How to properly delete the plastic fuel expansion tank lines?

[eight-0-eight]

Hi all,

So I had to replace the thicker braided line that goes from the gas tank to the evap tank in the right rear tire well.

While doing so, the only way I could get that thicker hose through the conduit was to remove the 2 smaller plastic lines that also connect to the evap tank.
I've tried so many different ways of trying to fish all 3 through, but it's just not happening (unless anyone has some ideas...) and so I saw some old posts about deleting the evap tank as a whole and connecting the two lines at the top of the gas tank but it wasn't exactly clear to me exactly how and what to block off, vent, etc.

What I want to achieve is keeping the thicker braided line but delete the smaller plastic lines as I just can't get those fished through so if anyone has suggestions on that, I would appreciate it!


At the gas tank:
- Connection to large braided line --> goes to T
- connection to smaller plastic line --> goes to smaller line on expansion tank
- connection to larger plastic line --> goes to larger line on expansion tank

at the expansion tank:
- connection to smaller plastic line
- connection to large plastic line
- connection to T

at the filler:
- connection to T (with larger part connecting to braided and smaller connecting to expansion tank)

What do I cap, loop, vent to get rid of these stupid plastic lines ?

[TobyB]

You can't just e- tape the 3 together and pull them as one?
Stagger the 2 smaller lines behind the big one by an inch each,
and wrap the whole thing. Then lube it up with something like
pulling lube or dish detergent. . .

One of the nice things about the E30 is that it has a modern evap
system, and doesn't smell like fuel all the time like a 2002 or E21 does...

t

[Panici]

Might you be referring to my thread from 2019?

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/e30-technical-forums/e30-faq-and-diy/387139-how-to-simplify-evap-system-remove-expansion-tank

One of the nice things about the E30 is that it has a modern evap
system, and doesn't smell like fuel all the time like a 2002 or E21 does...

That is a valid point, and I can confirm that my car does not smell like gas with the above setup.
I left the charcoal canister and purge valve in place.

[eight-0-eight]

You can't just e- tape the 3 together and pull them as one?
Stagger the 2 smaller lines behind the big one by an inch each,
and wrap the whole thing. Then lube it up with something like
pulling lube or dish detergent. . .

One of the nice things about the E30 is that it has a modern evap
system, and doesn't smell like fuel all the time like a 2002 or E21 does...

t

Thanks for the suggestion, yeah I tried so many combinations of that. staggering, taping in different orientations. I fished a string through there and tied it to the hose and tried to route it while my wife was pulling from inside...still couldnt get it.

Might you be referring to my thread from 2019?

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/e30-technical-forums/e30-faq-and-diy/387139-how-to-simplify-evap-system-remove-expansion-tank

Yes! Thanks for the write up. I was getting confused about what was getting capped on the T portion that goes to the expansion tank. I've re-read a few times and I think I understand it now. Panici have you had any issues with this setup besides the slight concern about filling it too much and having a bit of fuel go to the charcoal?


Tonight, I finally got the smaller plastic line through along with the large braided line, so I "deleted" the larger plastic one.
- I capped the larger plastic hose at the top of the fuel tank (Which I think will just allow that side of the tank to vent to the charcoal up front, that I recently refreshed.)
- I also put a small breather filter on the top of the expansion tank (as was showed by someone else in that 👆thread, where the other end of the larger plastic hose would have gone.
- then left the smaller plastic hose connected to the bottom of the expansion tank to the fuel tank
- everything else was as normal (large braided to the T, which goes to the filler neck and smaller hose to the expansion tank.

That should work, right? The driver side should vent to charcoal and the venting from the filler & right side will go to the expansion...with smaller line feeding back to the tank.