GeneralDisorder

Once again - those of you with EA82's need to stay out of this thread. You know not what you speak. And ticking IS harmful - both to the lifters, and it indicates improper oil pressure. You may need to replace your sender or the oil pump mating surface may not be totally flat anymore. GD

1. They didn't make 4WD 5 speeds before 85, and they were never installed in the EA81 series cars. You need a 4WD D/R transmission from an 85-89 wagon or sedan only (the boxy, EA82 cars). The D/R 5 speed was discontinuted after 89. 2. You have two options for the clutch. Use the 225mm EA82 clutch disc (with the round spring section - the square spring version won't fit the EA81 flywheel), and release bearing (from the 5 speed donor), or use the complete EA82 clutch setup, and swap the EA82 flywheel for your's. I would recommend using the enitre setup, as being an '82 Brat you have the older 200mm clutch and will have to replace the flywheel anyway - might as well use the EA82 flywheel. You may need to add a single 3/8" washer under the starter bolts to clear the EA82 flywheel. 3. You will need to use the driveline from the EA82 vehicle. It's already the right length, but you will have to fabricate mounts for the center carrier bearing as it's a two peice affair. Alternatively you could have a driveline shop build you a new driveline, but that's always more expensive. Also, the two peice is less exposed under the car so less likely to get hit on some obsticle. Subaru went to the two-peice for this very reason. The longer you go, the more driveline you have sticking out under the car. It's an option if you can't weld, but the EA82 shaft works great if you can or have access to someone that can. 4. You will need to fabricate some on the transmission cross-member. You will see when you get the 4 speed out and set them side-by-side. If you do it right, you can get away without beating on the transmission tunnel, but you have to be VERY accurate with your new mounts, and the transmission will need to be angled backwards *very* slightly to accomplish this. Or you could just buy the excelent kit from Bratsrus1 (Jerry). His kit is AWESOME, and makes the install much easier. 5. You will use the 5 speed linkage, so grab that. You will need to weld in 1" of rod into the 4WD shifter rod from the 4 speed, and it will work great on the 5 speed. Just remember to shove the 5 speed linkage all the way over to the drivers side when you tighten it's rear mounting nut, or it will interfere with the 4WD rod. GD

As to the rest of your questions (about durability, etc), I know of at least three EA81's with cams and EA71 pistons that don't have any trouble at all. CCR has no qualms about installing them upon request, and if there were any known problems with the ring lands when used in Hi-Po EA81's I'm sure they wouldn't be willing to install them. I wouldn't worry about the ring lands unless you are planning to run forced induction or very high RPM. The EA71 pistons seem to do fine with 100+ HP. I'm running a torque cam so I don't anticipate high-rpm loads, and I already bought a set of chrom rings for mine. Otherwise I would use the EA82 pistons just because of the higher comp. If you want THE BEST pistons, I've heard amazing things about the RAM performance sets. But at $120 each, I think I'll pass.... That info that shawn posted..... not sure where he got that, but he may have done his calculations thinking the EA81 was 9:1, when it's actually 8.7:1 stock. If you take the numbers I listed, and factor in taking 25 - 30 thou off the heads as well, that's maybe a .040" difference in chamber volume... which IIRC worked out to less than 9.5:1, but more than 9:1.... FWIW. GD

A simple resistance check between the battery terminals with the battery out of the car will tell you immediately if the battery or the car is at fualt for the drain. If the see a drain, then check for continuity between the output lug of the alternator, and ground. There shouldn't be ANY reading. Just went through this exact problem with a GM alt that a friend had on his EA81. Brand new from Autozone, and the rectifier diode(s) failed and caused the same gradual battery drain you are describing. A simple check as I mentioned above will tell you immediately. A lot of times these rebuilt alts are cheaply done. There's no reason to beleive that new battery cables will solve it - even if they were bad it still wouldn't cause the battery to drain, you would just see problems with grounding, and with running the starter. If anything, bad cables would cause it NOT to drain. GD

I measured it, and from the wrist pin to the piston top, the EA71 piston is right around .008" - .010" taller. It's not much really at all. If you shave the heads the full .020" (or even .025", and enlarge the manifold holes) you can get it up to around 9.3:1 by my calculations.... I'm using them in the engine I'm building right now, but in the future I would use the SPFI pistons. The EA71 pistons have very thin ring lands, and the SPFI are much easier to get, and provide higher comp. GD

