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Help ! Euro spec Series 3 fuel tank vent pipes questions
Hi everyone,
Questions about non-USA / Canada EVAP gas plumbing.
I'm trying to decide how to re-plumb my German Emission "B" Spec1985 XJ6's fuel tank vent line. After studying the parts diagrams it looks like the vent line from both tanks simply ended with an open pipe clipped to the body behind the IRS heat shield. Diagram # CAC4510 below.
When my car was imported it was retrofitted with a unknown make EVAP gas canister and a vac operated purge valve which was plumbed from the vent pipe shown in the diagrams to the front right fender area using rubber fuel hose zip tied to the fuel supply pipe. I'm trying to decide if I just want to delete the added parts and run a straight vent ( if that is what was done originally ? ) or install the hard pipes and maybe a USA spec canister etc from one of my parts cars.
If I go with a straight vent, does it release enough gas fumes / vapor to notice or cause problems ? Like car going BOOM if an idiot tosses his cigarette butt under the car ? ( Did airshows for awhile, amazing the number of "guests" who would stand next to a fuel trunk and go to light a cig -- See the NO SMOKING in two foot high letters in front of your face sir ? )
Have the IRS still out and am currently cleaning / repainting all the heat shields so decided now is the time to fix the jury rigged vapor plumbing !
I got fed up with dealing with the evap system on Blue Six. When I was initially getting the car running again I verified all of the vent pipes were clear. Several months after returning the car to the road I discovered a leak in the left tank. Yep, it was building pressure during the day and pulling a vacuum at night. Found the evap valve at the front near the canister was bad. Changed it. Guess what? The right tank began leaking and I discovered the pipe running under the car was clogged somewhere. Eighty psi air pressure wouldn't open it up. Drilled a 1/16" vent hole in the inner cap and haven't had a problem since. You're in NC so you don't have to inspect that thing any more.
And, no, there aren't sufficient vent fumes to be a fire hazard - it won't be any worse than any pre-emission car.
Thanks for the reply Ken,
I think I'm going to check all the vent plumbing to the vapor separators for clogs then improvise a bug screen for the end of the center pipe CAC4510. Dirt dabbers are a real menace to any kind of open tubing / holes in this area ( as I'm sure you know all too well ). If I have any vapor smell problems in the future, I can always install the hard pipe to the front with a canister. It will also save me from redesigning the vac control for the purge valve.
NO inspections required for my Jags is a nice bonus ! I was able to switch the tag / registration from Rusty Cat to Euro Cat by just taking the title and Reg cards to the DMV and paying the transfer fee, even though Euro has not been tagged or inspected in 20 years ( never in NC ).
If anyone across the pond can let me know how the vent end of the system was handled ( terminated ) there I'd appreciate it.