Whisper Air Leak Detector

[rickeieio]

Many of us have the Whisper air leak detectors, and are generally happy with them.  But, I've found that when trying to find leaks where there's a lot of background noise (running engine, etc) the leak gets "masked".  Yesterday I took the headphones from it and used them on my computer so I could watch youTube while the wife watched tv, and that sparked an idea.....

So, I'm wondering if anyone has tried using different headphones other than the cheap units supplied with it?  I have a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones that I think would work well.  But alas, they are 1,200 miles away at the moment. 

[Darryl&Rita]

I bought ours used, and the headphones were damaged at purchase. It reduced the price enough that I jumped on the purchase. The only other headphones I have are a set of Bose Noise Cancelling ear buds. They work very well, even without the NC turned on. I got them free, with shopping points, so I don't worry too much about the price of them, exposed to a danger zone, but I do pay attention to the cable getting hung on something. Getting an ear bud pulled out isn't fun.

[GlennWest]

I have never found a leak with ours. 

[DanZemke]

I also bought a used Whisper, and ditched the headphones immediately.  I used some padded headphones, with closed backs, that I already had (Sony MDR-7506).  The Whisper helped me discover that my air leak was coming from the fan clutch.  But not until I stopped the engine.

I think it depends on where the leak and background noises are coming from.  If there is significant noise being generated near the source of leak, neither closed backs or noise canceling ones are going help. They don't affect the sound picked up by the Whisper's microphone.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I replaced mine after the first day. The factory headset is marginal at best and now just sits in the box.

[NeverEasy]

Agree with all that the OEM headsets are marginal.  The headset does work better than the lights on the unit. 

 I don't understand what GleenWest's problem might be.  Bad Whisper?  Need to run a test against a know working device.

I have used mine at many rallies and found all sorts of leaks.  The hardest were behind my own dash where it was hard to isolate the leak.  The Whisper would hear it but it was too crowded with wires to isolate.  Soap bubbles found them, however, the soap ran down the throttle wires and screwed up the potentiometer.  Had to replace it.

It also works to find air conditioner leaks if you have evacuated the freon and charged with 125 psi environmental air or nitrogen.  

Bragging here.  A year ago my '01 Volvo would hold 125 psi for two days.  At two weeks it dropped down to 90 psi.  Not that good anymore.  I need to sweep the truck again.

 

 

 

[runaway parents]

 OK. I may get  ridiculed for this. But a old truck driver thought me this. Take a piece  of garden hose put one end near  suspected  leak the other end close to your ear. BUT NOT TO CLOSE WE DONT WANT TO BLOW OUT ANY EAR DRUMS.I am talking about 6 inches away from your ear the closer you get the louder it gets do this carefully. Move  other end around to another place  and repeat.  It is kind of like using a stethoscope. I use this method and it has not failed  me yet. Dose not need batteries. 

[Wrknrvr]

    Well the old garden hose trick works good for finding noisy rocker arms on small block engines. And other such noise problems.

 

   The original head sets are questionable.      Well I am not a electrical technician at all. But I found a set In our electrical bag of stuff. Tried them and they work much better than the original one.

    Now the  they are pink colored. I really think that made the difference.

 

  The whisperer can find things in really hard to test locations.

[mike5511]

13 hours ago, NeverEasy said:

Agree with all that the OEM headsets are marginal.  The headset does work better than the lights on the unit. 

 I don't understand what GleenWest's problem might be.  Bad Whisper?  Need to run a test against a know working device.

I have used mine at many rallies and found all sorts of leaks.  The hardest were behind my own dash where it was hard to isolate the leak.  The Whisper would hear it but it was too crowded with wires to isolate.  Soap bubbles found them, however, the soap ran down the throttle wires and screwed up the potentiometer.  Had to replace it.

It also works to find air conditioner leaks if you have evacuated the freon and charged with 125 psi environmental air or nitrogen.  

Bragging here.  A year ago my '01 Volvo would hold 125 psi for two days.  At two weeks it dropped down to 90 psi.  Not that good anymore.  I need to sweep the truck again.

 

 

 

Both my air gauges leak. The only fix seems to be new gauges. At $275 a pop, I can live with the leaks. They are very slow. I was going to replace the O rings in them, but unlike the rest of the air fittings I fixed, they don't seem to want to come apart. I was afraid I would break the gauge if I pulled any harder, and at $275 a pop...................

[NeverEasy]

1 hour ago, mike5511 said:

Both my air gauges leak. The only fix seems to be new gauges. At $275 a pop, I can live with the leaks. They are very slow. I was going to replace the O rings in them, but unlike the rest of the air fittings I fixed, they don't seem to want to come apart. I was afraid I would break the gauge if I pulled any harder, and at $275 a pop...........

Yes, I had some difficult disconnects some were hard to get to.                               I made a set of tools to remove air lines.  Used some rigid aluminum.  At the end, I Drilled a hole the diameter of the air hose.  Cut a slot to the hole just a bit less in width of the air line hose so that it pops over the hose.  Mount on air line and push hard on the brass collet and then pull.  

Edited March 2, 2023 by NeverEasy
typing error

[ddm502001]

The Eaton Style Chinese Handcuff fittings are a bugger, the longer in service with dust and dirt migrating in the dash or around leaking HVAC ducting the worse they are to release, a can of Computer/Electronics Cleaning Air is your Buddy here.  A shot or two with a little lightly soaped water, allow to soak then the magic air.

Edited March 2, 2023 by ddm502001

[mike5511]

21 hours ago, NeverEasy said:

Yes, I had some difficult disconnects some were hard to get to.                               I made a set of tools to remove air lines.  Used some rigid aluminum.  At the end, I Drilled a hole the diameter of the air hose.  Cut a slot to the hole just a bit less in width of the air line hose so that it pops over the hose.  Mount on air line and push hard on the brass collet and then pull.  

Good idea! I think I've fixed the leak on my leveling valve. Pretty sure I can more though. But, the truck still passed the leak down test. I've been told a long time Volvo owner, fixing leaks on a Volvo is a never ending endeavor. That has been true for my truck so far.

 

[rickeieio]

4 hours ago, mike5511 said:

fixing leaks on a Volvo is a never ending endeavor

They all leak, some just worse than others.  Our 2018 KW leaks worse than our Volvo did when it was twice as old.

[mike5511]

19 hours ago, rickeieio said:

They all leak, some just worse than others.  Our 2018 KW leaks worse than our Volvo did when it was twice as old.

I don't ever remember fixing a leak on the 88 Pete I drove for 9 years. The 5th wheel air slide was the most repeated air leak I remember on the Walmart trucks I drove for 20 years. I retired in 2017. My Volvo has them beat for leaks by miles!

 

[rickeieio]

Your Pete had two advantages.  First, it still had the compression style fittings, which were a pita to work on, and cause of much frustration when you fumble a ferrule and had to go hunt down another.  Second, and at least as important, it had a LOT less air lines and fittings.

My 1964 Ford Falcon never had any electrical issues either, but I don't want to go back.

[jenandjon]

On 3/3/2023 at 7:09 AM, rickeieio said:

They all leak, some just worse than others.  Our 2018 KW leaks worse than our Volvo did when it was twice as old.

The old 1990 T-800 will hold air for 3 days. My 2020 T-880 has to air up every day. No audible air leaks so it's fine.