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Subaru engined Trike.


longboarder
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It's fairly obvious that whoever made that, wanted the Subaru left on!

 

It would have been so easy to get rid of it and yet it is

painted and highlighed!

 

Someone wanted to make a Subie Statement!

I think they did a good job!

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Cheers for the positive comments, Yep it's mated to a Beetle transaxle with an adaptor plate etc.

One of the main reasons the stock air filter was left with the subaru badge on it, was to let people know what it is, I got fed up with people saying it was VW.

Although i am now looking at getting the weber conversion with filter, so will then look at having the subaru logo painted on each side of the tank.

 

Cheers Dom.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm having a trike built with a Subaru engine instead of a VW 1776 or 2015 that will be mated to a VW transaxle automatic. Looking recommendations and or pit falls. I live in Phoenix Arizona and concerned about over heating during the summer months which can and does reach 110 degrees F. Would like to hear about positioning the radiator in front or behind the engine?

Thanks

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Awsome job on the build!:headbang:

I'm impressed on how good it looks with no body! Sweet!!:banana:

 

 

Looking to do one my self (When funds permit) but with the ej22/4eat set up.

What part of the UK are you in. I have relatives in Nottingham who started the 10th ISP in the UK. Stumpy

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  • 5 years later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Hi, Carl here. Put your radiator in the front of the engine. I have mine in the back and It will start heating at about 65 mph. I have an extra fan that I can run all the time when it is too hot. If you are running 50 to 55 the automatic thermostate fan will hold the temp in check, but any faster and the temp comes up. The outside temp don't seem to have a great effect on the temp. I am sure what is happening is the air flow through the radiator and the air flow over and around the trike is creating a vacume at the rear of the trike and preventing the air flow through the radiator. I only run around 60 to 70 anyway so the extra cooling fan works well. I would also say I had a special radiator built with 4 cores and it made no difference. Some day I may change it and put the radiator in the front. when I build my next one I will put 2 goldwing radiators in the front on each side of the pass seat. Oh, And by the way, I really do enjoy my Vee DubAru.

Just my 2bits worth. Hope it helps, Enjoy, Carl

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Well done. Nice and neat. I have an ea81 Brat/Brumby engine in my PANTHER (Aust)trike. With VW automatic. I have an electronic distributor, weber 32/36 carb, iridium spark plugs, 8.8mm plug leads etc. Am about to fabricate mounts to install a Toyota SC12 supercharger.

 

I had a MR2 Toyota radiator mounted above the transaxle. It had 2 thermatic fans. It also had air vents carved into the body to get air in there. No matter what the fans would still come on at speed as there is a vacuum at the rear of the trike.

 

Recently I changed radiators to a smaller one from an Alfasud 1984-1990 model. It fitted better up the front. 32mm stainless steel tubes to carry the coolant and a larger than common thermostat 180 degrees so the coolant circulates better. A Hyundau expansion tank also. I also fitted a Husdsons instrument temperature switch in the usual temp sedner location and this has a truck reversing alarm on it so it goes off at 95 degrees C or 200F.

 

The large brake pedal required extensions and made them adjustable for my wife's short legs. The Subie engine performs overall better than the 1916 VW, revs easier, much more economical and remains compact and simple. Simplicity was a need of mine.

 

The supercharger will be a draw through set up with Dellorto or SU carb. Will plan for 6 psi boost. Should end up with 25% more power up from 75hp to 100 and up the torque by 30% at 2000 rpm instead of 2400rpm.

 

Smokey from Victoria Australia

 

IMG_0041-3.jpg

 

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IMG_0031.jpg

 

more to come

Edited by tweety
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continued

 

IMG_0032.jpg

 

Forget the radiator at the back. I moved it later.

 

IMG_0007-5.jpg

 

IMG_0021-2.jpg

 

A supercharger set up like this is planned. Might get a intake off an ea82 which is larger.

 

mgb_supercharger-2.jpg

 

I'd like a little more power for towing

 

guppypics5.jpg

 

see it perform at

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 years later...

I have to wonder, I have to know, I don't see much discussion on the performance on a Trike using a Subaru Engine Vs. a VW engine. Assuming that one used a regular\older EA81 engine without a super-charger or turbo, how much better is/would be the performance/speed/torque, etc. ??? I assume better, but how much of a difference?

