The carbon canister in my car does not appear to fit properly. The bracket does not fit inthe groove and the canister doesn't sit straight because it hits the FI control unit. Wher there differnt size canisters or was the bracket supposed to mount somewhere other than to the battery tray as mine is. I am new to these cars so i am not sure about how things should sit. I've attached a pics of how mine sits. How should it mount?

As I remember, it was mounted to the rear engine tin or rear bulkhead in about the location it is now.

Funny, mine fits perfectly on the shelf in the barn...

I installed mine in the trash can.

It moved around a bunch over the years.

73 and older it resided on the top of the fuel tank.

In 74 it was moved to the rear wall of the engine compartment and depending on the build date, on the battery tray.

What you have there is not the factory charcoal canister. It's a VW bus charcoal canister. It has superceded the original one. That's why it doesn't fit correctly.

I don't even have one in my car.

Seems to me that your brain is in the wrong place. Let me rephrase that: I think your control unit should mount lower and farther to the right. Isn't it usually attached and hanging from the battery tray and out of sight over the hell hole? That would allow the clamp to be seated in the proper location on the canister and the hose wouldn't be mashed up against the control unit, as it is presently.

Oh, you can help fix your starting problem by attaching the negative cable to your battery .

QUOTE (type47fan @ Feb 8 2006, 04:37 PM)

Seems to me that your brain is in the wrong place. Let me rephrase that: I think your control unit should mount lower and farther to the right. Isn't it usually attached and hanging from the battery tray and out of sight over the hell hole? That would allow the clamp to be seated in the proper location on the canister and the hose wouldn't be mashed up against the control unit, as it is presently. Oh, you can help fix your starting problem by attaching the negative cable to your battery .

Actually, its in the correct location. You have not seen a 914 with AC. They moved the FI brain up higher on the firewall to make room for the AC compressor.

I can see the low pressure line under the brain.....

QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Feb 9 2006, 10:25 AM)

QUOTE (type47fan @ Feb 8 2006, 04:37 PM) Seems to me that your brain is in the wrong place.  Let me rephrase that:  I think your control unit should mount lower and farther to the right.  Isn't it usually attached and hanging from the battery tray and out of sight over the hell hole?  That would allow the clamp to be seated in the proper location on the canister and the hose wouldn't be mashed up against the control unit, as it is presently. Oh, you can help fix your starting problem by attaching the negative cable to your battery . Actually, its in the correct location. You have not seen a 914 with AC. They moved the FI brain up higher on the firewall to make room for the AC compressor. I can see the low pressure line under the brain.....

You are correct sir... hehehe (in my best Ed voice)


My car has (had) AC and my brain is in that position.

QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Feb 8 2006, 04:48 AM)

What you have there is not the factory charcoal canister. It's a VW bus charcoal canister. It has superceded the original one. That's why it doesn't fit correctly.

Bullsh*t, Clay. (Hey, I watched Penn and Teller last night!) I'm surprised at you! The ECU is incorrectly mounted, probably because the brackets are missing (see the picture). If it were mounted properly, the ECU would be below the level of the carbon cannister, and there would be no clearance problem. As for the "VW Bus" comment, the bus used a 914 CC, if you choose to look at it another way. He has the correct CC, and I have TWO late 914s in the shop today with the SAME units on which to support my opinion.

The Cap'n, thankful to wake up EVERY MORNING with a reason to be Krusty!

Thanks for everyones input. I purchased this car with the intention of bringing it as close as possible to original condition and I am currently figuring out what is wrong to make it right. From what I can tell, the brain is in the right place. It is on what appears to be original mounts and I see no holes or brackets where it could mount otherwise. From what I can tell in the 914 books I have and what is available in parts diagrams the canister is the right style, but is there maybe another canister that is shorter and maybe this is a VW unit like has been suggested? That would make it fit better. This car does have A/C so nothing would mount lower very easily. I guess I will have to find another completely stock '76 with A/C to look at to figure out the problem.

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Feb 9 2006, 10:01 AM)

QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Feb 8 2006, 04:48 AM) What you have there is not the factory charcoal canister. It's a VW bus charcoal canister. It has superceded the original one.  That's why it doesn't fit correctly. Bullsh*t, Clay. (Hey, I watched Penn and Teller last night!) I'm surprised at you! The ECU is incorrectly mounted, probably because the brackets are missing (see the picture). If it were mounted properly, the ECU would be below the level of the carbon cannister, and there would be no clearance problem. As for the "VW Bus" comment, the bus used a 914 CC, if you choose to look at it another way. He has the correct CC, and I have TWO late 914s in the shop today with the SAME units on which to support my opinion. The Cap'n, thankful to wake up EVERY MORNING with a reason to be Krusty!

Cap'n.. I finally get to catch you out in something...


Attached is a screen shot from the installation manual for the DPD air conditioner. If you want to see the whole thing, go here.

And the charcoal canister part number is superceded in PET by the VW one......

QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Feb 9 2006, 06:18 PM)

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Feb 9 2006, 10:01 AM) QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Feb 8 2006, 04:48 AM) What you have there is not the factory charcoal canister. It's a VW bus charcoal canister. It has superceded the original one.  That's why it doesn't fit correctly. Bullsh*t, Clay. (Hey, I watched Penn and Teller last night!) I'm surprised at you! The ECU is incorrectly mounted, probably because the brackets are missing (see the picture). If it were mounted properly, the ECU would be below the level of the carbon cannister, and there would be no clearance problem. As for the "VW Bus" comment, the bus used a 914 CC, if you choose to look at it another way. He has the correct CC, and I have TWO late 914s in the shop today with the SAME units on which to support my opinion. The Cap'n, thankful to wake up EVERY MORNING with a reason to be Krusty! Cap'n.. I finally get to catch you out in something... Attached is a screen shot from the installation manual for the DPD air conditioner. If you want to see the whole thing, go here. And the charcoal canister part number is superceded in PET by the VW one......

First, where's that "hose"? That thing visible in the triangle of the ECU/blower hose/CC is the FI harness, and the pipe visible next to the distributor cap is the AIS pipe and anti-backfire valve. I do see a device commonly associated with A/C there next to the battery, but I've seen them elsewhere. That IS the correct CC, the plastic one that came on the car, and it even has the factory wire hose clamps on it. The earlier metal one, the one that's found in period 911s as well, is also identical to the VW part. If the car does have A/C, then the owner/driver's just gonna have to put up with the results of kludge engineering, 'cause that's what VPC/DPD/Meyer Line A/C on a 914 is. A clever person could rework the hangers, flip the ECU 180 degrees, and reattach it so there'd be plenty of room. Your turn. The Cap'n

I just sold my '76er (with a/c) and the carbon cannister (before I dis-mounted it) was attached to the bottom of the battery tray. Exactly how I don't remember. Pic attached, you can see it at the bottom.

Thanks for the further input. I looked at the one picture posted here and then looked at some pictures of cars for sale at AA and determined that my CC is in the right place and right type. It is now a question of which direction it faces and where the vacuum hoses fit. It is obvious where the smaller hose from the fuel tank goes, but it is not obvious where the other two go. Currently the hose on the end of the CC with only one port is going to the breather box and the one on the opposite side with the smaller hose is going to the fan shroud. I see pictures with it this way and ones with the hoses running just the opposite. When I bought the car the hoses were the other way and I reversed them after looking at some vacuum diagrams that seemed to indicate to run them the way I have them now and it made more sense to me since the air being pulled in through the breather should create a vacuum to suction the gas vapors through the cainister. So how should they go?