Yeah - that's what I was quoted - although he said "about $7 each" for the hydro lifters. Don't forget shipping, but that's not a lot. The EA cams are small. GD

Yeah - the copper tubing is a great idea. And you can probably get it in any length. For what it's worth, I've had the (quality) plastic tubing in place for quite a while without problems, but the cheap tubing that came with the cheap wally-world guage was REALLY cheap. The plastic was too thin, and the copper compression fittings would cut right through it if you tightened it enough to actually not leak. And it kinked really easily too. BAD stuff - and I think it wasn't even true nylon material - cheap Chinese plastic or something. There's a world of difference in tubing quality it seems. I got the 16 foot VDO tubing kit.... here's an web site that has the kit: http://www.egauges.com/vdo_acce.asp?Subgroup=Nylon_Tubing_10&Manf=All (anyone have a source for more than 6 feet of copper? http://www.egauges.com/vdo_acce.asp?Subgroup=Copper_Tubing&Manf=All ) And I used the compression fittings that came with the VDO tubing. No leaks, and the tubing is very tight. At about $12 (I beleive shucks/kragen carries the VDO stuff, and most VW discount parts houses), 16 feet will do two soobs worth of guages if you are careful about how you run it. Basically to do a cheap mechanical guage you are looking at: $10 for the guage (wall-mart, etc) $12 for the tubing $2 for the right angle 1/8" NPT fitting (home depot) (add another $12 or so for the metric adaptor if you don't make your own) That's about $25 - $35.... well worth the effort for a decent guage with real numbers on it. GD

Bad diodes in the voltage regulator rectifier circuit can cause the system to short and drain the battery. Check for continiuty between the positive and negative battery cables without the battery installed. You should have VERY high resistance as the only accesories that should be on are the clock and radio memory, and the ECU memory. Pull out fuses till you find the shorted circuit. Disconnect the alternator, etc till the reading goes to infinity. That's how I always track down battery drain issues. GD

Mixture is not adjustable on any of the stock carbs. Try pumping the gas while cranking to start it and then hold it at 2k rpms or so till it warms enough to run on it's own. Rebuild the carb - the choke and high idle cam aren't working. Spring could be broken, etc. Till you do, adjust the choke housing so it's just open all the time and follow the procedure I outlined above to start it. Or replace it with a Weber - much better all around. I have tossed all my Hitachi's in a dumpster. The Weber is awesome. GD

Could be a ground issue... But I second the aftermarket guage. Even a cheap one will be more accurate, and you don't want to risk the head gaskets on the EA82's. Yes you will have to replace the sender with the aftermarket version. You would be wise to install an oil pressure guage. Lack of an OP guage is what has done-in most of the digital cars. GD

You bought a 4WD clutch, so you need a 4WD flywheel. If your disc won't fit in the flywheel, then you need the 4WD one. Just take it apart and you will see. Anything in your '82 will be wrong for the 4WD clutch (assuming it's stock). If the 86 engine came with a flywheel it may or may not be right depending on if it's a 4WD engine or not. GD

Typically the t-belts last 50k - 60k. No special tools needed. There has been talk of "tensioning" the belts but all evidence points to that not really being needed. As long as they are tight they all seem to go about 60k and that's it. You are likely on the third set by now, and 180 is perfect for #4. GD

Installation isn't difficult - you can get longer tubes (and better quality) from any of the VW aftermarket (engine in the rear, so LONG tube is needed). The one I used I got at discount import and it was 16 feet long I think - enough to do two soobs. And you *could* buy the adaptor for the metric hole, or use the 1/8 NPT on the side of the pump.... I just couldn't get the plug out of the 1/8" hole, and didn't want to buy one so I cut the end off the soob sender and drilled/tapped it. Yeah - I've had them tick after doing head gaskets, but not for very long. I have run them down to where there's no oil on the dipstick and it's taken over 2 quarts to fill it back up.... that's as far down as I've ever let one get. ... I was mostly refering to the fact that the EA81 hydro's don't exhibit the typical "TOD" when they are full of oil like the EA82's often do. GD

This is EA81 land. They will NEVER tick (most don't have hydraulic lifters, and the ones that do don't tick either). The only ticking you hear will be the knock of the rod bearings on their way out. So no, they will not "let you know" Also, zero oil pressure, while common in EA82 land (because of the crappy stock guage) is NOT common in the EA81. Any EA81 that reads below 20 psi warm idle needs help. Period. Besides, it's the guages that cause the "zero oil pressure reading" on the EA82. I have a mechanical guage on my 86 sedan with 230,000 miles on the engine. Still reads over 25 psi hot idle. Take it from someone that has blown a rod through the crankcase because of low oil pressure - get a new pump. GD