 

I cannot disagree with putting a super charger on it, but Crimony! Just being a light-weight trike, that thing must have plenty of power! Can you actually punch it and  push it to its limit safely? I mean, I would think you would have trouble keeping the front wheel on the ground! lol...

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  • 4 weeks later...

Sorry Subaruist, havent seen this thread for a while.

 

The supercharged engine was woeful on fuel, double normal and more like a V8. After 3 dyno tunes I called it a day and pulled it off the engine. Yes, it had huge power increase. Over 100hp it was good. Lifted the front wheel if trying hard but this trike has more front down force than normal.

 

I then tried a SPFI conversion imported from the states. I never did get it running right. I eventually found the reason- both head gaskets were blown and when my engine builder pulled it apart there was a broken oil ring in number one and subsequent damaged cam gear. But I'd already taken off the SPFI system.

 

The engine is getting a full rebore, about 9.5:1 CR, 16/56 cam and built for high torque at low revs. But the surprise is- I'm retaining the larger SPFI manifold and adding an adapter and new weber 38/38 synchronic carbie. A lot of people think the carbie will be too big- that is an old tale. With correct jetting it will be good and will also add to the torque at lower revs.

 

I've gone this was for simplicity. I'm 58yo and am seeking reliability.  Hope to update soon.

 

20140902_150046-1.jpg

 

20140902_150036-1.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

You can see the adapter here.  It was purchased from  VWconversions Queensland australia by a guy named John Sherman.

 

It cost around $550 aus $500 US. plus post. Below is a pic.

 

Difference of Subaru to VW. Good question. 

 

The Brat/Brumby/Leone ea81 is simplistic- one of the major reasons for choosing the ea81 over any other Subaru engine. For me, overhead cams, cam belts, fuel injection etc are all too complicated for this older guy (58yo) that really uses his trike for cruising. My trike when new started with a twin weber 1916cc VW engine and regardless of being 1916cc I never got happy with the power output and sound. There were many other choices I could have made but the brat engine was the obvious choice. The supercharged version was over 100hp and would lift the front wheel when the auto changed from frist to second. Impressive controlled lift. Nice. I couldnt afford the fuel bill. Also my trike is a Panther Australian trike. It is constructed with a monocoque chassis all aluminium (Oz had weight limits for trike up until 2012 of 450 kgms). The roof is the only one of its type in the world, designed by me and a local engineer made it. It weighs 50kgms. So if I was to install say an EJ20 weight wise likely adds a further 50kgms or so over the ea81. The ea81 is very light and competes with the vW in that area.

 

I've just got my engine back from the engine builder. It will have the SPFI manifold and weber 38/38 for low down grunt. The manifold is at my engineers at the moment as the 6 mounting bolt holes beed to be reamed out towards the center as there is a full 5mm difference now since the heads and block faces were shaved.

 

the engine, now new oversize pistons (1820cc) balanced, CR 9.5:1, etc

 

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The exhaust

 

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SPFI manifold adapter to weber 38/38

 

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The adapter plate mostly obscured by the flex plate that you get supplied from VWconversions.  Now note- the original flywheel has been discarded so there is no timing marks. And the flex plate bolts are inserted through a hole at the top of the adapter plate just seen in this pic. Simply rotate the torque converter to locate them. Timing- TDC is found easilye on the crank pully by lining up the two holes in the pulley vertically including the centre of the crank pulley bolt. Once this has been confirmed you can put a nick in the pulley and paint the nick white. Then measure 8mm and make up a pointer for 8 degrees.

 

IMG_0238.jpg

 

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Edited by tweety
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The dyno supercharger output readout weber 32/36 compared to the supercharger. 82 at the wheels, over 100 hp at the fly.Interesting that the automatic takes away over 18 HP.  And also, riding this trike has always been safe. You'd have to ride it stupidly to be unsafe.

 

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The adapter plate

 

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The VW type 4 diff housing with type 3 auto trans ready to meet up with the engine and flex plate.

 

conversionVWengineout004.jpg

Edited by tweety
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  • 1 month later...

Love that trike - and Tweety's too.

Both have me once again hatching plans in my head to build my own trike.  Tweety has had me doing this for some time now - not that I think I'll ever act upon them due to the cost of engineering over here!

Still, that's one very neat "minimalist" trike you've got there Longboarder!

Cheers

Bennie

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