Ronmar
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Yea for regular CTIS applying air from an alternate source is the way to go to find leaks instead of waiting on the processor to Briefly pressurize it.An automotive leakdown tester is a godsend for troubleshooting CTIS. Just remove the air line on the left side of the PCU, attach the Leakdown tester and pressure to 50 psi. Go over the air system with soapy water and a spray bottle, paying particular attention to the vents on the quick release valves.
You won't believe how many leaks you will find. The original CTIS computer will detect any leaks and fault out with all lights flashing.
Probably a good plan even if you are converting to a manual system.
Another way is to disconnect the CTIS connector and jumper the 28V pin to the control solenoid and briefly jumper the 28V to the inflate solenoid to pressurize the system. Depending on how bad your leaks are, it should set there for a very long time as long as the control valve stays energized.
With the manual electric system, you are already wired to do this. With a full wet tank you should be able to feed enough pressure to open all the wheel valves 5 or 6 times with the engine off before needing to restart the truck and recharge the tank. For “shop air” I use a little pancake compressor plugged into the front emergency gladhand(Remember, this releases the parking brakes). It takes a few minutes to charge a completely empty system but is more than sufficient for most work on the truck air systems...
I start by going where my ears take me for the leaks I can hear(Engine needs to be off for this). Then I use my hands to feel for leaks. Leaks that bad often wont blow bubbles with bubblemix, they simply blow the mix out of the way. Once you get the ones you can feel and hear taken care of, pressurize it and go over it with the mix...