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.

[wonkipop]

POST SCRIPT

A TROUBLED BIRTH FOR L - JET / THE FIRST EPA EMISSION CHEAT DEBACLE / THE FAILURE OF D-JET.

?

there was a lot going down in 1973.
none of it good news for VW.

primary background documents follow.



-----------------

1.

looking through factory workshop manual to find differences between EC-A/EC-B -
i came across the inception date of L jet. Nov 73.



L jet experts in the USA already knew this?
i didn't.
the introduction of the 914 1.8 did not co-incide with the start of the model year.


i read over the VIN# data base on this website.
what an asset. whoever decided to start that register - buy them a beer.
could not turn up a 74 1.8 before late oct/early nov 73.

these are the earliest that appear.






----------------

2.

The VW emissions cheat of 1973

EPA letter/report to US Justice Department 1973.








the letter (advisory circular) that was sent to all manufacturer's in 1972
referred to in EPA letter sent to Justice Dept above.







specific devices in question.
both cases were only models equipped with full auto transmission.
VW type 3 (fastbacks and squarebacks)
EGR was turned off by a switch in a VW type 3 when temp was below 68F (according to EPA).
VW type 2 (bus)
TCS (transmission controlled spark advance) was turned off by a switch below 68F (according to EPA).

it is not clear if this applied to only californian models or 49 states models.
CARB Executive Orders of 1973 list the type 3 F/A (fully auto) as equipped with EGR and the type 2 F/A as equiped with TCS.

extracts from a VW fuel injection manual describing the emissions equipment.




how EGR is controlled and switched off is explicit.
EGR is switched on above 65F.
car was clean in summer and dirty in winter.

how TCS operated is described above in terms of the type 3.
the type 3 did not have a temp sensor disconnecting the TCS.
the type 2 did.
the thermo switch would disconnect the transmission control that retarded spark in all the lower gears unless temp was above 65F.

without going into detail ----> basically VW could not make D jet cars work with fully automatic transmissions, pass emissions and be driveable.

Aftermath.

for 74MY there was only 1 fully automatic VW for sale in california.
the 1.8 L-jet engined VW 412.
the model arrived in August 73 for start of the MY.

VW dropped the F/A version of the bus for 1 year in california.
available in 73 and again in 75.
its not clear if you could buy a F/A bus in the 49 states.
(sales brochures said you could as a special option.)
the ED engine (type 4 1.8 L-jet) became available Jan 74 with manual trans.



D-jet engines were not used for any VW F/A model.
it would also appear no D-jet engines were used for 49 state F/A models.
models fitted with semi autos were available.
easy to see why. you take your foot off the gas when selecting gears.
S/A can be set up similar to a manual in terms of emissions control.

not so a slur box?

vw needed cars with fully automatic gearboxes for the USA market.

-----------

3.

the introduction of L jet engined cars.

The VW 412 gets L Jet first - Aug 73.




the VW 412 also continued to use the 1.7 EA engine in the 1974 MY
(use of the EA was discontinued for the 74 MY 914).






the EA engine was only available with M/T and only in 49 states.
the sole model 412 sold in california was the F/A 412 with an EC engine.
it is not clear if there were differences between the calif and 49 states F/A version.
the calif version was fitted with EGR (ref CARB executive order A-7-5).
the california version of the EC engine was called the EC-D.
the 49 states version may have been the EC-C (i have found no information on that).
VW could make a fully automatic car work with L-Jet EFI.

Likely supply of EC L-jet engines was prioritised for the 412 model from the start of MY 74. if not VW had no F/A large sedan or wagon available for sale in california or the 49 states.
Engines for 914s, on the information available appear to begin 2-3 months later in late Oct/early Nov 73. The 1.8 cars start rolling of the production line at that time.

In Jan 1974, the ED engine - bus version of the 1.8L type 4 fitted with L-jet commenced.
the L jet version is sold in california with M/T.

In march 1974 the opel manta GT/E fitted with L jet commenced.

The introduction of L jet is staged.
First across three VW models and then to other manufacturers.

The VW EC engine is the first engine to be fitted with L-jet.
The 1974 914 1.8 is the second car to be fitted with L-jet.

i have been mistaken for 30+ years claiming the 914 1.8 is the first car to be fitted with L jet.
though the system on the car is the first version of L jet. (ref part # on AFM).