The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Fuel vapors

Does anyone know anything about charcoal canisters and fuel vapors? When my truck sets with a full tank of fuel, the vent tube on the tank really stinks, for days after driving the whole garage smells. I was thinking of some sort of vented can filled with charcoal or hitting the salvage yard for a charcoal can, plumbed to the tank vent to capture the vapors. As long as its vented, it should clean it self of fuel vapors when the engine is running. It would all be under the bed at the rear of the truck. Do you think standard cook out charcoal broke up would do the same as the crystal charcoal in vapor canisters?

Joe

Cooking charcoal is not likely to work at all for gasoline vapors. Even if it does work some the capacity will be so low it won't be useful. The charcoal in a canister from a salvage yard will still be good, it doesn't wear out.

No. One is "activated charcoal", one isn't. I don't think you can get it to activated porosity by breaking it up. (10 grams with the area of a football field!)

Bill

OK, its off to the salvage yard to do some digging.

Joe

You activate charcoal by boiling it. Charcoal works by attracting the organics on a molecular level. The carbon will eventually reach a point of total absorbation. It will then either need to be replaced or re-activated. Same exactly as the filter for your house sink.

Make sure if you add a filter to the vent line it won't restrict the fuel flow.

You can buy activated charcoal at a pet store, for what it's worth.

Bill