What is the Carbon Can

jbtelfer · May 4, 2004

I hope im not making myself sound like an idiot, cuz I'm not, but what is the carbon can and what is it for its located below my airbox and seems too be plumbed into the vacuum system. Like I said hope I dont sound like an idiot but I'm just curious.

85GTlover · May 4, 2004

I think the gases from the intake get vented through it. Carbon or charcoal canister. If that is what you mean. I hear if you take it off you will smell gas bad. Others say take it off but run the hoses to the ground (less smell). Some say do not take it off at all.You no idiot to ask, if you
ask the same thing in 5 minutes.....then you idiot.

85 Coupe 5.0 · May 4, 2004

The carbon "can" is part of the vehicle's emission system. It's purpose is to store fuel vapors from the fuel tank and hold them until it's time for them to be drawn into the intake and burned. This usually occurs under light acceleration.

Yes, you will smell gas bad if you remove it. You will also lose gas mileage, because what fuel turns to vapor while your tank is sloshing while you are driving will be let out the hose you have that used to go to your charcoal can, instead of being stored and burned later.

jbtelfer · May 4, 2004

K thanks for the info i wasn't planning on removing it I was just curious.

kiddiccarus · May 4, 2004

I was about to remove it when I do my CAI soon

85GTlover · May 4, 2004

Wow that is the best explanation on that I have read yet. I was looking at mine today, it is much more than a tube on the intake
there are many big and little tubes, wires in the area too.
To be honest I pulled mine off as I was looking

...but
my car is out of service for now anyway, I'll fix it I guess.

ka0tyk · May 5, 2004

I removed mine... I dont smell any gas fumes. Do cars modified with fuel cells have a fuel purge and charcoal cannister? No... Gas mileage? wtf. Do you realize the VERY SMALL AMMOUNT of gas that actually would escape from there? I replaced mine with a small pressure release valve located at the tank itself... so that as the gas sloshes around it releases pressure on its own so I dont have a time bomb behind me...

not to mention the solenoid, the box itself, the wiring, and all the tubing weighs a good ammount.

If you want... you can remove it without any problems. Some people argue that it "helps with the air/fuel mixture"... but since the gas pressure is never a constant level, how in the heck could it properly and consistantly help with an air/fuel mixture?

One bad thing about removing it... you'll have to find a smog guy who doesnt really care about visual inspections... I currently dont have a pcv valve (been replaced by breather), EGR valve (deleted), or fuel purge solenoid and charcoal cannister. Anything having to do with smog has been removed.

85GTlover · May 5, 2004

ka0tyk said:
I removed mine... I dont smell any gas fumes. Do cars modified with fuel cells have a fuel purge and charcoal cannister? No... Gas mileage? wtf. Do you realize the VERY SMALL AMMOUNT of gas that actually would escape from there? I replaced mine with a small pressure release valve located at the tank itself... so that as the gas sloshes around it releases pressure on its own so I dont have a time bomb behind me...

not to mention the solenoid, the box itself, the wiring, and all the tubing weighs a good ammount.

If you want... you can remove it without any problems. Some people argue that it "helps with the air/fuel mixture"... but since the gas pressure is never a constant level, how in the heck could it properly and consistantly help with an air/fuel mixture?

One bad thing about removing it... you'll have to find a smog guy who doesnt really care about visual inspections... I currently dont have a pcv valve (been replaced by breather), EGR valve (deleted), or fuel purge solenoid and charcoal cannister. Anything having to do with smog has been removed.

So my car should fire up ok as long as I did not mess up any other wires? What about the tubes on carb
run underneath or just plug em? I wondered about the gas
fume theory How much vapour would actually liquify? unless you ran with a full gas tank right to the top and gassed up all the time, maybe then gas would get in the tube, but otherwise.....thanks you make me feel better.

ka0tyk · May 5, 2004

I dunno about a carb setup... but on the EFI's there is a small tube that runs to under the upper intake manifold. I removed the hose and the small tube itself and tapped some threads into the manifold and stuck a bolt in it with some silicone on it (this was done off the motor of course). You could get away with removing the hose and capping off that tube I'm sure. Then just remove everything else.

85GTlover · May 5, 2004

There are a tube going to carb front and back then to canister
then a bunch of smaller tubes with 2 into 1 connector type things
I will figure it out....Thanks

85 Coupe 5.0 · May 5, 2004

I'm not saying you can't remove it.

I was merely explaining what the purpose of it was. I don't have one on my '85 Coupe, i took it off also.

BUT......

If you have anything newer, like say a '97 or up stang, i'd like to see you take it off. The OBDII system on anything newer than that has a small pressure sensor mounted on the fuel tank, and it can tell if pressure builds and when it is purged. In addition the on board diagnostic system periodically pulls a vacuum on the tank to see if it holds, if not, you get a check engine light.

The only reason for the canisters in the first place is because of emissions laws, unburned fuel escaping = pollution.

I've taken them off plenty of times, as long as you have some sort of check valve in place you are fine, and that will probaby reduce the gas smell, i don't have a check valve on mine.

Thanks to whoever said that was a good explanation!

arbailey · Jul 24, 2004

Could you use a vented gas cap to vent the fumes? My dad has a '70 Chevelle with a vented cap and he said it's the same idea as the charcoal canister only less "environmentally friendly".

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