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rear wheel well "mismatch" ?

chucklbunny

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does any know why the wheel wells in a 72 satellite/rr are different from left to right ?

(see attached pic)

I am lost as to why they are not both the same.


Chuck

1972 Plymouth ver2 (14).jpg
 
I think they are like that for all the b-bodies (except maybe wagons) from 1971 to 1978. Like you I don't know why.
 
The evap can is located in the left wheel well behind the tire in 71 to early 72. It was larger to accommodate this. They just carried it through 74 since the tooling was already done.
 
The rumor has always been that it was done that way for NASCRAP, can't confirm.
 
As posted, the extra room was for the E.C.S. fuel tank vapor separator/expansion tank as originally designed for ’71. As of April 1, 1972, a design change went to production, new fuel tank, filler neck, and a smaller vapor separator located forward of the fuel tank. Re-tooling would have required new wheel well half’s, trunk floor, left trunk floor extension.


71 vapor sep.JPG
 
Wow, What an over-engineered looking (and costly) setup this appears to be. Would I be correct in that the final iteration resulted in the plastic charcoal cannister being adopted for the collection gasoline vapors?
 
Beginning with all ‘72 production, all evaporative vapors were collected in a one year only two-stage purge (4-nipple) charcoal canister. Dedicated carburetor canister purge ports didn’t come until ’73, 3-nipple canister.
April 1, 1972 and up design;
73 vap sep.JPG
 
Last edited:
As posted, the extra room was for the E.C.S. fuel tank vapor separator/expansion tank as originally designed for ’71. As of April 1, 1972, a design change went to production, new fuel tank, filler neck, and a smaller vapor separator located forward of the fuel tank. Re-tooling would have required new wheel well half’s, trunk floor, left trunk floor extension.


View attachment 1069868
Yes, the left wheelhouse was made larger to accomodate the vapor cannister.
This wheelhouse and trunk floor was in every B body from 1971-1979, and every 79-81 R body {St Regis, Newport, New Yorker, Gran Fury]
The 74-78 trunk floors had a huge hump because they redesigned the gas tank to include the vapor cannister/venting to be in the top of the fuel tank, instead of in the wheelhouse, but they left the larger wheelhouse. Then 79-81 went back to a flat trunk floor.
Fun Fact: an AMD 71 Charger/ Satellite one piece trunk floor will fit in any 71-79 B body, and 79-81 R body. 2 door or 4 door. 74-78 just need to have the hump added or cut around.
Inner wheelhouses never changed from 71-81.
 
Actually the 4-dr trunk pan is about 1" longer than the 2-dr pan.
71-2 Pan
2-dr 3446763
4-dr 3445020
 
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