Eurovan Camper mods

Repairing the Charcoal Canister for a 2000 Eurovan

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The first time I tried this repair, I didn't use enough epoxy and the seam split after a few hundred miles. I think if you use enough epoxy, it will hold, and I've updated the instructions to show my second epoxy attempt. However, I decided I wanted a better solution, so ended up doing a Retrofit of a GM canister instead

Updated 2022-11-28 : Updated with missing pictures, now using JB-Weld and more of it.
Updated 2022-04-02 : First version.

Introduction

Part of the Eurovan's evaporative emissions system is a Charcoal Canister which serves as a buffer for gasoline fumes: while filling the tank, while the van is running, and also while the van is sitting. When running, the fumes stored in the canister are pulled out (via the N80 solenoid) and enter the intake manifold to be burned in normal operation.

The Eurovan gas tank really does not like to be overfilled. When this happens, liquid gasoline gets into the evap canister and can cause the activated charcoal pellets to break down, which can clog the filters within the canister, resulting in poor performance of the evaporative emissions system. Common symptoms include:

Diagnosis

First, it's important to diagnose the problem correctly.

Different Approaches

If you are pretty sure it's the carbon canister... People have had a few different way of solving the canister issue:

Repairing the Charcoal Canister for a 2000 Eurovan

If you want to try rebuilding/repairing the canister, please read further:

Parts:

Tools

Step-by-Step:

(click each picture for full size)


  1. Remove the left wheel
    You could probably do some of this with the van on ramps, but it's much easier if you remove the wheel.
    1. Loosen the lug bolts with the van still on the ground
    2. Jack it up, remove the wheel, and put the van on several secure jack stands for safety
    3. You can now see the Canister and the Canister mounting strap




  2. Release the canister strap
    1. There is a single metal strip which holds the canister in place
    2. Easy way: The trick to removing it is to use your angled needle nose pliers on the outside strap as shown.
    3. Hard way: the inner side has a fancy spring clip. If you don't have angled needle-nose pliers, you can remove the inner strap: By lots of wiggling and bending with a big screwdriver, I was able to get this side out without damaging it, but I think this was mainly luck. Looking at the shape, I think that you could remove it more easily if you had a small flat blade on either side. Push the strap in, slide the flat blades on both sides, release the tension, and then it should slide back out.

    The Easy way: Remove using angled needle nose pliers on the outside strap

    The Hard Way: Showing the inner strap after removal - all bent out of shape:

    Showing the inner strap after bending it back into normal shape:


  3. Detach the quick-release hoses
    1. There are two hoses with quick-release fittings
    2. Push the connector together, push the release tabs, then pull apart and it will release




  4. Remove the Canister
    1. there is a Vent Hose bib connection on the top/back, so don't bend or wiggle it too much to avoid breaking the flange.
    2. pull the canister straight away from the body to release
    3. the other two things, lower down, which look like hose connections, are not, rather they are simply mounting posts.




  5. Test the Canister
    1. Are you sure you need to repair the canister? This is a a good time to test the canister - blowing air through the 3 connections, see if air is flowing freely or seems clogged. If all connections flow freely and you don't seem to have liquid gasoline in the canister, it may not need replacing and you could stop here. Maybe your N80 valve is bad?




  6. Cutting open the Canister
    1. the canister has springs inside it you need to avoid, so do not just cut it off with a band saw!
    2. cut open the bottom edge of the canister using a Dremel as shown - you can safely cut about 1/2 inch deep
    3. then, using a bare hacksaw blade, cut the inner partitions (avoiding the metal springs) - this will take a few different angles. You may need to pry it open a bit to see where the springs are. Be patient.
    4. remove the bottom cap, exposing the springs which hold the filter plates in place
    5. Note: it turns out for the 4 compartments, 2+2 are connected, and you can clean up the leftover junk before re-gluing. See below.












  7. Filter and Pellets
    1. Once open, you can reveal the 4 filter plates
    2. remove these (they just pull out)
    3. dump the pellets into a container. (My pellets weighed 14.2 oz - they smell of gasoline but did not seem wet in any way)




  8. Deep Cleaning
    1. There are a total of 8 filters - 4 removable, and 4 built into the bottom of the canister
    2. First, I cleaned the canister and all filters with spray carburetor cleaner
    3. Then I gave everything a good soak in detergent and hot water
    4. Dry thoroughly. I thought it was fully dry, but the vent hose (top flange on the canister) was not blowing easily. I looked more carefully and realized the bottom filters were still wet. I put a box fan against the canister and let it dry for another 2 hours. Once the filter material was fully dry, air flowed freely.




  9. Clean or replace Charcoal Pellets
    1. My pellets were in pretty good shape, so I was not sure about replacing vs. cleaning them.
    2. I purchased some pellets from Amazon, but they were giant compared to the OEM pellets (about 4mm vs 1mm diameter)
    3. Since my OEM pellets were in good shape, I re-used them.
    4. I did not put all of the pellets back in - I think when you remove them, they expand a bit, so there's not room to fit them all back in. Also, when you epoxy the cap back on, you have to hold it closed against the spring tension until the epoxy sets - so having fewer pellets makes it easier.




  10. Tidy up the Top
    1. Depending where you cut, you may see some thin pieces left on the cap
    2. If you look closely, you will see some slots - it turns out that several of the compartments are connected - the canister has kind of a zig-zag airflow pattern.
    3. Before epoxying it back together, clean this up and take note of where you do, and do not want to put epoxy.




  11. Epoxy the Canister top back on
    1. This Eurovan is 22 years old and has 100k miles, so I hope this is a permanent fix for the remaining lifetime. Therefore, I was not concerned about making this easy to open back up later.
    2. JB Weld says "When fully cured, J-B Weld is completely resistant to water, gasoline, and about every other petroleum product or automotive chemical"
    3. I decided to use the J-B Weld which sets in about 4-6 hours and is good to 550F temperature.
    4. Since you have to hold the parts together against spring tension while the epoxy sets, you need some sort of clamps. I used the 4-pack of DeWalt Medium and Large Trigger Clamps
    5. Don't forget the springs - put them in, and don't get epoxy on them.
    6. Mix the epoxy, wait a minute till it gets tacky.
    7. Use a lot of epoxy - you want this to hold tight against a pressurized fuel system.
    8. Hold it tight - you are fighting the spring tension, so you'll need to really hold it closed as you get the clamps in place. Having a second pair of hands can really make this easier.




  12. Reinstall Canister
    1. After curing, install the canister
    2. Installation is basically the reverse of removal
    3. Test drive, check for leaks, tighten connections, etc.


  13. OBD II diagnostics
    If you are in a hurry to clear your OBD2 codes, you can test drive doing the OBD2 Eurovan Drive Cycle


Final Thoughts

Questions? Feedback?
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