How hard is it.....Really.

[cd45]

The EA82 in my 1987 is pretty well worn out from what I can tell. The cold snap in Oklahoma really hit her hard. I can't keep her at idle while cold. I have to sit with my foot on the gas pedal to keep her running. I know that is the job of the choke but, mine is a manual choke and the linkage is bound up somewhere I can't find. The mileage has fallen to about 18 MPG, down from 25 MPG. I have a great running EA81 with a Weber carb sitting in another car. How hard is it to just swap them out? The only problems I see are the fan on the radiator, the pump for the power steering, and the A/C compressor bracket on the EA81 is broken, so I need to move the one from the EA82 over to it. Has anyone on here done this? How hard it is? I have 4 days to get it done, and have the car back on the road by Monday. Any ideas gladly accepted.

[mcbrat]

I put one in an '87 before. was very easy.

having it weberized makes it much easier....

 

a few things off the top of my head to work through.

 

1. Disty wires. need longer ones, or move the coil and lengthen the wires to it.

2. exhaust spacer. ea82 y-pipe is even height (side to side). some ea81 y-pipes were offset due to the ASV spacer at the exhaust port. ea81's varied in set-up, so add or remove them as needed to make it level... ea82 y-pipe should bolt up fine then.

3. I had a custom PS hose made with the PS ends to mate the ea81 PS pump to the ea82 PS plumbing

[cd45]

EA81 has no power steering. Therefore, I have to move the whole assy.

[subiemech85]

if you want to switch intake manifolds, and put the weber on the ea82 manifold, you will be better off, as you use the same top rad hose

 

water pump can be switched, then you should be able to use same lower rad hose, if you don't, then a piece of flex hose works good, same one as vw diesel rabbit pickup without AC

dist wires need to be re-routed so they run behind the alt, and use a longer coil wire, to avoid moving coil or lengthening other wires

lay the PS pump Assy. in the spare tire area

leave the AC off, it's winter

the rad fan will fit fine, unless the block heater is in the way

make sure the clutch will fit

[cd45]

I am going to leave the engine as is, I know it is sealed very nice, with good compression.

If I leave the PS pump in the spare tire area how will I have power steering?

I have read and been told by people on here that the fly wheel bolts right up to the EA81 and the clutch should work fine.

I plan to pull one of the fans off of the Brat to use on the rad in the wagon.

I know the disty wires need to be lengthened.

Thanks for the info.

[subiemech85]

I am going to leave the engine as is, I know it is sealed very nice, with good compression.

NO oil leaks??

If I leave the PS pump in the spare tire area how will I have power steering?

ArmStrong otherwise you will have to find a special bracket, ea81t

I have read and been told by people on here that the fly wheel bolts right up to the EA81 and the clutch should work fine.

or leave the flywheel on and switch pp and disk

I plan to pull one of the fans off of the Brat to use on the rad in the wagon.

didn't the wagon come with a fan on the rad?

I know the disty wires need to be lengthened.

unless you re-route them to run by the alt, so they do not need to be lengthened

Thanks for the info.

 

edited in quoted

[cd45]

OK, I figured out what was wrong with the wagon. After it finally warmed up to 40 some degrees, I went out and inspected the engine. I kept hearing a sucking noise, more of an air hissing sound. It took me around 3 minutes to find. It was a vacuum line into the intake manifold. I reinstalled it, and fixed my manual choke. The engine had a very bad lope during idle. It runs like a top right now. Feels good on the hi way and everything. I still plan to swap the EA81 into the wagon, just not in as much of a hurry. Thanks for all the info, I will still need it in the coming weeks.

[Caboobaroo]

I have gone over and over and over this deal with the EA82 PS setup on an EA81 but no one can think to remember it.

 

If you get an EA81T PS pump bracket, you can bolt it to the motor and then bolt the pump to it. I have seen though, that the earlier solid lifter EA81s don't have a spot to bolt it to and some of the early hydraulic lifter EA81s have the spots but need to be drilled and tapped. You'll know once you hold the bracket up to the motor. Its the same pump EA81T to EA82 but the bracket on the EA81T doesn't stick out as far since the EA81 has no timing belts compared to the EA82. I have pics of the EA82 bracket on an EA81 if you want to get creative.

[subiemech85]

show me yours

 

I have pics of the EA82 bracket on an EA81 if you want to get creative.