killshot_kustom Posted December 7, 2008 Share Posted December 7, 2008 The compression on my 87 Ea82 with 230K on it is all over the board 152, 100, 150, 80. I was woudering if I should just rebuild the engine (new seals, have heads rebuilt, cam ground, cyl's honed, new rings and bearings....etc), or upgrade to an EJ. I'm not good at wiring, so playing with the wiring harness scares me a little. The wagon Is just a beater DD and don't want to dump alot of money into, but at the same time I want something reliable. thanks, Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caramanos2000 Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Id say if you dont want speed maybe look for an EA82 in better shape that way you can drop her in. If you know your engine is ok just needs work, then go for it. EJ swaps arnt hard from what ive seen but its not something for the faint of heart lol. I mean tools, parts, wiring, fitting etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenley Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 don't want to dump alot of money into, but at the same time I want something reliable. I'd swap an EA81 into it. Minimum money, maximum reliability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 lots of variables here...how much time do you have, are you doing the work yourself, how much money, how many miles per year do you drive, how many more miles/years would you like out of this car...on and on.... rebuilds can be very expensive and time consuming. price out all the parts first and see how that sits with you. get another low mileage engine and reseal it. it's not a bad idea to just reseal the current motor and keep your eyes open for a new motor. if you want realibility you might even consider an EA82 but dumb down the boost. mostly just because EA82's are easier to find. with that kind of mileage i wouldn't put a ton of effort into the car. it's not hard to find a good car for cheap these days that needs some work, keep your eyes out. if you can rebuild an engine you can find a cheap good car that needs a clutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killshot_kustom Posted December 8, 2008 Author Share Posted December 8, 2008 The engine didn't burn any oil, and the cyl walls look good. A buddy let me use his pen microscope (that thing was so cool). I plan on doing all the work myself, except the head work. I picked up a 32/36 weber at a swap meet for almost nothing a few yrs back, and now have a veichle to put it on. The car mechanically is in good condition, so I don't just want to dump her. I Only really need 4-5 yrs out of her untill I finish college. I think I am going to re-build the engine. I have the next 2 weeks off of college and work, so time is not a problem. plus I love tearing ************ apart and getting dirty. On a side not Is the Haynes manuals pretty good. Back in the day I used to use Chiltons, but it seems like they arn't as good as they used to be. thanks for all your guys advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Seriously, it is not cost effective to rebuild this engines. I've done a couple, and I don't plan on any more. I was into it $1000 by the time I got new rings, bearings, seals, water pump, and oil pump, and had the heads gone through at a reasonably priced machine shop. That's without any machine work on the block or anything. I know it's fun to do it yourself, which is why I did, but at this point I would rather spend an extra few hundred to get a motor from CCR and know that's going to be perfect, swap in a known good motor with new T-belts and seals, or swap in an EJ22 and enter the 1990s as far as technology and performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 If you are in a subaru-rich area, it seems to be a bit cheaper to just swap in another EA82... I just got a used one in good condition for $250. I would think that in Oregon it should be about as easy to find one. I doubt you could do an entire rebuild for that much. Of course, it won't be as good as an entire rebuild... but a used one with fewer miles would probably last another few years. Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4x4_Welder Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Almost sounds like a blown headgasket. The lower end of these engines seems to last forever, so if you have decent oil pressure, I'd just change the head gaskets and have the heads at least checked. No reason to fix problems that aren't there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 The engine didn't burn any oil, and the cyl walls look good. ... So, Maybe it only needs a Minor Job, let me Explain. My EA82 Wagon, Back in 2005 started to Burn a Li`l bit of Oil and lost some Compression, maybe the Situation was just like Yours... I Opened it, and just Changed the Valves` Seals and Resealed them (adjusting Valves` Fit to the Heads), and Changed Head Gaskets and Sealers / Retainers... and That`s All the Engine Needed to be Running Great Again! Welcome to the Board and Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killshot_kustom Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 Good food for thought. I guess I'll wait till I tear into her to decide. I like the idea of just have to re-seal and head work. There are subarus all over in Southern Oregon. I swear Ashland, OR is like the subaru Capital of the world. Parts arn't too hard to find. thanks, Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rxbubaru Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 if you do a rebuild good luck with finding new parts cause im really having a had time finding em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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