OK everyone, I'm here in norcal with my future snow truck, a half completed lifted '78 BRAT. I hate carburetors, at least in stock form. I'm not looking for performance gains, though that would be great. Rather, driveability, especially with big altitude changes, fuel economy, and a clean burning truck that will pass our stringent smog checks out here. I'm not looking for a carb vs EFI argument here, just the feasability of installing an EA82 SPFI induction (complete) on an EA71 engine. I've already done an EA82 in our '71 VW with great results, but my main concerns are mating the EA82 intake to the EA71 (cut and weld?) , distributor fitment, and any other issues I may face here. Thoughts?

Won't fit onto the EA71 of that era as the block is narrower then the EA81 or the fat case EA71 that came in the EA81 bodystyle in Standards or DLs.

 

Best bet would be to replace the EA71 with an EA81 and then do the SPFI swap.

Better off just trying to swap the whole motor.

 

Don't you have to do the bi-annual smog with that car too?

I just overhauled the motor and resealed the trans so I'm planning to use them but can't bring myself to put the hitachi carb back on. I realize it's a narrower engine than the EA81-82 but anything is possible with correct motivation. I am more looking for constructive ideas and anyone who has done anything remotely similar. I'm not afraid of sectioning the EA82 intake; that seems to be the most difficult part as far as I can see.

So I found a few other threads related to this and two other possibilities were suggested: either making an adapter plate for the throttle body to the EA71 intake, or use the original EA82 intake and make adapters bolt to the heads to accomodate the wider intake. Unfortunately none of the threads had follow up, so maybe neither has ever been done. I find that hard to believe. Also, if I do this I have to use all doner vehicle smog equipment for it to pass smog. Let the fun begin!

I have not done this but in my possession is a EA71 dual carb manifold that has been cut, extended and welded so it will fit a EA81. So it can be done. I would imagine it'd be easier to 'cut and shut' a manifold to shorten too.

 

Of course if probably comes down to how much you are willing to spend!

BTW, thanks to Kostamojen; I bought your EA71 last summer and it took a bore and a rebuild beautifully. That's the engine I'll be running in the BRAT. Your project is looking incredible, too.

BTW, thanks to Kostamojen; I bought your EA71 last summer and it took a bore and a rebuild beautifully. That's the engine I'll be running in the BRAT.

Awesome, glad to hear it

Been a dream of mine to make that SPFI or MPFI 1600 "narrowcase" , mated to a dual range 5speed .

I just talked to bill tonight (the beast I drive) and he's planing on doing this build. He's just the guy for the job. I'll keep you updated on his progress.

I talked to the guys at RAM performance about multi port EA81 heads (before I found some EA81T heads) and they just drill the standard head castings out and weld in some injector bungs like this;

 

Low Profile Injector Bungs

 

Anyone that can weld aluminum should be able to create relatively inexpensive set of EA71 or EA81 MP heads. Of course then you would have to sort out which throttle body, TPS, and IAC system to use.

 

Here are some examples of regular EA81 heads with injector bosses welded in to them from the Ram Performance web site. Look closely at the 115 horse version about 3 pics down. It probably would be more work than an SPFI EA71 but the end result sure would be nice.

 

Ramengines

Edited August 11, 201114 yr by Crazyeights

From a standpoint of cost and complexity I am leaning towards adapters at the heads to widen out the ports to accomodate an uncut stock EA82 intake. It'll raise the intake a bit but I'm using one of Bill's 4 inch body lifts so there'll be plenty of room. Seems like an easier mod if the whole manifold goes on with all sensors, etc.

Agreed, that would probably be the easiest to get it running and parts would all be stock and available. With some time, patience, and basic tools you should be able to fabricate the intake adapters out of some thick aluminum plate.

 

Only problem I see could be the distributor. The SPFI swap needs a modified EA82 distributor to fit in an EA81. Could this be done for the EA71, and would it even fit? How much wider are the EA81/EA82 manifolds than the EA71's? Just some things to think about.