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Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:31 pm

I don't have the EGR box thing? in my 72. From what I gather, it makes no difference in performance without it. Right? Here's the scoop: The roughly quarter inch hose that is coming off of the smaller hose of the gas tank, which is I am assuming was what used to go to the EGR box thing, now just meets up six feet later on the driver's side, with a metal tubing that runs back under to the passenger side of the car and eventually stopping just before the passenger side rear tire where it is open to nothing. Should this be plugged or attached somewhere else? If so where along the line should it be plugged/attached?

I stole this beautiful trunk picture from a recent post.

(sorry for lack of actual photos, my camera is out and about)

Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:14 pm

In your beetle, there was a front charcoal fume collection canister and a rear charcoal canister. These two canisters were connected to each other and to the gas tank and the fan shroud and intake. Often these canisters are removed because the charcoal is no longer "active". You simply remove the canisters and block off any connections. I have found that 1/2" black chair tips work great for the fan shroud upper right fitting. As for the tank, you can just tee the two 14mm ID pieces of tubing together, and be sure to add a vent for your gas tank that runs underneath the car.

FYI - this is not EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) but a crude form of emissions control.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:38 pm

got it. thanks

Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:56 pm

OR...if his whole system is still in place....

Replace the charcoal canister. They're available. The purpose is to give vaporised fuel some place safe to go when it's hot and your engine is off. (Think mall parking lot in the 3rd week of July.) When you restart the engine, the tap from the fan shroud vents the captured fuel vapor in to the engine for burning.

BTW, primitive it may be, but look under the hood of your bone stock Toyota. Charcoal canister. Performing the same function. 40 years later.

M

Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:11 pm

I have been trying to find replacement canisters for years, but to no avail. Where do you get em?

Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:51 pm

Well, I would normally have pointed to CIP1 for a replacement, but it appears they're out now.

You should make the effort to find one if yours is missing. There is a procedure to retrofit one to be 'rechargeable'. I'll have to see if I can find my copy of the procedure. Essentially, you drill an access hole, remove the activated carbon that is in there, replace it and then tap threads in to the body so that you can screw in a plug. Now you're only out the cost of the activated charcoal every 50k miles. :)

Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:38 pm

Got this info from Bookwus a while back, it's for the metal canisters. The plastic ones are probably easier to open and refill.

BTW, that's my "beautiful" trunk you pointed to, thanks!

Bookwus wrote: 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."