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]

@StarBear @Van B @JeffBowlsby

some more data i pulled down from a car just up for sale on BAT.
05/74 914 1.8.
VIN# 4742918254
K# 2019552 = mon 13 may 1974
fair condition car - mostly original.
no shots of tune up sticker or emission sticker.
but sold new in california - palo alto.
engine shots show that original distributor is gone and vacuum lines for retard and advance plugged and removed.
has engine tin paint stamp #606.
607 and 606 previously found to be EC-A engines.
also has no temp gauge sender lid or console with gauges - consistent with speculation that 606 means standard EC-A engine for 1.8 without console option fitted at factory.
i'll enter this data into the schedules on page 1 of the thread and update when i get some time.










of interest it has metal expansion tank on fuel tank.
still using metal expansion tank in early may 74



i have VIN ---18255 , one car after it, already on file from research last year but no images of frunk of that car in the file, so don't know what tank type it had.

by june 74 they were using the plastic expansion tank.
example VIN 4742920438.
no K# for that car but 17 cars from another on vin database here with K# indicating 28 June 74 build.



i've not looked previously at this with the 1.8 research we did.
i have only a first edition of b. johnson book - restorers guide.
he may have updated the information regarding the plastic tank update.
in the first edition he gives a date of mid 1974.
unclear if he means calendar year or model year.
if he means calendar year he is close.
looks like it happens somewhere between may 13 and june 28.
if any more late production 74s show up post may 13 build date this might be pinned down as a date or vin if it has not already been done.
so far in our research a car has not shown up between these two examples.

the PET catalogue is very vague (incorrect!?) on both the charcoal cannister update and the plastic expansion tank update making it seem that both occur at end of 73 MY.
reality is quite different.

EDIT JULY 22 2022

turned up the stuff on example 1 VIN after blue car above - has metal expansion tank.

1.8 L jet likely EC-B (tune up sticker)
VIN 4742918255
K# 1959559 build commencement friday 10 may 1974

Vin is one number after blue car above, K number indicates build commences on the friday before the monday blue car above starts.