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Ok, my Brumby has a at least a stuffed head gasket (if not head). Tomorrow im going to do a radiator flush, chemytech, rad flush, and oil change and flush. I will see how long this lasts. My question is eventually im going to have to do something about it. (my EA81 doesn't look great, slight rust on rocker cover etc) I want to know what i should do.

Option 1: Rebuild my EA81, new dizzy, leads, weber, all the usuals for power. This is a very simple engine that even I can work on

Option 2: Ive been offered an EJ whatever (probly take a EJ20) With gear box for about $1200 i think. This is not a simple engine and i dont think i will be able to work on it. (I have seen my dads service costs and i dont like the look of them one bit! )

What should i do? There are many pros and cons i have seen on this forum but none in my situation.

Cheers Cam

head gasket is not hard to replace, just replace the head gasket.
If you buy a VRS kit you will get two gaskets, one for a spare + other stuff. there are a couple of recoed heads on ebay if your head is stuffed.

EJ FTW.

Is that engine from a wrecker? Keep an eye out for one being sold privately for half that. Swapping the gearbox is not necessary and it means more work.

All engines are simple. They all need fuel, air and spark and run in a suck-push-bang-blow cycle. They all need to be fed oil, coolant and maybe the occasional seal or gasket. Servicing a new injected engine yourself is no different to servicing an old one. Don't use an STi as a guide for servicing costs.

With new engines you have sensors and actuators that work until they stop working. With old engines you frig around with carbies and distributors and points that can work or not work or sort of work or work when the weather is right and the stars are aligned.

But can you register an EJ converted car in SA? And drive it on your L/P plates?

Dane.

Yeah its simple (couldn't be stuffed so im using chemytech) just wondering what i should do. Option 1 or 2. As a new 50,000 Km engine and box (EJ20) would be great, but i hate computer engines as you cant do anything to them. A recond EA81 with all the usual upgrades i can work on, just what is generally better? A plan to do some offroading. I dont care about power as long as its better than what it currently is. I believe Leads, A new dizzy weber etc should do this. With all the modifying of a EJ20 is it worth the extra power?

Cheers Cam

My 2cents: If youre willing to spend $1200 on another engine & the EA81 has to come out anyway. rebuild the EA. look at the aeroplane sites that work the EA81s. do internal work- heads, cam etc. then decent exhaust & a 38 weber.
the brumby will fly!

(i email redline direct & they sold me a 38weber through an ebay seller-shipping took 3wks but i paid AU$397 incl.shipping).

Im pretty sure i can register it (Plz Correct). Driving on L's & P's doubt it. Although it will be in dads name. Thats another thing i will be driving it on my L's & P's. SilverBullet had some documents on the laws, you cant do sh!t to it. You can replace with stock but not upgrade. You cant even use a pod filter!

refrik wrote:My 2cents: If youre willing to spend $1200 on another engine & the EA81 has to come out anyway. rebuild the EA. look at the aeroplane sites that work the EA81s. do internal work- heads, cam etc. then decent exhaust & a 38 weber.
the brumby will fly!

(i email redline direct & they sold me a 38weber through an ebay seller-shipping took 3wks but i paid AU$397 incl.shipping).

Thats Cheap Gimme Gimme Gimme!!!
Whats a 38 weber? is that with the Conversion plate? I know what a 32/36 is.
What is a aeroplane site? Yes i also plan to do the exhaust as it has a hole and my dodgy fix:rolleyes:

Redline sell/make webers? Are you sure its real?

Brumby Kid wrote:. SilverBullet had some documents on the laws, you cant do sh!t to it. You can replace with stock but not upgrade. You cant even use a pod filter!

But it wont stop me with small mods:rolleyes:
To the cops "Um yeah well its my dads car":rolleyes:
They will believe that for sure

why do you say a head gasket oh fifteen year old?

I say you learn and appreciate the engine basics the EA81 can offer you. No authority is really goining to be able to detect or appreciate the work you can put into an old EA81 to extract more efficiency out of it for your first few years on the road.

I simply resealed an EA81 93,000km ago and all it has done wrong is the dizzy module sputtered momentarily and got me home to fit a newie $100. Radiator service is also good tip.

Even just a refresh the carby with a rebuild kit can do wonders - maybe read Silverbullets write up

Have you got compression readings from yours ?

Would you believe recoing an EA81 to put in a plane is what got me into the whole brumby thing.
I still reckon fix the EA81, it will be cheaper and easier to do and you will learn HEAPS.

