Ace23_BRZ's DSport FA225 Boosted Build
 

Hey guys,

I just wanted to document my newest project build, which is my 2013 Subaru BRZ.

I live in Las Vegas, and since I did not want to have to deal with stupid loops and holes pertaining to this state's ridiculous motor swap laws, I just decided to build the FA motor.


Nevada Engine Swap Laws - NAC 445B.400

Guidelines applicable to all engine swaps for motor vehicles with the model year of 1981 and newer:

•The replacement engine must be of the same year or newer, as the model year of the vehicle.

•All required emission devices/systems must be installed and operational as applicable to the new engine configuration.

•The replacement engine must be a USEPA Certified Configuration engine for highway use. No off-road engine configurations will be allowed.

•The replacement engine must meet CA or Federal standards based on USEPA certification of a replacement engine.

•Verifiable documentation must be provided indicating the year and engine configuration of the replacement engine.



Haha, so there goes my LS, K24, 2J, 1J/2J swap theory.

Regardless, this build is going to be an all-around build, I.E. show, drift, drag, custom, audio, etc...

My horsepower goal is to hit at least 700HP... anything extra is brownie points, I guess.

I will be running a DSport FA225 engine, which at the current moment is still being built.

It has been many months in the making, but I can't rush them to build it any quicker.

In the meantime, I have purchased any and/or every possible part to set this project up for success.

Just like anything in life, you plan to fail if you fail to plan…and in retrospect, even the greatest builds are subject to breaking, so let’s hope it doesn't come to that.

Without further ado, I will do what I can to keep this thread moving and post as many pictures or content as possible.

I may not catch everything at once, but know that I will get there lol.

FAVQ Mazworx CD009 G35/350z Transmission
 

With the power requirements we are planning on pushing this thing, there was no way in hell we could rely on the OEM transmission, therefore, we opted to install this beautiful custom designed FAVQ transmission built by Mazworx.

Looks like its gonna be an epic build. G/L and document the progress

This looks crazy! Can't wait to see it completed.


Where did you order the DSport FA225 from?

Probably here: https://clubdsport.com/fa20/

Yeah, thanks bro!

I went through my buddy's shop here in Vegas, over at Kaijumotorsports, and my boi Brian ordered it through DSport.

As WhatAboutBob posted, clubDSport has an alternative weblink with information on their products.

Exedy Stage 5 Triple Disk Clutch 'Custom Made'
 

The clutch I went with was an Exedy Stage 5 triple ceramic disk clutch fitted with a Verus Engineering clutch fork and billet clutch fork pivot.

Precision Shaft Technologies PST Carbon Fiber Driveshaft
 

We will also have no use for the OEM driveshaft so I opted to install a PST 3.75" carbon fiber driveshaft capable of handling over 1,000HP.

As I mentioned before, I wanted to install performance parts that were capable to withstand more horsepower, thus reducing the amount of stress applied to these upgrades.

LoL, and who knows, if more advanced upgrades become available to the FA motor.....

Koyo Radiator w/ Dual SPAL Fans
 

In trying to keep things cool/cooler, upgraded the radiator to a Koyo Rad fitted with 2 12" SPAL fans mounted to a fan shroud, each producing an airflow rating of 1216 CFM.

Is the Koyo radiator lighter than the OEM one?

With the entirety of its setup, like how I have mine installed, with the Koyo rad and SPAL fans, yes, way lighter.

In terms of radiator for radiator, hard to tell, I cannot remember the weight differences, but the OEM radiator is much thinner, so I am assuming the appropriate answer is yes.

Either way, I tried to see if I could find the exact specs of weight between the two but fell short buddy.

And even though the Koyo radiator is thicker in size, with the dual fan shroud, and the SPAL fans matted together, the fitment expands the engine bay area much more as opposed to the OEM fan shroud.

If I do find the specs, or get around to weighing my fans, I'll be sure to let you know ;).

V/R,
Ace

Radium Engineering / Injector Dynamics / Delicious Tuning For Fuel Delivery
 

In order to feed the beast, we went with Radium Engineering fuel rails, a Radium Engineering fuel hanger holding 2 Walbro 450Lph fuel pumps, a Radium Engineering fuel hanger kit, with FPR, and an inline fuel filter.

For injectors, we went with Injector Dynamics 1300.18.04.36.11.4 - 1300cc fuel injectors.

And lastly, because we are going to run on E85 as well, went with a Delicious Tuning BT flex fuel kit.

As I continue down this build I take a moment to set myself back a few steps.

So for instance, as I began working on the engine bay, I realized the room I have to work with sucks!

Having said that, I am now well on my way to pulling the entire harness out of the bay, minus the engine harness at the moment, and will rewire, re-loom, and re-configure the entire harness.

Subaru did not make this easy, they decided to connect pretty much every other wire, clip, and cord to each other, which has been a pain to remove.

While doing so, I realized that the only clean way to remove my harness is/was to remove the brake lines, if not all, at least a few, not to mention, the brake booster.

At this point, I said, "F$@k it already, might as well delete the brake booster!"

