical wires were so I put some atv sealant there. Once you actually set up the pump and start to move things around the epoxy didn't hold up, maybe because the jar top is flimsy metal and I made my pen pieces slightly longer than this video. Other than that it does produce the smoke as desired. I had to convert to a smaller hose to test the evap system so you might need another size hose that fits tight inside the bigger hose. Also the soldering iron tip actually has to be touching the sock to produce the smoke.
did your sock burn? my sock is burning...wondering if my iron is too hot...or i didn't let it soak enough or what....
I was using a $7 harbor freight transfer pump with a cigar to find a vacuum leak. When I took the water injector out of the charge pipe to swap it, the thing was gunked up with tar shit. I like diy and this is a good solution but Smoke Pencil is $35. No assembly or confiscating a soldering iron.
A LONG TIME ago, a fellow showed me how to test carburetors for CLOGGED passages using a straw and a cigarette.
Take a puff and BLOW INTO THE STRAW ... SIMPLE, but a real killer :-)
You earn the MacGyver Award for ingenuity. Great job.
When I made mine I wrapped the glass jar in clear shipping tape and wrapped the bottom in some 2" wide vinyl tape so when (not if) it hits the shop floor one day I won't be chasing so many shards.
There are other on the tube, but your is the most detailed, and going straight to the point
I turned my VW diesel into an automotive smoke machine.
Worked great on tailgaters.
Great idea can build with things have laying around was going to buy one but you changed my mind thank you. The only change I'm going to do is use a aquarium pump for input air so that I can be hands free.
Nice idea
I just made one and it works great on the table. Now to head out to the shop on hook it up to the car. I hope I have vacuum leaks, can fix them, and my car will finally run well. Thank you.
You were able to do this because you stayed at Holiday Inn Select. Im going there tonight so i can do this tommorrow. Awesome job!
I used your basic design,but for some reason it was not working... i ended up cutting approx 1/3 strip of cotton sock soaked in mineral oil and rapped it around the entire solder iron metal and wrapped wire around it to hold... then in less than 5 mins i had all kinds of smoke...worked fantastic... i will never have a problem finding an exhaust leak of any kind again... mine cost me $4 to make seeing all i had to buy is a solder iron...oh yes and a life time 16oz bottle of mineral oil from walmart for $2... Also lid does not get hot anymore... Its AWESOME!PS i use a larger pickle jar 44oz makes a lot of smoke! Thanks
simplicity in life is best thing. thanks
This is a fantastic idea!! I’m totally stealing it and claiming I came up with it!!
This is the best diy smoke machine video on RUclips!
Excellent. Have watch several videos on making one at home. E bay sells several paint can ones for almost 80 dollars that does not produce this much smoke. Great Job and thanks immensely. Big Thumbs Up on clarity, camera and construction.
Love it other people on here have been saying that you need compressed air to do it but this idea of using a bike pump has been going through my mind for some time and using an old soldering iron for the heat is spot on all I need now is a glass gar and I am on my way.
If you take the $1000 smoke machine apart, you'll find a soldering iron, a bic pen, an old sock...
Ted Williams 😂
ROFLMAO! :-)
Yup
lol
Jesus Christ 😂😂😂
I skipped the soldering iron and used some paper towels with a little motor oil. I lit it with a match and put the lid on. I had a hand pump similar to a bike pump and the setup worked well enough for me to locate my vacuum leak.
If you don't care about the smell. I'm doing an indoor project (non-automotive) and need smoke that is less harmful.
My smoke machine is very simple and puts out a HUGE volume of smoke. I remove the muffler on my lawnmower and screw in a 1/2 inch water pipe nipple in its place. I run a hose to a vacuum port, wire the brake so the engine runs by itself, and with the air cleaner remove I squirt automatic transmission fluid into the carburetor. It makes a LOT of smoke!
