charcoal cannister

What is the purpose of the Charcoal cannister and how is it removed and should it be removed,( need to get the water bottle out) do you remove the bracket or can you unscrew the cannister from the bracket can't l ocate the correct bolts??? Thanks for any input...

The charcoal canister is essentially a "vapor recovery" system to keep gasoline vapors from the  tank from filling the garage .  There has to be a vent to the tank to allow for vapors to escape and the tank not to overpressure when the weather is hot.  The canister does no harm and does not inhibit performance in any way so I dont know if there is any advantage of removing it.  Im not sure how your 78 varies from my 82 but on mine, the canister is held in a sheet metal "clamp" and is mounted by two self tapping screws that are accessible from the left front wheel well.  There is a third self tapping screw on the opposite side that clamps the bracket around the canister. On my 82 the third screw can easily by reached from outside of the car by removing the drivers side "gills".  Id mark the hoses that attach to the canister before removal in case you decide to reinstall it. 

Thank yo very much for the info When I get a chance???? I wil look at it with your info just trying to get the water bottle up to look at the water pump or hoses to see why no wiper water???

What the Crossfire 1982 says is correct.  If you remove the hoses be sure to mark them.  A hose in the wrong place can lead to further problems !

Mark hoses thanks