Is that a charcoal canister? In a hedge trimmer? Should I just plug the hose?

[Danny D]

I was trimming brush yesterday, when all of a sudden gasoline spilled onto my hands as I swung the trimmer at wild angles.

Lo and behold, one of the hoses coming out of the gas tank split, and this little white thimble-like thing fell onto the ground.

Picking it up, I was amazed. Can that thing be a charcoal canister?

Do you think there will be any harm in just plugging the hose?

[Retired]

According to the parts diagrams at

it is a vent for the fuel tank, so don't plug the hose. If anything, before you can get replacement hose, cut the split section off and plug vent into remaining hose. There should be a clip that secured the vent to the hose end.

[Ashton Crusher]

Looks to me like a vent, perhaps with a one way valve in it. To vent the gas tank. Looks a lot like ones I've seen on the Differentials on

4x4 trucks. Will if fit, and stay, in that spot the pooches out from the red plastic? Looks like that used to be it's "home".

[Danny D]

Ah. Thanks. So it's *not* a charcoal filter! I couldn't get to that parts diagram, but, since it's a vent, I do agree that I don't want to plug it up.

Hmmm... no clip. It's just barbed white plastic that sticks into the black hose. At least I don't see any clips. Maybe the clip fell off while I was weed whacking with the trimmer?

[Danny D]

Yes. That was its home. It would stay, if the hose were the original size, but I'm going to have to clip 3/4 inch off that black hose. I will figure something out.

Thanks for the helpful advice.