Introduction: Removing the Fuel Vapor Canister From Your California Harley

This instructable is meant as a simple guide to properly removing the fuel vapor canister from your California Harley and installing the replacement hose. It requires very few tools, parts are less than $20, and can easily be done in an hour or two. It also served as a neat first-of-many-mods for me. I will post follow ups as I continue working on my bike.

This canister is only present on California bikes due to more strict regulations than the rest of the states. As such, the canister was added by Harley as more of an afterthought and the connected hoses are secured by exposed zip-ties. Removal of this unnecessary component cleans the appearance of the bike noticeably. This does not affect performance in any way.

The resource I used as a guide for this process was on a HD forum here: 
http://www.hdforums.com/forum/337637-post6.html


-- Disclaimer! -- The purpose of this canister is to filter your gas tank's vapors before releasing them into the atmosphere. I am not sure how well regulated having this component is in California. Currently, motorcycles do not require smog checks so I do not know how I could ever get in trouble for removing the canister. I will post up on here if anything happens.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

The following are the parts that I ordered online:

Harley P/N 27296-04A: TUBE, VALVE TO ATMOSPHERE
Harley P/N 10113: CLIP, DOUBLE HOSE
Harley P/N 90383-98: CAP PLUG, INDUCTION MODULE

The links are go to the Chicago Harley site and the total was not too bad even with the shipping to the west coast. I actually did not use the retaining clip but I suppose it may be useful for some models. You can probably procure these parts locally for less money or find alternative parts at a hardware store.

In addition, you will need some metal snippers or equivalent for cutting zip-ties, some metal grips or pliers, and a set of Allen keys.

Step 2: Remove the Breather Hose

The canister has two ends, one with a single connected hose and the other with 2 hoses.

We will concentrate first on the side with only 1 hose connected to it. This hose runs up the frame of your bike and then runs along the bottom of your tank. 

Follow the path that the hose runs along your frame and cut any zip-ties that hold it there. I just used a pair of old metal snippers.

The top end of the hose is not connected to anything so you can just pull it free from the tank. The opposite end can be removed from the canister using some pliers or just your hands if you are a brute.

Step 3: Remove the Carb Hose

Now on the opposite end of your canister there will be two hoses connected to it. If you look on the canister itself, one connection is labeled 'Tank' and the other 'Carb'. In this step we will concentrate on removing the Carb hose.

Use pliers to pull the hose free of the canister. Follow it's path up along the frame and cut any zip-ties that you run into along the way. This hose runs along the bottom of the tank and then connects on the other side of the bike at the air intake manifold.

Spacing is tight on this side and you probably will not be able to fit a hand in, so use those pliers and pull the hose free fromd the intake manifold. Cap the intake using the plug (P/N 90383-98). 

At this point, both ends should be free but you will not be able to pull the hose free of where it runs under the tank. The quick and easy method here is to cut one end off the hose and it will slide freely out.

Step 4: Remove and Replace the Tank Hose

For this step, remove the hose at the canister connection marked 'Tank'. This hose travels up the frame and connection to the top of the tank. The hose should be free of any zip-ties from the last step but cut any if they are tied to the hose. Remove the hose from the canister as before.

If you were to trace the entire path of this hose, you would see that it connects to the top of your gas tank underneath the cluster. Removing the full length of this hose is unnecessary. At the point where the hose travels right in front of the tank, it is bridged with a rubber connector. This is where we will disconnect it from the bike. Once again, just remove it with pliers or your hands.

Now, it is time to install the Tube to Atmosphere (P/N 27296-04A). I decided that I liked the rubber end that was leftover from the previous step so I used it in place of the existing rubber connection. Begin by attaching the rubber end to the open connection and feeding the hose along the bottom side of the tank.

Your aim here is to thread the hose along the bottom side of the tank, along the frame where your seat is, then downwards so that it is pointed straight down and secured in front of the front of your back fender. I removed my seat and horn cover to allow more space to get my hands in tight spots.

Make use of zip-ties to secure the hose in place. You want to avoid the chance that a loose hose will make contact with a hot engine and melt. Clip off any hose excess.

Step 5: Finally! Remove the Canister

This is the home stretch!

All you have to do is remove and replace the two bolts that are holding the canister's mounting bracket and you are done!

One thing I did notice was that as I loosened the bolts, the piece they screwed into started to pull away from the frame. I was concerned that it would pull away too far and I would not be able to get the bolts back in place easily.

To get around this, I first removed the top bolt and loosened the second one only enough to allow the canister's bracket to pivot out of the way. I then replaced the first bolt and loosened the second bolt which freed the canister and bracket. Simply replace the second bolt and you are done!