The EA81 has some very poor casting/maching alignment in the heads (see photos) which is easily fixed with the valves removed and carefull use of a die grinder with a rotary bure fitted.
The compression ratio std is 7.7:1, we take 1mm off the heads for aircraft use giving 10:1 ratio wich is not ideal for on the road, if say 0.5mm was removed the ratio would be aroud 9:1 but would necitate the use of 95-98 octane fuel and a little experementing with ignition timing.
BUT increased compression is not necessary for a reliable engine and the machining adds extra complication if you dont have acess to a lathe or mill.

On the learner side of things I reckon the power of an EJ ito the light weight Brumby could get a learner driver into trouble real quick, know the saying "crawl before you walk"
If you were my son we would be fixing the EA81 for 3 reasons.
1 the experience
2 so you don't kill yourself learing to drive with to much power
3 cheaper and easier to fix the EA81

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AirSoob/
http://www.jodel.com/index.asp?p=subaru2&engines
http://www.asra.org.au/smf/index.php?PH ... 8d3033130&
http://www.recreationalflying.com.au/

Stick with the ea... cops are dum and dont know what their looking at or for

Think revmax may find 7.7:1 ratio is EA82T , EA81's are already close to 9.0:1

Measure up your heads valves, there were early heads with smaller valves - I'll get some measures for you to compare if you need. PM me if I forget

steptoe wrote:why do you say a head gasket oh fifteen year old?

Have you got compression readings from yours ?

When i found sh!t (water and oil) in the air filter, i got a couple of naighbours who are mechanics to have a look, they traced it back and say head gasket or cracked head, i told the symptoms to subaru and a guy at autobarn (who surprisingly actually knows what he is doing, used to work in a hotrod shop) and they said the same.
No i haven't had compression readings.
Cheers Cam

revmax wrote:On the learner side of things I reckon the power of an EJ ito the light weight Brumby could get a learner driver into trouble real quick, know the saying "crawl before you walk"
If you were my son we would be fixing the EA81 for 3 reasons.
1 the experience
2 so you don't kill yourself learing to drive with to much power
3 cheaper and easier to fix the EA81

Yes i think your right. Those 3 reasons are what i want tto keep the ea for.
1 Would love the experiance, and learning how my car works etc
2 Defanatly dont wanna kill myself, dads STi has soooo much power and is sooo touchy on the acelerator.
3 Yes keeping costs down is also important

im a p plater and just got my ej20 for my brumby i havnt checked with laws but whos gunna know

brockharro wrote:im a p plater and just got my ej20 for my brumby i havnt checked with laws but whos gunna know

True, an old car wouldn't generally be overpowered, and they wouldn't check. (Unless it's a big block hemi sticking out the bonnet).
But as soon as you do something stupid, the cops will have a lock under there and your probably stuffed..

Paul at subareck told me a story, (dont know what car all i know is it was a suby) a P plater was pulled over for having a too loud exhaust (cannon muffler) he gave the cop some lip, cop was gonna give him a warning, but instead sent him to regency park (vehicle inspection) here 1 tiny bit of rust, defect, etc etc. so he sold it to subareck.

yer myns full of rust but thats my plan is to put the engine and then do all the body work from there im taking a welding course atm so thatll help

but thats my plan leave it look like a bomb coz i got pulled the day exhuast came loose and was loud as shit cops didnt even look

and on rta the restriction sais any performance mod that does require engineering is illigal to drive but ej20 doesnt require that

so ill looke dumb and say that what the website sais

Well BK (Brumby Kid) it could still be a welch plug in the head leaking water/coolant into the rocker area and drain into sump to give same symptoms you have. Happened to me with my EA81 import in my Brumby. I also found a spare head I have has a hole in one welch plug. Most recently my Vortex gave previous owners mechanic reason to say blown HG - it was everything but a blown HG. Found a rotten welch plug leaking into tOHC rocker regon and drained into sump.

A quick way you could try is disconnect coil so you can't drive or start engine. Drain sump oil - dispose of said oil. Place a clean tray under sump plug hole left open.

Fill coolant system and wait and see if water appears directly out sump plug - that will likely indicate welch plug. You could pull rockers off to watch too with the magic of mirrors or shove digital camera in for a closer look. A little pressure on the cooling system may help but not over cap spec of 13psi. If you don't have a rad pressure gadget at hand try cut and block off heater hose. The other side of the cut poke in a tubeless tyre valve tit, clamp it and pump with pushbike pump.

Then....see if you believe the other diagnosis

Might try that first, although the chemytech was cheap, so if it doesn't work i know its a welch plug. What are the standard ones made of? And what would i want the new ones made of?