hey all, my buddy might be getting one of these and he wants me to help him upgrade it.

 

Can the 1800 EA81 engine be bolted in and on that note can a 5spd DR go in too?

 

what about EJ engine and tranny

 

EA81 brakes?

 

thanks!

I have heard of the EA81 swap being done, but I have never done it. (supposed to be easey I think)

you will most likely get more responses tommorow.

PM Shawn W. He posted about the same idea elsewhere toanother member called bugaru. Good luck.

Austin just finished the EA81 swap in his 80 wagon

you can get the betterheads off a later model hatch, and use them on the ea71 in an older brat. that will give you ea81 valves. you can also swap an ea81 bellhousing for a 5spd if your existing motor has the starter dead on top.

 

if the starter is on the side then a 5spd will already fit

81 Brat's had the EA81, so it can be done. I think the engine mounts are different? Could probably get those from a dealer tho - just ask for '81 Brat mounts.....

 

GD

80 brat and 80 wagon are different gens. i know somebody else has done this, if they could step forward?

Yes - 81 Brats are gen 1, but they DID come with EA81's..... that is why I posted.

 

Oh - one thing - all Gen 1's (so I hear) have a 4.11 rear diff, so that will have to be changed to mach whatever tranny you go with...

 

GD

sorry i didnt mention the year earlier, its an 1980 not an EA81 car.

What I'm saying is that you CAN put an EA81 in your car - as they did come stock that way from the factory. There is some combination of parts that will allow you to do this swap - have a look at a factory parts book maybe.

 

GD

i didnt know they made them with EA81 1800 engines. which brats did they come in? thats super cool!

Heres an Idea? All Ea81 brats maybe? LOL I dunno just a wild guess;) I could be wrong...

The last year they made the Gen I Brat, '81, they were available with a EA81 and a dual range 4 speed trans.

thats pretty cool! unless for 81 they had a different body stamp that made the tranny tunnel wider. this should be a pretty easy swap! get ready for the ultimate drag brat guys! one more question, what about suspension and brake upgrades? these are really important, because my buddy wants to maybe race this. Corky, Qman, anyone know about suspension and brakes?

bump

HAHAHA you said race... and brat... and ea81 hahahaha

dude, that not supposed to be funny!!! no seriously, this thing should be pretty fast by the time im done with it. do you know if vented EA81 rotors and calipers will bolt on to the gen 1 hubs?

Check to see if the top bolts for the struts are the same as generic EA81 Subaru's. Also check to see if the lower ball joint is the same as well. If so, you could most likely take the EA81 Suspension from any EA81 with the steering knuckle, brakes and all... and bolt them up. Not sure if its been done before, but let us know if your successful.

 

The EA81 will fit, 5spd, not too sure.

 

-Brian

if your gonna put in a different motor, go all the way and put in an ea82t!

Wont fit. The OHC makes the EA82 wider than the EA81. You'd have to modify the frame rails to get it to fit, and you would have to wire everything and run new fuel lines.

 

Stay simple. Lighten the car, put a EA81 in it with a weber and aftermarket cam. Get 130hp from that engine and your brat will FLLLLLY!!!

 

-Brian

im not saying you dont know what your talking about subarujunky... but even the airplane guys dont get 130 out of an ea81, and they have cams, intakes, exhaust, timing... all that stuff. 100 hp would be great in any brat... but not a racer.

Uhm... I was talking to a guy who fab's cams for aircraft use. He told me he can make a cam, and doubled with a weber and tuned right would make 130hp.

 

Im not sure if youve ever seen a gen1 brat. But they are tiny. And very light. if you tore everything out of it and lightened it even more, and stuck a 100hp EA81 in it, you would rip the doors off of everyone else. 130hp would be even more scary. Coupled with a Full Time 4WD 5spd, and you would be almost unstoppable.

 

-Brian

http://www.ramengines.com/_wsn/page2.html

 

-Brian

damn those guys have bad stuff... and the rering kits are cheap.

i agree 100 would be great. i was not aware of the 140hp engine! thats gotta be nice.

Never thought about swapping the whole front suspension uprights, but that sounds like it would work! Also im getting a RX tranny so ill see if they fit at all! Also I know that with some work (could someone repeate the steps) EA82 suspension can be put on the front of an EA81 car, so can I presume that if EA71 and EA81 chassis have similar front suspensions, i can get an RX suspension to fit?