GeneralDisorder

Man - where are you shopping? Last I checked EA82 HG's were $35, and heads are like $40 each to have resurfaced. You'll need the O-ring for the heads too, so another couple dollars. That's around $200 in parts figuring an ample amount for various fuilds and RTV and stuff. You may not even need to resurface the heads. Check them with a straightedge first. You'll need at the least a metric socket set with a good selection of deep sockets, and extensions. And access to a torque wrench for the head bolts. The process isn't that difficult if you follow the directions carefully. Depending on your skills you may want to seek some assistance from a friend with some experience as you will need to remove the timing belts and put them back on. The timing procedure isn't difficult, but it confuses people the first couple times. If you want help, I'm close to you it looks like. I've done HG's more times than I can remember. Tow it to my place and we'll do it in an afternoon. Wait - is this an EA82 or EA81? Doesn't matter I've done both. EA81 is easier. GD

Is the battery tied down well? Might be flopping around and creating a short at the fusible links somewhere. The lights run on a different link than the stereo so I would look for something in that area. Just a guess tho. GD

Those are manifold gaskets, but definately crappy ones. The good ones (such as the Fel-Pro's) are multi-layer metal and are difficult to bend by hand. The cheap ones are kinda floppy. Fel-Pro's are availible on a lot of web sites for not a lot. GD

No - actually that's why I asked if it was a manual or auto. Only automatics got the Hydro lifters on the EA81's from 83/84. 85 and later were all hydro. Check the valve covers for a gold or silver sticker that reads "do not adjust vavle clearances". That would indicate you have a replacement engine with hydro lifters. If it's stock tho, it will be solid lifter. You most likely have solid lifters, and they require manual adjustment every 15k miles. Pretty easy to do actually. Get some new valve cover gaskets for the job (or lots of RTV). Haynes manual will cover it, or if you need the specs I have them too. BTW - ticking is NOT normal for the EA81 hydro lifters. They generally never tick in fact. Only time I've had them tick is right after doing head gaskets and the lifters had air in them for a few minutes. Perfectly quiet now. NOT like an EA82 at all in this respect. Makes sense since the valve train is the major difference in the engine designs. GD

The gear is "pinned" on with a roll pin that usually has to be drilled out. New hole has to be drilled for the EA81 gear as the hole is higher or lower IIRC. EA82 gear is plastic I think - EA81 is steel. SPFI runs at 35-45 psi, while carb runs at 3 psi. Stock fuel lines in an EA81 aren't up to the pressure. Hard lines might be (I don't think I would chance it tho), but the soft lines surely aren't rated for it. GD

Automatic or manual? GD

Other than attempting to repair the choke, there is no manual adaptor availible for them - just as there are no rebuild kits really. Best bet is to find a spring at a hardware store that is similar and try to repair the "sticking". Other than that.... you could use some ether to start it every time I guess. GD

I think that is an option, yes - but the problem is availibility. The SPFI disty has the advantage of being readily availible, and already wired with the right plug. Have to change the drive gear and the mounting tabs, but for $20 for a JY disty, and even if it cost me another $50 to have a distributor shop change the gear it would still be the cheaper of the two. But yeah - if I happened to have an EA81T disty lying around that would be the way to go. Oh - and the EA81T disty has the vacuum advance... that's going to be different on the later SPFI so I'm not sure how that would work out. GD

Blocking them is easy - just unscrew the pipe going to the valve and put a quarter (yes - $0.25) in the vavle body and screw it back together. Removal is also easy if you have access to a welder - just weld up the port in the spacer under the head - where the pipe going to the valve attaches. I cut the steel ends off the pipe, and use a washer for filler - weld it up, and then thread your new "cap" into the spacer. The repair manual I was refering to is the one on this site - it's a "forum" all to itself, you just don't post there. Check it out. There's an article on the AIS valves, and how to repair the reed valve inside it. Personally I wouldn't repair it, but it's your choice. Blocking them takes less time and is 100% effective. Removal requires some welding which not everyone has the ability for, and repair is more costly.... and they could still fail again in the future. GD

And use OEM gaskets for the manifold ONLY. They are a lot better. Otherwise you'll probably be doing them again soon. GD

Replace with cheap oil and run till it reaches operating temp then drain while still hot. Refill with proper oil, and drive on. Can use some MMO in the first run too as it's a detergent and will clean out any crap and milkshake from the water. GD

Thanks! GD

Been meaning to get to this myself. How did swapping the drive gear on the disty go for you? Take it to a shop or so it yourself? Also - What's your plan on the SPFI fuel pump? Mount it under the hood and supply it with the carb pump? I was thinking maybe just remove the carb pump completely and let it suck from under the hood. Have to try both ways and see which works. If the carb pump can be eliminated that seems like the way to go. Less parts to worry about. When you get to it, think you could post a list of needed parts? I know the engine wiring harness, ecu, fuel pump, and manifold with sensors.... there is some relays too I think. A complete list for us EA81 guys would be nice. GD

