el_freddo

Hehehe... Tweety, you're move over here took a lot less time than mine did! It's great to see some other pics of the trike and the camper too. The wedding cake figurines look awesome Can't wait to see how this thing shapes up with the EA81! Cheers Bennie

Go the EJ22, it's EFI, reliable and a good powerplant all-round. Steer well clear of the EA82, the black sheep of the subaru engine family. A well maintained EA81 with electronic spark and a weber conversion is also a great package if you're after something simple. The EJ and EA engines require a different adaptor plate so I'd be deciding what you want and sticking with it. If you've got the little voice saying "EJ, EJ..." I'd be going down that route as the EA will never do what the little voice wants in the end! Cheers Bennie

If you've got MPFI or SPFI I wouldn't recommend doing it. I fitted solid lifters that I made up to my MPFI - a total *************** to get the gap right as I had to put the cam box on, measure each unit, remove cam box, adjust all lifters, re-fit cam box, measure etc until I got the adjustment right. It would purr like an EA81 with a tiny bit of chatter but I didn't have that dreaded EA82 lifter tick Only problem was that before 4000rpm with my butt dyno it was not really responsive like it was with the stock lifters. After 4000rpm though it was amazing - pity I didn't drive in that rev range often in my daily driving! A cam grind specifically for solid lifters might be a different thing though as the cam will be specifically setup for the non movement of the solid lifter thus have the correct cam opening depth and timing for the application you want. All that said, dad's mate had a hitachi carb EA82 with the solid lifters - this is where I got the idea from - and it went off it's tits right from the word go. It was built/modified for rally in the back of a VW bug though! Hope this helps you out. Cheers Bennie

Ruby Scoo pre EJ, pre lift out at the Bendigo 4wd club's play area: Ruby Scoo a year or so ago in the Otways - Paddy's Swamp area: Video of paddy's swamp where the above pic was taken: Cheers Bennie

All the accessories from the EJ25 should bolt straight on to the EJ22 - so if you've got air con you should be able to remove the compressor from the engine, swing and tie it off in the battery tray then remove the EJ25 and re-install it on the EJ22 once you've got it in the engine bay. Same for the Power Steering pump. The alternator will be interchangeable as well. It's all like lego! The AC will most likely have one bolt bottom rear that is a real PITA - persistence is the trick with this one! Cheers Bennie

Both gearboxes are the same - Dual range L series. The difference between the two could be the front diff ratio which will be either 3.9 or 3.7 depending on the year it was made. Over here Pre '87 models were typically 3.9 and in mid '87 they went to 3.7 without any 3.9's from what I've seen/read. Both gearboxes will be the same to drop in you EA81 Hatch. The other thing to look at is the number of miles each box has done. The second link looks like that gearbox has been outside for some time looking at the rust on top of the low range rod on top of the gearbox... There are plenty of threads around the traps about this conversion - do a search and check out what you need to do to make it fit Cheers Bennie

That was bloody lucky mate! Dad's '89 rangie did the same thing about 3 months after an engine rebuild but it had this nasty knocking like a really bad big end bearing knock - found out the engine/gearbox bolts were loose, once these were done up all was good again! Very lucky!! Cheers Bennie

'91 model... I've heard that you don't have to use this wire with the AC - the ECU automatically ups the idle when it senses the extra load. This is what I've heard from others down here that have done the EJ conversion and retained/retro fitted the AC as well. This is good to know - thanks! This is probably what I'll look at doing as well - although I've got three fans squashed between a 3 core radiator and the front of the EJ, I used three as they're smaller and easier to mount around the various parts on the front of the EJ! I wouldn't go the 7 inch fan again though - the 9 inch feels (hand dyno here) like it pulls twice as much air! Thanks GD! Cheers Bennie

Leave it on the create, hang onto it for the next 50 years and it could age like a fine wine... Or still be a new boat anchor if no one wants it by then. Sounds like a great find that might help someone out. They should get it on a dyno to see what they really put out when factory fresh! Cheers Bennie

Yes, there is a factory upgrade, it comes with an EJ block and heads too! Cheers Bennie

No worries - I've had them sitting there waiting an answer from another fella who had done the same thing but with a 180ohm resistor, I had asked the same question... That ECU's fan control - which wire is it? I'd like the ECU to control the fans when it wants to. I've got the wiring labelled for AC relay fan etc, is this the wire and is it earth switched (meaning needs accessories power on other side of relay trigger) or will it be a powered wire when switched on? Looking forward to doing this simple mod! Cheers Bennie

I'm at about 5000 feet (~1800m) above sea level and have not noticed a change in the performance of the EJ22. The ECU should effectively reduce the amount of fuel used as the oxygen content reduces - it's can't be that much as I've not noticed anything by my "seat of the pants" dyno. Cheers Bennie

Does this mean it's wired in like which one of these: A) C) I'm thinking it's either a or c... And what exactly is a Potentiometer, and where can one find this device? I'm keen to do the same on my EJ converted L series. Cheers Bennie

