Todd-
>On the 73 midget that I have most of the emissions parts have already been
>removed. As I am trying to clean things up a bit I am wondering? With these
>parts removed is the Separator located in the trunk of the car now useless.
>If yes as I suspect can one remove this and plug the fitting going into the
>gas tank?
I'm not familiar with the specifics of the '73 midget, and so may be wrong,
but I think that you may want to investigate the venting of the tank a bit,
before simply plugging the line.
A gas tank must be vented. As the fuel pump pulls fuel from the tank, air
must be allowed to enter. Some Pre-emissions cars had a venting gas cap (a
gas cap with a hole in it.) Others simply had an upside-down U-trap tube
that took in air, and also (if the air in the tank expanded) allowed the
air to leave the tank. Trouble was, the venting gas-tank air also had
hydrocarbons (gasoline molecules) in it.
With early emission controls, the vent line simply went into a charcoal
cannister, usually up in front of the car, that also had a vacuum line
(from the intake manifold) to purge the charcoal canister of any excess
fuel vapors. Air could be sucked through the charcoal canister towards the
tank, as the tank was emptied.
The "separator" you are speaking of is probably a one-way valve to keep
fuel from sloshing out of the tank through the vent line, in the event of a
roll-over.
If you plug the line, then you may be plugging the air vent to the tank.
Make sure your tank is vented before you plug any lines. And make sure the
venting line goes to underneath the vehicle, not just into the trunk...
Bob Woolner
Hillsboro, NH
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