LeoneTurbo

I agree. Probably for clutch fork on RHD vehicles.

That EA71 does not have the reversed valves (but that can easiliy be checked since the heads are off). Any EA71 intake manifold will fit width wise. Why not rebuild the Hitachi dual carbs?

Amen to that! Regarding cost and effort... Overhere the number of VW bugs and transporters converting to mainly EJ engines are increasing by the month... I supply the engine and converted wiring looms and it transforms those cars. Once you've run an EJ22 in a T2 or T3 you never want to go back to an anemic VW engine.

Should not be more difficult than a LHD swap, just the length of the wiring loom will be a bit different.

You mean running no bronze small end bearing in the rod? Unfortunately direct contact between wrist pin and rod are not a good pairing when it comes to friction.

Removing the engine is way easier, at least for vehicles w/o a/c.

Still that leaves the piston pin diameter issue unsolved, doesn't? By the way, the EA rod journals are 45 mm... So the EJ25D rod does not fit (48 mm journal).

Any 2.5L with head gasjet failure: remove heads, have both heads and block decks machined and install OEM head gasket. Gasket issues will stay away for the next 120.000 miles.

These cases are not suitable for sleeving. Even the stiffer EJ casings don't hold aftermarket sleeves very well, slowly pushing into the soft aluminum. Altough an EA63 will work with much lower peak cylinder pressures I would still not feel comfortable, especially due to the three bearing main crank design causing more vibrations and torsion in the block. And again, it still means a total tear down of this engine, no advantages compared to using a used block without holes for a rebuild. But that's not my decision to make

Welding the sleeve will bring unwanted heat into a very small area of the block which will probably cause all sorts of issues with warpage en possibly the sleeve detaching from the aluminum cast around it. If succesful you would still have to hone, and probably bore, the sleeve so you would need an oversize piston (ie. four as you need to do all). That means a total teardown anyway and you'll end up with a questionable block. I would definately recommend to get a good used block without any unwanted holes and rebuild that one. Much better anyway than a new block as years of usage have relieved the block of all internal stress so after boring and honing the cylinders are as round as you can get - better than a new, unused block anyway. You could still use the salvageable parts from this NOS block like crank, bearings, rods, lifters.

I doubt it can be repaired, and if it can, how long the repair will last. Are these blocks so rare you can't source a used block and rebuild it properly with oversize pistons and new bearings?

Why not use the EA82 flywheel with the EA81 engine?

That's the color I mean...

I also have an EA71 with black valve covers, those I would like to respray in the earlier color...