EA81 SPFI distributor shaft ?

[zstalker]

I'm swapping an SPFI setup to my '84 Brat, I've got all my parts pulled from a donor, and now I'm swapping the gear from the EA81 distributor to the EA82 distributor. the exposed shaft lenth on the EA82 unit is longer, so when I put the thrust washer and EA81 gear on the EA82 shaft, there is about 1/4" of the shaft still sticking out the end of the gear. the EA81 shaft was about flush, even a little less than flush with the end of the gear.

is this ok? normal? critically wrong? I don't see it being a problem, as it doesn't look like there's anything that it would hit, I just want to double-check with you folks who've done the swap before.

~Erik~

[Gloyale]

I haven't done the swap personally. But I think I read that you need to actually drill a new hole in the shaft to mount the gear in the proper location.

[Gloyale]

Yeah I knew I had read it. If you haven't seen this check it out

 

http://home.comcast.net/~trilinear/EA81_SPFI.html

 

Thanks to General Disorder for the write up(GD, I know we keep buttin heads but I do respect you're knowledge of Subies)

 

Sounds like you are trying to use a Nippon Denso Drivegear. You need to find an EA81 Hitachidistributor and get it's drive gear. The pin location is different though, it will still need drilled.

[zstalker]

actually no, it's not a Nippon Denso, it's a Hitachi, but I'm referring to the difference in exposed distributor shaft after the bottom of the housing. I know the hole will have to be re-drilled in a different location than the EA82 stock hole, but I'm just wondering about the 1/4" of shaft that sticks out beyond the gear (with thrust washer installed). there's nothing that it would be hitting, but I just want to double-check with someome who's done the swap.

~Erik~

[GeneralDisorder]

There should not be anything sticking out below the EA81 drive gear. Perhaps you are using a ND EA81 drive gear - they are shorter and that would result in about 1/4" sitcking out below the gear if you pushed it up to the thrust washer. Take a look at the pics in my write up - the pic of the Hitachi drive gear is of an SPFI disty with an EA81 Hitachi drive gear.

 

http://home.comcast.net/~trilinear/EA81_SPFI/EA81_disty_gear_compare.jpg

 

GD

[zstalker]

well then that's very odd. I'll take a couple of pics tomorrow of my distributors side by side. my EA81 disty is definately a Hitachi, and the gear swaps directly over to the EA82 disty shaft...same diameter, both had roll pins that I pressed out very easily with a punch (i.e. not drilled out). Both distributors came from manual transmission, non-turbo, 4WD cars as well (my '84 EA81 and the '88 EA82 donor)....just the EA82 unit has about a 1/4" longer exposed center shaft. ANYhoo, update tomorrow...

~Erik~

[zstalker]

ok, got some pics of my two distributors. it really seems that my EA82 distributor simply has a slightly longer shaft on it than others have seen. on a test fit, the extra 1/4 inch won't be hitting anything, it's just got some empty space there, so I'm going to go ahead with it. here are the pics:

the two distributors, side by side:

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/data/1016/100_1647.jpg

closer-up:

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/data/1016/100_1648.jpg

closer at the EA81 unit:

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/data/1016/100_1651.jpg

closer of the EA82 unit with the EA81 gear:

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/data/1016/100_1652.jpg

 

anybody ever see something like this?

~Erik~

[GeneralDisorder]

Is that an 86 SPFI distributor?

 

GD

[zstalker]

it's out of an '88 GL, manual transmission, 4WD

 

~Erik~

[kingbobdole]

I have.... I knew it was longer, so I just cut it down to a little under flush... then I welded it to the shaft from inside the gear, that way the bead was also less then flush with the end of the gear....