Ramifications of vacuum line to BPV being cutFalme /leaking
 

Flame suit on...

So I will try to make this as short as possible. I am very new to working on cars and figured I would install my boost gauge tonight. It is an AEM analog gauge. Anyways, everything was going well and I cut the vacuum line to the BPV in order to tap it. I inserted the 1/4" tee I had gotten and proceeded to attempt to hook up the matching 1/4" line..and that is when I realized that the barbing/OD on the tee seemed to be too big for the 1/4" line. I am thinking I needed to get a line that was just a bit bigger.

But no problem because the AEM gauge came with a smaller tee, right? Well, that tee is some sort of insanely small size, like 1/8" or something, and it just sites in the vacuum line. I took some zip ties and really cranked on them. Now the tee stays in place, but I can pull it out if I just yank on it a bit with my hand.

So, faced with having to drive to work tomorrow, I have a few questions.

1. How tightly does the tee have to be sealed to the vacuum line? Is the situation I described above where I can pull it out with my hand too loose? I am thinking so.

2. If the vacuum line is leaking a bit or the tee comes undone while driving, what are the ramifications? Will I just have no boost or will the car be undrivable?

Yes, I am a dumbass and all that, probably should have test fitted the line to the tee but like I said both were 1/4" so I figured they would work. Oh well, I will chalk it up as a learning experience.

Edit: no idea what happened to the title lol, but it matches the rest of the night so far.

I would not trust that t for more than a day if it is as loose as described. Answers your first question. For your next, if that vac line comes loose you will leak boost as well as be super lean at idle and probably stall a couple times. Ask me how I know lol. Good luck, I went through similar troubles when I first installed my synapse valve.

Tapa who tapa wha??

I would try my hardest to get the line over the 1/4" T. Heat it up with a hair dryer/heat gun to see if you can get the vacuum hose to expand a little easier. Just an idea, not sure if it will work the way I'm thinking it will but worth a try.

I have been able to just barely get it over 1 barb/flange via heating it up. I am thinking that if I can get a zip tie around it I may just give it a go and hopefully it will hold at least for the day until I can get somewhere and try to find a bit smaller T. The seal inline with the BPV vac line is great, it's just the stuff that's going to my gauge that would be iffy. It certainly would be an improvement over the previous T.

Edit: Attached is a pciture of how the line is attached. It seems to be holding but I'm not sure I trust it seeins as how I barely got it over one barb.

Edit 2: got a new T installed that fits properly now. Does anyone know what I can use as a switched 12V source? Right now the gauge is reading -20 at idle which I think is because the self-calibration is not working properly.