Once I get this harness out, I am going to repurpose it by insulating it with Raychem DR25 ** For the harness parts in the bay ** and extend the others outside of the bay to give it a clean wireless bay, that way I can move about without getting tangled up in that bird's nest of a train wreck.

I plan on looming the entire harness in heat-protective expandable loom in order to extend their life span in this harsh ass weather in this Las Vegas heat.

So getting off of my soapbox opera, this project may not stay on a specific course because of alternative engineering ideas I see fit, which may derail that momentum lol.

Either way, I hope you folks do stay tuned because I am doing my best to make this a complete custom build.

Excited to see the work you do with the wiring harness. A part of me wanted to re-do mine when I got a spare but I couldn't stomach the work and huge amount of work if something isn't done perfectly.

Same, please document the wiring harness if you have the patience for it.

Subbed

Yes, it is a very large undertaking, lol, and I question myself as to why I always do shit like this to myself?? :bellyroll:

In the end, I know it will be well worth it...

I did a custom build like this for my 97 EK, and working on it after was a breeze, but then again, my EK had nowhere near the number of wires this guy has lol.

Either way, I want to endure this harsh road, because I think if I can document this project and wire this thing appropriately, I'd like to help someone else do this same thing as well.

Ha, and who knows, if I do a kick-ass job and someone wants to pay me for it, shoot, I'd look into it ;).

No turning back now!

You got it bud!

Once I remove all the wiring from the car, I will document and create a thorough design of what I am doing.

Either way, this has to be done, because I need to make sure I cover everything the right way lol.

I'll be sure to keep this thread up-to-date with my progress.

Thanks for checking it out :thumbup:.

Little Humor LoL
 

Passenger Side Harness Out Of Main Cabin
 

Lord was this a pain in the you know what!

OMG, thank God I almost know what I'm doing :bellyroll:.

Anyways, I got this harness side pulled out, tomorrow I'll try to pull out the other side as well, along with my brake booster, and brake lines.

Fingers crossed!

You shouldn't have to remove any of the brake lines, may have to move them away from their spot briefly. Brake Booster definitely has to come out. If you extend the harnesses a tad, you can move that harness into the cabin and or move the fuse box either where the battery was or into the glove box (if you want to tackle that massive headache). It's what I am doing on my 2jz swap

Haha, yeah nice...that's what I am thinking of doing myself. Moving the fuse box under the glovebox area, or where the battery is/was.

Also, for the brake lines, I just ripped them all out. The Chase Bay's dual kit comes with all the necessary lines, hoses, etc...

VDC Control Module / Brake Lines / Brake Booster Removed
 

Phew, another episode of as the Subaru Turns.

So today I made more progress, removed all the old brake lines, stowed away the VDC control module, and removed the brake booster as well.

I still have one fitting stuck on the rear brake line, which must have sealed on there really well. It's stripped to hell at this point and my mind is tired of thinking right now, so I kind of ran out of ideas.

I'm thinking of drilling it out or maybe using my Dremel tool, not sure, but I wanted to take some time to recoup a bit before making any irrational decisions.

Other than that, there are just a few interior clips that need to be removed and I can extract the entire harness out and begin my wiring design.

When I get everything wired the way I want it, I am going to mark the engine bay up to shave or mold the holes that are no longer needed.

My plan is to run the harness across the dashboard frame, rather than through the engine bay area.

I'd rather keep the harness away from the extreme heat by both the Vegas heat and the turbo heat as well.

I may decide to run the fuse box in the main cabin as well...still undecided at the moment.

Hopefully, I can figure out how to remove these darn clips so that I can pull the harness out already LoL.

Looks good. I'm following along.

Here's a good read if you haven't seen it already. They did a full rewire.

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22680

Oh, haha, yeah, Chasebays.

You know what's funny? I just pulled out one of his harness pieces from the very beginning of his harness-making skills.

LoL, we all gotta start somewhere.

From that harness to what he's done now... a big difference.

Yeah, that build is fully custom, not sure that would pass emissions for me :lol:.

I am almost on my way to having the entire harness disconnected from within the cabin, just need to unclip a few more wires from the trunk area and the rear SRS.

I look forward to your posts. I like the way they did the tuck.

Wiring Update Posted On My IG Account - Link Provided
 

Thanks man, really means a lot!

I like to work on my cars, even if it means putting myself back into these same situations.

Every time I tear a perfectly well-working car apart, I ask myself, "why do you do this to yourself?" :confused0068:

It is not different with this build, but this time, I'm shooting for the stars...SEMSA style, hopefully?

In the end, this is my therapy.

I do have a new update, which I posted on my IG account.

I pulled the rear passenger harness out, including the fuel pump connector, gas tank connecter, SRS cables, etc...

I want to keep the entire harness intact before I make any cuts or junctions to it because once the entire harness is out, I will measure its length for documentation purposes, as well as label every cable clip and line in conjunction with the Subaru Wiring diagram.

I want to do this so that if there are any malfunctions I know what wire, cable, or cord, to trace its origin.

I also want to take all of this tape off and loom it myself with some neat expandable loom as well as heat-shrink, and any other extravagant mod I can think of LoL.

