Vacuum leak troubleshooting 2003 Focus SVT

I feel like I have a permanent vacuum leak in this car. It runs like garbage at startup, gas mileage is weak, and often has no power brakes for a few minutes. Not safe for when the missus is driving. I put a vacuum gauge on a line coming off of the intake and depending on the startup I either see a jumpy 5-6 inches or jumpy 10-11 inches. I thought I was getting 13 inches a couple of weeks ago but it looks worse now. Once warmed up the car runs fine, but I don't see the vacuum getting better once warmed up.

I visually checked the lines I can see, a couple around the fuel rail, a couple to the evap canister, one to PCV valve, one from valve cover to air cleaner box, intake to power brake booster and that is all I can find. I did have to replace the brake booster years ago because it was leaking air, so I pulled the pipe from the end at the intake manifold and plugged with my finger, no change in vacuum reading.  I tried spraying WD40 on various locations with no change in idle or reading.

What components could go bad and start leaking? I have zero codes being thrown. Maybe the evap canister/purge valve??? Is that a common failure that causes vacuum leaks with no codes being thrown? The part I am looking at has the number PA66-GF33 on it. I am worried I might run into Ford's fabulous NLA no longer available, but I think I see the right part on RockAuto. 

I don't mind throwing money at a couple of parts at it before going to a pro. I would be happy to hand my car off to a mechanic and write them a check for a couple of hundred bucks if they can guarantee a fix. But the last time I told a mechanic I had a vacuum problem they said there were no leaks because there were no codes being thrown. I just want to be informed. I might just call around looking for a mechanic with a smoke machine. 

Ideas?

Check the cam timing.

A vacuum leak that bad should set all kinds of fuel trim codes.  And you will hear it.

I know on my 99 zx2 the PCV valve goes bad often and can cause issue without CEL. Not sure how similar the Svt zetec is then mine though. On mine there's a elbow on bottom of intake mani that cracks easily too. 
Does your can have vacuum actuated hvac? Sometimes the junction box under dash can start to leak.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

Ok that is a new path. Timing belt was done 8 years ago but is due again in theory. It has DOHC and I believe it has variable valve timing. I would know where to start to check that. 

I would not give up on the vacuum leak thing. If you go to youtube you can find out how to do a smoke test of the intake system.

Also try disconnecting the brake booster and capping the line. 

The reason my mind goes to a cam timing or valve problem is that the vacuum is jumpy.  That usually indicates that the engine is not mechanically sound.  Also, manifold vacuum generally does not drop due to a vacuum leak until the mixture is so far off that the engine runs poorly, and a Ford will set fuel trim codes long before that.  If you can read data and not just pull codes, check what your long term fuel trim is at idle, on a Ford anything under 10% is fine, or under 15% adding up long term and short term.  If you had a vacuum leak bad enough to cause drivability issues I'd expect to see long term pegged at 25% (max might be 30% with that computer)  and short term climbing up very high as well once the engine went into closed loop.  The strategy should set a P0171 loong before this point.

I've run into lots of failed PCV hoses on Zetecs, but they USUALLY have a high whistling sound, a very high idle, and fuel trim codes.   The only SVT that I have ever seen, let alone worked on, had a supercharger, so the OE hoses were gone and I wouldn't remember a single instance from 2006 anyway, so I don't know if they have that failure prone hose or not.

Look at the hard vacuum line harness on the intake manifold. They almost always break. One of the lines goes to the fuel pressure regulator. They are discontinued, as you guessed, but you can replicate it with some vacuum hose and tees. 

I think the SVT had a dual stage or something intake manifold , one of the things Ford used to gain 27 hp over the ZX2SR.

I did just order a PCV valve and the adjoining hoses. I reply to Pete. I think I should be able to data log with my SCT3 tuner but I never looked into analyzing results. I can give it a shot if it can find nd time. 

PA66-GF33 is just the plastic in use, in this case polyamide aka nylon of the 6 on one side and 6 on the other side to which the material has glass fiber that was added at 33% of the weight.

