Rebuilding my Hitachi tomorrow

sholinguteman · Post by **sholinguteman** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 3:39 am

Enjoyed (if thats the right word?) following this thread. So many do,s and donts but very informative. My truck runs really fast on tickover and adjust as I might it wont change. And I have manually pulled the butterfly closed but it still ticks over fast. (wear maybe ?) Although its an Hitachi I dont think we have the same carbs here in England (less pollution control stuff) so would an Oz carb refurb kit still work. SILVERBULLET thanks for posting . "MO"

1111giles · Post by **1111giles** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:14 am

Hi Mo! Giles here ..

(fancy meeting here !)
The Hitachi carb that was well and truly garnished with emissions plumbing stuff - which came up to me on the engine on the front cut I imported did actually look very very similar - I would wager that the repair kits would actually cover the internal criticals needed on your carb.
The main aspects of the emissions stuff is to capture the vapours in a charcoal canister, and to return it back into the closed system - whereas the UK vehicles vent the fuel tank instead. So I suspect that the differences are minimal to the 'wear parts' of the Hitachi. I would however suspect year on year manufacturer changes as the biggest hurdles to overcome.

However - I'd say bugger all that Hitachi nonsense - and go the weber route instead

Just better all round.

Silverbullet - your luck has just got to change ! Full marks for your honesty and perseverance ! I'm sure from what I've read that you wont have damaged the engine - as Toonga says do all 4 clearances for the sake of it you then know where you are, and dont forget to lock them up either when adjusted !

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:39 am

Haha hey sholinguteman, glad you enjoyed it

I found the carb kit I bought had a few different versions of the same gasket, and about 5 different sized check balls (only need 1) so this kit covered a few different carbs.

But it looks like something is seriously wrong now

I just went and started it after doing all the clearances and it still makes a hell of a racket, slightly different than the video but just as loud. I'm so bummed right now, after 4 days under the bonnet the car is stuffed all because of something so silly.

I'm thinking a valve or two at least must have been damaged when I think about it; if the rag went half way in when the valve was open, then the valve tried to close but was held wide open and then the piston smashed into it...that would have happened at least a couple of times. Now a valve stem or pushrod or something is completely stuffed and it makes this noise.

Looks like she's off the road for a long time now

*edit* this is the noise, not the same as the first vid but very bad nonetheless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0Scqb7lIOs

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 9:04 pm

that is not good news or noise there , but you have good compression and usually if got good compression no bent valve. I know how you must be feeling now, apart from buggered and despondent, but have you got good comp with this new noise?

If it is toast, is there any reason not to try a drive to fix it up...or worse. It actually sound like the import EA81 with hydraulic tappets, with one poo itself, a drive can fix that. Almost know that sound - crapped lifter that did not fix itself

Hoping it is something simple again

also ...please wipe off that last line from your sig -self jinxin'

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 9:10 pm

The EA82 is a non-interference design in case of snapped timing belt, can only think EA81 is similar , though they not expect to snap a belt or strip timing cog teeth. I no longer have any blocks to play with to confirm or deny that rumour - tossed them.

Maybe there is more rag in there - spy camera?

1111giles · Post by **1111giles** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:03 pm

I think the quickest way to sort this is to whip the head(s) off.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:23 pm

Yep giles that's what we're planning, this weekend I'll take that side off. There's too much guessing going on at the moment so it's coming off and having a valve job if need be or maybe it's something we can do here.

Steptoe yes that cylinder has as good if not better comp than it did before, and I guess the only thing I could lose by driving it is losing the engine completely (it may or may not be "toast" yet

) so we'll see what happens when the head is off. Also couldn't see anymore cloth in the cylinder, but maybe there is some wedged in the valve guide or something?

Doing the clearances, that intake valve just didn't look right. It wasn't stuck open or anything but there was a little shiny bit that none of the others had, hard to explain but perhaps if the piston hit it, everything (guides etc) could have been shoved backwards into the head? Might have to start another thread when the head comes off since it's no longer about a hitachi

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:56 pm

steptoe wrote:The EA82 is an interference design in case of snapped timing belt,

Sorry Jonno - the EA8 is a NON interference design. Snap a cam belt and its all good with a new one installed

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:31 am

sorry - typo . Do not wanna give anyone wrong idea. Going in to fix....

sven '2' · Post by **sven '2'** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 6:16 pm

Understanding this thread has a few more posts in it yet, I reckon Silverbullet deserves recognition for his perseverance, (stubbornness perhaps?!) in seeing this through over 5 days of Easter AND sharing his fails, and successes along the way.

Well done young fella and and I'm sure I speak for all on the forum, all the best in getting this car back on the road.

