Sorry for not taking the time to do a search. What years did they switch from solid to hydraulic lifter motors on the EA81? Looking at an 84 wagon and the tell/tale hydo sticker is not apparent but my 84 brat had hydro lifter motor? I could use this engine but dont necessarily want it if a solid lifter one. Input pleae or a link for those with time to search.

'85+ Brats and Hatches had hydo lifters

'84 soobs with Auto tranny had hydro lifters

'83 soobs (possibly had hydro lifters if AT)

all ea81T had hydro lifters

 

all 80-82 motors had solid lifters.

so an 84 wagon could be solid? according to your info?

One problem with trying to categorize something like that is your category is only valid or useful if you assume the EA81 in question has the original engine in place. It has been my experience that many or even most of the EA81s running around these days have had engine swaps.

true, mine alone has seen three different swaps. Lets assume this is the original motor, now what do you think? 84 wagon 4wd 4spd solid? or hydro?

Well from McBrat's list, it looks like a solid lifter engine, but if you're still not sure why not pop off the oil pan and take a peek.

doing that what am I looking for? I'm a body man not a mechanic.

Someone much wiser than myself in regards to Subarus pointed out to me in a post a while back that all you had to do was look for the boss for the knock sensor. Just behind the carb (towards the rear of the engine) there will be a raised boss casted in to the engine block if the engine has hydro lifters. This raised boss is for the knock sensor on the turbo motor. If you don't have a turbo, you won't have the knock sensor of course, but if you have the raised boss, you do have hydro lifters.

 

At least that's what I was told.

Someone much wiser than myself in regards to Subarus pointed out to me in a post a while back that all you had to do was look for the boss for the knock sensor. Just behind the carb (towards the rear of the engine) there will be a raised boss casted in to the engine block if the engine has hydro lifters. This raised boss is for the knock sensor on the turbo motor. If you don't have a turbo, you won't have the knock sensor of course, but if you have the raised boss, you do have hydro lifters.

 

At least that's what I was told.

 

yes, that is correct.

 

a 84 MT wagon with original motor should have solid lifters...

Dumb question, but what is the advantage of hydro lifters? Thanks, Kurt

Well, I guess not having to adjust your valves would be one. Maybe it's easier to keep them from ticking too, but I don't know about that.

Dumb question, but what is the advantage of hydro lifters? Thanks, Kurt

 

Quieter engine, and less tune-up work.

 

With solid lifters, there's somewhat of a "normal" "Tick-Of-Death" (TOD), that really shouldn't be there with hydro lifters. Plus, you do need to adjust them from time to time.

 

Eons ago, lot of performance engine builders preferred the solids over the hydros. Reason being was a supposed power increase of solids over hydro, but that really was never proven out.

 

Do know that just pulling the rocker covers on a EA-81 won't tell you whether they're solids or not, as both have adjusters on them. And you really can cause yourself much more work by assuming that they are solids, and adjust them accordingly. This I learned the hard way. Been fighting with them for awhile now, but me thinks I finally got it right. This was on the '84 BRAT in the sig.....

hmmm, so say if i got the impression from somewhere that 83 ea81ts didn't have hydro lifters, and i adjusted them (not much, just a little), is that going to cause a problem?

hmmm, so say if i got the impression from somewhere that 83 ea81ts didn't have hydro lifters, and i adjusted them (not much, just a little), is that going to cause a problem?

 

Kinda difficult to answer that question, really. Lot depends on the "not much, just a little" part. Hyrdo lifters are somewhat forgiving in the sense that they will self-adjust some. So,, maybe you lucked out, and didn't tweak them too much. On the other hand, you could've got one or two to tight, which would lead to a valve not closing properly, and/or not opening fully. That would be evident by a miss, or loss of power. A compression check would point out an open valve. Just my .02 there....

 

The only reason I adjusted mine, was due to me swapping heads on the engine. Just figured it was the right thing to do. In the midst of doing the swap, my brain went on vacation without me. I adjusted the lifters as if they were solids. Then, after realizing my mistake, I readsjusted them by proper method for hydro lifters, but still managed to do something wrong. Took me a total of 3 tries to get it right, atleast I hope they're right. Seems to be running good, and there is no TOD from the engine.

Dumb question, but what is the advantage of hydro lifters? Thanks, Kurt

 

you don't have to adjust the valves ever is one of them....