Fuel vapor recovery system

Good afternoon everyone!

We established in another post that this system was worth keeping as part of the fuel system.

The actual recovery line, leading from the fuel tank will need to be replaced, that’s a given.

As far as the canister is concerned, I haven’t looked for a replacement yet since I hoped to just clean and repaint the original one.

I was curious about removing rust so, even after capping off all the hose connections, can it be soaked or will the seam leak?

It’s really not in the worst shape but the vinegar soak has made even the moderate rust issues a non issue.

Feedback is appreciated. Thanks again!

By the way, I apologize for the cut and paste for a reply, but your post doesn’t load while I’m using the phone even though I used every link from the email follow notification.

Glad you brought this subject up! I just purchased a used canister in good shape externally. But I was planning on cutting it open near the bottom to inspect and treat any rust. Then add some activated charcoal and TIG weld the thing back together. Hopefully somebody has a canister cut apart vertically or an engineering drawing that I can use to cut mine in the safest place.

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Mine is seamed and it appears to be splitable.

You mentioned about cutting into it and there’s a thought I had the other day while I had a grinder and torch near my recovery line being it’s still connected to the tank.
Granted the tank is almost drained, fuel can are their most dangerous state when almost empty.
So, I actually said out loud to myself that I was being a real ******* and promptly smacked the back of my head. (My father and Red Forman would have hit just as hard.)
Anyhow, given the function of the system, I’m a bit cautious getting sparks or an arc near it.
Okay, enough bs, I’d like to hear from anyone who’s split theirs at the seam and what they did to refurbish it.
I do like the charcoal replacement, but it looks a bit more complex but can’t say definitively.

Reason for edit? Should not post using my phone. Can't see a dang thing.

California 72 said:

By the way, I apologize for the cut and paste for a reply but your post doesn’t load while I’m using the phone even though I used every link from the email follow notification.

Glad you brought this subject up! I just purchased a used canister in good shape externally. But I was planning on cutting it open near the bottom to inspect and treat any rust. Then add some activated charcoal and TIG weld the thing back together. Hopefully somebody has a canister cut apart vertically or an engineering drawing that I can use to cut mine in the safest place.

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Mine is seemed with what appears to be an splittable seam.
View attachment 93632
You mentioned about cutting into it and there’s a thought I had the other day while I had a grinder and torch near my recovery line being it’s still connected to the tank.
Granted the tank is almost drained, fuel can are their most dangerous state when almost empty.
So, I actually said out loud to myself that I was being a real ******* and promptly smacked the back of my head. (My father and Red Forman would have hit just as hard.)
Anyhow, given the function of the system, I’m a bit cautious getting soaks or an arc near it.
Okay, enough bs, I’d like to hear from anyone who’s split their at the seam and what they did to refurbish it.
I do like the charcoal thought but it looks a bit more complex but can’t say definitively.

Click to expand...

Check this link and read post #7,822. I show how I did my charcoal canister.

https://7173mustangs.com/threads/what-did-you-do-to-your-car-today.457/page-392#post-448336

rio1856 said:

Check this link and read post #7,822. I show how I did my charcoal canister.

https://7173mustangs.com/threads/what-did-you-do-to-your-car-today.457/page-392#post-448336

Click to expand...

That 'splains allot. Thanks!

The stuff from Amazon, was it coal type or other organic material? I found some Traeger type pellets for a fish tank filter and a couple other granular types with one made from coconut and another from bamboo otherwise, most seems to be hardwood type, not briquets but crumbles or pellets.

I'm guessing as long as it's small enough to leave room for airflow and abundant surface contact, but large enough it doesn't run thru the screens like a sieve, I'm good?

I used the coconut granular type from Amazon

Cool. Now for the 64,000,000 question, how did you reassemble it!?

Judging by how it basically “exploded” as I pulled off the lid….

