Charcoal Canister Modification- need help (9 Viewers)

[FirstToy]

look on page 1 for my diagram and photos of what the CC looks like.
it doesn't matter if that hose/fitting is broken. it only matters in that it may not direct the excess fuel properly to the ground and it will spill in an unwanted area (possible fire issue).

 

[little_joe]

FirstToy, this has been an enlightening thread - thanks for starting it!

I was wondering: when you opened your charcoal cannister, was there any clean way to separate the valve assembly on the top of the cannister from the "lid"? So that if you did locate a suitable replacement cannister, the valves could be easily retrofitted to it?

(I may send my wife on a mission to find a screw-top stainless cannister of the dimensions you posted at one of the cookware stores she goes to.)

 

[FirstToy]

no, that valve assy is rivited. i think if you drill out the rivits, the valves will all come apart- ok if you don't mind trynig to assemble tiiny springs and bearings but i doubt anyone would!

if you could find check valves that required the same psi to open, you could replace w/ that. (basically make a new CC) there are tons of generic check valves but i haven't bothered to look into it.

i would cut the lid w/ valve assy intact and bolt that down to a new lid w/ sealant or big o ring. just my .2cents

 

[little_joe]

Thanks FirstToy - I'll likely just do that then.

 

[alia176]

If there's a way to know the location of the charcoal is, one *could* drill a hole, shake the old stuff out into a measuring cup, and stir in new charcoal through this hole. Then simply use a suitable gasoline friendly plug of some sort to plug up the hole.

Another thought: if you were to cut the canister in the middle, would it not be simple to use a proper tape to re-seal up the two halves? Perhaps the same tape that we're using to tape up the ECU harness near the EGR pipe?


Too simple?

 

[FirstToy]

ali, good ideas but there is a spring at the top to compress the charcoal. you fill it in there and pack it in good, the spring and discs keep it nice and compressed.

not sure you could shake out the old stuff w/o the spring and internal parts falling out of position- impossibe to get it back from a hole in the side.

 

[alia176]

Hmm, alright, back to the drawing board....

 

[DARKNESS]

I figured out how to open the charcoal canister so you could theoretically refill it as many times as you want! Basically, the top closes like a paint can or an old school jar of rubber cement. The only difference is that its folded over and crimped to the canister. To remove it, simply grind the crimp down, gently tap a knife between the top and the canister, and then tap it open with a hammer and screwdriver. It's not super pretty, but it should reseal by just tapping the top down. I'll probably apply a little fuel resistant RTV or something like that to help with the seal.

First picture is starting to grind the crimp down. I put masking tape on the sides and over the valves to keep shavings out. I used a hand file, but a flap wheel would probably be the ideal tool.

The next picture shows the line you're trying to grind all the way around.

The third picture shows the bottom of the crimp being pulled off.

 

[Timpanogos Slim]

Or, just replace it with p/n VC-120 from AutoZone for like $30

 

[DARKNESS]

Once you've got the bottom of the crimp removed, put a strong knife between the top and the canister and tap it in to create a gap. Once you get the gap started you can work your way around with a narrow screwdriver and hammer to tap the top off.

I wound up bending mine a bit while experimenting with how to get it off. I could probably do it much cleaner knowing how to get it off now.

I haven't filled it with new charcoal yet, but FirstToy has already covered that part of the procedure. I'll post some pics of how I seal it all up. Probably I'll just tap it down with a little sealant.

 

[DARKNESS]

Yeah you can replace it with the GM canister too. Those are more like $50 now though (compared to $10 for charcoal). I actually ordered one and only experimented with this to see if it could be done cleanly. I will probably use the OEM canister though since I don't like how the GM canister vents out the bottom of the canister into the engine bay.

 

[Timpanogos Slim]

as compared to how the oem canister vents out the bottom into the driver's side fender?

 

[DARKNESS]

Yeah, I'd rather have it vent there than directly into the engine bay. So would Toyota's engineers apparently... and GM's since they don't put that canister in the engine compartment...

 

[Timpanogos Slim]

I really haven't noticed a gas smell from my autozone pontiac-style canister.

 

[DARKNESS]

I'm probably being OCD, I'm sure it's fine. If I can't seal my OEM canister tightly I'll be using the GM version.

 

[DARKNESS]

Finally put it back together. First I sprayed out the check valves with carb cleaner. Then, I cleaned the filter paper disks with K&N paper filter cleaner. Next, I notched the rim of the canister in a few spots so that I can easily tap it apart again if I ever want to refresh the carbon. I also put some fuel resistant gasket maker on the edge of the lid to seal it up. Finally, I added the carbon and tapped it closed. I may get some of those metal clips for holding paint can lids closed in case it tries to vibrate open, but it's probably not necessary. Overall, I think it was pretty a pretty clean job.

 

[DARKNESS]

Forgot to mention that the day after reassebmly my tank check valve locked up. I blew air at 43 psi through it for several minutes. That fixed it. I think there was some gunk left from the carb cleaner that has to be fully blown off to prevent seizing.

 

[alia176]

Remind me again, where is this check valve?

 

[DARKNESS]

The tank port check valve. It's in the metal box on the top of the canister. Had to run a couple tanks of compressed air through the tank port. It wasn't totally seized, I just couldn't blow through it with my mouth. It's supposed to open with only about 1 psi. 43 psi moved it easily. After a few tanks of air, I could easily blow through it, and it has stayed that way.

 

[Buddysuede]

Big thank you to Darkness and FirstToy. Did this charcoal canister rebuild today and it worked perfectly. I used JB weld putty to seal, not quite as pretty of a job as those that have come before me. Essentially, you can just pinch the seam back together and I'm pretty sure it would hold up great but just in case I used the JB weld. If I did it again I would probably just use a permatex gasket seal around the edge and call it a day.