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How to bring an 80 brat back to life


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1st thing needed - engine info - EA81 manual on below site includes EA71 info too - tho it's for the '83 and later versions - valves are different on earlier ones

 

http://www.finleyweb.net/default.asp?id=142

 

FI would be difficult for an EA71 engine - difft intake manifold sizes - and an EA81 won't just drop in - best/easiest conversion/mod would be to put a Weber on it

 

GET THE BRAT - it is a 1st gen and those are RARE and very neat - one board member recently survived being T-boned in an '81 by a Dodge Dakota going 60mph - not much left of the Brat - but she was OK - the Brat is a safe vehicle

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FI would be difficult for an EA71 engine - difft intake manifold sizes - and an EA81 won't just drop in - best/easiest conversion/mod would be to put a Weber on it

 

ehh better check yourself there buddy. The Brats and all gen I stage II cars can fit an EA81 into them and its a bolt in precedure. Its like putting an EA71 into it. Also some '80 Brats and most '81 Brats came with the EA81 and a d/r tranny as well... The only problem with putting an EA81 into a car that wasn't equiped with one is you're gonna need different shift linkage unless you can get one from the mentioned Brats above. Also there's a gentleman on the board who makes the shift linkage in a kit and sells them for a decent price.

 

I'm going to be building an EA81TT for my '79 4wd wagon..... mwahahaha

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with the stock 1600, a rebuilt carb, and an electronic disty swap from an '83-newer EA81, I was getting 30mpg around town with my foot in it doing RWD burnouts:D With the JDM high compression 1600 and Holley 5200 with major issues, I had lots more power but I was getting maybe 10mpg:rolleyes:

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The Brats and all gen I stage II cars can fit an EA81 into them and its a bolt in precedure. mwahahaha

swapping a carb is easier than swapping an engine - I was talking about the easiest mod - not the biggest performance boost - webers are easier to service/rebuild than Hitachis.

 

Also the tranny MUST be swapped b/c a EA71 tranny will not mate with an EA81 engine

 

That said, yes, I would drop an EA81 (with D/R tranny) and do an SPFI conversion on it if it was mine - EA81 not hard - SPFI conversion fun

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well the last two years of the gen 1 Brats hadthe EA81 with the EA71 bellhousing and a d/r 4-speed in them.

I did not know that - I thought that the EA81 brats (both gen) had the EA81 tranny (side starter), and all EA71 had the EA71 drivetrain (center starter), and that no D/R center-starter trannies were ever made .... - that said, finding an EA81 from a Gen 1 brat will be hard - and it would be a good idea to drop late EA81 heads on it (83 and later), as they have bigger valves.

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Actually, 1980 was NOT the EA81 with dual range. That was only offered in 1981. There is a 1981 project one here in Dallas for sale. Contact: Calebz on the board.

 

I get 28-32 in mixed driving and 35 on the highway with my 80 BRAT. Completely STOCK with stock electronic ignition and all kept WELL maintained. Mobil 1 added 2 miles per gallon.

 

Todd

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COOL beta, thanks for the info, kep it coming...

 

The tranny is a D/R standard, both engines are EA71 .

the mounted one had probs so the guy baought another running on, then its been sitting for 10 years...

 

Don't confuse "dual range" with 4WD/FWD. The 81 Dual range had 4wd HI and 4wd LOW and FWD on the selector. You you could call it "triple range". The pics indicate just regular 4WD.

 

Todd

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Don't confuse "dual range" with 4WD/FWD. The 81 Dual range had 4wd HI and 4wd LOW and FWD on the selector. You you could call it "triple range". The pics indicate just regular 4WD.

 

Todd

 

Roger that...

I thunk (hoped) it was DR, but it makes sense that its just FWD vs 4WD...

It'd be nice to have low range (see a thread on putting low range into the legacy superu), but i don't see the money flowing from the dollar fairy anytime soon ;)

 

so this is staring to look like a rebult carb, and regular juices and gasket checking, but how would it work to run CNG ?

I've seen other cars running CNG, that you can run unleaded fuel through also..

would I be able to do that with this brat, or would it be CNG/gasoline dedicated?

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