EA81 engine year?

[reiersgaard]

I put in a newer motor a while back and was wondering what year a car it came out of. It's a EA81 and the ID says 583264. Is there any way of finding out what year it is from this number? Thanks!

[GeneralDisorder]

Nope.

 

We can narrow it down with more info tho:

 

1. Check for gold sticker on the valve covers. If it has these (they indicate hydro lifters), it came from an 83/84 automatic, or 85-89 Brat or Hatchback (any trans). Between these engines (being the last of the EA81's built for our market), no differences exist. By this time focus was all on making the EA82 and later engines successful, and the EA81 was only put in value cars. Thus they are virtually identical.

 

2. If it does NOT have the stickers, then there are some differences in the castings of the large intake valve and small intake valve heads. Small intake valve heads have two 10mm bolts on the very bottom of the heads that later heads (and blocks) do not have.

 

3. Very, very ealy EA81's (1980 - *maybe* 81) had no (or at least very, very rare) options for AC, or power steering. So the crank pulley only has a single groove for the alternator belt. All later engines were equipped with the three groove pully for optional AC and power steering.

 

4. The brand of distrubutor (assuming it's original) can tell you if the car was 2WD or 4WD. ND disty on the 2WD, and Hitachi on the 4WD.

 

Those are all the difference that *I* know of. I'm sure there are more obscure little differences that cropped up over the years.

 

As far as figureing out what body type it came from - that's virtually impossible. Subaru prided themselves on makeing very few different parts for all the different models. If it could be the same, it was. This kept cost down.

 

The serial number on the engine..... well it may be possible to cross-reference that info, but the data may not even be availible to US dealers. Might have to contact subaru of Japan for that sort of info.

 

At any rate - there's no real point. They are all mostly the same.

 

GD

[reiersgaard]

yea I know, I was just curious. It came without the valve covers on it, but does have the set up for ac and PS. Just thought I would try with the numbers. It must be from a later year. Thanks for the reply GD.

[ShawnW]

We COULD post engine numbers from cars with a build date which would give us a range after a significant number of people posted.

[GeneralDisorder]

Unfortunately, there is *mostly* no way to tell if the engine has been replaced so we would have to go by what each person "thinks". But yes - with enough people, the statistical anomolies could be weeded out, and possibly we may discover the formula or pattern that fuji used for their serial numbers.

 

Heck - I'm willing to get the numbers off mine.... probably want to make a new post or maybe a form page for users to fill out and just click a submit button. Pretty simple to do, it's just about finding the time.

 

GD

[NV Zeno]

Well, my '83 wagon's engine is #800305..Manufacture date (on door jamb) sez 5/83.

 

I got this car from the original owner, and have every receipt since new. She did not replace the engine (nor have I).

 

Hope this helps.

[GeneralDisorder]

85 Brat: #809067, build date of 05/85

 

Block from my 84 wagon went to the recycle. something to do with the softball sized hole in it....

engine that's in it now is #410105 - strange thing tho - it's a hydro lifter block. If they were already in the 800,000's in 05/83, and 83 (automatic) was the first year for the hydro lifters..... this isn't adding up. Turbone said the engine came from like an 83 4WD Auto Sedan (or was it coupe?) he bought for parts....

 

Of my spare engines I can only get to one right now (garage is a mess!): hydro lifter, #651390. Uknown history.

 

The EA82 in my sedan is #000808. 12/85. Wow - now that's a low number! Seems to indicate that subaru used a simple numerically increasing serial numbering system for them.

 

One of these things is not like the other - NV Zeno - you should double check that engine. Does it have hydro lifters? The number seems to indicate a much later engine than 05/83. But I think more numbers are needed to give a good estimate. Maybe they started from 0 again with hydro engines

 

GD

[NV Zeno]

85 Brat: #809067, build date of 05/85

 

Block from my 84 wagon went to the recycle. something to do with the softball sized hole in it....

engine that's in it now is #410105 - strange thing tho - it's a hydro lifter block. If they were already in the 800,000's in 05/83, and 83 (automatic) was the first year for the hydro lifters..... this isn't adding up. Turbone said the engine came from like an 83 4WD Auto Sedan (or was it coupe?) he bought for parts....

 

Of my spare engines I can only get to one right now (garage is a mess!): hydro lifter, #651390. Uknown history.

 

The EA82 in my sedan is #000808. 12/85. Wow - now that's a low number! Seems to indicate that subaru used a simple numerically increasing serial numbering system for them.

 

One of these things is not like the other - NV Zeno - you should double check that engine. Does it have hydro lifters? The number seems to indicate a much later engine than 05/83. But I think more numbers are needed to give a good estimate. Maybe they started from 0 again with hydro engines

 

GD

 

Regular pushrod engine here, forgot to add it's got a manual D/R trans.

