Charcoal Canister Pellets

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LiveonJG
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Charcoal Canister Pellets

Post by LiveonJG » Fri Sep 22, 2006 2:46 pm

When Colin was here I showed him this and he asked that I get it posted. It's an exact match of the factory pellets in the charcoal cannister. Very easy to change on a late late bay as the top of the plastic cannister can be removed. This turned out to be the final step in eliminating my gas fume smell. I think Volkswagen suggested replacing every 40,000 miles if I remember correctly. I'd have to guess mine was still the original. #-o
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Oh yea, I found it at a high end tropical fish store. It's used in salt water filters.
-John
Keep it acoustic.

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spiffy
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Post by spiffy » Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:13 pm

Something that I should do too....I noticed 'the odor' on our last trip.
78 Riviera "Spiffy"
67 Riviera "Bill"

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LiveonJG
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Post by LiveonJG » Fri Sep 22, 2006 6:08 pm

spiffy wrote:Something that I should do too....I noticed 'the odor' on our last trip.
It's a piece of cake with your 78 cannister. I was able to wash out the foam pieces except for the small circular one, but I cut some foam rubber down to size for that. Rember to rinse the pellets and allow them to dry before you fill the cannister.
-John
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spiffy
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Post by spiffy » Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:42 pm

Foam pieces...this is something that I am not familiar with...how are they positioned in the canister?

The rinsing gets rid of any black clouds??? ::dsmokeitup::
78 Riviera "Spiffy"
67 Riviera "Bill"

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LiveonJG
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Post by LiveonJG » Fri Sep 22, 2006 9:40 pm

You'll find them when you open it, they sit at the top and bottom, or each side before you remove it from the firewall. Mine were in pretty good shape, I think they were about 1/4' thick.
-John
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Post by Sluggo » Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:14 am

Anyone know how to open the metal cannister. I have a few of each but the metal one is cooler looking.

Thanks for the info on the charcoal. The rinsing is to remove the charcoal dust. You have to do the same thing for your fish tank filter.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
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LiveonJG
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Post by LiveonJG » Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:20 pm

Sluggo wrote:Anyone know how to open the metal cannister. I have a few of each but the metal one is cooler looking.

Thanks for the info on the charcoal. The rinsing is to remove the charcoal dust. You have to do the same thing for your fish tank filter.
The metal ones are a bit of a trick. You have to drill a hole to extract the charcoal and then come up with some means to seal it back up. Bookwus over at The Samba gave me this info:
Hiya John,
Here's a partial reprint of a piece I wrote sometime ago. It should give you the information you're looking for. Do keep in mind that the following information is good for the metal emissions canisters used in the early seventies.
"Insofar as the charcoal canister (E-Can) goes..........do know that one should be able to blow through it without any restriction. To test it, simply pull (disconnect all the hoses) the canister out of the system and blow through larger opening on the end with two openings. If resistance is felt or its completely plugged (and many are) it's time to clean.
To clean it out one will need to refill the canister. So..........drill a 1.5 inch hole 1.5 inches in from the end with the two openings. Once that is done you'll see the carbon (charcoal) pellets. They'll probably need to poked around a bit to loosen them. I used a dull screwdriver - worked great. Once all the carbon is out take a look inside. Look for a golden color. I believe the inside was anodized. If there is a lot of rust or unremovable crud inside, think about getting a new canister (more about that later). Any light dirt can be rinsed out with a light solvent. I'd recommend a water based cleaner such as Simple Green. Just pour about a half pint in and do the shake around thing for a couple of minutes, then drain.
Do not remove the internal "pads" at either end of the canister. The solvent should do a good job of rinsing them out. However, without the charcoal in the canister the springs (2 of 'em) behind the end pad will want to come out. I fumbled around with them for quite a while trying to get them back into position behind the pad. Fool's errand. I finally just wound up "unscrewing" them through the 1.5 inch hole I had drilled in the canister wall. In any event, when it is all dried up refill with new carbon. Be sure to get pelletized carbon which is available at any good pet/fish/aquarium store. I found Coralife packaged in a half gallon container. The refill will require two of these. The canister will take just a little more than a half gallon of the pellets. I got it for $6.95 for a half gallon container. This stuff is identical to the "original load".
Seal that 1.5 inch hole any way you think best as long as it is airtight. Me? I soldered in a screw cap fitting (I think I used one from an old can of Thompson's Water Seal). This way I can unscrew the cap and change the carbon in the future with no big hassle. Reinstall the canister and you are on your way.
Total time spent on the project (assuming the parts and tools you'll need are at hand) was less than one hour. An easy weekend project to get no more gas smell and a less polluting vehicle. And a lot less costly than buying a new canister (continue for more on that).
Oh yes.......about finding a new canister. They are available for cheap at a most VW oriented wrecking yards. I would not pay over $5.00 for one and most I have bought have been in the $1 or $2 range. If you can get into the yard yourself (like a Pick-a-Part kinda yard) look for an E-Can from a Porsche 914. It's the exact same E-Can (113 201 801A) as used in Bugs and Busses (70-74, I think) and its located in the front trunk. It is protected from the elements and will be in much better shape than one from a Bus or Bug.
So........don't want to go the refill route? You'd rather have a brand new shiny canister right off the shelf. You can go this way, but there are two important factors to be considered when making this choice.
First of all, the part now available (175 201 801A) is a superceeded part. That means that the part may not confirm to the original physical specifications of the OEM part but will function in the same manner. This is true of the "175" emissions canister. The "175" is made from plastic components and is cylindrical in shape. At approximately 13 inches in length it is a poor fit for either the Bug or Bus. However one can get it to fit with some "creative engineering".
Then too there is the issue of cost. The "175" will cost you about $65US. The cost is hard to pin down exactly because of the dealer's mark-up. I have seen them for as low as $57 and as high as $71. It is available at your local VW dealer. He will have to order it from a regional warehouse so allow for a few days for delivery."
If you need any other information concerning the canister or its use, shoot me an e-mail.
Mike
This should cover your metal cannister, Sluggo. You'll have to decide if a "cooler looking" canister is worth the extra work.
-John
Keep it acoustic.

