coxy wrote:Should be possible to convert an EA81 to Turbo using the Exhaust manifold and Turbo of an EA82 Turbo.
Will require mods to the cross member for the up pipe.
Will also need a Turbo spec downdraft Weber as used on the Peter Wherett model Sigma Turbo cars.
Then you would need to have made the turbo inlet pipeing and find an airbox from the wreckers to adapt,not that hard really when you look at some of the modified turbo cars built in australia.
Oil feed line to the turbo from either the oil filter area or the oil pressure switch area and then a drain from the turbo into the sump.
Late lower comp EA81 pistons and heads and have the block modified with stainless safety wire into machined grooves just behind the fire ring area of the head gaskets,which will save blown headgaskets,Rocket Industries sell a tool that will do this manually now available in a smaller than 4 inch bore size for "O" ringing cylinders.
Far from a hard conversion when you consider how many red six Holdens and other engines have been converted in the past.In fact easier with EA82 bits with the exception of the FI system,but as stated Turbo spec carb's have been made in the past,should make somewhere around 95 to 105 HP with a fresh engine which is probably 40 percent more than what a tired EA 81 makes if you are lucky and in the lightest Subaru body shell should drive quite nicely.
All up with a rebuilt engine it could be done under say $6,000 with carefull searching for good S/H bits,Genuine EA81 Turbo's are like Hens Teeth and aside from Fuel Injection don't offer much benefit over building one yourself as they come with non water cooled turbos and will cost good money to make the injection work.
If your EA81 is good and you do the work without paying shop labour you could halve the cost quite realistically as EA 82 Turbo bit's are fairly common and cheap as the engines are not as reliable as the EA 81 so external parts like turbo stuff is available for sensible outlay.
Exhaust shop could bend up the turbo pipework it doesn't have to be shiny Aluminium,steel with say a VHT wrinkle finish paint job would look quite smart at low cost.Best thing is you know what parts are in the conversion when finished and where to find spares when required or just go the Ej route which is proven and not too hard.
hi
i own a 1984 subaru 1800 4WD with a non turbo ea81 engine. i have recently considered turbo charging it, if possible. at the moment i want to weigh up my options as to whether it is worth doing or not. first of all, there is the concern whether there is enough parts out there to easily do a conversion (will most likely try to track down ea82 parts), and secondly there is the concern whether the standard motor will take the extra stress on the motor (heads/push rods etc).
so basically i want a little help in deciding what i do. i am not an absolute whiz with cars to say the least, but i am capable of doing my own work in a lot of cases.
when you say i will need a turbo spec downdraft, what exactly will i need to buy for this and where can i get the parts?
also, in terms of some of the modifications above, such as the oil lines and block modification, are these very hard to do? is it hard to connect the oil lines? are there any other modifications that will need to be done ie to the heads or inlets?
thanks,
brad