Very cool. I bought a fog machine at my local party and game store and attached an old shop vac hose to it. Then I adapted it down several times to a 3/8 clear hose.. It cost about $40 with a gallon of juice and works great with no smell or toxins...
bdd1469 I did the exact same thing. Great minds!
Thank you for making the video. I modified the design to use tire valve stems for the inlet and outlet. They seem a little more secure in the lid. I also used a small air compressor with a tire inflator as the air supply. Anyway, this design worked great. I was able to find an exhaust leak in almost no time.
I made one of these and shared my results within a car group that I'm a member of.
A member there commented and made sure to tell me that a can of brake clean was the best way to find a vacuum leak.
I responded to him and asked "so what do you do for exhaust leaks?"
What type of hose did you use for the tire valve stem outlet?
@@straightshooterz You can use both Schrader stems by unscrewing the valves and soldering them.
Comments 666...figured i would change that lol. This is pretty useful. Helped me find a vaccuum leak in my jeep I've been bvb chasing down for a while now. Come to find out the leak was in the cabin in the hvac system. Took me ten min to find it. Thank you!.
Very simple clever tool. I will gather parts to build one. It will come in handy. Thanks!!!
after i watched this 10 minutes later i have one built using 2 rubber valve stems cores removed same size jar and a switched hand held wood burner, 2 socks and mineral oil, bike pump, works amazeing! Thankyou!
This is the best idea ever hands down. The narrators choice of words are quite the selection but it’s definitely bad ass!
Best affordable diy machine on youtube.
Thanks for this. Saved a bunch of time and money. Didn't work at first with a sock, thinking not 100% cotton but some polyester or ?. Cut an old 100% cotton t-shirt into a large section and worked fine. BTW.. mineral oil is baby oil without the fragrance. Super cheap at CVS, etc. Also, didn't work at first as packed the material around the iron too tightly, works best when loose for airflow. Also just blew into hose vs pump. But when it started going after :15 or so, it was awesome!
Thank you for taking the time to out of your busy schedule to share this with us.
awesome idea as long as your soldering iron doesn't leak air from where the cord attaches to the handle..
This is it I won't keep looking is very ease to make it and you can make as many as you want if they break Thank you
There's no need to look into this Any further, you just saved me from having to use cigars for this.
Me too. And i don't even smole.
I started smoking because I only used cigars lol
@@Tugboatpb
Got a light ??
Amazing! I’ve had an evap leak in our car for the last month or two and my mechanic is throwing darts replacing parts since he doesn’t have a smoke machine to properly diagnose. This well done tutorial has inspired me to take matters into my own hands, i’m heading to the store to grab some things and try this out this weekend?
Just made mine... worked well, found my vac leak... not happy about where the leak is BUT am still smiling that I found it! Thanks
Absolutely brilliant.by far the best video on youtube.thankyou for posting .
Steve from the uk
I'm pretty sure I have some old pickles in the fridge. I'm excited to find this damn leak in the evap on my jeep. Replaced gas cap, esim module and I'm like this is stupid I need smoke. Thank you so much this is PERFECT.
Just burn pickles instead
Wow , I guess am gonna have to start eating all them pickles to start on my project. Great build.
Damn!!! Talk abt saving money and time, building my own smoke machine...THANKS BRO!!!
Dude thank you I was about to spend 150 bucks or more because some other you tuber had some dyi smoking machine and like 20 items that totaled over 150 not including the air compressor lol
The price that some places want for these smoke machines is absolutely insane!! Snap-on has one that is $1,000 plus tax!! That is the top top of the line one but my God! You would think that it shot gold dust out of the hose or something. A shop that needed to use one day in and day out that I can see plus it's a tax write-off. But for the rest of us that only would use it few times a month if that, this is perfect! I have a small battery operated fan I robbed from an air mattress that I was not sure why or what I was gunna use it on but I know we're it's new home will be now!! I figured using the electronic fan so if checking EVAP systems u can click it on and go all throughout the car and not have to pump it and it will push smoke through any leak consistently. Way cool my man, thank you for the video!! :)
👍
I already had all this stuff lying around the house! WOW!