I just looked over the vacuum gauge diagnostic diagram I have and I think you have two issues going on at the same time. The first is if there is a VVT is "locked" and not disengaging from the higher rpm mode. Most likely it's probably gummed up over the mileage. Second is that given it fluctuates it's a worn guides for the valves.

In reply to Ranger50 :

Ranger50 I missed your replay and I am picking up this topic again. I had the car smoke tested for leaks and there was only a minor leak at the throttle body, not significant enough to cause the problems according to the mechanic. Then they did a compression test and the mechanic thought they were low (105-120-110-115) and basically wrote off my engine as tired. It has 71K so I am hopeful it is not done for. Internet lore is compression numbers are lower on SVTs due to the VVT system so I am very interested in your VVT diagnosis. I did just check the resistance on the VVT and it reads 0.011 when my meter is set to 2K (I haven't used one of these in a while, I forget the nuances.) More internet searches show people cleaning and re-installing, but I am not sure how to even take it out. Do I have to take the timing belt off and disconnect the pulley to take this thing out? My Chilton book specifically does not cover SVT which just blows. If I have zero codes being thrown how can I diagnose the VVT solenoid? I do have access to a SCT scan tool, not sure if that helps. I feel like if I was going to pull this thing out I might as well throw in a new one even though $400 is not cheap.

Car runs like crap when cold, seemingly fine when warm. Does not eat an ounce of oil that I can detect. So I am a bit skeptical that it would be my rings, but hey my hardcore mechanical days are from way back when so what do I know?

Someone remind me why I have not bought an electric car yet. 

Have you checked the cam timing yet?  Cam timing will also cause low compression.

Ignore the VVT for now, first step is to make sure the belt isn't a tooth off.  Or that the idler pulley down at the bottom of the engine isn't self-destructing (common failure on Contours, not sure if Focus engines had that pulley)

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

Progress has been slow, but progress in diagnosis has been made. Yes the cam timing is off for the intake cam. I have the engine at TDC and inserted the TDC pin into the crank to make sure it is in the right spot. I have the cam alignment tool and the exhaust cam if off just a hair, but the intake cam looks like it is off by 10-15 degrees. I am going to change the timing belt but I am unsure of whether the cam timing being off to this degree would be caused by skipping a belt tooth. It seems like more than a tooth's worth. How do I diagnose whether this is caused by the VVT? I have not disassembled anything belt or VVT related My understanding is that it is a particular pain to 'clock' or preset the VVT properly on the SVT when setting the cam timing.

This picture shows the cam alignment tool in the slot for the cam. The tool on the right side came should be horizontal. 

Option 1) Button this back up, drive to a mechanic and say 'fix this'

Option 2) I already have it cracked open, I might as well strap on my big boy pants and finish this. But is it VVT or just a jumped tooth. 

Following up for the next Foci owner who runs into a similar problem. I replaced the VVT solenoid, re-timed the cams and replaced the timing belt. Problem solved. I think the VVT slowly died over time because the performance just slowly slipped - never threw one code. Car is running unbelievably well, I put a tune on it last year but it had no noticeable effect, now it purrs. Plus now my tool chest is basically full due the fact I had to buy a new tool every other week to get this complete. Now I understand how folks who have projects that take forever. A regular mechanic could have knocked this out in a day, took me three months.

iceracer said:

I think the SVT had a dual stage or something intake manifold , one of the things Ford used to gain 27 hp over the ZX2SR.

This! They are known to break inside the intake manifold and cause all kinds of fuel trim issues. You can usually hear a faint rattling around the left hand side of the manifold IIRC.

In reply to kevinatfms :

IMRC I think it is intake manifold runner controller. A common, if not guaranteed failure. I replaced mine about two years ago. 

GTwannaB said:

In reply to kevinatfms :

IMRC I think it is intake manifold runner controller. A common, if not guaranteed failure. I replaced mine about two years ago. 

They were such a nuisance when i worked on them. Same with the 4.6 4 valve in the 96-98 Cobra, Ford Taurus Duratec and the Lincoln Continental. Those little plastic bushings were such a nightmare and brittle after only a few years.