ea81 Turbo Swap questions

[81_Scubaru]

Hey guys, i gotta 81 subaru brat with a ea81. i've been scouting the junkyards and found a few turbo wagons. My Question is what would it take to swap a turbo, manifold, piping ect to my carbed b-rat. Would i have to convert to fuel injection and all that jazz (sure seems so LOL)..... or am i talking crazy.... Any feedback greatly appreciated.

[The Beast I Drive]

You are talking crazy.

 

There are really only a couple of options if you want to get serious about going Turbo with that Brat.

 

1) Find a true 83-84 EA81 Turbo car and pull the motor and all the wiring and accessories and swap that in. Probably the easiest way to go, about 110 HP or so

 

2) Do a ton of work and go through a lot of BS to try and get a EA82 Turbo motor in there and be super pissed when nothing works right and it has no power and watch the car burn in flames when it blows up on a pass..... About 115 HP when it runs right...

 

3) swap an EJ22 Turbo from a Legacy or a EJ20G turbo from a WRX using an adapter plate and make a custom wiring harness and slight modifications to the car, about 180 HP stock, easily upgraded to 600+ hp

 

4) Pay out the a$$ at RAM engines for their Uber-built Turbo EA81 (built for aircraft usage, so you know it is built right) around 300 HP or so

 

 

Other than that, I would say there's not much else you could do reasonably, the EA82 Turbo parts will not fit on an EA81 motor because of the different head designs.

 

-Bill

[Twitch de la Brat]

^^^^^^^^ +100

I'm doing the paying out the @$$ idea but building it at home.

MPFI EA81TT

But yeah, unless you're clinically insane *raises hand* I would just go with

an EJ turbo, as already suggested.

 

Twitch

[GeneralDisorder]

The EA81T is 95 HP, rare, and has a primitive form of the EA82T's fuel injection. Hard to find parts for them anymore and expensive to maintain for a mere 20 HP over the stock EA81 non-turbo. You can get almost the same power from an EA82 SPFI, and WAY more power from an EJ22 without any of the complications of the turbo or it's entourage.

 

The RAM performance EA81 Supercharged aircraft build is 200 HP and cost is about $14,000

 

As for the EJ22G/EJ20G turbo engines - they are good and at 165/230 HP respectively will yeild a ton more power. I wouldn't say they are "easily" upgraded to 600+ HP..... it's possible but it generally cost's about $5,000 to $10,000 by the time it's said and done and you won't get there on stock internals. I wouldn't call that "easy" but at least it's possible which isn't something you can say for the various incarnations of the EA's.

 

Just to straighten out a few facts.

 

If you want a turbo EA81 then swap out the pistons with EA82T pistons, add a custom cam, port/polish, and do a blow-through setup using an appropriate carb. The DGEV Weber can work but it's better to use something like the 38/38 DGAS as it's easier to tune two barrels of the same size than it is to tune two dissimilar sized barrels and work around the progression issues. Also the 38/38 has e-tubes that are appropriate for forced induction. There are numerous issues with doing a blow-through but nothing that can't be overcome. I did one recently to a Samuri with a co-worker. It was a lot of R&D and he's still working out little issues.

 

GD

Edited October 26, 2009 by GeneralDisorder

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

The EJ Engine is the Ideal Way, but I am Not Sure if the Wide Space on the Engine Bay will Allow to Fit an EJ Properly in that 81 Brat.

Your Brat is Gen 1 or Gen 2? ... I`m Not Sure...

 

 

... There are numerous issues with doing a blow-through but nothing that can't be overcome. I did one recently to a Samuri with a co-worker. It was a lot of R&D and he's still working out little issues.

 

GD

 

A Li`l Bit Off-Topic but I Will Love to See Pictures of That; Sounds Very interesting and I Believe that Many of Us can Learn a Lot.

Kind Regards.