1974 914 1.8, the mystery of the EC-A and EC-B Options

[wonkipop]

i'll be dropping the information we have gathered over Dec 2021 in with a set of posts.

the material was prompted by mr b ( @JeffBowlsby ) who observed that for the 74 MY there was an EC-A and an EC-B engine. mr b's thought was that the EC-A was a 49 states car and and EC-B was a californian car for emissions.

mr b's view was rational and reasoned. 73 EA engines are 49 states. 73 EB engines are california. 75 engines are documented in factory literature as EC-a (49 states) and EC-b (california). the logic should follow?

BUT

as per the mystery of the 914, the truth about 74 1.8s turns out stranger than fiction (or common sense?).

the material is not necessary to running a 1.8 or having fun with a 14. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

its for historical purposes and as information to 74 1.8 owners to assist with restoration if they want it.

[L-Jet914]

What's interesting is when I replaced my ignition rotor, it had the standard rotor inside the distributor instead of the rpm limiting one. So I put the regular rotor in there as I thought it was what it came with.

[wonkipop]

What's interesting is when I replaced my ignition rotor, it had the standard rotor inside the distributor instead of the rpm limiting one. So I put the regular rotor in there as I thought it was what it came with.

hi L-JET914.

the reason for the rev limiting rotor in most of the cars was to protect from over-revving.
don't think there is anything else to them. its not to do with emissions.

they switched to a fuel cut off instead in 75 cal to protect the exhaust catalyser in 75 cal cars. it was not thought to be good to be dumping large amounts of unburnt fuel into the cat when the rotor cut ignition. bad for the cat. side benefit was that the fuel cut off did help with emissions. did not dump hydrocarbons. did not need the speed limited rotor.

neither really protect the engine on a missed shift or downshift.
it will still overspin.

i wouldn't worry about it.
i am not even sure you can buy a replacement rev limiting rotor anymore.
i haven't looked into it. i've still got one in mine. they are very large.

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i saw your other inquiry in the other thread. i think Dave P was trying to work out when they stopped stamping karmann numbers in the rear trunk of 914s and went to rivetted plates in front trunk. i knew from our survey that your car was in the vicinity he was looking at to pinpoint the change.