Charcoal canisters

I am restoring a 1978 MGB that has sat for 10 years. Do I need to replace the charcoal canisters?

I wouldn't replace them as a unit. Just disassemble (take pics!) and replace the medium with fish tank charcoal. You can also use round coffee filters to replace the ones inside.

It is relatively easy to rebuild them. See [http://www.theautoist.com/carboncannister.htm] for example. The screens in mine had rusted out and the foam was mostly gone, but once I got all the materials it took only about 2 or 3 hours to remove, open clean, rebuilt and replace (and there are few here 'greener' than I am as a mechanic). Probably the most important thing is that there are no obstructions to air flow through the canisters (with charcoal) and the the lines to them and from them to the vapor separator in the trunk.

There's a good article about rebuilding a charcoal canister in this newsletter.

http://www.bigbendmgs.com/Newsletters/BBMGOct08Newsletter.pdf

Tim

I replaced my screens with fiberglass from an old window screen with an added layer of coffee filter. Hardly original, but worked like a charm.

Thanks so much to all ! I am on it for sure!

thread

here is a link to a thread where I documented my canister rehab

it is not something you must do. get the must do things done, then deal with that later.

Are you using just regular paper coffee filters? The paper won't dissolve?
thanks
walter

Alex, thanks so much!