ea82 with points, possible?

[opus]

I got into this a while back but never got an answer. Is it possible to have an ea82 with a point distributor? There are no sensors hooked up to it at this time, runs great.

 

I am looking for something that can be fixed on the side of the road, should the need arise. Point ignitions can almost always be repaired on the road.

[GeneralDisorder]

A late 70's non-electronic Hitachi distributor from an EA71 would work but you have to change the drive gear, which entails redrilling the shaft as the spring pin placement isn't the same. The adjustment slot (there will be only 1) will have to be moved - so you might have to do some TIG welding to the case to modify the adjustment plate.

 

Much easier to just carry an extra electronic distributor and coil under the seat wrapped in a shop rag. In the unlikely event that an electronic module fails, you can swap out both in less time than it takes to fool with points, condensor, and coil. Plus the 100,000+ maintenance free miles makes up for a failure once in a while as you save time on the maintenance end, plus the cost of the replacement components every 15,000 miles.

 

The parts for them are also difficult to source should you have a breakdown. Although anyone with points that doesn't carry a new set, a used set, an extra condensor, and a coil is just as screwed as someone that doesn't carry an ignition module.

 

GD

[opus]

A late 70's non-electronic Hitachi distributor from an EA71 would work but you have to change the drive gear, which entails redrilling the shaft as the spring pin placement isn't the same. The adjustment slot (there will be only 1) will have to be moved - so you might have to do some TIG welding to the case to modify the adjustment plate.

 

Much easier to just carry an extra electronic distributor and coil under the seat wrapped in a shop rag. In the unlikely event that an electronic module fails, you can swap out both in less time than it takes to fool with points, condensor, and coil. Plus the 100,000+ maintenance free miles makes up for a failure once in a while as you save time on the maintenance end, plus the cost of the replacement components every 15,000 miles.

 

The parts for them are also difficult to source should you have a breakdown. Although anyone with points that doesn't carry a new set, a used set, an extra condensor, and a coil is just as screwed as someone that doesn't carry an ignition module.

 

GD

 

Problem is, I know where points go, how to set them and what they look like. I am not even sure what all is involved with the current setup. Are you saying it is soley a disty and coil? Nothing else involved?

[GeneralDisorder]

Are you saying it is soley a disty and coil? Nothing else involved?

 

Correct. The distributors are interchangeable - they have two wires for triggering the coil and nothing more.

 

GD

[kiwi subbie]

ive seen 1 of 2 fitted with points b4

[opus]

Correct. The distributors are interchangeable - they have two wires for triggering the coil and nothing more.

 

GD

 

Thats fairly acceptable.

[kiwi subbie]

i did change over from electronic to points on my 1988 DL EA71 wagon. it didnt work as well as i thought. just couldnt get it to run as well. had it looked at an few times. still wouldnt work as well. but it did run for all the rest of the time. one thing i had prob with when i changed it over was i could get it to start and idal for 30secs then it would die. i had 1 lose wire that i got told wasnt needed, i earthed it on the body and the fuel pump ran and the engine kept running which was good

[jacobs]

You will need a Nippondenso EA71 distributor and a Nippondenso EA82 (2 wheel drive) distributor. Remove all the internal parts in both distributors, then install the parts that were removed from the EA71 distributor and install them in the EA82 distributor housing. The EA71 drive gear was factory installed with a peened pin which will have to be drilled out. The EA82 drive gear should have a roll pin that can be driven out. I believe the two drive gears are different and if so, you need to reuse the EA82 gear. It’s a very easy conversion and it has worked great for me for about 200,000 miles. It's been VERY reliable and driveability did not change in any way.

 

About 6 months ago, I installed a Delta Mark 10B capacitor discharge ignition to increase point life. I purchased it on eBay for about $20. The nice benefit of the Mark 10B is it has a switch on the unit that allows you to instantly turn off the unit so you are back to your old conventional system. If you use a dwell meter for setting or checking your points, this is a real time saver. By the way, Delta also made a Mark 10. This unit does NOT have the built in switch. Other than that one feature, both units are the same. They also made a Mark 10C which is a high performance version (a little hotter spark) of the Mark 10B. It’s not likely you will find one of these as very few of them were made.

[GeneralDisorder]

Yes - the drive gears are different between OHV and OVC (EA82) engines.

 

Thats neat that the parts from the ND units will swap around like that.

 

It's all up to what you know, and what you are comfortable with really. Electronic's were just a way for the manufacturers to get away from short maintenance intervals, and be able to drive a hotter spark across a larger gap - very helpful for forced induction applications. There's also no cam to wear - no mechanical parts at all since the electronics use a hall-effect induction rotor.

 

One thing you should take note of though - you may want to swap coil's for a more conventional coil that will mate better with a point's style system.

 

GD

[jacobs]

 

One thing you should take note of though - you may want to swap coil's for a more conventional coil that will mate better with a point's style system.

 

GD

 

You will defiantly want to change ignition coils. If you don’t, points will severely arc and won’t last long. I used a GM coil designed for an external resistor and wired it in the same way older American vehicles were wired. Basically, 12 volt coils designed for use with an external resistor are really an 8 volt coil. When the engine is being cranked, battery voltage drops, the external resistor is bypassed, and the coil receives full battery voltage. This is very helpful for cold weather starting. Since Subaru doesn’t have a terminal on the starter for bypassing the external resistor, I used a relay to accomplish the same result.

[GeneralDisorder]

Since Subaru doesn’t have a terminal on the starter for bypassing the external resistor, I used a relay to accomplish the same result.

 

You needn't have done that actually. It's not on the starter - it's on the ignition switch. There is a pin that is hot only in crank (start). It's used for the start signal to the ECU on fuel injected models, but it's a standard arrangment on all the ignition switches - the EA81's had the pin even. Just wire that to bypass the resistor and no relay required.

 

GD

[jacobs]

You needn't have done that actually. It's not on the starter - it's on the ignition switch. There is a pin that is hot only in crank (start). It's used for the start signal to the ECU on fuel injected models, but it's a standard arrangment on all the ignition switches - the EA81's had the pin even. Just wire that to bypass the resistor and no relay required.

 

GD

 

The problem with that is when the engine is running, voltage will backfeed from the resistor to the starter. You need the relay or a reverse blocking diode.

[opus]

Jacobs,

 

I emailed you, but I did it before I read this. Thanks for the explanation. You can ignore the email.

[GeneralDisorder]

The problem with that is when the engine is running, voltage will backfeed from the resistor to the starter. You need the relay or a reverse blocking diode.

 

You don't understand - the pin on the ignition switch has no connection to the starter or anything else unless the key is in the crank position. Just like a relay powered off the starter solenoid would have. Except using the pin you don't need the relay.

 

This is one of the elements required for the SPFI swap as well, and has been done both ways - using the relay as you pointed out, or by using the correct pin on the ignition switch harness under the dash.

 

GD

[kiwi subbie]

i only converted over to points on my ea71 coz i could not get the correct cap from anywhere in nz. the cap was like an ea82 turbo cap exept it was was turned about 1/4 of an turn i guess you could say its bit hard to explain.

[jacobs]

You don't understand - the pin on the ignition switch has no connection to the starter or anything else unless the key is in the crank position. Just like a relay powered off the starter solenoid would have. Except using the pin you don't need the relay.

 

This is one of the elements required for the SPFI swap as well, and has been done both ways - using the relay as you pointed out, or by using the correct pin on the ignition switch harness under the dash.

 

GD

 

I'll check it out. If it's like you are indicating, that's GREAT!!!! Your way would be more reliable and simpler.