39 replies to this topic

[GeneralDisorder]

I'm still tweaking things, and I still need to take some more pictures, but it's ready for people to pick it apart. Here ya go:

http://home.comcast..../EA81_SPFI.html

Be prepared to do some reading....

As soon as I get another harness to convert, I'm going to enlarge the harness conversion section with a TON more pictures. The weather is keeping me from it right now, but that should change this next week I hope.

GD

[baccaruda]

it's really great that you did this. i'll photoshop some screenshots for you later, with corrections or suggestions.. i see some apostrophes and minor glitches. This will keep a lot more old EA81s on the road, I suspect.


actually, i can save the page and edit it with my fully legal copy of dreamweaver and then upload it for you...

[daeron]

yah.. out side of a few typos and apostrophe errors, (oohh, god Forbid!!) it is truly top-notch, right?? he let me take a sneak preview a little while back, and its the best combination of technically precise and specific, AND conversational, and easy-top-undertand, that I have ever read. top five, at least, anyhow.... and the pictures already posted are fantastic. the final reveal is going to be impressive, to say the least.

[Qman]

Nicely done Rick.

[bgd73]

Picking apart the pushrod head poking aviator ea81 will be easy... keep the swap to an ea81 to an spfi and those silly remarks about noisy ea82s out of the site?
It was a wild stab biased and unfactual. The ea81 ironically, the exact dud that didn't make it here in my locale *exactly* because of the pushrods, was a happy demise in the site of the ea82 and two timing belts- and very durable top end that went with it. If spfi was a welcome evolution for fuji onto the ea81 they would have done so. I have written similar loud statements to learn it was my locale making something better or worse- keeping opinions out is a great idea. Your article is very useful.

[75subie]

thanks for taking the time to do this GD, its very handy.

i`m considering doing this swap to my 85 brat. if you do ever start to make those spfi harnesses, and they are reasonable, i`d probly buy one from you.

one quick question tho, the car i`m looking at is a 92 loyale 2wd auto, would i be better off getting the ecu out of a 4wd 5sp ea82? which years would be the easiest? i did read that section in your manual, but i just want to be sure.

thanks!
Jon

[GeneralDisorder]

Thanks for all the support everyone!

75subie: I would reccomend the 87 to 89 black ECU from a 5 speed, but everything else on that Loyale should work fine. You could use the auto ECU, but you will need to fool the ECU's park switch, and inhibitor switch to prevent codes.... if you need one I can get you one around here, or I also have two Loyale 5 speed ECU's if you want to deal with the clutch switch - a Loyale pedal assembly should fit from what I can see, but I haven't actually tried to swap one into an EA81 - it was easier for me to just pick up a GL ECU and only have to worry about the neutral switch.

GD

[hatchsub]

This is going to be awesome. Makes me think about doing it on my 83 sedan..mmmmmhh 5 speed AND fuel injection.

[GeneralDisorder]

This is going to be awesome. Makes me think about doing it on my 83 sedan..mmmmmhh 5 speed AND fuel injection.

I really loved my wagon when it was a 2WD 5 speed. I got 33 MPG with the weber. I would love to find a nice 2WD EA81 and put the SPFI on it. They make a great little commuter for good weather states. My EA82 sedan is nice, but the wagon had more character, and was smaller.

GD

[75subie]

thanks GD

how much do you think one of your custom harnesses would run if you did start bringing them into production? my wiring always seems to come out terrible, and i forget stuff.

[GeneralDisorder]

I haven't the first clue as to what my yards are going to charge me for these. I'm *hoping* it's not too bad, but the weather here has been terrible (they are saying 80 MPH winds tonight ). And it does somewhat depend on what all you want done. If you just want the harness or if you want my to do the fuses and relays like I've done with mine.... I would guess that for just a plain harness with everything stripped, labeled, and zip tied (similar to what you see in the labeled picture on my write up) it would be about $50 in labor to get it to that state, plus whatever the cost is for me to buy the thing (rough estimate $25?? + $2 entry fee) and then shipping (probably around $8 or so). It takes about 2 hours to make the trip to the yard, find one that's suitable, get it pulled, and back home again - then about 2 more hours to strip it, organize the wires, and then label and properly route all the new connections. I don't like to wrap them in tubing and tape till they are instaleled in case you want to move something around, extend some wires or chagne the location of a component, etc. So rough estimate of $85 or so assuming the yard doesn't bend me over too hard (it's a HUGE bundle of wire to walk up to the counter with :-\).