Keep us updated!!

FROG · Post by **FROG** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 6:39 pm

sven '2' wrote:Understanding this thread has a few more posts in it yet, I reckon Silverbullet deserves recognition for his perseverance, (stubbornness perhaps?!) in seeing this through over 5 days of Easter AND sharing his fails, and successes along the way.

Well done young fella and and I'm sure I speak for all on the forum, all the best in getting this car back on the road.

Keep us updated!!

+1
silverbullet did his homework very well
and still got bitten
Life lesson learnt no doubt
all the best with finishing it
Drop me a line if you get stuck for parts

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 6:46 pm

aw shucks

Doing it over easter was a last minute decision because other things came up which left easter the only option. Even though I don't have a car for now I'm glad I did it, now I know the engine a bit better I'm not afraid to tinker even if mistakes do happen

And sven don't tell me other people would have given up already?

this car has been in our family for so long (since new) I can't just give up on it so easily

1111giles · Post by **1111giles** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:23 pm

sven '2' wrote:Understanding this thread has a few more posts in it yet, I reckon Silverbullet deserves recognition for his perseverance, (stubbornness perhaps?!) in seeing this through over 5 days of Easter AND sharing his fails, and successes along the way.

Well done young fella and and I'm sure I speak for all on the forum, all the best in getting this car back on the road.

Keep us updated!!

Agree ! Keep at it !:D

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:55 pm

YEAH!! I for one wanna know what is makin' that awful racket - keep it is this post/thread/whatever too please. And don't forget your M8 1.25 thread repair kit, rocker cover gaskets, and need to know you have right tool to get at the 17mm head bolts when the rocker gear is back in place to do head retension when warmed up and cooled - unless you use genuine gaskets as I will now forever

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:57 am

Yeah I too agree with the other fellas about your efforts. Its good stuff and great to be reading about another member who's getting to know their subi.

Some on here would say they've fixed their hitachi carb issues with an EJ, but I'm not sure who they would be

Top effort, I hope you find something that's making the noise - I would be devastated if there was nothing in the cylinder after tearing the engine down to go hunting...

Cheers

Bennie

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:07 am

I Agree with the other fellas, keep at it:) Last year I had a go at rebuilding the carb on the L'wagon (about 3 attempts at that ) and that was having to spares to work with. All up took me about 3 weeks to get right and some $$. I was gutted after each go to end up with something worse than when i started. No amount of Pale Ales would dull the disapointment! In the end I got there on my own, and hey now it works better than before:D

The thing that sucks about this simple job is all the crap you have to go through just to remove the carby:twisted: only to have to do it all again.
But as you say Silverbullet, its been in the family since new, so its totally worth the perserverance. Like a family pet, you'd do anything to keep it going;)

J

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:30 am

And to make you feel even better, my first venture with a 4 cylinder and Japanese to fix a small rattle - first pulled down to find shagged gudgeon pin bush. Bought a new one for six bucks and fifteen to machine it to fit pin. Back together including head gasket at 16 dollars, noise still there. Feeling a bit pooey for being tight, strip down again to then do other three, back together new HG. Noise still there. getting, religeous here. Pull head off to discover the noise now or always was a valve seat that was not set in head, so I cheapskately use a high temp epoxy to fix seat, new HG and repair lasted to operating temp. Head off again so gasket number four, this time centre punched around valve seat to hold it in place with the aluminium overlap from the punch.

Satsfied I'd finally fixed it and was happy not to have to pull engine out and apart tfor attempt #3 and 4

Ran so sweet after that

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:32 am

I sold it, and bought another. My affair ended with #10 of same model of car from 1970 to 1976

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:10 pm

Thanks everyone again for the kind words, but there is no doubt that I wouldn't even consider doing this if I hadn't joined this forum, you guys are the greatest!

Always learning something new on here.

El freddo yeah I wonder who keeps banging on about the EJ conversion

I would consider it if I had the money, time, spare car, and knew how to do auto electrics (thinking about the loom and ECU makes me shudder) and if there is something wrong with the actual cylinder I'm already thinking about where I can look to find another EA81 and hire an engine hoist

steptoe bloody hell what an ordeal! what car was it?

Cheers!

Post by **TOONGA** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:25 pm

Silverbullet don't bother with the ECU and harness, I didn't and Im extremely happy with the way my brumby runs. at the moment Im averaging between 8-9 litres to the 100 km, Im sure I could do way better if I didn't open up the second throat on the weber all the time.

Having given my thread a shameless plug, if you are determined to rebuild the EA81 go for it they are a great little motor.

TOONGA