There HAS to be something wrong with this EA82?!?

[markjs]

So I've been over this before but it's still bothering me and I figured a new way of describing it that may make it easier to understand.

 

I hear over and over that the EA82 is more powerful than the EA81, but I have an 84 GL Wagon (FWD) with an EA81 and my friend has an 85 GL Wagon (4WD) with EA82. I swear the EA81 has a LOT more balls and that's even with a 1bbl Carter/Weber. The best way I can descibe it is that in 5th gear going up this one long hill on the highway the EA81 can hold it's speed and even accelerate (a little not much) and in 4th it's piece of cake......The EA82 however, will not hold its speed on the same hill in 5th gear, you HAVE to shift down to 4th and even then it feels like it has less (very slightly) to give than the EA81 does when the EA81 is in 5th. The EA81 spins approximately 2500 RPM at 50 or so MPH where the EA82 does 3K+ at similar speeds.

 

So after hearing that, is that "normal" for a carbed EA82? Could timing belt tension cause this issue? Thanks in advance!

[ShawnW]

The gear ratio and the wear on the carburators or engines alone would explain this. My favorite would be the KISS principle. The ea81 is easier to take care of and has less moving parts and therefore is more likely to be in peak condition than the ea82.

[fbh]

Well, my EA82 can hold its own against most hills at 60mph in 5th, revving about 3k, 3.5k..? Though, sometimes it's needed to downshift to 4th.

 

Keep in mind though, are the two cars of equal weight? Some of the EA82's are in 1.7-ton monsters...

 

Also, the gearing on the 4WD tranny is different to the 2WD one, so on average the 4WD one will rev higher than the 2WD.

[ballitch]

are both cars using fresh gas and have accurate timing? i know when my EA82 slipped 2 degrees it wouldnt go worth a crap. throw some premium in her and set the timing to 10 degrees, only do that with premium though. but like shawn said, the EA81 has fewer moving parts, and less to go wrong or get weaker over time. and the EA82 cars are like 300-500 lbs. heavier than the EA81 cars if i remember......

 

 

 

~Josh~

[Meeky Moose]

its all in the carbs and wieght..

 

i had an ea81 hatch that would wrap the speedo back around to the M in mph.. on the flats with the stock carb and 220k on it..

 

now i had an 86' ea82 carbed wagon that would get outrun by a 50 foot schoolbus from a light.. stock carb that was junk me thinks.

 

then my brat will run the speedo back around to the h in mph.. and its a stock carb as well.. runs ok, running to rich right now..

 

if you ever find a real good ea81/2 factory carb, keep it.. i've had 3 different webers cars as well and none would run as good as my old hatch and this brat with the factory carbs on them..

[markjs]

Well I just found out my nGL weighs in at around 2200LBs and the 85er is about 3400LBs, so that right there is considerable!