After splitting the block and freeing everything from the cylinders on my 1984 Brat's EA81, I was left with rusty and questionable walls.  All the rust is gone and I put a deglazer and ball hone to smooth it as much as I could but I'm still left with almost imperceptible pitting and stains.  Anybody just say fuggedaboutit, put it back together with new rings looking like that and have little to no problems?  I'm trying to save money but fully ready to bite the bullet in the future if a cleaner block if one comes up.  

Long story short, in your collective experiences do you think these walls are acceptable?  I'm willing to take a chance.

I'm also ready to get a few harder stones for my cylinder hone and just go to town until it's smooth enough.  Not sure how these engines take to it though.  Any, and all advice is greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 20232 yr by UnorganizedMechanic

Hard to tell how deep the damage is. ...   my guess is it will burn more oil than normal.  So use cheap oil.  I ran an EA82 for years, that had been overheated,  and I did a reseal, but didn't think about the possibility that the oil rings could be shot.  It burned a quart with every tank of fuel.  I used the waste oil from other cars, mixed with new what ever I found on sale 10w 40.  For years.  

Edited August 27, 20205 yr by DaveT

Whole lotta nope. That's garbage unless you bore it oversized. Not likely worth the effort and custom pistons. Just huck that out behind the dumpster. 

GD

Only one way to find out -try it. There are cars getting around that have been bodged up and put back together and likely give some reliability until it poos itself.

A mate used to say " back home in (select your Baltic country) we wouldn't have had a choice but to stick it back together"

Depends what and how you use it too

Edited August 27, 20205 yr by Step-a-toe

I would run it what's the worst that could happen you loose some compression burn some oil

Don't expect it to be a daily driver but it should run OK till it dosent

I've got 2 old e 81 motors that you could have.

Recently saw 40 over pistons on eBay. 

On 8/26/2020 at 9:29 PM, GeneralDisorder said:

Whole lotta nope. 

GD

Hehe, I like it.

 

On 8/26/2020 at 10:33 PM, Step-a-toe said:

Only one way to find out -try it. There are cars getting around that have been bodged up and put back together and likely give some reliability until it poos itself.

A mate used to say " back home in (select your Baltic country) we wouldn't have had a choice but to stick it back together"

Depends what and how you use it too

In Soviet Russia, car smoke you!

I think I've decided to go for it.  I'm putting some new rings and bearings in it, honing the walls until I feel OK, then praying as I start it up.  Most likely running a thicker oil and we'll see what the speed gods have in store for me.

1 hour ago, DLGL8388 said:

I've got 2 old e 81 motors that you could have.

Dang, that's awesome.  But I'm in California and who knows what shipping would be like.  If the poopoo hits the wall, for sure I'd appreciate having the option.  Thanks DLGL8388.

The price of boring it out, putting new pistons and rings would be probably the same, or more, as getting a used motor.

You’re in Cali and can’t find a replacement ? I know it’s 2020 and not that many left but I’m still surprised.

 

Good luck with it. 

 

And many of us have had engines shipped to us to save elder cars. Count me in in that one. I sure thought it was well worth it.

9 hours ago, moosens said:

You’re in Cali and can’t find a replacement ? I know it’s 2020 and not that many left but I’m still surprised.

 

Good luck with it. 

 

And many of us have had engines shipped to us to save elder cars. Count me in in that one. I sure thought it was well worth it.

They're getting harder to find, and some guys are asking $400-$500 for a used engine WITH a rod knock. They must have the solid gold bearings installed.  As long as they're still on the market when I need it, I'll likely be willing to step out of my comfort zone to acquire one...within reason of course. 

I"m going to post some cleaner pics of the cylinder walls as I plan to run them.  They look worse for wear, but they'll be usable enough.  She's rough, but I like her like that.

Story of the day ....

Cleansing my workshop of 80’s parts I sold an EA81 to a guy who drove from western Illinois to Connecticut. It was supposed to be my extremely low mile engine. 
 

At that time I was completely dipped in this Subaru - fix em and run em - sort of lifestyle. I had I think 8 or 9 EA81’s.

Somehow I sold him the wrong one. He was going to use this for ultralight fun and flying over his cornfields which he said was all you could see , he was deep into the rural zone. 
 

So I offered him ALL of my EA1’s including the correct engine. 
 

He and his son drove back and got them all. They had a water pump issue , and changed that in their Dodge van , then headed back to the land of Lincoln. ( hope I got that right ).

That my friend is EA81 dedication !! 
 

Best of luck with it! Enjoy !

On 9/2/2020 at 8:35 AM, moosens said:

Story of the day ....

Cleansing my workshop of 80’s parts I sold an EA81 to a guy who drove from western Illinois to Connecticut. It was supposed to be my extremely low mile engine. 
 

At that time I was completely dipped in this Subaru - fix em and run em - sort of lifestyle. I had I think 8 or 9 EA81’s.

Somehow I sold him the wrong one. He was going to use this for ultralight fun and flying over his cornfields which he said was all you could see , he was deep into the rural zone. 
 

So I offered him ALL of my EA1’s including the correct engine. 
 

He and his son drove back and got them all. They had a water pump issue , and changed that in their Dodge van , then headed back to the land of Lincoln. ( hope I got that right ).

That my friend is EA81 dedication !! 
 

Best of luck with it! Enjoy !

That indeed it is.  I've had, and will probably have the Brat bug for a long time to come.  Glad there are people like you out there helping us addicts.

I ended up finding a nice fellow locally who sold me a used block.  Unfortunately it had a rod knock, but the rest of the block is pristine.  Good people out there, or just luck.  But I'm going to use pieces from both to make one good one.  Cannibalize and modify is my motto.  Luckily it's the con rod, not the main.  Time to check clearances.   Up, up, and away!!!

A

 

 

Edited May 5, 20232 yr by UnorganizedMechanic

The aforementioned engine set up and rebuilt in the bay.  Fingers crossed my skills have not waned over the years.

 

Edited May 5, 20232 yr by UnorganizedMechanic

Right on ! 
Looking forward to the next post. It’ll be running. 

I have seen sleeves for EA81s. Has anyone had one re-sleeved? 

Just curious. 

3 hours ago, Chance said:

I have seen sleeves for EA81s. Has anyone had one re-sleeved? 

Just curious. 

LOL

6 hours ago, GeneralDisorder said:

LOL

So that’s a no? 

Most good machine shops can replace liners.

13 hours ago, Chance said:

Most good machine shops can replace liners.

Rockauto sells those bad boys.  But the price in resleeving would equivalent to buying a new engine.

You go on ahead and ask a machinist. They will also LOL at you. 

You're really going to sleeve an engine for which you can no longer buy an oil pump? 

Talk about a stupid waste of money. 

WE DO sleeve EJ's for performance reasons. The cost to INSTALL and machine for the sleeves (not the cost of the sleeves or the block itself) is about $3,000

GD

 

Edited December 29, 20205 yr by GeneralDisorder

So the answer is yes, but the machine cost is high. The machinists I know don't LOL.

If I remember correctly RAM aircraft engines now RAM proformace engines and machine in South Carolina or could up to a few years ago they made their own high flow pumps for aircraft use (I got mine for my old brat with the pistons and rings and they reworked my heads heads for the spfi swap I did in 2012)can get you oil pumps and do machine work for ea81 engines 

That might make a nice post alone.