I have removed the EVAP canister purge valve solenoid which connects to a vent line running over to the fuel lines. Should I cap this vent hose where it comes out with the fuel lines or leave it open?

 

You should cap the source of the vacuum so it is not vented to the atmosphere. But I have a question, why are you defeating the evap system? I ask because when I sumped my tank for the new fuel system and braided hoses, I removed the evap system and man what a mistake that was. It runs fine but the smell of gas fumes could knock a buzzard off a S@#$ wagon.

 

Well I guess I really don't know what this thing is doing besides getting in the way. It has two peices to the system right next to each other that bolt to the intake and they are connected with a 1/4" hose. Now one hose from these runs under the TB to the fuel lines for venting I assume. Another line runs to the throttle body and that's it. It has a vacuum line elbow on the bottom of the one unit but nothing ever connected to it. So what exactly is it doing?

 

Suggestion.... do NOT remove the EEC purge system.

You have a carbon canister in the driver's side rear fender that absorbs the gas fumes that would normally vent out of your tank. During certain engine operating conditions, the PCM opens the EEC purge solenoid on the passenger side of the intake minifold bracket, and vacuum from the throttle body pulls air through that vent line to remove the fuel vapors from the carbon canister. The fuel recovered that way is then burned in the engine.

On your 97, if you remove that system, it will produce noxious fuel fumes when the fuel tank vents. As noted in the post above, when I first did my sumped tank and aftermarket ECU, the EEC system was not working and the fumes from the VP Fuels C16 racing fuel was enough to melt your eyeballs. And, with OBD-II, there is a detector to verify that the system is operating properly. That would be the gadget between the solenoid on the intake manifold bracket and the throttle body. The detector will see there is no flow and set a code in the PCM, unless you have that system "programmed out".

Not all emissions controls are "bad" for your engine. Some actually help you. This one prevents loss of fuel, and burns it in the engine to help gas mileage.... not a big gain, but a gain nonetheless.

 

Ok, but I have an OBDI conversion. Also, the thing that is confusing me is this does not connect to the carbon canister. Like I said there are two lines, one going to the fuel line vent and one going to the TB.

 

Maybe that last post was stupid. I guess it would pull from the vent tube going to where the fuel lines are is what you are saying. I can easily put it back but is it going to work with my OBDI conversion? Thanks for your input.

 

There are 3 "fuel" lines that emerge from the drivers side inner fender. In actuality, one is the fuel supply line, and goes eventually to the back of the passenger side fuel rail. Another is the fuel return line, and connects to the fuel pressure regulator. The 3rd line in that bundle is not actually a fuel line, it is the "vent" line from the carbon canister. It peels off the bundle of fuel lines about 1/2-way back on the drivers side of the intake, connects to a hard metal line that is u-shaped, and points toward the front of the engine. A line wraps around the front of the engine, and is routed to the EEC purge solenoid. From the purge solenoid, it goes to the EEC flow detector (OBD-II), then to the throttle body, or direct from the purge solenoid to the TB (OBD-I).

The only difference between OBD-I and OBD-II is the little detector device between the purge solenoid and the TB.

Since you have an OBD-I PCM, you will not get a code for deleting the tubing and preventing the system from operating, but you will still get a code if you remove the EEC purge solenoid. This can actually be replaced with a resistor.

 

Ok, following your advice I am just going to put back the solenoid and remove the detector. The detector is the round thing and the actual solenoid is the square thing. I can remove the 1/4 bendy hosey thingy from the solenoid to the detector and plug the vent line from the fuel lines directly to it (sounds more confusing then it is). Thanks for your help. Atleast getting rid of the detector will make more space.

 

Did you think to look at this on Shoebox's "Tech" pages? Shows the entire OBD-II system. He has a similar diagram for the OBD-I system.