Well, it's not really crap. It has zero effect on performance and captures fuel vapors that would otherwise go to the atmosphere. I installed one of the VC120's and it works fine. Not a hard install at all.
Duralast vc120 charcoal canister no longer available?
- Thread starter Beej
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Not to get in a pissing match, but how does a 20 year old charcoal canister still absorb fuel vapors. It seems like this equipment has served its useful life. I'm doing the same by keeping it or removing it.
bloc
SILVER Star
The whole reason the lines go to the engine is to clean the canister. Basically fuel vapors are produced by the tank, then trapped by the incredibly huge surface area of the charcoal in the canister. Then when you run the engine and the correct conditions are present (above 3k rpms, warm engine, etc.. I forget the exact requirements) the engine pulls the vapors back out of the top and burns them.
The problem with most people's canister is usually the check valves themselves.. though if those are getting clogged it does make sense that the charcoal itself could eventually start to get some kind of deposit that can't be cleared.
Either way.. the charcoal is very cheap to replace, significantly cheaper than the VC120.. and pretty easy to change out. I just couldn't get my check valves working correctly.
The problem with most people's canister is usually the check valves themselves.. though if those are getting clogged it does make sense that the charcoal itself could eventually start to get some kind of deposit that can't be cleared.
Either way.. the charcoal is very cheap to replace, significantly cheaper than the VC120.. and pretty easy to change out. I just couldn't get my check valves working correctly.
malteserunner
Dr Evil
O'Reilly has this part available...
No pissing match intended. I should have been more clear - a working charcoal canister system in general is a good thing. The clogged up 20 year old system, not so much. But instead of removing it and venting to atmosphere, just replace with one of generic Gm canisters that are available. That was my point.
Gotta love Mud, great people and excellent advice! I'll replace the old canister soon!
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
The VC120 again appears to be available. I ordered one from AutoZone and have a shipping conformation. I'll update if it comes in but I think it's back in stock.
Solves the problem in an 80, I'm going to try it in my FJ62
Solves the problem in an 80, I'm going to try it in my FJ62
I got one just last week from my local Autozone. It is like $59 now, but it is available.
If you are handy you can fix your old canister for ever, search.
This X 2, i cut my factory charcoal canister open, and replaced the carbon inside it for like 20 bucks. Now the really good part, my truck still has the factory stock part in it, and anytime i need to replace the carbon, i just pop the top off.
Charcoal Canister Modification- need help
March 2018 update
Walked into Autozone and asked for part number VC120.
In stock.
$47.99
Looks just like malteserunner photo above.
Walked into Autozone and asked for part number VC120.
In stock.
$47.99
Looks just like malteserunner photo above.
I have been living without my cannister for a little while now. I’m putting it back in. WHen in the garage it does let vapor out although not as much as I would have guessed. But it still lets it out. My furnace is in there...... I did buy the VC 120 but only as a temporary replacement until I can find the time to redo my OEM cannister.
Hi all,
I've read through a few threads and am a little confused. It seems like everyone is talking about POSITIVE pressure venting OUT when opening the gas cap. I seem to have the opposite problem, lots of vacuum when opening the cap. Should I be concerned about this and maybe replace the 21 year old charcoal canister? Or leave well enough alone? I'm not getting any codes or drivability problems, just the vacuum whoosh when I open the cap. I'm thinking about the AC Delco canister if it needs to be replaced.
I've read through a few threads and am a little confused. It seems like everyone is talking about POSITIVE pressure venting OUT when opening the gas cap. I seem to have the opposite problem, lots of vacuum when opening the cap. Should I be concerned about this and maybe replace the 21 year old charcoal canister? Or leave well enough alone? I'm not getting any codes or drivability problems, just the vacuum whoosh when I open the cap. I'm thinking about the AC Delco canister if it needs to be replaced.
^^ THIS ... I have the same on both my 80s
The word pressure is misused here. It's not positive pressure, but negative pressure. Vacuum effect would be a better description.
When the gas tank is full there is very little air inside. As the level of gasoline drops (the more you drive) the volume of gasoline is displaced by air in a normal situation.