You saved me hundreds and a major migraine lol. Thank you. I just made one. Waiting for the epoxy to dry now 24hrs I gotta wait. I used the same epoxy since I had some already as well
my god you're a genius
I was going to buy a party fog machine and try to build my own leak detector but after watching this I just need to go to harbor freight and buy a cheap soldering iron and tubing. Maby find a bicycle pump at goodwill. Good info.
I have a collection of old soldering irons. I'll be doing this. I just fixed a P0159 caused by a leaking EGR tube gasket. Could have used this. I used a vacuum as a blower to pressurise the exhaust system and then skurted soapy water everywhere. A smoke machine would have been easier. Best of all, the fix was nothing more than replacing two severely eroded nuts that were so far gone the tube's gasket was no longer compressed.
so i made one of these a month ago and today i tested it and it worked like a champ. the top get hot and i used an aquarium 12 volt dc pump from ebay but then switched to my compressor. but i think the dc pump would have worked as i had it connected to the car and there was a schrader valve in the way i did not see at first. but thanks for your easy to make machine. it did the job perfect. i did not use the bic pen i got some fitting from lowes and some clear tubing 4 sizes so i had enough to make connections to the car. great job
Thanks for the feedback on how the smoke machine worked out for you. I like the idea of an aquarium pump. Did it seem to give enough air volume into the system to find the leak? How hot did the top of the lid to get, Did It start melting the vinyl tube? The soldering iron that I worked with had a plastic handle that I was able to make sure it did not touch the metal lid. Do you think the Soldering iron was too close to the metal lid? Thanks again for your comments.
Thanks for the how-to. I'll use your product referals. I recommend linking the epoxy and tubing as well.
Brilliant ! thanks for that I’ve a vacuum leak somewhere proving difficult to see/find and didn’t want to buy something I’ll probably /hopefully only use once 😂
Made one on the weekend pretty much like yours. Worked great to find the leaks in the intake of my Toyota 7M-GTE. I have to say would have been a tough find without this. (Seals around the injectors). Thanks a bunch!
👍
I used an old pickle jar two valve stems and a soldering iron took about 10 minutes to make
Use a tire valve stem on one side for the bike pump to connect to
That's what I was thinking.
Or just buy a air pump for a fish tank and that way no pumping and you have consistent air going through
so i made one but have not tested it on a car yet but so far it looks like it will do the job. i connected it to my compressor that has a regulator on it and i can control the air down to nothing. thanks a bunch for sharing this tip.
Excellent Clip. Very inexpensive for do it yourself guy. Thank you very much.
WOW,,, what a superb idea, save a ton of money,,as the old saying goes, 'there's no smoke without a fire' 🙂👍 Thank you for posting this video,and sharing your idea's ,,,😇 Bless
This is genius! Thank you so much. My car has been sitting in the shop for 3 months because the shop owner was too cheap to invest in a smoke machine. Now I can tow it out of there and do It myself. Thanks again.
Great idea! Especially when you require controlled pressure. 👍
I was thinking of how to use a holloween smoke machine and my leak down tester to rig up something. This will help me figure out how to use the two items together. Thanks for the tips.
Awesome video bro. Simplest, cheapest most effective one I've seen so far.
You probably didn't realize this but you just invented smoked pickles as well.
This Guy is a Genious!,🖒 But needs to hit the Nail Salon ASAP!. lol.
Its not a Guy its a girl look at the ring
I made one of these this past weekend and this saved me 300 bux as with the smoke I was able to discover that the idler pulley had rubbed up against the tube from MAF to the throttle body. Not easily seen because it was down below. Grabbed another at a local scrap dealer. ETest complete. 5 Stars
Glad to hear that it worked out well for you. I really appreciate your comments and your success story. Those small little leaks are hard to fine without a smoke machine. Thanks again for your comment.
