Another Homemade Pop Tester
 

Hi all
After I recently posted a thread asking for advice on using my newly completed pop tester - a member PM'd me asking for pictures and advice on building one.

I mainly followed the excellant DIY by Cornblatt " How to build a diesel pop tester" in the rosource link here a PeachParts.

Used a Harbor Freight 2-ton jack $10. NOTE: Northern Supply jacks wont work for a pop tester because of a differant design.

I bought a 3000psi guage from Lintz - $16 inc. shipping.

I got the high pressure fittings from Wilco in Houston - maker of hydraulic hoses etc. $12

Used a disposable paint cup for a Harbor Freight gravity-feed paint gun $1.50 for a diesel supply container

Made a stand for the diesel supply container from 1/8 X 1/2 aluminum flat bar and two clamps to secure it to the jack barrel. The container was held to the stand with plumbing strap.

Used a Mercedes pre-filter to keep dirt from getting to the injectors being tested. Really, I should have used a finer filter for this.

Bought an injector line from the junkyard $1.50

All in all it was a fun project and is working fine - so far.

Joseph

That looks good! I like the plate under the injector, you may be able to measure the width of the spray pattern with it.

I made mine with the 2 ton jack from Northern. Works fine for me. It is identical to yours except its painted red.

Hi
I'm glad to hear that yours worked. The jack I bought from Northern had a slot ground into the threads of the top nut instead of a drilled hole for the bypass oil. I couldn't see a way to seal the slot.
Regards,
Joseph

Thanks for the pictures. I have all the gauges and hardware to make a pop tester (have had it for about a year now) but have not purchased a pump.

The only thing that is keeping me from getting a bottle jack versus a hand pump is I don't understand how the tee gets attached to the top of the bottle jack. Can you explain in detail how you attached yours?

Thanks!
Ryan

Hi
I welded a black pipe bushing to the top nut - giving me a 1/4 inch NPT to fit the high pressure fitting into.

There tends to be a problem welding steel that has had oil soaked into the metal - often leaving little blowholes in the weld area which can leak under high pressure. This can be corrected by a good coating of JB Weld on the underside.

I wanted to drill & tap the top nut so I could just screw the bushing in - but didn't have the needed equipment. There is also a question about the amount of metal avaliable to cut the threads into - since there is an o-ring slot machined into the inside of the top nut..

I hope this helps.
Joseph

Yes, it does help but leaves me with the same dilemna of buying a bottle jack vs. a hand pump. I have a cheap Harbor Freight flux welder. I don't know if I would trust it to do this job. Maybe I'll move up to a nicer welder, get a drill/tap set...or just get a hand pump. We'll see. I'm too busy right now to do either but my schedule opens up in a few weeks, so it will time to do some work I've been meaing to do since fall.

Thanks again.

I think I'm going to try this one, once I accumulate some more cash:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200333147_200333147

Seems like a deal. 1/4" NPT already there.

I intended on buying that one awhile ago for the same reason you state but I simply have been too busy to stop in the store and check it out. It does say 1/4" connections but it does not implicitly state the inlet is threaded. Some are not. If you do get it before me, let us know how it works.

I did one of those chat things and the guy went and checked, he told me NPT.

Graplr I have a decent welder if you need to weld it. I also have 1/8, 1/4, 1/2npt taps.

the pump in the link to NT would have typical 1/4 npt hyd. fittings. that is similar to what sunwizard used, I believe. a nice setup, but to rich for my blood- I'd rather scrounge up some bits at the junkyard and build it.... but thats me.

I have a greasegun type poptester I built years ago and dont really use, but they are great to have.

also- I dropped of a set of injectors straight outta the JY at diesel and import service in blaine- great folks, they teseted out the 5, all were good, and then they wouldnt even take my money..... I had to buy 5 heat shields from 'em just so I could give them something...