I have done both, and for simplicity, I like the mechanical unit. The eletric stuff is more expensive, and especially if you want to be able to find spare parts later (new sending units, etc) then you have to stick with a name brand. I have an Autometer electric cluster, and I love it. But the cost is higher. Also it's much easier to eliminate the low-hanging sender with a right angle right off the pump (for the tube) than it is to run a pipe (or braided SS hose in my case) to another location and mount the sender. Mechanical is quicker, easier, and less expensive (under $20). Electric is fancier, less likely to leak or rupture (although this isn't likely with quality tubing) and less sensitive to vibration in the guage itself. It's all a trade off. Having done both, I like my electric for off-road, but at $70 for the cluster, and another ~$50 for hardware, and the SS braided line I used to remote locate the sender..... cheap mechanical FTW. GD

With 256k, it needs a pump regardless of the condition of the sender. The EA81 pumps should be replaced every 150k in my experience. The senders are about $30, and the pump is $65 or so. Just do the pump, and install a cheap mechanical guage. GD

No - he needs the connector pinout for the guage clusters to swap a manual cluster into an auto vehicle. The tell-tale for the manual does not have the gear indicators like the auto does. GD

I think that's high, but then I'm the guy that always pays $100 or less for subaru's like that. I have no idea what john public would consider fair. If it were me, I would shoot for $4,000, and claim that you can't get a reliable 4WD for less than that. Let them "beat you down" to $1500. GD

I'm saying those are all the potential parts that *could* have been damaged in an impact like that. But it's really not many parts at all. Less than $100 from a junk yard. GD

Check it for compression. sometimes the turbo's like to eat a HG without a lot of notice. When you say it sounds like it's out of time, you are making me wonder if a HG let go. They don't often run on two cylinders. I've got some to run on three, but it's a real fight to keep them running. Drove one I bought on 3 about 20 miles home and it wouldn't do more than 60 MPH on the freeway If the t-belts are new, are you sure you got them tensioned properly? Turn the engine over and check that the cams are 180 degrees out from each other. GD

Easy fix. Just replace the whole knuckle, lower control arm, leading rod, and strut all at once. There's three nuts on the strut top, one bolt for the lower control arm, one nut on the leading rod, and one bolt on the sway bar link. That's two bolts and four nuts plus a few whacks with the hammer to free it from the axle. Replace the broken tie-rod with a new one (about $20), and get a used knuckle with the control arm, leading rod, and strut. The impact probably wasn't all that hard - the tie-rods are just cast metal, and can be snapped pretty easily if you hit one wrong with a lot of force. You may not even have to replace anything but the tie-rod end, or maybe just the end and the inner rod. At any rate, you almost certainly will need an alignment. There's no way the insurance company should be totaling the car for a simple broken tie-rod. Their adjuster is a fool. Rape them for all you can get. GD

Frankly, about $500-$800 give or take. Unless it's really something special, it's a 20 year old car with (what most people consider to be) high mileage, and your insurance will treat it as such. Tell them you want $1000 and consider yourself lucky if you get it. Try to get the car back - at least some of the mechanicals can probably be saved. Definately take your deck, and the roof racks if you can get access to it. Claim that you left something in the car and need to get into it if you have to. GD

You still need to know the type of the 86 engine. If it came from a 4WD, then you will be fine, but if it came from a 2WD, your new clutch will not fit. All EA81 tranny's have the same input shaft splines, so any EA81 (or EA82 2WD) clutch disc will slide on. GD

2WD is a 200mm clutch disc and pressure plate. 4WD is a 225mm clutch disc and pressure plate. They are not interchangeable as they require different flywheels (but a 2WD full set will fit a 4WD tranny and vice-versa). 80-82 EA81's were all 200mm regardless of transmission. 83+ 4WD's got the 225mm style. EA82's changed completely for the 4WD's (same size, but different spline count, different release bearing, etc). EA82 2WD's retain the exact same 200mm clutch - it was used from 1980 - 1994 on all 2WD manual's. (they didn't change the tranny either). GD

New pump, or you can kiss your rod bearings goodbye. Been there, got the t-shirt :-\ GD