1.8L OHV info

[Bob E.]

I'm looking for information on this engine(EA-81...I think) :

a list of specifications

model year changes & vehicles it can be found in ?

common modifications ?

how reliable are they?

 

I've been told this engine weighs 188lb, has 72 hp and is 14" long. is this correct? Could 100hp be produced reliably?

thanks

[iluvdrt]

Well I believe the ea81 is a pushrod OHV engine found in pre 1985 subarus.I believe it came in the gl and dl wagons, brats, and rx's. It is a carbed engine that does make about 70-80 hp. It redlines I believe at 5500 rpms, and makes about 50-60 lbs of tourque around 4200 rpms. It probably weighs a little more with the flywheel and everything attached, I would say right at 220 lbs with everything attached(minus trans). It is about 16 inches long and about 26" wide.

 

They never really changed through the years except carbs and emissions equipment.

The EA series subaru engine is the workhorse of the series. They are very dependable, and once you learn the format of the engine very easy to work on.

 

The things that usually go bad are the timingbelts and head gaskets. The timing belts are easily replaced while to service the heads it is usually best to lift out the engine. you don't even need a hoist to do it, just pick it up.

 

As far as getting to 100 hp I know some members have done it with the help of turbo's, but going N/A I am not sure if is possible as the aftermarket is pretty slim for these engines. Some common mods are delta cams, weber carb, and accel coil/wires.

 

There is also an EA82 design which is very similar, but it is OHC, and produces about 10 hp more. It is also easier to turbo, and actually can bought that way.

 

Found on ebaymotors searching for "subaru engine".

[JWX]

dude thats wrong, just for starters the US never got a EA-81 RX, there WAS an EA-81T, oh and I'd be willing to bet they make alot more torque than 50-60. mines nimble(not fast but not really slow either) and its stock. Hp is right on, as are the measarements. oh and the EA-81 never had a timing belt. didn't read all of it, just speed read(or what every you call it I'm tired right now and can't really think:) ) and Bob (I assume you are the person I sent over from the Grassroots message board) did you search yet? there's a lot (all) of your questions awnsered, right there. and check out Ram performence, and sub4 there do the airplane stuffs with them.

[dave valiant]

EA81 engines have an extremely durable timing gear that will long outlast the engine.I have never heard of EA81's having head gasket problems.Ea82 turbo engines were prone to head gasket failure.As for 100 relaible horsepower,switch to the Weber 32/36,open up your exhaust,put a hotter coil on it(Accel or MSD)with a set of 8mm wires and gap your plugs at .50.That should put you at about 100 horsepower.If you have a bunch of spare cash laying around check out Ram Performance.They sell 140 hp EA81's but they are not cheap.As far as durability,these engines are darn near bulletproof.I have beaten the crap out of my EA81 turbo.I got stuck in some nasty mud in Iowa this spring,and I had my engine spinning at redline for extended periods.I toasted the auto trans ,but had no problems from the engine.I think the EA81 first come out in 1980 in the Brat.They were in wagons and coupes till 84,in Brats till 87,and hatchbacks until 89.85 wagons, coupes, and sedans had the EA82 engine.Hope this helps(and I hope I'm right)Dave.

[Bob E.]

I'm the same guy from GRM.

I haven't really searched anything yet....I was feelin' lazy so I just through out some questions

Would anyone happen to know how far the engine protrudes from the bottom of the bell housing?

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Perhaps you can let us know what you plan to do with this engine, and it can help us better answer your question. You'll find that these EA81's are recommended for alot of kit projects from aeroplanes to hovercraft. Ive often thought about putting a EA81 in a gokart.

 

The engine is available from 1980 to 1984 (up to 1988 in Brat's and Hatchbacks). They're offered in every subaru lineup from model years, 80-84. In 1985 they released the EA82 which took over the EA81.

 

Stock output of the EA81 is just over 72hp at around 4000rpm, with max torque reaching around 90lbs at 2400rpm. Wieght shouldnt be more than 200lbs full of oil and coolant.

 

These engines are extremly reliable. Ive never heard of anybody breaking a timing gear, but head gasket failure is a problem if not maintained properly.

 

General mods include exhaust and intake, with other possibilities being camshaft replacement & head modification. The easiest, and most efficient mod for street use is the Weber DGEV 32/36 carburator.

 

Hope that helps in a way. Also, there was an EA81 RX available in a 2 door coupe, but not in the US and extremly rare overseas. They're believed to have high output EA81's (n/a) and there are turbo EA81's available to the US in model years 1983 and 1984 Brat's, Sedans & Wagon.s

 

-Brian

[monstaru]

i blew a head gasket in an ea81 once..... not pretty.neat gurgling sounds , but none the less, not pretty.it had over 265,000 on it though.and i must admit the previous couple of months i was not attentive to her needs .in other words , when you hear a sound, check it out.when you see a difference in performance, check it out.

