Tim Hoeck Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Whats the best way to increase the horsepower of a 1986 Brat ? PLEASE HELP PICTURE IS DOWN THE REPLYS Tim Hoeck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMeatWagon Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Theres been about 100000 threads on this so try a search but the most common thing i hear is buy a weber carb for the low end beef. High end is harder... so wait for a subaguru to come along. Seriously though do a search... oh did i mention searching:cool:. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Do a tune up, and get it running correctly. They really aren't that slow if you have them in proper tune. 80 HP doesn't sound like a lot, but Brat's are light. My 85 can move pretty good - better than my friends carbed EA82 wagon, and both are bone stock as far as drivetrain. Another thing to note, is you shouldn't be afraid to rev it up. The engine makes it's best power around 3500 - 4000, and I usually shift around 5500 myself. A Weber will help the low-end torque, but your high end isn't going to change at all really. For that you have to tear the engine down and replace the cam. A lot can be had with a different cam, a little higher compression, and a better flowing carb like the Weber. As mentioned above - do some searches on the stuff I mentioned, and you'll find a lot more specific information if you really want it. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. RX Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Whats the best way to increase the horsepower of a 1986 Brat ? PLEASE HELPTim Hoeck That depends upon how much money you want to spend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 well, if you really want power and are willing to drop some green, you could always make a wrx engine and drive train fit into the brat:brow: . that would be scary fast if you did that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobBrumby Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 or keep your old tranny and just get an ej and an adapter plate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 or you could swap over to ea82turbo/spfi/mpfi/carb/ea81turbo/ engine, or ea82 trans it's a matter of what YOU want to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAP Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 On my '84 auto brat, I drilled out the bottom side of the air cleaner too allow more air flow. It was a small improvement, but it helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill90Loyale Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Another thing to note, is you shouldn't be afraid to rev it up. The engine makes it's best power around 3500 - 4000, and I usually shift around 5500 myself. GD Rick- What's your theory on shifting so high? Does it result in less or more wear and tear on clutch/drivetrain, or is it just for speed/torque? I usually shift at around 3500, but I'll jack it up if it is better for the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beauregaardhooligan Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Welcome to the board! After a complete tune-up, the best bang-for-buck I've found was an Accel SuperStock coil combined with opening the spark-plug gap to .045. Holes in the air cleaner will make a noticeable improvement also, but be sure the holes are not on the carb-side of the filter. Advancing the timing to run on Hi octane will add some grunt, but don't let it ping. This can also make your motor run hotter, so be sure your cooling system is in excellent shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stupidru Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 You could do what RobZombie er....SubaFreak did. He dropped an ej in a loyale wagon....its the coolest mod I've seen. He also turbo charged it...yeah thats what I said...tcharged it. I seen it w/ my own eyes at the Carlisle Import/Kit Car Show in May, we had our own tent. Its a na ej w/ a turbo add-on...no special wiring for fuel...just the add-on. Here is some clips from the show. http://home.ptd.net/~mjseidel/show.MPG http://home.ptd.net/~mjseidel/zcarlisleskip.mp2 http://home.ptd.net/~mjseidel/show1.avi You might need a codec to view show1.avi http://www.divx.com/divx/ download the freebe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr fang Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 greetings all and hello from melbourne Australia, I am now the proud owner of an 82 brumby ute, and naturally am seeking more grunt!. Apart from the wrx option, which a company in melbourne will cheerfully do for an undisclosed sum,i would like to get a little more from the tonka toy. I like the idea of drilling the air cleaner housing, but then thought that a flexi pipe from the origional air intake nossle, possibly pruned a bit shorter, and a large diamater flexi hose directed to the front grille would force "cool" air into the manifold. My 280ce benz has a similar set up. I cant be bothered replacing the carb with a webber, but the chap at subaru4.net has rigged the carb (on his ea81)so that the secondary barrel opens earlier. he acheived this feat with a bit of bent coathanger.hmmmmmmmmm, this made me think that it might be possible to rig up some sort of override to the vacum sensor that actuates the second barrel intake. I dont know whether it needs more vacum, or less to open the second barrel. any one have any clues?? (ps i hope this is the correct way to post,,,visualise dr fang prostrate and grovelling if not so) You could do what RobZombie er....SubaFreak did. He dropped an ej in a loyale wagon....its the coolest mod I've seen. He also turbo charged it...yeah thats what I said...tcharged it. I seen it w/ my own eyes at the Carlisle Import/Kit Car Show in May, we had our own tent. Its a na ej w/ a turbo add-on...no special wiring for fuel...just the add-on. Here is some clips from the show. http://home.ptd.net/~mjseidel/show.MPG http://home.ptd.net/~mjseidel/zcarlisleskip.mp2 http://home.ptd.net/~mjseidel/show1.avi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archemitis Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 i think the modyour talking about is when you make your secondaries mechanical, instead of vac opperated. and will give you more low end wheel spinin action, but not more power. im with most of the guys, unless you do a teardown and a hp rebuild. you need an engine swap. or cut the exhaust off, and rev the piss out of it =] its a 4 cylinder, it likes 5k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Rick-What's your theory on shifting so high? Does it result in less or more wear and tear on clutch/drivetrain, or is it just for speed/torque? I usually shift at around 3500, but I'll jack it up if it is better for the car. Wear on the clutch is probably more dependant on how you drive, not really where you shift at. But I would imagine that shifting higher might wear it out a bit quicker - theoretically speaking, if you match RPM's for the gear you are going into, then there should be almost no wear on the clutch if the car is moving. The majority of clutch wear comes from take-offs from a dead stop, or slipping the clutch like for off-roading, etc. I shift that high to put me closer to the power band for the next gear - if you shift too early, you will be below the curve at the start of the next gear, and it will *feel* like you don't have any power. