smleod

Cool, thanks. I really want this rig tuned up so I can start driving it on a daily basis. Weather is way to nice not to.

Who would be the best shop in Portland OR for my 1978 brat with a 1.8 in it. I was told it has a rebuilt engine and tranny. It is still a little noisy so I want a shop that knows the 1.8 (i.e. compression check/valve clearance/other random noises) Thanks all.

So I spent about 10 minutes on it today. I removed the valve cover and loosened the valves a little. now my compression is at 175 psi. I found another thread that says initial valve setup with hydro is .25 on intake and .35mm on exhaust. I will complete the adjustments, do a compression check, and see if my head gasket needs to be replaced. Thanks for the help everyone!

Thanks for the help. I can do standard lifters, but what is the numbers for this one with hydro lifters? My manual does not give any info for this ea81.

Yeah, about that... I had it running last night but it smoked for about 5 min. I thought it was due to excess fluid in the exhaust so I did some more investigations. Before the engine was ever started after a supposed "rebuild" I had to remove the drivers side head to fix a plug thread. Because it had never been stared I reused the head gasket. ( I know this is not recommended but thought I would give it a shot) Now when I do a compression check on that side I don't get any compression in either cylinder. It has hydraulic lifters that I had to back off when I removed the head. I hand tightened them after I reassembled the head. I then tightened the lock nut. Did I adjust them incorrectly, or did I mess up reusing the head gasket. I did a compression check on the passengers side and got 110 psi on the front and 10 psi in the rear. I am going to try and test to see if there is water in the oil, and see if I can somehow test the quality of the piston rings but am not entirely sure how yet. Any recommendations on what to do next? Oh, the passenger side cylinders did not seem to have any coolant in them, however the drivers side had about a quarter to a half cup of coolant. I cleared them and was able to start the engine. it did not seem to have any issues other than the smoke which we have discussed. thanks.

I think I will try and update the driveline to a two piece. I have it already and I would only have to shorten it a bit. I got it running today, and it is smoking like there is no tomorrow. I have the weber upgrade and the adapter plate wasn't tight enough so it pushed coolant into the cylinders. I hope I didn't damage anything but it is still smoking after I fixed it.

thanks for the advice. I figured I would take a look at the grinding solution.

Thanks for all the info and help. Turbosubarubrat, I was able to use the same mounting points for my 1.8 engine. There is some issues with the steering clearance. What is the best solution? I was thinking some alterations as opposed to swapping parts/pieces out. I am rather good with a welder and a grinder so I think I will do the drive shaft myself. It is an experimental/learning vehicle and learning new skills are always good. Just to clarify, what is the gearing of a DR 5 Speed Manual, and what is the gear ratio of a 1978 brat?

So I have a 1978 project Brat with a 1.8 liter and a DR 5MT. I was very excited to get it running for the first time, but realized I don't have a primary driveline that fits. I have the original one that is too short. I also have one off of a 92 with a center bearing but it is about 2 inches too long. My question: is there a driveline that will bolt right up, or should I have mine modified? If I have them modified, what one should I use, the solid or the two piece? Thanks

Lucky us! I will try and let y'all know when/if I find a solution other than the ever effective 100 mph tape. Scooner, there is a guy on Portland Craigslist that has a couple of old brats. If you search Portland "Auto parts" for "brat" you should get his info. I understand you are not local, but a w/s is kinda important. Thanks

What are my options if the part is discontinued? Are we able to get aftermarket ones? I live in the Portland area and I don't want to run without them, but mine are so rotten that they are useless.

Does anyone know the OEM Part number? I have been looking for new lower window moldings for my 78 brat. They are very rotten. These are the ones on the exterior door skin that the outside of the window seals against. Thanks.

O.K. So it sounds like I may have an EA81 flywheel because I used the flywheel bolts off of the old EA71 engine and don't remember there being any significant size difference. I am not sure what you mean by hash marks though. The flywheel I have has marks 10 II A II 0 II B II10 IIII 20 . What are my solutions? It sounds like getting an EA82 flywheel would be the preferred method? What was the talk about shims? Like I hinted at earlier, I am trying to keep the $ low to keep this a viable option. If it gets too costly it may have to get sold to someone else. I don't want that. Thanks again

Just to clear up some stuff. I have a 1978 Brat. It came with an extra EA81 with hydro lifters and an extra tranny. It seems like we have determined the type of tranny, but we are still working on being able to mate the two together. I have a flywheel that requires a 8.75 pressure plate setup. The clutch kit I bought today is for an '86 GL and the splines match as well as the bearings. The top of the tranny has a gold sticker on it with the number "869507". Will my setup work? Is there a way I can test it before I install the engine and tranny assembly? Any ID markings on the flywheel that will help? Also, what needs to be done with the starter? I am not opposed to using spacer because I am starting to go down the rabbit hole. Thanks for all the help. Y'all know your Subarus. I can barely remember my name after taking a short nap.

Well, I just bought a kit from my local parts store and it all seems to fit! I really appreciate the help. What kind of speeds have you guys been able to achieve with this setup. I have a trip planned next summer. I will be driving from Portland OR to Spokane to Vegas. New engine, and tranny should be reliable, but will I be able to cruise at freeway speeds?