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spiffy
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Post by spiffy » Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:08 pm

=D>

Great info...thanks for the hook up. Now I just need to hunt down the charcoal...filled up today ($2.57/gallon :bs: ) and I got 'the odor' again.
78 Riviera "Spiffy"
67 Riviera "Bill"

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hambone
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Post by hambone » Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:46 pm

any issues/reasons to retrofit the canister to an early bay? Is it even possible?

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LiveonJG
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Post by LiveonJG » Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:12 pm

hambone wrote:any issues/reasons to retrofit the canister to an early bay? Is it even possible?
Different location on an early bay. Not sure if the hose connections are the same. Theoretically it should work. I'd do it, the old cannisters sound like a PITA.
-John
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Post by Bookwus » Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:33 am

Hiya Hambone,

Possible to retrofit an emissions canister on a pre-70 vehicle?

Well, sure, but I'm not at all positive that would be a desireable thing to do from either a financial or effectiveness standpoint.

One would need to replace (or do some creative engineering on) the fan shroud and air filter housing. Then too (obviously) an emissions canister would need to be rounded up and probably freshened up as in my extract above (thanks Liveon). Throw in some hosing, a bracket for securing the canister, and some free time and you're there.

But really, if your existing tank vent is doing the job and it's keeping those hydrocarbons outta the bus, you're really in no need of doing all that. Those who DO need to tend to their M-26 system are the folks who are driving busses in which that system has somehow been compromised. This is the situation in which (all too often) the gas fumes are left to circulate in the engine compartment and the bus cabin. Not a good thing, as Martha might say.

Mike

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Amskeptic
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Post by Amskeptic » Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:14 pm

Bookwus wrote:Not a good thing, as Martha might say.
Martha's Festive Holiday VW Bus

Do not repair evaporative fuel lines when a Martha Stewart "Holiday Glade" upgrade will let your VW come alive with the fragrance of the season. Spruce up your holiday travel with Martha's "Holiday Glade" evaporative fuel emissions canister.

Remove canister from vehicle according to your factory manual.
Gain access to activated charcoal pellets and place in saucepan.
Add 2 quarts Pine-Sol.
Bring to low simmer for 90 minutes.
Drain and sprinkle pellets with a dash of nutmeg.
Replace pellets in canister and seal access. Tie a red ribbon around canister and apply Christmas/Hannakuh stickers.
Reinstall in vehicle.
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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LiveonJG
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Post by LiveonJG » Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:33 pm

What in the world has this thread devolved into?
-John
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Bookwus
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Post by Bookwus » Sun Oct 22, 2006 9:14 pm

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.............

It looks as if Colin may have put one too many miles on the old odometer.

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hambone
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Post by hambone » Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:07 am

Biodiesel exhaust smells like french fries. I think potporri sounds nice. What about pink shag carpeting?

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