Flatfourtrikes Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 My name is Larry and I build custom VW trikes in Beaumont Tx. I have decided to try a switch from the VW engines to the much superior Subaru for the obvious reason's (reliability and more power). I know have a rolling chassis ready for the power plant decision. I would like to use the 1.8 motor with carb or single point fuel injection. Since the EA82 carb motors are almost impossible to find the single point motor seems to be the choice. 100 HP is more than enough for a 800 lb trike. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good supplier for the engine. If this project works well I will be going to the Subaru motor on all of my trikes in the future. If someone on the forum has an older motor in decent condition that would be suitable for this first test trike I would be interested. All ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have already learned a lot by just reading the many helpful post. Thanks Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 The spfi engine will have more compression than the carb version. however, a carb manifold will bolt onto the same engine. And once you do that, you can install a weber. If you are going through the trouble of chopping a wiring harness and ecu for fuel injection, an ej22 from 90-96 legacy will be easier to find, and less trouble to maintain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 The advice from Miles is good, but is most applicable to use in cars. Your application MIGHT have different priorities/desire/needs. (The EJ-series is slightly heavier, or EA81s might be more reliable due to being pushrod rather than belt-driven OHC. Stuff like that.) Are you looking for good-used engines, are you planning on rebuilding the engiens first, or are you looking for already rebuilt engines? For decent-used engiens I personally like the imported JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) engines, which are used pullouts from cars in Japan; typically have 40k miles on them. Others have different opinions on this option, seeming to range from OK through mixed-experiences to really bad experiences. If you want already rebuilt, CCR (Colorado Component Rebuilders; [Emily, sorry have I misremembered the name ), a vendor with "presence" on this site, is highly regarded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatfourtrikes Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Thanks so much Miles Fox and North Wet for your information. For the first stab at the subie on one of my trikes I would like to get a decent used motor. This way I can get a feel for how it performs and the experience of actually doing the install and making it work. If all goes well I would like to use fresh rebuilt motors on the trikes from that point. I have looked at the Japanese motors as a source but not knowing a lot about the Subie motor I was not sure with ones were the single point fuel injected and which was the multi point that could not be converted over to carb. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) post in the parts wanted forum. $365 in Fort Worth, TX 1-800-862-9802 No price Fort Worth, 1-800-838-9901 $350 in TX 915-877-7075 I'd do just what you said and get a used one and try it out and see if you like it. If that works out then look into suppliers if you need quantities of them. They're very robust engines and not prone to issues if taken care of. ebay is great for parts as they have complete timing belt kits with all new pulleys for only $60 or so, great deal. Edited February 11, 2011 by grossgary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Welcome! I definitely like to hear people using Subie engines in other applications (I've helped with a number of porsche/vw based projects). I would highly recommend choosing something other than an Ea82. If you're going for light and simple, go with an EA81. They might be kind of hard to find in texas, but they're a much simpler engine. Otherwise, I'd suggest going EJ series. Not much more complex than the Ea82s, but much more reliable, and more common. Whatever you do, if you're going fuel-injected, you'll need much of the wiring from the car. In which case, I always recommend getting a whole donor car (crashed, or with some other failure.....transmission or something). This way you know you have everything, and the condition of the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 If you do go with the EA82, the MPFI versions will usually be identified as MPFI, Turbo, or for an "XT" model. If you were planning on building your own intake manifold, any of these could use a carb. The SPFI and MPFI use a different distributor than the carb models, one that is controlled by the ECU (Engine Control Unit, aka computer). The EJ-series engine, as sold in the US, is distributorless, so it would take a little ingenuity to use it without an ECU. (It does, however, have provision for a distributor, as it was sold that way in other markets.) What transmission are you planning on using? I am assuming that, for first cut at least, you are planning on a VW transaxle. There are adapter plates and kits available, Kennedy Engineering being a popular vendor. Pretty popular to adapt the EJ-series into Vanagons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatfourtrikes Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Thanks guys for all of your Subie knowledge! Hold on a minute and let be get my head screwed back around in place. HA Some one needs to develop a standard vacumn operated distributor for the newer engines and then the alternative use for these engines would explode. I guess I decided to make this change over to the Subie motor about 15 years to late, I am determined:horse::horse: to find a way to make this work. Thanks again for all of the help! Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatfourtrikes Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Thanks guys for all of your Subie knowledge! Hold on a minute and let be get my head screwed back around in place. HA Some one needs to develop a standard vacumn operated distributor for the newer engines and then the alternative use for these engines would explode. I guess I decided to make this change over to the Subie motor about 15 years to late, I am determined to find a way to make this work. Thanks again for all of the help! Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatfourtrikes Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Sorry for the double post guys. I was trying to beat out a carb fire on a VW motor right in the middle sending the message. