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Hey Ian! Just came into ownership of a 74 914 1.8… it was switched by the previous owner from fuel injection to carburetors. Just curious what you think is better especially considering the primitive nature of those ECUs? I have the entire original fuel injection system still with the car. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
@@jlafirearms782 The fuel injection system is actually really reliable and well designed. Both of my current 914s run D-jet. I once had a 914 with carbs. There's nothing like carbs for that great engine sound. It was a bit more torquey off the line, but it came at the price of having to sync the carbs and changing jets when going to higher altitudes. I'm a fan of the original FI
I just started working on my father's 1975 914 2.0 ( he passed away suddenly) but I'm a novice and really find your videos informative. I will be watching more and might have (really will) questions as I really want to get this car back to as close as original condition as possible. Thanks for putting up these videos. Chris.
I recently took possession of a 912E which uses a type IV, 2.0 engine. Your video is very informative and I expect to watch it ofter so I can get all the bits squared away in my brain. Thank you, Joe
Excellent overview Ian….can’t tell u how comforting it is to get a well rounded explanation of the inner workings. I’ve owned 3 914 2.0 ‘s in my lifetime as well as 2 911’s. Luv your channel 👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️
Heya, Ian! Just saw this video, and I have a couple of suggestions for you. First, get rid of those worm-gear hose clamps on the fuel lines! They're designed to cut into the hose in order to stay secure--but cutting a high-pressure fuel hose is the last thing you want to do, especially in the engine bay of a 914. The proper fuel-injection hose clamps look like a Greek letter Omega, and the edges of the band are rolled up so they don't cut the hose. To quote the late Phil Hartman, "FIRE BAD!!" The second suggestion is that you find a pushrod tube retaining wire, that funky wire with lots of bends in it. Yours seems to be missing from the cylinder head you showed us. Without that properly in place, the tubes can walk themselves out of the crankcase and give you some very nice oil leaks. Though if you put them in wrong, you can wear notches in the pushrods. Might make a good video later to show how those retainers go in the rocker box!
Thanks, Dave. Agree on all points. This was the way the engine was delivered to me. All the things you mention (plus a few others) are why I tore it down and started fresh on the rebuild ;). I actually JUST shot the scene of how to install the pushrod retaining wire the other day!
You made me go back in time. I've owned two 914 2.0. Wonderful car and the engine although idyosincratic at idle speed had good performance. Nice video.
Love these videos! Used to own a '76 and wished these were around then - I am not much of a mechanic but I had to drop the motor for a rebuild a week and a half after I bought it, luckily found some great instructions online; back then the Pelican Parts forums were the place to go...BaT has had some nice ones lately and stuff like this is making my itch for another 914
@@IanKarr that was quick - a beautiful resto mod 74 came up for sale not too far away and I got it! pantherfanz.smugmug.com/Family/n-4kNkq/1974-Porsche-914
I was happy that he talked about the air flaps and thermostat underneath the motor, too many people leave them off and it really screws up VW motors, especially a fuel injected one. The computer will be told the engine is cold (it is!) and keep the mixture richer than it should be.
I have this motor in a sandrail buggy its turbocharged with mechanical fuel injection , don't know much about air cooled engines but this buggy is fast at just 10 psi boost. Thanks for the informative video...
Hi Ian - another enjoyable teener video - keeping me inspired here in the UK to get my 1.8 '74 on the road - a 3 year+ journey so far! If you could do a video on a installing a new pedal bushing kit , that would be great!
Your the only RU-vid I subscribe to and watch your videos when come out. I learn a little more every time I "ride along" with you and one day my 73 may just look as good as yours. ^_^
Ian, have you got a video on replacing the intake manifolds and seals on a 1975 914 2.0L? I have a vacuum leak on one of my sleeves and will be replacing them.
One of the engine build episodes (maybe 5??) shows installing the intake manifold. Not really hard to do. Highly recommend some dry spray lube inside the sleeves.