Wow thank you i reckoned the home built do it yourself style way to find an evap leak on my 06 chev silverado but this was a huge help thank you! You just got yourself another subscriber.I seen some other interesting thumb nails im exited to watch. You know I've been working on cars and trucks for 34 years and i always keep learning new stuff mostly through reading books/manuals and now recently on internet.I live in a rural area where there's not alot of people around or available to ask or work with so this is a real blessing for me.Thanks again.
The best Diy smoke machine i've seen 👍
Thank you so much man!! I need to find a leak in my car. You are a genius.
Absolutely brilliant build sir.thanku so much indeed for posting,steve from the uk.
Better to use atf. Mineral oil can flash burn once the iron gets it to a high enough temp. And in that jar that would make for a bang and glass shards everywhere. I use atf in mine and use a glowplug for the heating element. Atf has burn inhibitors that keep it from igniting from high temps. Puts off just as much smoke
Mineral oil is less toxic. ATF: Stay in a ventilated area.
Chemical Flash point temperature
Mineral oil 100 - 150°C
ATF 150-195°C (D93)
I was thinking about buying a smoke machine, but after watching your video im definitely gonna make one myself.thanks for sharing your idea with everyone ...keep up the good work
👍
The smoke machine manufacturers HATE this guy
Great idea. I’m going to make one just like it to try to find a vacuum leak.
You gave the best instructions to make a smoke machine that I've found online. Thanks!
I ended up making a 12v coil heater wound around a sock in a paint can.
I bolted male 1/4 inch M style quick air connects on each side of the can.
The inlet side was tapped and plugged. Then a tiny hole was drilled so a tiny amount of air gets through without regulating my shop air.
Thanks so much for posting this. I have a vacuum leak that is avoiding discovery at all costs and this should be the ticket. thumbs up bro
This one is the best on youtube
I can hear the satisfaction of the bic pen fitting the bicycle pump in his voice lol
Annabelle Wolfgang he seemed very excited about it!
I love this, Macgyver's got nothing on you. My '04 545i has evap trouble and this just might save me over a thousand bucks. Thanks!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It is kind of funny that the pickle jar and a BIC pen can be so useful. If you do end up building one please let me know how it worked out for you. If you have any improvements please let me know, this info will help us all out. A system doesn't have to be expensive to be effective. Thanks for the comment
Bonjour au niveau du fer à souder quelle puissance fait celui que vous avez installé merci pour réponse sinon belle réalisation félicitations
That does not necessarily mean the valves are bent! It could be just leaking and you would need to grind them. Much easier fix. But another quick note on this same system that I built, I use a pump that plugs into my cigarette lighter. Gives you a free hand to do other stuff. And I agree, being able to have that glass and see how much smoke is in there makes a big difference. You would normally never wait long enough and have enough smoke to make a difference. Unfortunately the first few times I built this, I used hot glue and it ended up melting because it just got hot again. I ended up usingJB weld and for some reason another it came off. It was just getting way too hot! So now I'm going to try it with some permatex.
Thanks for this video! I had one working in about 15 minutes. Works great!!
Simplicity & Effectiveness
Viola.. honoring an OSCAR to you Sir. You are talented and highly skilled. All HATS LIFT UP for you Sir. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Wow a diy smoke machine that I actually have everything on hand. Awesome idea man
What a GREAT idea! I wish I would have watched this sooner. It would have made finding an evap leak so much easier & faster. Thanks for the video. I'm going to make one today.
Where would you hook it up to to test for evap leak
@@siktwistofFATE89 look for a rubber line that goes to the charcoal canister. Each vehicle will differ. If you can find an evap diagram for your vehicle, that will help you out.
@@kylejohnson3382 thanks bro I ended up hooking up into the hose that goes into the engine I was going to work my way forward to back and found my purge valve solenoid was bad.and that was after I replaced my vent solenoid on my charcoal canister which was a bitch to do I had to drop my gas tank to access it.lol but all is good now knock on wood.
you are genius, i followed your steps and it is prelliant, i got the leak. thanks