Removing Charcole Canister?

JB91389

decisions...decisions...
Jun 22, 2006
698
0
0
35
Ottawa
I plan on rebuilding this winter so should I Remove Charcole Canister? What is the point of removing it? Free up hp? Whats is the process of removing it?
I also plan on removing the air conditiong system.
 

starscream5000

Senior VIP Member
Aug 23, 2006
6,359
0
36
Hot and Humid, KY
It doesn't free up HP, it just makes more room in the engine bay. It's pretty straight forward actually. Unbolt it, unplug all of the vacume lines from it, cap those lines off and your done. Just remember to remove the hose comming from the gas tank out of the engine bay or things will start to get stinky ;). A/C will probably free up a tad bit of power, I've done both of these already. Getting rid of the A/C core will leave plenty of room by the intercooler that just begs to have a larger unit put in ;). You can also rig up a fan in the empty space that's left to help cool the radiator even more. Plus that fan will help draw more air through the intercooler in theory.
 

JB91389

decisions...decisions...
Jun 22, 2006
698
0
0
35
Ottawa
Thanks for the quick reply. Now I'll remove that thing.

Just another q, what is the point of the charcole canister?
 

starscream5000

Senior VIP Member
Aug 23, 2006
6,359
0
36
Hot and Humid, KY
I believe it's for emissions purposes. It takes the fumes from gas tank and recirculates them back into the engine to be burned off. A little more enviromentally friendly I guess. Just be sure to take that line from the gas tank outa the engine bay or the inside of your car will reek of gas fumes. And DO NOT PLUG UP THAT LINE! You will not be able to fill up completely, plus I think it would hurt the gas mileage some too ;).
 

Figit090

Fastest mk3 GT4 1/4 mile!
Jan 7, 2006
1,835
1
36
Humboldt County
yeah do NOT plug the line. not a month ago some kid did this and the resulting effect was fillup issues and then gas would push itself out of the tank, onto the side of his car from the pressure of the tank.

it takes the gastank fumes and filters out the bad particles, and he might be correct about recirculating the fumes but i forgot where the hose runs...one to the tank (duh) and the other one i forgot. maybe the intake.

i believe several people lenghthen the line and run it to the bottom of the car. if you plug it, you WILL get overflow, and my theory for this is the air in the tank is cooled by the incoming gas and then heat from the air around the tank and the road heats the air inside the tank (its not insulated like a fridge....so it will happen) and since the tank is not a symetrical shape, the air is trapped and instead of flowing out the tank filler, it forces gas out. this means you have to run below this line (about half tank?) in order not to screw your clearcoat with gas.

i would personally get a charcoal filter from a honda, i think they produce some that are MUCH smaller and you can keep those harmful fumes from making your car smell like crap. it will give you much more room for...whatever...

do a search and find that thread...its not that old and it will have tips on what canister to get....from what car and such.
 

starscream5000

Senior VIP Member
Aug 23, 2006
6,359
0
36
Hot and Humid, KY
Iirc that other side of the vacume goes to one of the sensors on the thermostat housing. I'm thinking Figit is more correct on the functions of the charcoal canister than I am. After thinking about the name I think of a charcoal filter used in fish tanks, it makes more sense now that I conect these two things together.
 

Figit090

Fastest mk3 GT4 1/4 mile!
Jan 7, 2006
1,835
1
36
Humboldt County
yes, charcoal (carbon), i believe, is an excellent absorbant of impurities and things you dont want. the mollecules of the substance chemically bond to the carbon mollecules...thus they are 'filtered' out.

its just another attempt to make cars environmentally friendly. plus if your gastank keeps farting it would make things stinky.


a while back when i didnt know what it was, i had my car down and off battery power for months, and all of a sudden this black canister BUZZES! it scared the crap out of me the first time and creeped me out later because my car had been sitting so long and there is no way it could have possibly stored energy somewhere to do this buzzing. it sounded like a bee was stuck in there. then i learned it was gass escaping the tank when my tank heated up on the hotter days, and the gass just happened to make it fart....

which makes me think the heat expansion theory is correct...gasses dont just expand for no reason. and i didnt TOUCH the gas tank... lol.
 

Figit090

Fastest mk3 GT4 1/4 mile!
Jan 7, 2006
1,835
1
36
Humboldt County
its possible i'm wrong about the trapped air theory...but that guys problem is evidence of it....i think.

Kwnate gave a good tip at the end, and some other person mentioned the honda filter...