cawain

I am pretty sure that goes to tie intake manifold. There is a port pointing forward kinda of behind the disty and I think that is where it goes. It looks like a vacuume port.

Durabia, Thanks for your reply. I have a new cap (checked it and it holds 13lbs.) I did a compression test and # 1 & 3 cylinders are about 10 lbs lower than 2 & 4. I haven't been able to get a leak down tester yet to do a leak down test. Cylinders #1 & 3 showed lower compression after the engine was warmed up. # 2 & 4 were the same warm as cold. So I am thinking that maybe the right head has a bad gasket or a crack in an exhaust valve seat. I think I will pull the right head tomorrow and have a look at it. If my findings are inconclusive, than I will get another engine ready to go on the trike. Thanks again, Carl

Hi, I have a EA-81 engine I have adapted to a VW transmission. (Trike) I bought the engine from a guy that said it was re-built. I don't doubt that. However I had problems from the start getting it to run properly, and I think the thermostat might have been stuck closed. What I have now is an engine that is over heating. Runs great, idles smooth But blows coolent back out the radiator. It has a new radiator, thermostat, radiator cap and waterpump the cooling fan kicks in at about 200 on the temp gage. I am thinking that I have a blown head gasket or a cracked head. It seems that I have exhaust getting into the waterjacket. I have no water in the oil, or oil in the water. I also have no milkey condesation inside the oil filler. If you leave the radiator cap off the coolent will push out of the radiator as it heats up. Another reason I feel it is getting exhaust in the cooling system. Now all that said. How do I tell which head is bad? On the old Olds diesels (V-8) I would un-hook the belts, remove the thermostat housing, start the car up and watch which direction the bubbles came from to tell which head was bad. Tried doing that with the EA-81 and couldn't see any bubbles. But after it warmed up good coolent filled the intake an gushed out. So any one have any other ideas? Thanks in advance, Carl

Thanks to everyone who responded. I am going to check if I can shift it through the gears. Also I think that these transmissions came from EA-81 engines. I bought the trans and a couple of years later I bought all the engines that the trans came from. What he had was a bunch of JDM stuff. thanks again, Carl

Question, How do you tell if a FWD trans is a 4 or 5 speed? I have some, but the model numbers and serial numbers have been removed and I don't have a clue what they came out of. The starters all mount on the driver's side if that is any help. Thanks, carl

Some time back I wired my fan to the terminal on the coil for positive battery (while I was rewireing a system) and when the fan would start the engine would die. It didn't ruin the coil, but would kill the engine. My idea was that the fan motor was pulling too much current and would not leave enough for the engine to run on. I changed the position of the fan wire and it worked just fine. Is your coil blowing up like KERPOWWW or just getting hot and not working??? I don't remember how to hook up the Subaru dist to the coil, but on a VW the points or dist hooks to the Negitive terminal.

Just go to the parts store and get some gasket material of the proper thickness and make yout own gaskets. Lay the adaptor on the material and trace it out, than take an exato knife and cut it out. I have a hole punch from harbor freight to punch the mounting holes with, but the rest I just cut out. Make them all the time and they work great.

Hi, Carl here. In VW dune/rail buggys and sometimes trikes we run solid engine and transmission mounts. Has anyone tried it with a Subaru engine? I was wondering how well they would work. Looks like they would be simpler to set up and cheaper too. Thanks, Carl

The light flashes the seconds. It is supposed to flash. Cawain

Hi, I am pretty sure they are he same. I pulled a 4wd out of a brat and replaced it with a 2wd when I built it into a trike. If I am wrong some will correct me. Carl

Pull the neg. cable from the battery terminal. Now hook your trouble light between the battery neg post and the battery neg cable. If your trouble light lights you have a short. At this point start pulling fuses until the light goes out. Than WALLA! you have found the cuircuit that has the short. Have fun and please be patient Subarus get old and crabby just like people. Cawain said that.

