Yes, most likely the carbon canister. It was common for the air cooled
engines to use the cooling fan to push air through the carbon and into the
air cleaner. Other vehicles use manifold vacuum to suck air through the
canister.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Robert Young
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:27 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: unidentified cylindrical object

I have an 83 van air-cooled 2.0L engine and need to identify this cylinder
shaped object under the vehicle back at the right rear wheel.  thought at
first it could be the charcoal filter but the plumbing that connects to it
doesn't make sense.  One line comes from the air filter and the other one
goes back into the engine compartment at the right side, under the air
filter and then behind the alternator and disappears into the engine tin.
That line turns out is broken and came right out in my hand from under the
engine tin.  So it's hooked to nothing.  And the size of the lines is like
my wash machine plumbing.  Is that really the charcoal filter?
Robert

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