cruiser
Well-Known Member
And how are my MOPAR kiddies this evening? Ready for bed soon, I trust. This evening's sleeping pill covers a rarely discussed system which requires very little attention from the owner, the evaporative emissions control system (EECS) - also known as the "Vapor Saver" system. That's a pretty long name for a charcoal canister. It seems that Uncle Sam decided that it wasn't any good for our gas tanks to release gasoline vapor into the air, and thus the EECS showed up in the early seventies. This simple system sent fuel vapors from the gas tank to a charcoal canister under the hood. At the next engine start, the carb sucked the unburned fuel from the canister and burned it, resulting in less air pollution. That was the theory, at least. In any case, we've all seen these things under the hood and rarely gave them much attention. My very original 1974 slant six Duster still had its original EECS setup, although the whole thing was looking pretty ratty. To recondition it, I began by removing the canister and its bracket, and then removed the original rubber hoses - one from the carb to the canister and a second one from the steel fuel tank vent line to the canister. I cleaned the outside of the canister and treated it with plastic restorer fluid, then replaced the rubber cap on the unused carb bowl fitting. I also replaced the foam filter in the bottom of the canister. These filters are readily available at NAPA. Next, I refurbished the mounting bracket via the POR-15 process. This begins with a thorough washing with the supplied cleaner/degreaser, followed by a zinc etching bath. Finally, I painted the bracket with two coats of gloss black POR-15, and it now looks like a brand new bracket. The POR-15 lays out and levels nicely, resulting in a finish superior to the factory original finish (which was a single coat of gloss black paint). I then reinstalled the bracket and canister using all four of the original fasteners. These fasteners were in excellent shape as they had been covered in a layer of oily crud. Cleaning them up with paint thinner revealed their shiny original finish. Lovely! Finally, I replaced the two 1/4" rubber hoses: The first from the carb to the canister, and the second from the steel tank vent line to the canister. As you can see in the photos, I used the correct Keystone crimp clamps to fasten the second hose, just like the factory did back in the day. No screw clamps for me! After it all went back together, the car didn't run any differently but everything sure looked a heckuva lot better. The first photo shows the components after removal, and the next photo shows the original short hose (marked "KV") with its factory Keystone clamp. The next photo shows the top of the canister and the filter pad that I installed in the bottom. The canister is date coded "2433" which is consistent with an October of 1973 build date of my car. The next photo is of the reconditioned components prior to installation, and the final picture is the way it looks in the engine compartment. As always, I've tried to keep as many original parts and fasteners as possible. Removing this canister also provided the opportunity to clean up the factory paint behind the bracket, which I've decided to keep instead of repainting the engine compartment. My aim is to keep it as original as possible, and I really like how it looks now all cleaned up and restored. I love the bright, clear and shiny virgin paint behind the bracket - which looks completely perfect, original and untouched. And so I hope tonight's episode has made you nice and drowsy - which is the whole point of this series. Now go get yourself a snack, climb into bed and you're off to sleepy land. Good night and sleep tight!
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