My experience with charcoal is with fish tanks and BBQs.  So this lasts
indef as long as no cracks or leaks?  Thanks again for the insight.
Michael in San Antonio
91GL AT 'Gringo'
73 Beetle

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 6:43 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:

> At 05:12 PM 10/26/2009, Michael Sullivan wrote:
>
>> What is the purpose of this?
>>
>
> It contains "activated" charcoal, meaning it's been treated so as to have
> an enormous surface area -- an acre per teaspoon or something outrageous
> like that.  Fuel vapor from the tank is vented into the charcoal, which
> adsorbs (like absorbs, but on its surface instead of throughout) the
> gasoline vapor.
>
> When the engine is running, it slowly pulls air through the charcoal and
> into the intake tract, bringing with it the previously adsorbed gasoline
> which is burned with the rest.
>
>  Any maintenance required?  Thanks.
>>
>
> In principle it should last forever -- no moving parts and no chemical
> reaction btw the charcoal and the fuel.  Its connections need to be viable
> of course.
>
> Yrs,
> d
>
>
>