Toyota Repair: 85 Toyota Fuel Leaking, charcoal canister, toyota pickup

Question
Hello Ted,
Here's the situation, I had just purchased a 85 Toyota Pickup (22-RE engine) with 212,000 miles on the odometer but the engine was swapped out a few months before (don't know how many miles it had)

I take it to get emissions tested and my gas cap fails due to not sealing well enough. I examine the cap and saw that the former owner had punched a hole in the top to let air escape.

So I go and buy a new cap and go back to emissions place. While being put through their real-world testing (Enviro Test in Colorado) I see that gas is pouring out from under the engine compartment. It still passed the test but I quickly re-installed the old gas cap and that seems to have kept the gas from leaking out.

The fuel was leaking out from the fuel return canister which has a hose running under it seemingly for the purpose to dumping fuel to the ground rather that spraying it around the engine compartment.

I'm thinking I must have a plugged return fuel line but I'm not sure what the gas cap has to do with it. I have replaced the fuel filter. Can that be easily replaced or tested? Any ideas?

Thanks.
Jon

Answer
There is a fuel vent problem, the charcoal canister is only supposed to receive fumes from the tank and then send any excess hydrocarbons back to the tank through the vapor return hose, if there is a blockage the canister will saturate with fuel because it will condense rather put the fumes back to the tank, best bet is to have a dealer check it.