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hoeck Posted August 26, 2004 Author Share Posted August 26, 2004 Boy you guys got some great ideas but not sure what the h_ll some of you are talking about. I am kind of green on some of these things but am not afraid of trying anything. i have rebuilt motors before but never a subaru. I am just looking to get a little more power out of this thing. Some people say don't touch it because its to nice of a car to start changing things. It is a very nice car but no one wants to spend what I want for it so I might as well drive it myself Keep the ideas coming. Tim - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hoeck Posted August 27, 2004 Author Share Posted August 27, 2004 What about a K&N filter. I seem to see alot of people talking about them. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMeatWagon Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 :slobber:That is one sexy brat, i think ive seen it before somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chef_tim Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 Hey Tim, I've been trying to Email you but your AOL address won't take my mail:confused: . I stopped and looked at your Brat yesterday, Vicky told me that's your brothers house. I would really recomend keeping that car as original as you can, do the tune up and maintenance but to start tearing into it would ruin a prestine Brat. There just aren't enough in that shape let. Drop me a line with a good Email. Later, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr fang Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 Quite so, i intend "when i have time" to buy a junked motor and operate on its innards, cam,deck port and polish the heads etc. I had a play with the carbie today, intending to give the coathanger treatment (subaru4.net)to the secondary intake. Twas only after running back and foward from the pics on the computer to the carbie that the penny dropped. The mod will work on left hand drive cars, the right hand drive carbie is a bit different.i have sussed out an alternative method, but i think it would invole carbie dismanteling, and is best done on a spare. I am still confused about the vacum operation of the secondary. It should be possible to override the vacum advance "somehow" perhaps by a solenoid of some sort. And yes i know life is too short for this sort of nonsense but what the heck,,its a harmless hobby and i like it! i think the modyour talking about is when you make your secondaries mechanical, instead of vac opperated. and will give you more low end wheel spinin action, but not more power. im with most of the guys, unless you do a teardown and a hp rebuild. you need an engine swap. or cut the exhaust off, and rev the piss out of it =] its a 4 cylinder, it likes 5k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHATBRAT Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 I wouldn't mess with the body at all. I am with Tim, Keep it as original as you can but I don't see any problem with tweaking the engine. Makes no difference there. (Just like muscle cars etc. As long as the #'s match they do whatever to the internals of the engine and it is still worth the $. Subaru's (Well, at least the older ones like a BRAT) don't have matching #'s so no one would know the difference if you swapped the engines.) I am laughing as I read this post because most of the info people are throwing your way does NOT improve HP. It may make it a little more peppy but nothing to BRAG about. If you want real difference you need to get better cams, open up the intake, open up the exhaust and change the route of the exhaust pipe so that the Y comes in at (2) 45 degree angles so the flow is smoother unless you go with true duals. These are the first three things you should do. There are many ways to got what you are looking for. Those three will make the biggest difference. From there, there are alot of other "little things" that you could do, such as changing the coil, advancing the timing, drilling holes in the airbox (I wouldn't do that, make yourself a custom air intake with a K and N filter, they do work good. Drilling holes does improve the amount of air but it also improves the amount of dirt) Install a cooler thermostat. Not only will you run cooler but you will see a little more pep there too. 170 degrees is the lowest recommended by the EA performance page but I have gone to 160 with zero problems. (Depends on how many feet above sea level you are) Get better plug wires ( I believe 8.8mm are the best we can get for our Subarus). It all depends on how much work you want to do. You could probably fab up some underdrive pulleys. do the MS DIS mod that Shadow is working on, bore it stroke it, regrind your valve seats, use lighter parts (can be obtained from PAECO for a large price) .....Man, there is sooooo much you can do, just depends on how much work you want to do and how much you want to spend. There are many more modifications you could make other than what I have listed, but like I said, best bang for the buck and quickest for improvement would be cams, intake, exhaust. Boz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hoeck Posted August 28, 2004 Author Share Posted August 28, 2004 ttt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myxalplyx Posted August 28, 2004 Share Posted August 28, 2004 Whats the best way to increase the horsepower of a 1986 Brat ? PLEASE HELP PICTURE IS DOWN THE REPLYSTim Hoeck RAM performance http://www.ramengines.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hoeck Posted August 29, 2004 Author Share Posted August 29, 2004 Now thats what I'm talking about. I have already emailed them with some ? What do you think the Brat would do with 130/140 horsepower? Tim Hoeck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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