Again, appreciate the follow and I hope to live up to this build hahahahaha!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiWUN...d=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Driveshaft Shop LV 4 Race Axles
 

Went with a pair of Driveshaft shop level 4 racing axles, RA8601X4, rated at 800hp.

Gonna take a breather from the wire mess for a bit and install these bad boys tomorrow.

BRZ 800HP Axle Install
 

Can't say it was fun, but I got the installation done!

Ripped out the OEM axles in order to stuff my DSS LV 4 800HP axles in.

As you can see, the OEM axles suffer from severe malnutrition compared to the upgraded axles :bow:.

Fitting My Work Meister S1 3Ps For Widebody Clearance
 

I went with a custom set of Work Meister S1 3Ps for my rim(s) of choice.

Rims
18" x 9.5" -14 Front
18" x 11" -7 Rear

Tires
Falken Azenis 510
245/18/35 Front
265/18/35 Rear

You're going to wish you went with 200tw or lower tires, those 265s are going to get roasted. Sick wheels though
I spin my Nitto NT555R drag radials in 2nd if they aren't warmed up, and I'm only at around 330wtq right now

Haha, yeah, I will run another set of tires for getting down to the business, but for now, just gonna use these to drive to the paint shop, engine install, and dyno...prolly going to be my car show tires too.

I am hoping that those 11" tires will help some...

Working On My Mock Harness
 

Using nylon rope I am measuring my harness out IAW how I want to run the lengths.

I am doing it this way to have exact measurements with a +10-20% addition to account for a just-in-case sh!t happens moment.

I am also going to use this method to document the appropriate materials needed because the products I am going to build this engine harness out of are not cheap :(

Haha, either way, this is a sneak peek at the progress in the making.

As for all of the other harnesses, I am going to loom it with an expandable wire loom and label each connection with heat shrink labeling IAW the Subaru wiring diagram manual for ease of troubleshooting in the future.

A long road ahead, but in the end, I am hoping it will pay off :)

Front Grill Delete "Keeping The Stache!"
 

Decided to jump onto another project today by tackling my front bumper.

I am doing a front grill delete and keeping the stache. I have a carbon fiber front nose attachment that I am adding, which is another reason why I decided to keep it.

The other reason why I wanted to keep it, is because the way my intercooler sits, I did not need to trim it any higher, therefore, will use the stache lip as the uppermost point for my custom air vent.

I am going to create a vent that directs all of the front-end air through that port directly into the intercooler.

I am trimming the lip little by little not to cut into the main bumper, which is then followed up with light grit sandpaper to polish off the rough edges.

Eventually, I will insert a light net grill, maybe a mesh screen door type to prevent my intercooler from getting trashed...but I haven't gotten that far yet, so still undecided on what material(s) I will use.

Clutch Masters X Wilwood Master Cylinder Upgrade
 

I guess my project vision has changed a touch...since I ended up doing a brake booster delete with Chasebay's dual position delete kit and upgraded my master cylinder to this Wilwood part, I have changed my sights on Project Mu BBKs, and will go with Wilwoods instead.

I like to keep my parts in the similarity to each other and in a funny way gives me the piece of mind that in theory, they all work better together.

Besides, I have Wilwoods on my G35 and they are great!

Stinger Stealth Roadkill Damping Install
 

Installed sound-deadening material throughout my entire BRZ.

On top of everything else going on with this build, I am also installing a full custom sound system.

Using the main cabin as the bandpass box, we are going to seal 3 x JL W6v3 12" subs. I currently have one, and this thing is nuts!

I am running 3 x Rockford Fosgate amps, T-1500, T600-4, and a T400-4.

All of my mids and highs will be coming from Focal ES 165 K 6-1/2" K2 Power 2-Way Component Speakers, with an extra set of Focal K2 Power 4" 2-Way Component Kit ES100K speakers.

Everything will be fine-tuned with an AudioControl 810 DSP.

This is an amazing upgrade and is worth the time and investment.

Not only does this material eliminate all road noise but it also keeps the car cooler in the summer time and warmer in the wintertime.

Not sure where you folks live, but I live here in Vegas, and I'll take anything I can get.

Custom Interior Panels
 

All of my interior panels are wrapped in charcoal grey Alcantara with silver stitching, with black monogram Gucci accents, and everything else is going to be custom fabricated in carbon fiber.

The rear seat will be a Seibon carbon fiber rear seat delete kit.

Interior Harness Removed
 

I finally got the entire harness removed, interior, exterior, and engine bay.

Here I go working on the driver/LH harness from the front to back.

As I go through this harness, I am deleting the wires that will no longer be needed, such as the speaker wires, hidden and/or dead harness clips that were taped away, etc...

As I go through each pin, clip, connector, and wire, I am documenting everything via Excel and will measure each harness I plan to separate.

I do not like the way the harness is connected at the junction points either, it has been wrapped in ducktape and left to bare wire. I will make better junction connections by splicing each connection through a double barrel crimp wrapped in SCL Raychem heatshrink.

The harness will be loomed in highheat expandable loom, which will not only look better, but will be much lighter as well.