If you want to pull the harness and send it to me, I'll do the wireing and send it back for $35 plus shipping.

I'm going to try and find some more suitable relay/fuse boxes - those mitsubishi eclipse boxes are awesome, but I don't know how many I can source. Most of the under-hood boxes I see are huge, with way too many fuses and relays to be of use. The mitsu AC one is just right, and even uses the same fuses and relays as the EA81/EA82. I need to find other similar ones. The Mitsu one isn't wired anything close to correctly inside, but with some creative re-engineering with my soldering iron and some JB-weld I was able to make use of every spot in it. It's got the SPFI fuseable link, two fused, relay controlled circuits, and the coil capacitor all in one little package. If I can find more, I'll try to make them availible for sale. Probably be about $35 each for those as they aren't easy to find and I have to spend an hour inside it rewiring the whole thing.

GD

[75subie]

that sounds fair for sure. let me know if you do start doing that sort of thing. i could send you an unstripped harness.

one last question, would it be possible to just use an ea81t disty instead of having to switch gears?

[GeneralDisorder]

that sounds fair for sure. let me know if you do start doing that sort of thing. i could send you an unstripped harness.

one last question, would it be possible to just use an ea81t disty instead of having to switch gears?

No - the EA81T disty is for use with the flapper-door MAF system used in the 83 to 86 turbo and MPFI vehicles. It has a vacuum advance can on the side, and triggers the coil directly like a carb distributor.

You can send me the harness if you like. I can get it converted anytime you are ready. Send me a PM and we'll talk.

GD

[75subie]

my friend is supposedly giving me the loyale(rotted unibody), so let me get everything set there, and the parts pulled, and then you'll be getting a pm

thanks for the help!,
Jon

[Phizinza]

I'm still tweaking things, and I still need to take some more pictures, but it's ready for people to pick it apart. Here ya go:

http://home.comcast..../EA81_SPFI.html

Be prepared to do some reading....

As soon as I get another harness to convert, I'm going to enlarge the harness conversion section with a TON more pictures. The weather is keeping me from it right now, but that should change this next week I hope.

GD

Is this going to be the site it will be on, or will the address change? I would love to link to it on my site. Very good write up, well done mate.

[GeneralDisorder]

Is this going to be the site it will be on, or will the address change? I would love to link to it on my site. Very good write up, well done mate.

Should remain there for the time being. Barring any changes to my ISP. Feel free to link to it as much as you like.

You guys didn't even get SPFI I thought?

GD

[Snowman]

Very good manual GD. Basically what I was hoping to do if I had the time and patience to do it:D . The actual install pictures are probably the best thing, as you can only do so much with wiring diagrams.

Keep up the good work:headbang: .

[GeneralDisorder]

Thanks! more pictures to come, and I just remembered I need to address the upper radiator hose in there somewhere. Totally forgot about that part....

GD

[daeron]

I'm going to try and find some more suitable relay/fuse boxes - those mitsubishi eclipse boxes are awesome, but I don't know how many I can source. Most of the under-hood boxes I see are huge, with way too many fuses and relays to be of use. The mitsu AC one is just right, and even uses the same fuses and relays as the EA81/EA82. I need to find other similar ones. The Mitsu one isn't wired anything close to correctly inside, but with some creative re-engineering with my soldering iron and some JB-weld I was able to make use of every spot in it. It's got the SPFI fuseable link, two fused, relay controlled circuits, and the coil capacitor all in one little package. If I can find more, I'll try to make them availible for sale. Probably be about $35 each for those as they aren't easy to find and I have to spend an hour inside it rewiring the whole thing.