 

Just double checked the engine, I typo'd above:banghead: ...actual number is 300805 (boy, do I feel like a dork:lol: ).

[subieman]

This sounds like fun.

1984 GL wagon D/R. Manufacture date 01/84, engine # 460419. Original motor.

[GeneralDisorder]

Ok - so to summarize (I'll update as people post):

 

 

Engine serials / build dates:

 

- EA81

 

799337 - 07/81

931272 - 01/82

009899 - 04/82

300305 - 05/83

460419 - 01/84

665918 - 11/84

809067 - 05/85

 

 

- EA82

 

000808 - 12/85

 

It would appear from the results so far (preliminary) that sometime in 1982, subaru had produced over 1,000,000 engines and had to start over from 0. This is a problem for ID'ing engines as the difference in the heads from 82 to 83 when the larger intake valve's came out isn't easy to spot. I don't have access to a pre-83 engine right now, or I would take the pictures myself. The difference is two 10mm bolts on the bottom of the heads - they bolt into the block. The 83-up engines do not have these.... now it gets sticky as the block may still have the holes but the heads do not. 83-up hydro lifter blocks do not have the holes, but the solid lifter's may. We need some detailed photo's here..... I'll make a new post asking for them.

 

GD

[subieman]

Bump for more numbers!

[Caboobaroo]

I can get more this evening but this is what I have....

 

EA81 - 672700, '81 2wd 5-speed wagon

EA82T - 962603, believe its from a '85 RX sedan, d/r 5-speed

EA82T - 784006, this is possibly the original motor for my '89 RX, 4EAT

[TheSubaruJunkie]

My '84 Hatch has a JDM motor in it I cant play this game.

 

-Brian

[subieman]

My '84 Hatch has a JDM motor in it I cant play this game.

 

-Brian

Oh really? How did you find that out?

[waimaks]

If the JDM motors are out, Does that mean I can't contribute either?(NZ)

[Sweet82]

I have the original 1982 motor in my 82 Hatch (now buggy),

I'll pull the numbers and dates and post them.

I hope I have enough chassis left to find the build date?

[GeneralDisorder]

If the JDM motors are out, Does that mean I can't contribute either?(NZ)

 

We have no build date on your JDM engine - so no. It's not helpful. That and I would wager that the JDM stuff had it's own serial numbers seperate from export. Hard to say for sure tho.

 

Caboobaroo - we need build dates.... and there's something up with that engine in your 81 - clearly a replacement engine going by the serial.

 

GD

[mcbrat]

I have the original 1982 motor in my 82 Hatch (now buggy),

I'll pull the numbers and dates and post them.

I hope I have enough chassis left to find the build date?

 

should be on your "wall hanging"

[4x4_Welder]

My hatch, d/r built 7/81- 799337

As far as I know, it's got the original motor. The car only has 194k on it.

As soon as I dig out the block from my 82 wagon, I can get the number off that, the build date for that was 4/82.

[GeneralDisorder]

My hatch, d/r built 7/81- 799337

As far as I know, it's got the original motor. The car only has 194k on it.

As soon as I dig out the block from my 82 wagon, I can get the number off that, the build date for that was 4/82.

 

Ok - so by the numbers we have already, it would seem that your 81 has an 84/85 motor in it. Are there gold stickers to indicate hydro lifters?

 

GD

[Caboobaroo]

GD, unfortunatly, I don't have the buld dates for either the '81 wagon or the '85 RX since the wagon ended up going to the scrapyard and the RX was never in my possession. I do know, however, that the engine in the '81 WAS original with 90,000 miles on it. I believe its from an early '81.

[waimaks]

We have no build date on your JDM engine - so no. It's not helpful. That and I would wager that the JDM stuff had it's own serial numbers seperate from export. Hard to say for sure tho.

 

Caboobaroo - we need build dates.... and there's something up with that engine in your 81 - clearly a replacement engine going by the serial.

 

GD

Well I'm pretty sure I don't have an actual JDM motor. But thought that if they were different, the New Zealand ones might also be different. But I would be happy to post numbers if they are of use.

[4x4_Welder]

It doesn't seem to be- I know it has solid lifters, and there are no golden stickers. I wonder if it's a factory replacement block?

Some other numbers-

From the 82 block, built 4/82- 009899. Nice low number there.

Ok - so by the numbers we have already, it would seem that your 81 has an 84/85 motor in it. Are there gold stickers to indicate hydro lifters?

 

GD

[Sweet82]

should be on your "wall hanging"

It was!:lol:

 

And there was enough left to get the build date!

 

So...

 

Build Date was 01/82

Motor Number 931272

 

This is all original, as I bought the car when it was 6 months old.

[edrach]

GD: Wouldn't you need two lists for the EA81 for solid lifter and hydraulic lifter? I would think they'd start counting from 000001 again when the hydraulic engines came out.