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Basically you have a gearbox with a top mount starter, if you intend to keep your engine you need to find a bellhousing from a later EA71 'fat case' engine (side mount starter) and swap this over. You can then fit a five speed 4wd transmission. It is still not a bolt-in proposition, however, as there is not much room in a Gen 1 Brat where the steering joint and DOJ are located and the width of the five speed transmission will want to 'fill' that space. Others have done it so it can be done but it is not simply a bolt-in and drive away.

 

This is covered almost every week! A quick search should give you plenty of results.

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agreed...i have a built ea71 from my 5spd set-up that i wish i could put in my ea81 set up but those fat bell hosings are illusive in these pats of the desert. you still get a little more bang out of an ea81 or 82 so the best thing to do is find an old wagon with a 5speed and upgrade to ea81 or 82. as for the steering clearance its all about getting the adjustment on the anti pitch bar atop the engine and drilling the motor mounts about 3/4 in forward. i notch in the bell housing for the bottom bolt 1/2 inch and ground down the stud to get extra clearance.

when installing always adjust the pitch bar first then tighten all other engine and tranny mounts.

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agreed...i have a built ea71 from my 5spd set-up that i wish i could put in my ea81 set up but those fat bell hosings are illusive in these pats of the desert. you still get a little more bang out of an ea81 or 82 so the best thing to do is find an old wagon with a 5speed and upgrade to ea81 or 82. as for the steering clearance its all about getting the adjustment on the anti pitch bar atop the engine and drilling the motor mounts about 3/4 in forward. i notch in the bell housing for the bottom bolt 1/2 inch and ground down the stud to get extra clearance.

when installing always adjust the pitch bar first then tighten all other engine and tranny mounts.

ea81 may be an option, but I heard the ea82's weren't worth messin with. the hard thing about this whole thing is that I live in north Texas and can't find many old subarus around here.. slim to none actually, I just found a window today that I've been searchin for for over 10 months now.

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same thing with vegas...no old soobs..on flat4lv there are 3 gen 1s and i have 2 of them.

i have never owned an ea82 but i hear alot of mixed emotions on this post and from what they say it is a solid engine given you maintain it as you are supposed to but i dont hear about many mods for them. i love my ea 81s as they pack a punch in the gen 1 soobs cuz they are so light. i rebuilt one with ea71 .25 pistons and also ground the camshaft. I ported the heads and intake.

the engine ran so good that i blew it up going to arizona.......lack of 5th gear and doin 90 had alot to do with that. I pushed it too early and a rod bearing failed. i just pulled the engine from the brat and swapped it out in about 5 hours and smogged it that afternoon........thats what i love most about these carsi strap a come-along to a garage beam and the engine is out with the turn of 6 nuts and 4 bolts.

that would have never happened in my chevy days

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