Looking to ramp up my 1980 DL wagon. It comes with an EA81 engine and 4 speed tranny. Anybody know what else I can put in there? Is there a more powerful engine that would be compatible. I'm trying to learn this stuff... thoughts?

That's an EA71 (1.6) top-mount starter engine.

 

Unless you also change the tranny there are no larger/newer engines that are compatible. That was the last (and largest) of the top-mount starter engines.

 

If you go to the EA81 side-starter transmission you can install an EA81 (1.8), an EA82 (1.8 OHC), or by the use of an adaptor plate you could install just about anything in the EJ line up - easiest would be an EJ22 (2.2) but EJ25's are possible.

 

There is also the ER27 (2.7L H6) that shares the same bell-housing as the EA81/EA82 but is rare, expensive to maintain, and will not fit behind the radiator without major frame and body work.

 

GD

Can't the bell housing be swapped between EA71 and EA81?

Can't the bell housing be swapped between EA71 and EA81?

 

No - they are not interchangeable.

 

GD