EA 81 Questions / Advice ?

[Ezekiel]

Hey Guys I have an 82 4x4 Wagon with 164k. It seems to be in all around good condition with a few hiccups from time to time

I have a few questions & thank you guys in advance for your replies! 

 

1) The carb seems to periodically (every 4-6 months) flood the motor & I have to then clean/replace plugs. When this happens I've noticed fuel dumping into the carb when the key is just in the on position. Not Cranking. Is that normal? I thought maybe the Accelerator pump bushing might be bad?? Has anyone ever installed a remanned hitachi? Do they work well? National Carburetor has them for $200. I know everyone says Weber but I was just curious.

 

2) Starting at 30mph you can hear a whirring/worn bearing noise from what seems to be the front end. Are the transaxles just loud or am I prob looking at something needing repaired. 

 

3) Is there anything else I should do for the car/check as I just got it 8 months ago. I really wanna make it super reliable. It's pretty reliable already. Just wanna get it right! Thanks very much for any recommendations.

[hatchsub]

If your hearing bearing noises from the front end then chances are that is what it is...a worn wheel bearing.  

 

As for rebuilt hitachis, i bought one once upon a time and the car still ran like garbage.  It was either a bad rebuild or something else.  The reason everyone says weber is because of how simple it makes everything under the hood.  You go from having 10-20 vacuum lines going all over the place to just three (pcv system, vacuum advance, and egr should you decide to keep it).  That and you will be getting a brand new carb if you go new.  Yes its 400 but trust me its worth it for the drivability and simplifying an already simple motor.  In fact i wont drive another ea81 with a weber on it.  

[jonas]

Nice wagon! More pics plz. Really tho just regular tune-ups will keep that EA-81 running strong and reliable. If you can swing it, don't waste your time on the hitachi, go with the weber.

[ferox]

Hitachi's really aren't any more difficult to tune than a Weber, in fact they are probably easier; however, you can't get a new Hitachi anymore and the Weber has a better progression.  That said, the only reason to spend $200 on a reman Hitachi vs $300 for a new Weber is if you are really into squeezing out every mpg possible, like 1 or 2, or your penny wise and pound foolish.  The only time it pays to run the Hitachi is if you rebuild it yourself (~$40).  It uses the same number of vacuum hose as the Weber.  The Weber will basically give you more power and great gas mileage if tuned properly.

 

1)  If the carb floods like you described, it likely has something to do with the float, needle, and/or needle valve seat.  Since it only happens every few months, it might be crud getting in your bowl valve or some other intermittent issue preventing the valve from closing.  It could also possibly be a leaky power valve or sticky power valve plunger (also located in the bowl).

 

2)  Wheel bearing noise usually becomes evident in turns.  Not saying the noise you hear isn't a wheel bearing, but it might be something else.  We probably need more info.

 

3)  Adjust your valve lash.  That's a maintenance item that often gets neglected.

[kirzick]

You could also look into doing the spfi swap instead of a carb. Everything depends on how much you want to spend.

[bratman2]

_{That is a beautiful wagon you have there! I have been running a Weber for 14-15 years on my Brat. Grinding noise could be wheel bearings or axle. Should have dip stick to check transmission/front differential oil. Make sure that is full. There is really no reason to install a rebuilt carb when a new Weber is only a little over $300.00. Like Ferox stated your carb problem could be very simple.}

Edited February 5, 2014 by bratman2