From what I remember, a couple were imported but the intrest just wasn't there, so they were never sold. The few that came over were samples (IIRC), and there might be some around that people have brought in from Asia... I know a friend that brought over a boat and motor from thailand because he liked it. Robin engines for small power equipment are common here now (sold at Harbor Frieght on equipment, and stand alone). Those are made by Fuji, and that division has capitalized on the popularity of the Subaru name, and started to advertise as "Robin by Subaru". I have no experience with them, but having worked on tons of other small engines (hobby when I was a kid), most are so underpowered and slow they almost never wear out. Robin advertises OHV, and cast iron sleeves, so they probably will never die. GD

Yeah - there was a lot of tech sharing between the two. Jet technology was another. The Japaneses did eventually build some jets right before the end - never in enough numbers tho. To sum it up - VW made the Rod shifted transaxle, and opposed cylinder engine combination the standard by which all small cars were measured around the world with their Beetle. Subaru relied heavily on this example. Honda did not, and neither did toyota. They could have, but clearly chose not to. And it's not really a matter of "stealing" anything I guess - we gave them a lot of leeway after the war - heck we just looked the other way when they walked all over RCA's patent on the B&W TV.... in the intrest of rebuilding their country. Made so much money, they just bought the patent for color! GD

I am perfectly aware of when Subaru introduced 4WD, but Audi (VW) as I said did this in the 30's. The AWD system of the 80's for them was simply a use of tech they already had around. Audi merely used the VW tech they already had around, as did Subaru. Audi advanced the system to AWD where subaru simply went with 4WD. The advance to AWD didn't happen until around 84 for Subaru. The PTO idea as I said came from the Kubelwagon of the late 30's. Believe me - the Japanese aren't stupid, and the VW transaxle design is very good. GD

Actually - Subaru was very active in the rally scene in places like africa - the "Safari" rally's..... wherever did they get this idea? Well they stole it much as they stole the "Boxer" design from VW. See - Audi (VW subsidiary) was HUGE into rally back in the 80's. '81 was the first year to see the Audi chain drive "quattro" system. Basically Subaru didn't amount to much until Group B rally was eliminated and Audi left the rally scene never to return. That left no one but Subaru using the symetric AWD layout. And yes - to this day the Audi setup is near identical to the Subaru stuff. Take a look at any new Audi quattro. Mean - very mean. The 4WD transaxle design was used on some models of the Kubelwagon back in WWII by the germans. Basically a VW beetle with a PTO on the end of the transaxle driving the front wheels. Dr. Porsche had it right all along.... The soob layout is a decendant of this design, with the diffs reversed and the engine in the front... water cooling and a more conventional look to the vehicle probably prompted this change. Take a look sometime at the EA81, and the VW 1.6 used in the old air cooled beetles. The design of the engine is so similar that the distributors will swap between the two - drive gears are the same. Other than being water cooled the differences are slight. GD

No Brat outside the US had rear seats. They were actually installed as a final assembly stage once they came off the ship. You could put a Weber 32/36 DGV carb on the EA71. Weber makes a kit with the appropriate adaptor. Won't get much if anything from a different air filter.... especially with the stock exhaust. Replace the exhaust and put a larger carb on for starters. Anything beyond that requires engine tear-down to get in a more agressive cam or change the comp. ratio. But if you are going for that, then get a 1.8L instead and start with that. GD

If you just want it level pull the torsion bars and put them back in one or two splines lower. To level it from the front you may need more than 1" - I think about 2" would do it. Of course 1" and then adjust the front struts up, but that will throw off your camber. GD

You need an adaptor plate for the trans.... OR you could use an EJ AWD trans but you will need to change the DOJ's on your front axles to match the EJ trans. Need to change the rear diff, and the driveshaft as well if you go that route. GD

Both of those items are very rare. Check ebay is all I could recommend. I've seen like one or two set of those rims.... one of the more rare alloys I would say. I think they were only around for a few years of EA82's. GD

You can put almost any vehicle seat in that you want. Just pick up something you like and modify the brackets to install it. I (and others) have Isuzu impulse seats in a Brat. I have EA82 seats in my EA81 wagon. Generally speaking a welder is neccesary for any seat install. Make sure it's secure, you don't want the seat to rip loose in a collision so use some decent size steel, and strong welds. GD

Check for power at the positive side of the coil while cranking. The ignition switch supplies the power for the coil... both in start and run. Test the coil (both sides) and distributor resistance. It's quite possible that the distributor took a dump. Get back to us with the results. GD

The aftermarket ones just suck - they don't seal as well. You can RTV the crap out of them and make them work if you really want. I prefer the Subaru ones as they are metal with a rubber coating. Very nice. GD

Heh - phone number is some personal number to a guy named Matt - got his voice mail. Dangit. I'll try the trade references at a local glass place - maybe that will help. Thanks for the numbers! GD