[8453johng]

I have an 80 pace car I am restoring

The vapor fuel line was clogged i cut it out and fixed the damage

When I got to the vapor canister the charcoal was loose and all ran out

Is there a way to rebuild it with fish tank charcoal and new material bottom?

Any experience would be great help

Thanks Again

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by 8453johng

I have an 80 pace car I am restoring

The vapor fuel line was clogged i cut it out and fixed the damage

When I got to the vapor canister the charcoal was loose and all ran out

Is there a way to rebuild it with fish tank charcoal and new material bottom?

Any experience would be great help

Thanks Again

Yep, I did it myself. I'm pretty sure they reproduce the filters that go on the bottom, but the one that's at the very top of the canister that stops the media from being sucked up by engine vacuum, you need to make yourself out of foam. That foam disintegrates over the years to nothing and is the main reason the charcoal ends up getting sucked into the carb on a lot of cars.

And then the charcoal media can be substituted by fishtank charcoal like you said. It's never going to be as finely grounded as the factory stuff (which is almost like table salt), but it works fine. You'll have to cut out the mesh screen at the bottom to be able to pour out the old charcoal media and access the upper foam filter. Just snip the outermost mesh spokes and use zipties to put the screen back in place when you're finished.

[ta6point6]

I did one a long time ago but it was not that difficult. I used a dremel and cut around the bottom of cannister. If I remember correctly there are two filters inside cannister. There is one on top and one on the bottom so it sandwiches charcoal in between the two filters. I turned old cannister upside down and filled with charcoal and then used fuel resistant silicone to seal up the bottom. The two filters are held in with groves on top and bottom. There is also a third filter that should go on the bottom as well. It looks like Autozone 2.99 has the filters. The OE filters were like a fiberglass mesh so the newer ones should last a lot longer

[Red80TA]

Done many times, you can buy replacement bags and the wadding that is sealed in the base as a breather. Usually part of the canister, have to cut out the base to refill. If pellets are large enough they won't go through the lines, or as others have done, add a screen filter inside, a layer of the wadding, fill with the charcoal then the rest of the wadding. A fish filter is probably similar.

[burd]

The bottom filters were still avail at the dealers, I picked up 4.
For my 78, they superseded to one from the GN, it has wadding also he said, not pellets. You just block off a port on the top, (provided). I wouldn’t use one with pellets again, what a mess when it lets go, I did find a stock one nOS, but it’s for show and tell only, lol

[burd]

Here’s the filters, when I bought them, I got PCV valves, gas filters, trans filters, and breather filters, all on the shelf up in Flint, all now may. Be disco’d.

[burd]

Look for a nOS one.

[Red80TA]

In the meantime, since it could be years until a NOS shows up and by then you won't care for it or the silly price, try below.

[burd]

They’re out there. I found an OG for my car. That’s 2 with the GN one, Me I wouldnt make it into a fish tank filter. 😁

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by Red80TA

In the meantime, since it could be years until a NOS shows up and by then you won't care for it or the silly price, try below.

What sucks is that they used to repro the charcoal canisters. Not anymore.

[sperry67]

After trying to decide whether I wanted to spend ~$150 (and up) on a NOS one from ebay (what if the filters in that were also junk?) I figured what the hell and rebuilt mine with activated charcoal/carbon and aquarium filter material from PetSmart. JB PlastiWeld back together, black spray paint and looks good as new. If I come across one for the right price, I will scoop it up though....