zeroforhire Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 (edited) Hello! I am a long time lurker, first time poster... I am now ready to take the plunge and get an old subie! I need something that will get me up to the mountain trailheads, as well as get decent gas mileage. I really want a wagon for the cargo space. I have been doing a lot of research on the different models and engines, and it looks like the EA81 is the engine I want. What are the pros and cons of the EA81 vs. the EA82? I know the EA82 has annoying timing belts, but it seems like it might be a better engine if it is fuel injected. I am looking at this one: http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/2553627507.html I haven't been able to find any info on the turbo model. Are these reliable and easy to work on? Which model and year is your favorite, and why? I am really looking for something cheap that I can wrench on and fix myself. Should I be looking for a Loyale since these are a little newer? Thanks. Edited August 22, 2011 by zeroforhire clarification Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoobDood05 Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Well i do know that the ea82 turbos have alot more problems than without turbo, if you do a search you can look up why they are a bad engine on here and find a sufficient amount of info, i have never owned a ea81, but my 90 loyale is a ea82 gets good gas mileage and gets anywhere i need to go, ea81's are a lil bit easier to work on from what ive heard, but the descision is up to you, and welcome to USMB! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowmastered87GL Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 I would NOT rely on an EA82T to get me up to the mountain An EA82 with a carb or fuel injection is reliable enough to suffice, but an EA81 with the lack of timing belts is by far the best. Simplify it with a weber carb and its pretty simple to keep running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpholz Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 EA82T requires effort, proper cooling and such, if you don't plan on it don't buy it. fuel injection is nice, no adjustments, turn key and go.... untill something breaks. carb-less stuff to break, manual adjustments, old technology. ea82 timing belts are awsome, you can snap em all day long with no damage. hell snap the passenger one and make it home on 2 cylinders! my .02 DO NOT BY THAT CAR. look at the truck next to it. looks like a kid that likes to buy something beat the snot out of it and sell em. again just my .02 but i have bought enough vehicles to need a dealers liscense and have learned to pay attention to these small details. as far as my favorite sube? an XT, don't buy one. it will fullfill none of your requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
man on the moon Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 My .02: I love my Loyale. Mine is fuel injected, no turbo. I wouldn't touch the turbo (I have enough heating problems as it is) though. It has some tight clearances around the valve covers, but is not at all hard to work on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferox Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 I am biased toward the ea81. I plan to skip the ea82 and go to EJ22 when I move to fuel injection. My daily driver is an '81 ea81 of course with 285 k and it still motates exceptionally well. I am constantly impressed by these engines. Just look at that face. How can you resist the ea81? This '84 wagon is freshly for sale BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81EA81 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 "Just look at that face. How can you resist the ea81?" HAHA. I agree 100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 EA81 body styled cars are the best as far as factory goes.at least for offroading. they are lighter and smaller than the EA82 stuff.They also have more ground clearance stock.the EA81 engine itself is great. However the EA82 body style does have some things going for it. A dual range 5 speed is nice because it is very robust compared to the DR 4 speed in the EA81s.Not to mention the equally robust and simple single port fuel injection on the latter ones. my favorite car is a combination of subaru parts: EA81 body style ea81 OR EJ22 engine 5 speed DR(1986-89 EA82's) EA82 front suspension(longer axles,control arms,etc) EA81 body style pros: lighter,smaller,more ground clearance,stout engine EA81 body style cons: crappy 4 speed DR,carbureted,slow,short front suspension limits travel.cars are getting a bit scarce. EA82 body style pros: 5 speed dual range,SPFI,better front suspension than EA81. EA82 body style cons: everything else. larger,heavier,EA82 engine likes to overheat and eat timing belts,less ground clearance stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now