All 4 cylinder 914s left the factory with fuel injection. Some L-Jet, some D-jet. If you "upgrade" to carbs you can run a more aggressive cam and get more torque/hp. But it comes at the expense of ease of ownership since you have to keep the carbs in sync and major changes in elevation (like a mountain drive) might not like the jets you have installed.
@@tnasburypl you can also buy a repair kit from tangerine racing or have Eric at PMB performance refurbish yours. IMHO, that's a better bet than a used one off ebay.
@@IanKarr Yes you are probably right. I happen to know that rebuilt ones re-use the reluctance coils and replace only the diaphragm or O-ring. I only need a coil body. Funny everyone selling one wont give me coil resistance. Perhaps I'll have three cores to sell. Lol.
The 914 type IV engines are slightly different than the type IVs used in the VW bus. Visually, the dipstick and oil fill are oriented differently. Hopefully the engine gurus here can point out other stuff. I want to say the torque curve is different too...but I'm now officially in over my head.
Your 74 2.0 shares the crank/rods/cylinders/flywheel (maybe the lifters) with the Bus 2.0. Nothing else. As Ian mentioned? The blocks are machined differently for the oil filler.
My idle air adjustment screw leaks air into the throttle body through the screw thread. I’ve been told the factory sealed the screw threads with something. Do you know what they used and/or what did you use?
I've actually never heard of sealing the threads. But I'm just an amateur. Not sure why it would matter if the threads leak air. That screw is designed to leak air, so whatever is coming around the threads is just a component of that. If, when screwed all the way in you can't get your idle way low, the leak is very likely from someplace else.
I’m having a tough time getting my engine to idle well. I’ve done all the basics, compression test, vacuum test etc. when warm it idles well,when cold, not so much. If you look at the throttle body the air going through the metering screw comes from above the Venturi and throttle plate, passes the adjustment screw and Venturi and is then dumped back into the throttle body. What little info there is that I can find on the D-Jet setup indicates that they did not want this screw adjusted past the factory adjustment. If I put pressure on the screw or squirt water on it while running the idle improves. When I get the adjustment close maybe I’ll just put a little silicone on the threads and that will solve it I hope. This problem has been very frustrating to solve.
Thanks Richard. I'm not an engine expert, but I have chased down issues like this before. Here are some questions.. -What happens when you turn the adjustment screw all the way in? Does the engine (nearly) stall? - When you say the engine doesn't idle well when cold, what do you mean (RPM, lopey, stalling, high?) - When warm, what RPM does it idle at? - Is the Auxiliary Air Valve functioning? - Does the cold idle improve, worsen or stay the same when you disconnect the cold start injector?
I just bought a 1.8 carb and have some oil leaks. Where should I start to fix them? Also can’t get into the trunk. No solenoid and have the back Porsche lense any suggestions?
Oil leaks are usually from pushrod tube seals, pressure sender, front and main seals and bad valve cover sealing. Where does your oil seem to come from?
@@IanKarr The leaks appear to be coming from the gasket between the engine and the transmission. To change that gasket do I need to drop the engine? Any advice?
@Russ Nelson There isn't a gasket between the transmission and the engine. They just bolt together. If you're sure it's coming from where they meet, there's a decent chance it's the rear main seal that's leaking. Is your clutch slipping as well? When there's a leaky main seal, oil can get on the clutch disk. In order to change the seal, you'll need to pull the transmission, pressure plate and clutch. You can see the process in my clutch replacement video. It can be done with the engine in...or out. That said....these engines are notorious for tricky leaks and anything at the bottom of the case could come from anywhere above. Best to do some more detective work before you go through the trouble of changing the rear main seal. I'd also post a thread and pics on 914world so the brain trust over there can chime in. Good luck!
Thanks, I like your videos. The trigger points are a mystery part of the analog fuel system hidden away until they fail or upgrade to an 010 distributor.
@@tomjames7955 Thanks Tom. The 123 distributor is an even better upgrade. And they now even have a bluetooth version. Please subscribe if you haven't already!
Thanks for the feedback Randy. I use tripods and stabilizers where I feel they're necessary (in this video, the intro/close and wider shots of the engine). For most close-up work that follows a process, I prefer hand-held.
