The First Picture: The charcoal canister has air ports on the top that are usually covered with blue plugs that pop off and let air into or out of the canister if there is a pressure buildup. The blue plugs are missing on the top suggesting the system isn't working properly.
Fresh air for the system is brought into the canister through the bottom through the charcoal filter. This is how the fuel tanks are vented when the engine is running.
Gas fumes are stored in the canister from the tanks when the engine isn't running, because only fresh air can go through the charcoal. The fumes are blocked by it.

The second picture as described earlier by others are: The First two are Thermactor Solenoids, TAB and TAD. The third one is either the MAP, and the fourth is for the EGR valve, or visa versa.

 

Thanks for the reply 81 f150 Explorer!

I sort of thought that the holes in the charcoal canister ought to have something in them, I just didn't know what that something was! Since the canister doesn't have any activated charcoal in it and since the truck seems to be running just fine as is, would I be shooting myself in the foot if I just left this component alone, or should I buy a couple of rubber plugs to stopper it up?

Thanks!

Frank

 

I would not plug it. Like he said in his post, it's how the fuel tanks breath. You might get a little gas smell if it's not working correctly. Other than that, it won't give you any problems.

 

Thanks Dave! That's what I needed to know.

Frank

 

That charcoal thing is busted on my truck. Do I need to fix it?

 

I got some caps for mine from the local JY. My cap fell off somewhere/sometime when I wasn't looking. I just got a couple of replacements from the local JY. Now I have a spare for the next time.

 

It would be better if you did fix it. Just get a good used one out of the wrecking yard. The charcoal in the canister hardly ever goes bad unless its soaked with unburned fuel or caked with dirt.

As I said before, the fuel tanks and fuel system vents through the canister, and keeps fuel vapor from escaping when the engine is off.

One good thing about trapping the evaporating fuel vapor, is that it will keep more fuel in your tank instead of it evaporating to the atmosphere.

 

My charcoal canister looks identical to the original poster's, except mine doesn't have the two ports that his has vacuum lines going to. Mine only has the two holes in the top of it. One of the holes has a blue cap over it, like 81-F-150-Explorer stated. The other hole has an "F" fitting, where one line has the fuel tank vent and the other has a vacuum hose with a canister purge valve inline, that has three additional connections.

I wonder why they are different?

I don't see how air can come through the bottom of the canister. Am I missing something? My OEM Ford canister doesn't appear to have a hole anywhere for air to come through the bottom of it?

 

Different engine, fuel setup, would be my guess.

 

Different engines, different type charcoal canister.

The original posters purge valve is most likely connected to the canister directly, like the newer models. His also has basicly two canisters into one, possibly for dual tanks. Some vehicles combine it into one canister or they have two seperate canisters.

My charcoal canister has slits in the bottom where it will suck in fresh air when needed for venting. The fuel vapor is trapped in the canister and wont pass through the charcoal, wheras the fresh air will.

Again this difference is possibly due to design changes. However they do basicly the same job. As long as you get a replacement one that matches, it should be fine.

 

Ok, My truck is a 1980. I have 2 1982 trucks, but it looks different. Could I make the one from the 82 work, or should I look on E-bay for one from a 1980? (no wreaking yards around here - not for 600 miles)

 

You can order them IDT they are too terrible expensive. I was pleasently surprised when I sold me 86 IROC and bought an F250 that overall parts seem to be more available and cheaper.

 

It's possible to make them work, but I wouldn't exactly know how you would do it.

It's better to match the part exactly, if possible.