I was more prepared for, really I don’t know what but thought maybe it was contained better but after re-examining your post, boy, was I all wet. Well covered in fuel soaked coal.
I have an idea but exactly how did you refill?
Thanks again!

California 72 said:

Cool. Now for the 64,000,000 question, how did you reassemble it!?

Judging by how it basically “exploded” as I pulled off the lid….

I was more prepared for, really I don’t know what but thought maybe it was contained better but after re-examining your post, boy, was I all wet. Well covered in fuel soaked coal.
I have an idea but exactly how did you refill?
Thanks again!

Click to expand...

Plastic tube goes in first then one of the screens. Next pour the charcoal granules in. Fill it to the rim. Put the next screen in. Place the spring on the plastic tube over the screen. Put the lid back on and press it closed and hold it together with a small "C" clamp. Then I used a small hammer and the edge of a body dolly to carefully bend over the edge of the lid to seal the lid back on. I went over the whole can and mounting bracket again with some fine sandpaper and I used some paper towels with some grease and wax remover on both the canister and the mount to get them nice and clean for primer and paint. I applied some epoxy grey primer and then I spray bomb it with two coats Of Dupli- Color Dark Ford blue.

Ya know what, I accidentally turned off my brain after the coal bath and now realize the order of the parts, after reading your explanation. Doohhh!!!

For whatever reason, my mind had the spring on the bottom but that was mostly because I was holding the cannister upside down when all hell broke loose. I believe I'm or dang close.

Thanks for the V-8 moment. I needed that.

As far as the task of disassembly and restoring this, the lip didn't peel back as cleanly as I'd've liked so, I used a carpet tack hammer and the anvil side of my bench vise to smooth out the rim and also reset the crease. Worked out really well and any little burrs should sand out and the paint will do the rest.

Had a bit of a snafu on paints ordered and I changed the color of our calipers to a burnt copper since the car is going back to Ivy Glow. Unfortunately, I had already ordered a can of VHT Caliper paint in an almost dead-on Ford Blue from Amazon. By the way, not going to make a habit of it but didn't realize it was non-returnable. They said to keep it so I'm using it on a couple of the parts in the motor bay, the cannister being one of them.

My only concern is the durability between the Caliper and the Engine paint. I believe I should be okay with the caliper paint since it does resist some impact from stones and the like. For temp, I think it's covered even with VHT engine paint being rated at 650deg. (?) and I think the caliper was more around 300deg. (?) it's more the grease and fuel vapor so, I need to do a bit more looking. If something were to affect it later, the cannister is definitely a much easier access than calipers or the engine so, those will be the respective paint(s).

rio1856 said:

Plastic tube goes in first then one of the screens. Next pour the charcoal granules in. Fill it to the rim. Put the next screen in. Place the spring on the plastic tube over the screen. Put the lid back on and press it closed and hold it together with a small "C" clamp. Then I used a small hammer and the edge of a body dolly to carefully bend over the edge of the lid to seal the lid back on. I went over the whole can and mounting bracket again with some fine sandpaper and I used some paper towels with some grease and wax remover on both the canister and the mount to get them nice and clean for primer and paint. I applied some epoxy grey primer and then I spray bomb it with two coats Of Dupli- Color Dark Ford blue.

Click to expand...

Rio, thank you for sharing all that great info. I will be storing it as a How To document in my little library.

For anyone needing to see how the various Fuel Evaporative Emissions Control system is plumbed I have attached a relevant snippet of the info from the 1973 Ford Shop Manual, in Volume VI that covers Emission Control systems. For 1971-1972 the Fuel Evap system is nearly identical, but the 1973 model has a larger (taller) canister.

Having reviewed the file you posted, I have couple questions. How much bigger was the 1973 canister, as there is one online for sale right now size unknown but would like heads up going in. and what material was used or should be used 50 years later to make a new run from gas tank to the engine compartment to the can. Will review the above debatchery in the coming days to see what I want to do/dont want to do thanks to investigations done by California 72.