If there is no air going inside the tank the air which was there initially gets "pulled apart". In other words, the same amount of air has to fill out a larger volume, therefore creating a vacuum effect inside the tank.
Unless something is pushing a lot of air inside the tank, there is no way you could end up with more air inside the tank filling in the volume of gasoline spent.
So yes, it is pressure, but not positive.
There is more (positive) pressure in the atmosphere which pushes air inside the tank when you open up the cap... trying to fill in the empty volume missing.
Put it this way:
Plastic water bottle.
Open the cap, turn it upside down. As the water exists the bottle, the walls of the bottle tend to cave in due to negative pressure created vs the atmospheric pressure (which is pushing the walls in).
The danger here is that the tank will collapse, not inflate and explode.
When the gas tank is full there is very little air inside. As the level of gasoline drops (the more you drive) the volume of gasoline is displaced by air in a normal situation.
If there is no air going inside the tank the air which was there initially gets "pulled apart". In other words, the same amount of air has to fill out a larger volume, therefore creating a vacuum effect inside the tank.
Unless something is pushing a lot of air inside the tank, there is no way you could end up with more air inside the tank filling in the volume of gasoline spent.
So yes, it is pressure, but not positive.
There is more (positive) pressure in the atmosphere which pushes air inside the tank when you open up the cap... trying to fill in the empty volume missing.
Put it this way:
Plastic water bottle.
Open the cap, turn it upside down. As the water exists the bottle, the walls of the bottle tend to cave in due to negative pressure created vs the atmospheric pressure (which is pushing the walls in).
The danger here is that the tank will collapse, not inflate and explode.
If the charcoal canister is NOT in operable condition, the tank could see EITHER positive OR negative pressure. As fuel heats up, it outgases and increases the pressure. As fuel is used, and air is NOT let back into the tank, it can go under vacuum.
If the charcoal canister has NOT been maintained, you could see pressure / vacuum cycling which is why we see so many failures of the tanks at that ONE particular place. It happens to be where the tank flexes the most and is thin due to the manufacturing process.
Many of the folks at elevation see high positive pressure due to the increase in altitude when driving (lower atmospheric pressure around it) and some have experienced excessive spewing of gas from the fill spout.
I am more in the low lands and have more issues of high vacuum (negative pressure) and my tank appeared to be more sucked in when it failed by cracking at the same location as everyone has.
I changed my charcoal canister to the VC120, installed a new Toyota fuel cap, and a new to me tank and new hoses. I no longer have pressure OR vacuum when I open my filler cap. That's the way it SHOULD be.
Thanks guys for the explanation. I checked and cleaned the canister as per the FSM and it seems to be ok. There was blockage in one of the ports so I used compressed air to clear it. I'll have to wait and see if this fixes the vacuum woosh at the gas cap the next few times I fill up. I think it was more of a problem in warmer weather though, its been in the 20's to 40's here lately.
IF this doesn't fix the problem and I need a new canister, the ones mentioned above like the VC120 look like they only have 2 ports (on top) and the OEM Toyota has 3 (2 top, 1 bottom). Am I missing something? I assume the 2 top hoses on the factory canister would attach to the 2 ports on the aftermarket canister top. What about the bottom hose?
IF this doesn't fix the problem and I need a new canister, the ones mentioned above like the VC120 look like they only have 2 ports (on top) and the OEM Toyota has 3 (2 top, 1 bottom). Am I missing something? I assume the 2 top hoses on the factory canister would attach to the 2 ports on the aftermarket canister top. What about the bottom hose?
AC Delco is another choice for you to consider.
215-153
215-153
From what I can tell. the VC120 has 2 ports which match the input from the gas tank and the purge to the inlet manifold. On the OEM canister, the third port is a vent to the atmosphere. The VC120 has an open vent which does the same thing but does not use a hose.
The difference between the 2 units is the check valve - the VC120 does not have one. If I carried out the FSM test procedure on the VC120 it would fail. I am sure this is my problem but my original failed the FSM test also so I do not know how the check valve was supposed to function.