 

 

 

 

old cars are like women, pay attention to them and they will last forever.

ignore them ,and they will go away quickly...and mad.

[NorthWet]

Bob E., I have a couple EA81's kicking around, including a disembodied one. If you want, I can take some digi-pics of what you need (like maybe with yardstick/tapemeasure in frame) and/or measure it for you. Can't weight it, though.

 

As prev mentioned, if you tell us what you intend to do with it you can get more specific help. You ask about horsepower, but if you are talking airplane then you have some rpm design parameters (like with the prop). More n/a horsepower usually means changing torque peak to higher rpm, not so good for an airplane.

 

Echo the dependable engine comments. I lost a headgasket, but it was from corrosion of the gasket. Not the engines fault if coolant is maintained. Lots of room for improvement in stock induction/exhaust and ignition.

[Frank B]

Didn't the EA81 get bigger valves in 84? What year did they change to hydraulic lifters??

[Bob E.]

Oh yeah, it's going in my sandrail

 

 

It's rebuild time (again), and I'm exploring alternative options.

 

NorthWet: pictures would be great!

 

Thanks for all the responses by the way.

[NorthWet]

Does it have to be rear-engined or can you go mid engine (normal-ish placement of engine to transmission, just driving rear instead of front wheels)?

[TheSubaruJunkie]

If your doing something with a rear engine drive, you might wanna experiment with the 5spd FWD tranny thats available with the EA81's. Wasnt there someone who put a EA81 in his Trike?

 

-Brian

[Bob E.]

Mid engine would be sweet! If I was going mid engine weight wouldn't be much of a concern, so I would be lookin' at a 2.2 turbo or maybe even caddy northstar . But nah, http://www.kennedyeng.com makes adapter kits to hang just about all the Subaru engines off the back of a VW transaxle, plenty of other engines too. I'm interested in the EA-81 because its size, weight and power are very similar to an air-cooled VW engine, and I believe it may be cheaper(after initial adapter purchase anyway) & more reliable.

 

[NorthWet]

I am sure that people will set me straight, but I think the only major weakness of the EA82 is the timing belt, which on your buggy should be easily accessible for changing on a scheduled basis. More power and factory induction options, too.

 

Either should be a great choice. But where are you going to stuff the cooling system?

[1982 brat]

I am in need of a ea 81 hydraulic lifter cam in good shape my brat is in need of a replacement

[tweety]

Yes, I swapped my 1916cc VW engine in my trike to an EA81. It is mated to a type 3 (circa 1968-1971) full automatic.

 

The EA81 is actually less weight than the VW, more compact and in Oz doesnt have hydraulic lifters. This engine remained in the Brumby/Brat range till 1992 but never had the SPFI version.

I did the conversion for a number of reasons that might interest you because the conversion didnt, in the end give me a huge increase on output over the vW. First and most important is that I can work on it myself and OHV design, ease of access and basic. Then there is lack of complexity, no computer etc and third as it is compact there is a lot of room for an exhaust etc.

 

What I didnt really count on was that the auto zaps 14 hp out of the engine. Effectively this resulted in a few modifications. Anyone will tell you that the EA series of engines are really limited in regards "hotting" them up. So I embarked on adapting a Toyota supercharger to the eA81. The supercharger was a SC12 and below is the before and after supercharger dyno tune printouts. With the supercharger the engine produced over 100hp. But it was unreliable and suck gas faster than the 'spruce goose'.

 

Then i adapted the SPFI system from the USA version EA82. The conversion is well documented on the internet. Once done the ssytem could never get to run really well due to worn out sensors that in Oz were impossible to find as they werent produced here. In the end I wanted simpicity.

 

My engine has now been fully rebored to 1820cc which is 1mm more diameter pistons. Head work raised the compression to 9.5:1. The SPFI manifold was used that is 6mm more in diameter giving better breathing. And the big surprise for many was using a weber 38/38 carbie. This carbie is not "too big" for the engine as is a common theory. It is sequencial (both throats moving together) and is responsible for greater low down take off overcoming the loss from the auto trans. A tune is yet to be done but I believe with my experience now that it produces around 90hp. The trike weighs 660kgms and a camper weighs 300kgms and 26-28mpg (imperial) is obtained which is really good as my trike has a roof and has a little "parachuting" effect.

 

With this end set up the engine start so easily, feels strong, is economical and hassle free. In manual form it would be fabulous. As an auto it is the ultimate cruising trike for us older members. When running really well this engine is good, but eaten up by the later series engines if you want real power. If you are unhappy with its output then you would have wasted your money because the adapter plate and other costs cant be used in the later series engines. And you cannot modify the EA engine to get easy horsepower due to its design.  But I love it.  Hope that answers your questions.   PS  I had my engine balanced and with a high torque camshaft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2015 by tweety

[tweety]

Tuning printouts before and after supercharger.  With SC 82hp at the flywheel. Sorry both graphs are the same

 

 

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Edited March 9, 2015 by tweety