2017 MT FA20 engine swap into 13 BRZ
 

Just picked up a 24k ODO 2017 engine out of a totaled BRZ. Reason being is I threw a rod in my 13 FA20 a few weekends ago and settled with swapping after I got a great deal on this engine.

I've read a few threads on here from years ago saying the 2017 engine wont swap to the 2013 because of harness compatibility. I would just like to know how true this is. I have a buddy with a 2017 FA20 in his 13 BRZ and claims its plug and play but a shop did it for him and I'm choosing to do the swap myself.

Any info/tips would be great.:party0030:

Read through this. Its not as simple as a harness swap

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119729

not impossible, but a lot of small pain in the butt changes. the block is stronger though.

You dont have to swap the harness at all. Its should be plug and play at least thats what i was told from a buddy who has a 17 engine in his 13. The only thing im unsure about is if he used the 13 ECU or the 17 ECU.

You didn't read the thread he linked it all, did you?

sounds like a complete pain in the ass vs just getting a working engine that matches the year.

With that said...no one seems to know whether or not doing a complete transplant (17+ motor and 17+ ECU and harnesses) if that would just completely bypass all the trouble getting a 17+ motor to work in a 13-16 car.

OP asks for info/tips.
Tells us were wrong when we try to help.

Pretty much. I file it in the more trouble than it's worth until junkyards run out of zenki engines. Then itll be time to buy a salvaged kouki and see what happens lol

It cost money to learn, I see an education coming for OP.

You have to bypass the immobilizer from what I have read. From what I understand from steve99's post, the ECU isn't actually different hardware wise, but the ROM's are not compatible with the older cars immobilizer.

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/show...2&postcount=45

From this post.

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/show...7&postcount=31

I think the easiest way to do this swap is to run the CPS out of the older car and use a degree wheel to index the old reluctor to the new engine and run that, or have a new one built. That is what solidsnake did to run his K24 on the stock BRZ ecu.

I have a 2013 BRZ with a 2019 engine in it. The engine was installed by the previous owner. It has 2013 wiring harness, coil packs, ECU, and sensors.

I am dying to know what the reluctor wheel looks like :mad0259: My guess is reindexed 13'.

Edit: and it may not need reindexed or anything, I am pretty sure crankshafts are the same :popcorn:

Is it safe to say dropping a 17+ motor into a 13-16 car is basically a poor man's engine swap?

Seems like the amount of trouble to get it to work is almost the same, except you don't have to do any custom fabrication to get it to fit.

Easiest solution might be to use the 2017 short block and with your 2013 heads.

Not a word about crankshafts in the propaganda... I mean dealer literature. Since they go into great detail when speaking to the rocker arm pivot changes I would think it would be mentioned.

I looked earlier. All part numbers supersede to the same one. So 13' reluctor should fit and index correctly.

I would say this is an upgraded engine replacement. Not a swap.

Not everyone cares to spend the money and time on a higher HP or insta-famous swap. This is interesting to me bc for a few grand I can be back at the track with a slightly upgraded engine in a weekend without the hassle of custom parts, swap kits, standalone, tunes, ect. Most people probably just want to get their car running again and found a 2017+ engine and want to know if it can work. Swapping to a K engine is MUCH more trouble that a 2017+ engine replacement.

There are full swaps on this forum that are 4 or 5 years on the go and still not working right.
Although not a plug and play the Facelift upgrade makes a pile more sense.
Oh and it has not been mentioned but anybody changing a FA20D for a FA20D needs to understand there are things that need to be done if the engine is from an AT or MT regardless of year.