Zefy Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 there is a brat for sale up here in Vancouver... but aparently it is all rusted out and it is not drivable... so my mind started thinking... the 79 brat and the 81 brat both have the same body style... so i assumed that the underside is also the same... but the engine and drivetrain are different... so i was thinking that if i use the crossmembers from the 81 and put them into my 79(they should bolt up if they are the same body) then i would be able to drop in the EA81 and the d/r... without fabing up oodles of stuff... am i at all correct to my assumptions??? partly??? if none of this stuff is right then anybody want to buy a really canadian brat??? its on buysell.com... thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 yup everything will bolt right into the '79:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zefy Posted March 10, 2005 Author Share Posted March 10, 2005 w00t! ok now i need some other info... if i were to get the crossmembers but not the engine and drivetrain what else would i need from the car to do the conversion??? the crossmembers in my mind are the only really essential part... am i missing something??? perhaps suspension??? basicly i am not able to do the work right now... and it seems that ea81 engines and trannies are in high supply right now so i need to know exactly what i need to take off the car and put in mine to make it work without taking the "big stuff..." i plan to do this later on when i have more money and time but these parts don't roll around to often... so i need a list of stuff i need from the 81 then unfortunatly send the rest to the j/y... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 you'll need the steering rack and the transmission since if it does have an EA81, it'll have the dual range 4-speed with the top mount starter bellhousing so it'll bolt to an EA71. You'd also need the shift linkage as well since it was different then the regular s/r 4wd tranny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zefy Posted March 11, 2005 Author Share Posted March 11, 2005 so wait wait wait wait wait... i can use my ea71 and have a 4sp d/r from the 81??? but i don't need the engine?!? so i will need: -tranny -linkages -steering rack -crossmembers -what about rear diff and drive shaft??? -do i need the axles, hubs and brakes?? -the rest of the steering stuff??? if i do go and do this i don't want to miss anything that i won't be able to get later... and since this would be my first conversion of anything, i want to make sure i get it all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 so you're planning on using the EA71 in the car right now so no, you won't need anything but the tranny and shift linkage. I even think the driveshaft is the same as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the sucker king Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 i'm a little confused, but i think you own a 79 brat and want to put a d/r tranny in? if so..... to use a d/r tranny with a 1600 cc engine you will need to swap the bellhousing from a late ea71 (i think '85 and up) on to the block. if you want to take the crossmember and engine from an '81 brat with a 1800 cc engine you can mount the 1800 engine, tranny (grab that xmember, too, as it might be different) into your older brat. or i may have misunderstood the situation and you can ignore me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 in '81, Brats had the option for an EA81 and a dual range 4-speed which is the same as the later EA81s BUT the EA81 Brat has the top mount starter bellhousing on it so the tranny would mate up to an older EA71. The newer style EA81s have the starter mounted off to the side like EA82s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zefy Posted March 22, 2005 Author Share Posted March 22, 2005 unfortunatly... i didn't catch the guy in time... somebody already bought it... but i know who bought it... he is apparently the suby guru of BC and he said that it has the side mounted starter... but i'm not sure i believe him because A: all of you guys say different and B: he didn't actually look... he just went off by his memory... so hmmm... i am checking him out later this week i think... never met him and i am going to start using him as my new parts guy...(better then getting everything from the states and waiting a year for the parts to arrive in the mail!) i will investigate... second... my logical mind tells me that if the 81 brat has a top mounted starter... then shouldn't every 81(gl, dl, whatever! as long as its EA81 d/r) have the top mounted starter bellhousing??? or did they make 2 different ones??? if this is do-able all i think i will need is the tranny, linkages and the xmember...(i dought it will fit onto my s/r xmember) then i will have that great lower gearing that i am sure will save me (and whoever i am hauling outa the snow filled ditch!!! ) from sure disaster... OHHH and good news... after many months(3 to be exact!) of ordering and loosing barings and a throttle cable(FYI an EA81 cable will fit into a gen 1 pedal if you mod it a little!) in the mail a couple of times i have finally gone to the dealership and spent more money and bought a set from them and they are in the process of being installed(i'm a slow worker!)... and i had to stop and get my rotor machined because it somehow got hugely FUBARed... within a couple days i should be clocking in a few more miles onto my BRAT!!! until something else brakes... (seriously... 27 miles so far... i have had it for OVER a year and a half!!!) should be a good day for Greg! oh ya... i bought a full tank of gas about 3 months ago... you think its still usable??? late all!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 unfortunatly... i didn't catch the guy in time... somebody already bought it... but i know who bought it... Well that kinda sucks... he is apparently the suby guru of BC and he said that it has the side mounted starter... but i'm not sure i believe him because A: all of you guys say different and B: he didn't actually look... he just went off by his memory... Glad it went to a good home though... from what you say, he doesn't really sound like much of a guru if he doesn't actually look and goes by memory second... my logical mind tells me that if the 81 brat has a top mounted starter... then shouldn't every 81(gl, dl, whatever! as long as its EA81 d/r) have the top mounted starter bellhousing??? or did they make 2 different ones??? The did make two. The '81 Brats were the ONLY ones to have the top mounted starter on an EA81, the rest were side mounted. if this is do-able all i think i will need is the tranny, linkages and the xmember...(i dought it will fit onto my s/r xmember) It sure is doable. Anything is doable with a little knowhow and the ambition to try new things and figure out the roadblocks that come with it. oh ya... i bought a full tank of gas about 3 months ago... you think its still usable??? late all!!! Yeah it should still be good. Now if it sat in the car for like a couple years... that's a different story right there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zefy Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 CaboobarooGlad it went to a good home though... from what you say, he doesn't really sound like much of a guru if he doesn't actually look and goes by memory no no... i said he was the guru of BC... we have lesser gurus... (and its not because i am Canadian...) CaboobarooIt sure is doable. Anything is doable with a little knowhow and the ambition to try new things and figure out the roadblocks that come with it. haha i have no knowhow... pffft... for instance: put my front hub, axle and brakes back together today... and realized i had put the oil seals in backwards AND had my axle in the tranny up-side-down... didn't realize the axle thing at first and put it all back together after fixing the seals, then getting the spring pin stuck in the tranny stub and couldn't get it out so i drill it... drill bit breaks IN the tranny stub... GRRRRRR... i'm not really sure if my car wants to be driven... maybe a d/r will lighten my cars mood??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 haha i have no knowhow... pffft... for instance: put my front hub, axle and brakes back together today... and realized i had put the oil seals in backwards AND had my axle in the tranny up-side-down... didn't realize the axle thing at first and put it all back together after fixing the seals, then getting the spring pin stuck in the tranny stub and couldn't get it out so i drill it... drill bit breaks IN the tranny stub... GRRRRRR... i'm not really sure if my car wants to be driven... maybe a d/r will lighten my cars mood??? See... now you know about how the axle can go back onto the stub the wrong way and about the grease seals on the bearings. I did the whole alxe mixup when I was working on a buddies turbowagon but I realized why it wasn't lining up before I tried to drill it:-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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