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Everything posted by Knucklehead Saloon
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I got black rocker boxes and an engine marked ea81 with a rectangle cast around it. Thought that was hydro ? Anyhoo... they'll be fine on a hot day in the mountains. The gaps open up when hot, I can just hear the faintest tick hot that's not there cold. I took it out for major floggage today and no dramas (its 35c here today). As an aside I backed off the timing another 2 degrees from on the edge of ping with 98 octane cos its full blown summer now, ordered a richer primary idle jet to cure the off idle stumble and 1/8th throttle ping under load. Weather permitting, monday will be a full wash/ polish / degrease and a fakey alarm install. Going for a flashing red led hooked to a N/C relay. Comes on automatically when key off position. Will jack into the stereo acc on power wire to make it work and hide the relay behind the stereo console. Cheers mate !
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Gday everyone. Like most folk new to soobies, my rattly rockers were driving me nuts. I know old EA81s run forever like that but I've always liked my motors to purr quietly instead of ticking their asses off. Sooooo... here's my trial and error method over the last couple of months with the motor still in the car. 1. Used diesel engine oil (10w 40) + bottle lifter tuneup + fresh oil filter every 1500 kms for 4500kms. Thats 3 changes. The engine got quieter and it was amazing how much black spooge came out with the old oil each change. The diesel oil contains more detergent additives than petrol oil and did the job well. The engine (200,000kms) got quieter over time as the lifters freed up but I still had some serious rocker noise. 2. Tried the factory setting method for hydraulic lifters and still got major ticking (too much wear in the lifters methinks). That was 4 turns in from seated, wait 15mins for bleed down, unscrew to zero lift, unscrew 1.5 turns. Bugger. 2. Tried the small block chevy method next. Screw in adjusters till zero clearance, screw in another 1/2 turn. Motor wouldn't fire as all valves were lifted off the seats. Bugger. 3. Had a brainwave over a couple of beers and did this (and it works like a charm). - Motor dead cold. - Screw in adjusters until zero lash. - Back off adjusters 1/4 turn. - Lock em down and reassemble rocker boxes. - Crack a beer and smile at your now much quieter EA81. Not exactly a textbook method but it works and the motor is quiet hot/cold and no missing or spitting from any valve leakage hot or cold. I did also try setting them with feeler gauges but no dice. The rocker to valve stem mating faces are worn in a concave shape making it impossible to get an accurate setting. Merry Xmas !!
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Upgrade door light switches EA81
Knucklehead Saloon replied to jono's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
Very cool Mr Jono ! -
Still refining the jetting on the weber btw.. came too lean from redline. At the moment its running a 150 primary main and a 155 secondary main. Still getting a slight ping at 1/8th throttle in 3rd and 4th and still have a (now tiny) lean flat spot just as the secondary opens. Fitting a 55 secondary idle jet today - should eliminate the flat spot, I'll let you know how it goes. Also ordering a 60 primary idle today to rid the pingy spot.
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Starting problem 84 ea81
Knucklehead Saloon replied to CWAIS's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
Damn straight that is a fantastic effort !! Very, very cool Chuck ! -
Starting problem 84 ea81
Knucklehead Saloon replied to CWAIS's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
Awesome you got it sorted !! -
Starting problem 84 ea81
Knucklehead Saloon replied to CWAIS's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
Any chance you could draw the ignition wiring circuit on a piece of paper and take a photo and post it up pls ? Actually a few actual pix of the motor might help too. -
Power loss, please help.
Knucklehead Saloon replied to 4WD Turbo RX's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
My guess is a dirty air cleaner or a shot fuel pressure regulator. -
EA81 makin' buttermilk in catchcan
Knucklehead Saloon replied to jono's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
Blow by mixed with a weeping/leaking welch plug will make the buttermilk mate. Knowing you it'll be sorted pretty fast man. -
EA81 tries to fire ...my turn
Knucklehead Saloon replied to jono's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
Ok 2 things spring to mind here mate. 1. Water inside a leccy connector and probably corroded in there too. 2. Coil or dist module bad. 9 from 10 they whack out once they get a little heat in them. -
Starting problem 84 ea81
Knucklehead Saloon replied to CWAIS's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
Chi-ching !! No power to the coil primary winding. My money is on the disty module. Just check to make sure you're getting power to the distributor and if you are then bingo. Shot module. If no power to the distributor then look upstream for the fault and the dist is at this point ok. Check out the power supply wiring for a fractured wire or a bad/loose earth connection. -
Ea81 increase in power
Knucklehead Saloon replied to YaBoyKingsley's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
True Wagons... however at heart I'm a carburetor man. Cut my teeth on that stuff over 30 years ago and been spinning spanners on them ever since. Sure I've had injected and forced induction machines over the years and learned thay stuff inside out too. Just really digging the ultra simplicity and reliability of a well set up computer free car right now. Yep.. later model injected motors make more power, better economy etc but relaibility ?? In my experience old school carb 'n' dizzy kicks their rump roast when the motors get past 10 to 12 yrs old. -
Ea81 increase in power
Knucklehead Saloon replied to YaBoyKingsley's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
Jono: no offence taken at all mate. I imagine everyone else's ea81 egr system is as stuffed as mine was after 26 yrs of use. I was getting wayyyyyy too much crap going into the intake. -
Nope. Unfortunately my welding skills are nowhere near as good as that. Found a small exhaust shop that builds custom stuff and gave them a picture I drew the week before. I knew I was in the right place as soon as I walked into the shop. They had a wrx on the hoist and 3 harleys parked in there. These guys: Rutherford Muffler & Suspension & CV's 35 John St Rutherford, NSW, 2320 Phone No: 0249324775
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EA81 makin' buttermilk in catchcan
Knucklehead Saloon replied to jono's topic in Old Gen.: 80's GL/DL/XT/Loyales...
+1 what GD said. Ring blow by and I'll wager a leaking welch plug in the head as well. Compression check and whip the rocker covers off for a look.