Drag RX

riksta · Post by **riksta** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 9:25 pm

well its a job well done to whoever built that EA.

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 9:29 pm

costs an absolute bucketload tho

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:05 pm

Sorry my bad - missed the 20 year old vintage , mind you thats a little under half my age . If your printing the stuff maybe a Cosworth BDG 1800 .

Engine tech is a personal interest so I'll pull that EA81 to bits .
Firstly the headers are quite crude as is the turbocharger . Take a close look at the header pipes just prior to the turbos turbine housing , one of them doesn't even pretend to aim at the housings inlet.

Suck through carby turbo induction - mega crude . Compressors don't like churning air and fuel and its not hard to tell what happens if the engine backfires - BOOM .
I doubt theres anything but blow through EFI turbo induction nowdays , on terra firma anyway .

Why am I persisting with an EA82T in an L series ? Very simple .
Firstly I don't have unrealistic expectations of what to expect from one and secondly I don't aim to lose fortunes doing conversions that often become bottomless money pits .
Thirdly as mentioned several times its the toe in the water with Subaru and if it works ok the 21 yr old dinosaur will move over for a much more modern MY00 . RX is way cheaper to play with than a WRX but the development path is pretty obvious if you take a close look at both . My RX cost me 2G so its a pretty cheap guinea pig and quite reasonable basic transport .

Those power numbers , I don't doubt the 260 Hp is doable but 400 ft/lbs of torque ? That figure doesn't match the Hp number at all . A well speced engine/turbo combination (reworked head/s and non std cam/s and manifolds) with high volumetric efficiency can usually develop torque numbers in ft/lbs approaching power numbers in Hp but nothing like 260/400 . Are you sure the torque figure is not in Nm ? 400 Ft/lbs is more like what you'd expect from a 4 - 5L NA V8 .

Lastly the Works RX's were rallied with around 190 honest Hp and Possum can be remembered for saying that he liked those works cars because they were easy to drive , light and good power to weight ratio .

Cheers and peace to all .

Suby Wan Kenobi · Post by **Suby Wan Kenobi** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:13 pm

Bang for buck it is hard to go past the EJ series engine for making big power, however the EA82T is not a bad engine and when it comes down to it they are lighter than an EJ so you dont have to make as much power to compete with that. They can have all the normal engine stengthening things done that you can do to any engine.

You can still buy cast aftermarket pistons that havent had 20years of abuse and neglect. If you are after a good bottom end then i would still would try and get some forgies. You can still get larger injectors for the EA engine you can also still track down a spidey manifold which is supposedly better ready for power.

You can still get cams made up for them, Ivan Tighe a cam grinder here in Qld has played with the EA engines when the rally boys had em, and the EA82 will rev if given the chance.

I dont know what the rules are you would be competing with but you could also use aftermarket engine management (including spark) and if not you have the benefit of the V8 boys love carbys so there is a heap of aftermarket ignition upgrades should you not be able to use an aftermarket ECU.

As for crankshafts and rods you can still get them strenghtened up by heat treating and shot peening or cryo to mention just a few.

It basically depends on how much money you want to spend. If you are starting out in the sport get a stock engine built but build it on minimal clearance specs then play with the boost and add an intercooler if allowed. Then if the bug is still there gradually build a stronger bottom end, EAs have never been hard on bottom ends anyway usually they have piston and head gasket issues.

I say go for it, i have an EA82T bottom end in the shed that i have put aside for doing a similar type of power up and this thread has inspired me to actually do something now.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:47 am

You doubt EA81's

Check this out
http://ramengines.com/_wsn/page2.html

They have 115hp single port heads
140hp Dual port heads
and a 200hp supercharged EA81 on only 6psi with dual port heads

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:20 am

Holy Schmoly ! that is one impressive looking EA81 - and it don't have the SUB4 heads either !

I note Adrians comment re turbines not liking compressing air fuel mix and the comment by Suparoo that it is thought it is destined for a light plane, add the now graphic word - BACKFIRE - into the equation. I hope a backfire does not affect the gliding ability of this light plane or its poo panted pilot !!!

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 12:18 pm

I noted the words Subaru "based" . I also noted the price involved and while that maybe quite reasonable for something that if it stops your in big trouble I wouldn't think many will have them in MY's .

Anyhow to each their own , I don't want/need any more that at MOST 150 odd Hp because thats sufficient to the cause . The challenge will be making that power usable and the heads reliable . It is a daily driver after all .

Cheers A .

QikRX · Post by **QikRX** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:37 am

Next step would be a big ball bearing turbo capable of efficiently flowing 30psi, custom intake manifold/plenum with XF Falcon throttle body, injectors, raise the rev limit to 8500-8700rpm (the cams start making power at 4700).
The intake manifold is the bottle-neck of the system at the moment. Just gotta get that air in & out as fast & efficiently as possible.
The bottom end should keep up, but for higher RPM's you would need to look at upgrading the crank/rods for billet items.
An auto with a trans-brake or big stall is the key, although will sap a fair chunk of power.
Should be able to crack a flat 11 @ ~125mph if you can gut it down to 900 odd kg's & around 300bhp on race fuel (C16/AvGas).