justaquestion Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I have an 85 brat with an EA81 engine. it starts and idols fine, but if you give it any gas, even in neutral, it hesitates and almost dies or does die. if you feather the gas you can get the rpm's up and sorta start driving but it has no power and still is trying to die. it feels like a fuel issue but i've replaced the fuel filters and the fuel pump is fine. i've had the distributor rebuilt with new vacuum. I don't think the egr valve is really working, but that only makes a difference while the engine is heating up, right? Does this look like a carb issue? any ideas would be very much appreciated. I love this car and I am completely stumped as to how to get it running again. thanks alot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Does sound like carb issue. Was just getting on here to start a thread on mine, when I saw this one. My '85 BRAT is acting very simular, but it will "free rev" in neutral. It will start to die if I try to let out the clutch. Once it does "stall", it's very hard to restart. Was running good, just started acting up in the last few days. Drove to work and back Tuesday, no real issues. Couldn't get it out of the driveway later that night. Thinking we both need to do a rebuild on the carb. :-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naru Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Look down the carb throat w/engine off. Make sure the accelerator pump squirts when the throttle is opened. Check the fuel level in the carb sight glass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justaquestion Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 yeah thats what I was thinking too. I have the original carb in mine, do you? everyone tells me if its the carb to just get a weber. but it seems like that would be a few hundred bucks, and this isn't exactly a performance vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 could be a vacuum line disconnected, theres about 15 to 20 on these. could need a carb rebuld, debris, clogged jets etc, need to soak them clean. Could be float level incorrect could be choke not coming off when warmed could be etc, etc etc. On my CA spec BRAT, I rebuilt the carb, and it was better for a while, then when it started runnning crap again, I decided due to all the California emissions garbage, the only real solution was to get a Weber. I got my Weber used from Jerry DeMoss, and all said and done, total cost with new manifold gaskets, new coolant lines, new vacuum lines for the valve cover breathers, its more like 350 that was with used carb. If you have a non-CA spec carb, then i say rebuild it. When I compare my Weberized BRAT to the 83 GL wagon I had with normal non CA carb, they both are about the same. But a CA spec carb will never give anything good even when rebuild, not like a regular carb. that emissions stuff is GARBAGE after it gets old. So only you can decide, and you being on the NW, maybe yours has a CA spec emssions carb, never know until you dig around to find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justaquestion Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 I don't know how to tell if its a CA spec carb or not. If i look down the carb with the engine off, and i pull the throttle cable with my hand fuel definitely squirts out. so i assume this means the pump and everything are working. I think the float might be off. the sight glass shows only a tiny bit of fuel in the bottom edge of it. should there be more? even with the engine off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 sight glass should be in the middle i believe, I will have to look that up to make sure. that means float is set wrong. it is ajusted by slight bend of the float holder rods, maybe your float is bad, when it gets bad, it absorbs gas/water and it is heavy so it wont float, and that will mess it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justaquestion Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 well it is about 3/4 full when idling. but with engine off it is almost empty even when i'm pulling on the throttle. and i just noticed that fuel just started shooting out of only one of the barrels. so I guess the carb is shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naru Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 (edited) well it is about 3/4 full when idling. but with engine off it is almost empty even when i'm pulling on the throttle. and i just noticed that fuel just started shooting out of only one of the barrels. so I guess the carb is shot? 3/4 on the sight glass is too high.Should be real close to 1/2 all the time.There is a dot in the middle,IIRC. Repeated throtlle activation w/engine off will lower the fuel level. Your symptoms are more like fuel starvation,but, the sight glass does not lie about fuel level. Probably a carb float/float valve problem,but, it would be worth checking fuel pressure and making sure you can blow thru the return line into the tank. Plugs and wires good? Edited February 11, 2010 by naru more bs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naru Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Does sound like carb issue. Was just getting on here to start a thread on mine, when I saw this one. My '85 BRAT is acting very simular, but it will "free rev" in neutral. It will start to die if I try to let out the clutch. Once it does "stall", it's very hard to restart. Was running good, just started acting up in the last few days. Drove to work and back Tuesday, no real issues. Couldn't get it out of the driveway later that night. Thinking we both need to do a rebuild on the carb. :-\ Check the fuel level in the carb sight glass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 your needle/seat may be worn as well....time for rebuild *** you can get kit. you need your carb number Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justaquestion Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 is there another way to find out what carb you have without the part number? the one on the back is completely unreadable. you can barely even tell they stamped it at all. all i know is it is a hitachi and probably original with my 85 brat, but no way of telling 100 percent for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naru Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 (edited) You don`t need the #. Ask for a carb kit for an 84 brat or wagon to avoid confusion w/ea-82 stuff. Part store listings for post 84 ea-81s are typically terrible. Edited February 11, 2010 by naru Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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