This may be a stupid question so sorry. I just bought a 1988 bird with a 2.8 liter and I just had it towed to my house. I just now noticed a device mounted next to the passenger's side of the engine with a few short rubber hoses (they look like water lines about 2 or 3 inches long) sticking out of the top of it. I thought it was part of the heating system but it didn't seem to really connect to anything. I'm wondering what this thing is. Maybe a hose junction of some sort?? I'm probably just dumb and not getting it but I need to know what it is so I don't end up running it and then find out it's some vital cooling component that some idiot screwed with. It may just still be bolted on and not even be hooked to anything. It'd be awesome if somebody could tell me what this thing could be so I don't go and accidentally kill this amazing car. Thanks.

 

Can you post a picture?

 

I would but unfortunately I don't have a functioning camera at the moment... o.o I'll try to put one up as soon as I can.

 

Sounds like the Vapor cannister

Emmisions piece.

 

Oh and it is very important. Used for emissions, vapor fuel lines, air vac. Get a book 82-92 camaro Chilton,Chevrolet, Haynes > manuals! Will show you and tell you exactly what it does.

 

That would make sense. But I'm not sure, I forgot to mention that the hoses were like 1" in diameter. And isn't the vapor canister usually closer to the bumper? (Meaning not so close to the engine. if it was it sounds like it could become explosive from heat) I know that on my '83 bird it's up near the bumper on the driver's side next to the horns (It's just sitting there btw. Obviously it's not gonna be used on a 350). Oh yeah and stupid me misplaced my third gen Haynes manual. Grrr...

 

Yes it is closer to the front. Sounds like the cooling device, hoses connect to it. Did you say it was on the driver side or passenger side?

 

Probably the heater divert valve. It shuts off the water to the heater core when you have the AC on. Controlled by a vacuum line from the HVAC control head inside the car.

 

Thank you! That has to be it. What's annoying me now is why it's just sitting there with nothing hooked to it.....

 

It was probably leaking so they bypassed it.

 

That's possible. I hope that's what happened because I don't want to have to deal with an open cooling system. Not the most complicated repair but still annoying.