How Do You Find A Leaking Air Brake Chamber?
Air brakes, as found on many large trucks over 10,000 pounds of gross weight, and on passenger buses, are composed of an air compressor unit, air lines, and air brake chambers–also called “pots.” Of all the components, the air chambers wear out the most over time since they have moving parts within, mainly a “diaphragm.” When a small air leak occurs, it may become difficult for the vehicle to maintain adequate continuous air pressure, causing the brakes to set if the pressure gets too low. Small leaks are difficult to find, but there is a very simple and useful means to locate the offending brake chamber. Step 1 Use a ball-peen hammer to break a piece of dry ice into small sections, which may be placed into your plastic cup or metal can. Fill the container about half full with dry ice. Step 2 Pour room-temperature water into the container holding the dry ice until it is 3/4 full. This will cause a large quantity of fog to rise out of the container as the frozen carbon-dioxide (dry ice