Agree with that! It's like judging a book by its cover - an engine's health is not told by what it looks like on the outside rather it is the gear inside that needs inspection or an up to date log book to make a judgement from... I'm keen to know about these interference engines from '95 - are these the SOHC units or just the DOHC ones? I know the DOHC doesn't hit the pistons rather its the inlet and exhaust valves that hit eachother when the cam belt snaps and each cam freewheels independently of the other one on the same bank resulting in a bent or broken valve that can then interfere with top of the piston. I've not had a lot of experience of the later models but the ones from the 90's seem very good and still stand up to the test of time if looked after - this includes the interior. The 2010 outback is pretty solid but is also a very large vehicle for a subaru IMO - they've lost that medium/large car appeal that I loved so much! Cheers Bennie

Mate that subi must have had some baaaddddd karma!! That's bullshlt!! And to think that someone had the nerve to do a hit and run!! All the best with the loyal - everything other than what you've said about the fuel system will be plug and play Bennie

Have you pulled this globe to make sure it's working or can you see it light up with the ignition in the "ON" position before you start the car? Cheers Bennie

^ Plus on top of what GD has said you also need to work out a way to safely disengage the steering lock - you don't want that to engage halfway around a corner!! Cheers Bennie

Like I've said previously - you can leave the EA81 intake as it is and just wire the carb's solenoids to your current wiring to make it all work. Just bring the emissions gear that came with the EA81 over with it or nut out the EA82 system and connect it to the EA81... It really is a simple conversion that would be worth doing if it is cheaper for you than to get and fix another EA82. Cheers Bennie

Not if you want to retain the centre diff locking mechanism! The EA AWD pinion shaft is longer than that of the EJ's pinion shaft. This is because subaru designed the centre diff on the EA to drive the front wheels from the back of the centre diff and the rear wheels from the front where the drop gears match up. On the EJ they swapped this around, dropped the locking mechanism and incorporated an LSD on one side of the diff instead. Thus the two different sized pinion shafts between the gearboxes. But as Numbchux says - if you have an EJ diff ratio you desire and the RX FT4wd gearbox you can use the gearsets and casings with the EJ crown wheel, pinion shaft and EJ centre diff + matching housing. Cheers Bennie

The other thing that could have happened is that if you've really forced it you could have bent the selector lever - I've alway disengaged 4wd on the fly - just gently lean on the lever and wait till it pops out, sometimes with a bang when the tension in the system is released! Not always fun but on the rare occasion (for me) it is difficult to disengage 4wd this is what I do ^ Cheers Bennie

Hehehe... I've had the same thoughts about this light setup guyph! Did you use a set from the US or a set off an MY over here?? Wiring it wouldn't be hard mate - a set of relays to trigger high or low beam referenced from the original wiring would be the go. You should be able to work that out and if no ask one of the fellas about "the relay headlight upgrade" and just add a 3rd relay to each side for the high beam on the extra light Cheers Bennie

Also make sure the head's mating surface is flat - if not have them shaved a little to ensure they are. If re-installed with warped heads the head gaskets will not last long! Cheers Bennie

Not necessarily true. The low range lever can still be mounted in the cab with the gearselector and not be connected to the gearbox for gear changing purposes - it is part of the gear selector setup, while this setup is bolted to the back of the gearbox for stability and connected to the gearbox's selector shaft, the 4wd high/4wd low selector lever can be tied off safely from harms way - thus a single range 4wd gearbox can be installed in an originally factory dual range fitted L series with the two levers still present. This is what I was trying to get at... Good to hear you've got a choice SmashedGlass - always a good position to be in Cheers Bennie

G'day Chad. It's winter down here at the moment. I'm working and living in the snow at Mt Hotham - although it's starting to suck as we've not had any proper snow in 3 weeks after an awesome start to the season! It's currently 3 degrees C which is considered shorts and T shirt weather if the wind would drop. As for your question about the engine mounting. It will bolt straight in. You can leave the original intake and carb of the EA81, I only said about the intake swap to get the larger carb and pretty much the same performance that the EA82 had from factory. The EA82 had a bigger carbie from factory that won't bolt on the EA intake unless you do some modifications. The conversion is considered very easy. As I've said you'd just need to have the flywheel machined, do a tiny bit of wiring and it should all fire up without an issue. As for dropping it in the VW it will be a bit more work and will need an adaptor plate and flywheel. Why not drop an even better powerplant in there such as an EJ22?? That would have your bug going off its tits! Cheers Bennie

The other way to make sure the gearbox is actually a dual range under the bonnet is to make sure there's the little lever above the front diff on your passenger's side - it should have a rod attached to it that disappears into the trans tunnel with the rest of the gearbox. This will make certain that the gearbox IS a dual range and not a single range with all the appropriate levers in the cab for the dual range Who knows, the gearbox may have been swapped for a single range just to keep the owner going - stranger things have happened! Cheers Bennie