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratsrus1 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Hi Larry This is Jerry, they have a dissy for the EJ engines i have 2 of them. I am runnung a 96 imperza 2.2 with a holley 4 barrel carb. I got them from New Zealand, 2 wires make this engine run. We need to talk call me 1-509-952-2855 Thanks Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I can supply rebuilt engines, contact info on my website below. I would recommend Ea81 engines with Ea82 SPFI setups installed on them, or weber carbs installed on them. Both are very reliable and cost about the same to build-the weber would be a new carb, adapter, etc, the SPFI would be used parts but they are very reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickolai Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Cool! A Subaru powered trike. I like it! +1 on not using the ea82 though. In my experience the ea81 and ea71 are much more reliable. I've read that it's possible to fuel inject these engines using the intake manifold, throttle body, and ecu from an ea82. Others could probably expand more on this if you are interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Thanks guys for all of your Subie knowledge! Hold on a minute and let be get my head screwed back around in place. HA Some one needs to develop a standard vacumn operated distributor for the newer engines and then the alternative use for these engines would explode. I guess I decided to make this change over to the Subie motor about 15 years to late, I am determined:horse::horse: to find a way to make this work. Thanks again for all of the help!Larry I'm really not sure what you're looking for..... You said in your first post that you're considering using Fuel Injection. FI means ECU, period. There are options for a carbed setup for most subie engines before 1997 or so that wouldn't require an ECU. But with a little wiring, the fuel-injection will be a turnkey setup with great torque and mileage. If you're unsure of the wiring, there are many people (myself included, check out the link in my signature) that can strip your donor harness down to a standalone harness that wouldn't be much harder to wire up than a carb setup (couple power wires, and a few signal wires for gauges/lights if you like), and run perfect from the get-go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beemerpb Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Dude : go to the BTW site, there are a couple of guys in CA that are doing this. They could help you out. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweety Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 see my latest posts that I posted today on http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=60231&page=2 My Panther (Oz) trike has an ea81 mated to a vW automatic. Many people urge for the eJ series engines. I went to ea81 for old school simplicity. that's my choice and although I am about to fit a Toyota sc12 supercharger to my engine I still prefer to do this than go EJ. I'm just in a time warp lol The Subie ea81 revs easier than the VW, more torque, simple, reliable etc. You can read the above thread but also see my ea81 auto trike at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_freddo Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 The spfi engine will have more compression than the carb version. however, a carb manifold will bolt onto the same engine. And once you do that, you can install a weber. If you are going through the trouble of chopping a wiring harness and ecu for fuel injection, an ej22 from 90-96 legacy will be easier to find, and less trouble to maintain. I would say, from talking to Tweety and hearing of a fella in South Oz that's dropped an EJ in his trike that the EJ is too powerful. This fella can't get it engineered (a requirement in oz) after all his time and effort. Another thing to consider with the trike is that the engine generally needs to complement the look of the trike, this means a clean and untidy engine with a small bit of bling added. Many people urge for the eJ series engines. I went to ea81 for old school simplicity. that's my choice and although I am about to fit a Toyota sc12 supercharger to my engine I still prefer to do this than go EJ. I've had the pleasure of riding/driving this superb machine, it goes very well with the NA EA81! You won't be disappointed, Tweety wasn't! Cheers Bennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweety Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 (edited) And next time you ride Tweety I'll be insisting you twist that throttle more Bennie. lol But yeh the engineering issues in Australa keep them in a job. I'm getting a lot of replies on various forums about "should have gone EJ". It really is putting the ea series engine down I think. I'm so impressed with the ea81, its longativity, realibility and simplicity. And Bennie, one day when you are settled and secure I'm intending to help you build a trike dream machine. The supercharger instal plan has started. Will look nice above the engine. started building the first manifold Edited May 26, 2012 by tweety Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivans imports Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 i work on a lot of older subie engines and have had many people ask about parts and engines for trikes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivans imports Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 have seen a ford escort distributor on ej engines work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_freddo Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 And Bennie, one day when you are settled and secure I'm intending to help you build a trike dream machine. Or when you're "old enough" I could buy Tweety from you :twisted: have seen a ford escort distributor on ej engines work This is a common conversion from EFI to the old school carb & dizzy setup... Cheers Bennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivans imports Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 way better to use efi i get the syestems down to a very small harness then the engine runs like its ment to and the computer has way better control of af ratios timing ect run the efi if you can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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