depami

As >>> requested in a different thread <<<, here's the makings of a simple smoke tester:

The Parts: Paint can, hose barb, air fitting, incense and optional pressure regulator.

I used a paint can but any container that won't burn and can hold pressure would work.
Bulkhead fittings would be great but I used what I had on hand.



I sealed the fittings with O-rings but RTV would probably work because it's only a pound or two of pressure.



I shimmed the fittings with washers so they tightened on the O-rings and not the taper thread.



For smoke I used incense cones assuming the smoke won't be harmful to the engine.



The magnetic parts tray is optional but makes it easier to put the incense into the can.



My wall air is 120 PSI so I put a regulator with shutoff right at the can. Your situation may differ depending on your air. Again, a pound or two is all you need. You don't want to blow anything up or dislodge or damage vacuum components on your engine. If the paint can starts to bulge, you've got too much pressure. Use whatever outlet fittings suit your needs.

depami

Oops. Meant to post this in a >>> different thread <<<.

Adamant1971

Cool thanks for sharing, bookmarked for sure.

545svk

Brilliant - thanks for sharing.

Hey_Allen

For whatever it's worth, propane grill regulators are typically 0.5 PSI, with the high heat ones preset for 1 PSI. The propane tank fittings are most often 1/8" npt threaded, once you unscrew them from the regulator body.

I grabbed one from Amazon for ~$10-15 for my smoke machine.

Great job, I hadn't considered using incense cones, and resorted to winding a heater coil around a tiki torch wick to burn mineral oil in mine.

depami

And as an added bonus, now it smells like a '70s pastel flower covered VW microbus!

Darklands

So you can start a 70ies revival week at home!
Make love, not war!

gazfish

Also doubles as a hubbly bubbly pipe, with the "right" ingredients you'll forget about the vacuum leak man.

Eplebnista

My homemade smoke machine uses nichrome wire, tiki wick and mineral oil. If I used Pachouli oil I would cover the incense base as well.

depami

Mineral oil might be a better choice than incense. I think the incense leaves resin deposits. Wonder what the residue from mineral oil smoke is like?

Eplebnista

I think we all know what leaves resin deposits and it ain't mineral oil. Professional smoke machines use mineral oil so I doubt the smoke does any harm.

This is, however, another opportunity to open a debate about which oil to use....

monkez

You can also use a cheap soldering iron and old t-shirts soaked in baby oil. You need to drill a small hole for the cord and and goop to make it air-tight.

waynestrutt

Did the same years ago, used a glass jar with microfiber towel, baby oil and soldering iron and mini regulator from a spray gun.