GD

GD: late 80's BMW 3-series, driver side front shock tower. Black box, with cover, contains up to five scaleable relay brackets. Wires of assorted gage and coloring to pick and choose from, relay configuration changeable, golden golden golden!!!! you can also fit it with just 3 or maybe 4 relay brackets, and cram a small fuseblock under there.. pep boys and local auto parts stores all sell a similar product, cant recall any branding, but its a small 5 ATO fuze block with a black plastic housing and clear pastic cover.. I fit 3 relays +that block under there with room to spare. that gives me two additional under-hood fuses, beyond the relayed circuits, should I want them.

i REALLY need to get a digital camera!! I think I am gonna try to con my way into getting one for Christmas/my Bday (12/13.) If you can find one of these to look at, and see if you like, i can source all you need. BMWs like that are ten a penny in the JY down here.. only like 2-5K to buy one at this point (vs the 1k-free soob of similar vintage)

Another thing.. I keep reviewing this write-up, and wondering how difficult it might be to install this FI system on almost ANY engine, providing you can bolt up the TB to a manifold.. I mean, it is simple enough, and you can fool the various sensors as needed well enough...

I have crazy pipe dreams about picking up a 20KW st-generator head and building a small, ultra efficient datsun OHV motor to power it for possible hurricane usage

FI might be nicer than a carb. :cool:

[82bratavenger]

GD this is great. I am starting my second year of school in auto Tech and have been a Subbie junkie for 16 years. I think you have done a wonderful service to us all. IS your conversion up and running yet? I plan to start working on mine in the next six months. I will start with the SPFI and then move to building my new motor. Thanks again!

[GeneralDisorder]

GD this is great. I am starting my second year of school in auto Tech and have been a Subbie junkie for 16 years. I think you have done a wonderful service to us all. IS your conversion up and running yet? I plan to start working on mine in the next six months. I will start with the SPFI and then move to building my new motor. Thanks again!

Yeah - runs great. I just took a load of "loyale" to the scrap man. Along with the van, and my Brat I got $31.20 for almost the entire body of a 91 Loyale minus the doors and hood. I cut it into about 15 peices

GD

[82bratavenger]

Cool, A little extra $$ never hurt. I am glad to hear that it is running great. I may run into a few bumps with the conversion on My 82 Brat but that is all part of the game right. I hope the guy before me (who put an alarm and stereo in) didn't mess anything up. I had to remove a bunch of old wiring and crap when I first got the rig. Everything seems to still be working ok though.

[zyewdall]

Another thing.. I keep reviewing this write-up, and wondering how difficult it might be to install this FI system on almost ANY engine, providing you can bolt up the TB to a manifold.. I mean, it is simple enough, and you can fool the various sensors as needed well enough...

Hmmm. I was just thinking the same thing last night. My old pickup truck has a 1.8 liter carbed engine, and I was thinking how nice it would be to have SPFI on it. Not that the 70's carbs are anywhere near as bad as the 80's ones, but it would be nice to start immediately even when -4F outside, like my '89 GL does, and reduce the unburned gas smell a little too). I guess getting the distributor to work would be the hardest part since it still has points and condensor ignition system now, and I doubt you could swap the actual EA82 disty into a Mazda engine, but electronic ignition would be nice too. The TBI unit would go right where the old carb is, put in the SPFI fuel pump, stick a few sensors on there... couldn't be that hard, right? Maybe I should do the '82 GL first though.

[GeneralDisorder]

You can use the points and condensor disty if you do a MS setup. That's the key to using this system with any engine - MS and then just use whatever FI parts you want from any manufacturer.

GD

[zyewdall]

You can use the points and condensor disty if you do a MS setup. That's the key to using this system with any engine - MS and then just use whatever FI parts you want from any manufacturer.

GD

Sorry, but what's MS?

Z