First off, yes I know the 050 is not a good choice for the 914- heard all that a thousand times before, but I stumbled upon a NOS one and want to try it out on my carbureted '74 2.0L to see for myself how it performs.

Here is my question - When I used an 050 on the '64 356SC I used to have, the number 1 plug wire went from the normal 5 o'clock position to the 7 o'clock position. This was normal for an 050 when installed in a 356 engine. Will I run into the same sort of thing when installing an 050 in a 914? In other words will all my plug wires be shifted one position clockwise?

Ansbacher

You'll actually loose power due to the advance curve being wrong and the amount of advance being less than the 914 unit.

I disagree. This is the best old school distributor for a type 4 with a carb/cam
I’ve raced on these distributors before. Far superior to a 009

Better than a stock curve also

Used them many times. Before crankfire, 123s and such they were the best.

Stock 050 max advance is almost 6 degrees less than a 914 unit.

Also max advance is later.

You were shorting yourself power.

I really appreciate the input and support for the 050 distributor, but can someone who has installed one of these in a 914 answer my original question which was this:

When I used an 050 on the '64 356SC I used to have, the number 1 plug wire went from the normal 5 o'clock position to the 7 o'clock position. This was normal for an 050 when installed in a 356 engine. Will I run into the same sort of thing when installing an 050 in a 914? In other words will all my plug wires be shifted one position clockwise?

Thanks,

Ansbacher

It depends on how you install the distributor and the drive shaft. The best thing to do would be to set up the car at TDC#1, then pull out the old distributor. Look carefully at the slot in the drive shaft down in the case, and the tangs at the bottom of the distributor drive. Compare to the drive tangs on the 050. Spin until the tangs are the same orientation, then look to see where the slot on the shaft for the rotor is.

--DD

Thanks. Dave. That is exactly the information I was looking for!

Ansbacher

Dave said it right (as usual).