You guys are all the greatest! Thanks loads. I would like to post some photos, but don't know how. I was thinking some softer springs would help, but wasn't sure what to use. The salvage yards around here don't want to let you on their yard. They are afried you might steal a light bulb. This unit has a sway bar(I guess it would be called a sway bar) Comes back from the front suspension to the rear (Transmission) cross member. The trike is completed. It is registered as a 2007 trike. I have completed one more VW trike, and have two more in progress at this time. This Brat trike is the only one I have had trouble with. I will build the next one differently. I used too much of the Brat frame work on this one. It is my first try at building. I used a honda 750 front end, but now I build my own leading link front ends. I will try again to post some pictures. Thanks again, Carl

HI all, I need some help. Built a trike from a 1981 Brat have a EA-81 engine and FWD automatic in it. Runs great, But it drives like bad. I have isolated some of the problem to the front end and have fixed that. However it gets real shakie when you hit a bump at speeds over 50 mph. The back end starts wabbling side to side and up and down. Its weird. Trikes don't have tow in or camber. I have the steering locked, New ball joints, new tye rod ends, tow in set to zero, however there is no adjustment to change the camber. The suspension is stock and appeares to be too stiff for the light weight of the trike. (Wheels turn in at the bottom like a VW with the engine removed) I would like to try some softer springs, but don't have a clue what to try. I think what I need is something about as strong as VW rear coilover shocks. Also I am pretty low now and don't want to lose any ground clearance. (at approx 9" ) Any help will be appricated. Thanks, Carl (cawain)

Where can you get new rocker panels? I need to do my 84 wagon. Thanks, Carl

I had a 78 sta wag and the only way I could get it to run properly was to set the points with a dwell meter. When I used the dwell it ran great.

There is a cruise control switch like that on my 84 wagon. It is the on/off switch, and the set and resume control is on a lever on the right side of the steering wheel. (left hand drive models) Have a nice life, Carl said that

what year and are the for sale?

Thanks guys, I'll try to get some pics tomorrow. I also want to drain the gas, But the neighborhood will stink for a month. LOL Oh well might add some class.

I have a 1983 EA-81 turbo wagon that hasn't been run since 1999. In 99 it was parked, I don't know why. But it was driven to the spot where it was parked. I have just tried to start it and it will not start . If I pour fuel into the intake it will start right up and run until the gas is gone. I pulled the filter line to injectors off and it squirts gas out over the front of the car. (The gas is rotten) It appears to me that the injectors are not popping, or fireing or injecting or what ever the term is. Question, What tells the injectors to fire? And does anyone have any ideas? Also on the right shock tower there is a place for three relays, but there are only two. It appears the outboard (Brown plug) relay is missing. Is this a clue? I would really like to get this engine running so I can see what the condition is. Thanks, Carl

I don't think the EA-71 bell housing will work on the EA-81 engine. The EA-71 crank center is larger than the EA-81 and the outer part of the crank is smaller than the EA-81. So the rear main seal in the bell housing will not work on the EA-81. Also the fly wheel and clutch, and pressure plate will not fit the EA-81. I base my findings on the fact I am trying to convert a trike I built from a 1981 Brat to an automatic trans. I am having to change the engine over to a EA-81. My EA-71 engine had the starter on the laft side (drivers) not in the center. I would suggest that maybe you could pull the trans side bell housing off the automatic and put it on the four speed. I could be wrong, but I think it will work, than the trans would bolt up to the EA-81. With a little thought you can do what ever you want. Just my two cents worth, Carl

I will be puting it in a trike and modificationas are not a problem. Thanks, cawain

What years of the 2WD automatic will fit the EA-81 engine. Need something that dosen't require an ECM or additional wireing. Thanks, Cawain

where are the EA-81Ts? I wish I ad one I woud just block off the injector ports, install a carb and go. So you got lower compression, so what. you got hyd lifters and you don't have to adjust them. I have one out back I would do that to, But I have the whole car and I am going to make a trike out of it. It should get up and go with the turbo and mpfi.

Hi, Carl here, I think the 84 to 83 swap will be a stright forward swap with no problems. However you may find the EA-82 trans is shorter than the EA-81. I have a EA-82 out back and it is shorter. I have been told the EA-82 had a two piece drive shaft and that is why the trans is shorter. There, that didn't take long to deplete my memory banks. Have fun, Carl

The fuel pump from a EA-81 engine car will work as long as it isn't from a turbo and mpfi. The trans are interchangable as well except for the automatic. The flex plate will not fit the EA-71 engine. The end of the crankshaft on the EA-71 has a larger center, and a smaller outer flange. Otherwise the engines look the same from the outside. I built my trike from a 1981 brat with a EA-71 engine and I am going to have to change the engine to a EA-81 to make the automatic fit. I also wish you didn't live so far away. I would like to get a EA-81 engine from you. I would also like to find another EA-81 FWD automatic. Later, Carl