EZ30R Swap - NASA TT5 BRZ - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

Nick Dugdale · 04-06-2026, 09:36 PM

On February 2024 I decided to take on the task of swapping an EZ30R out of a 2009 Legacy 3.0R into my 2015 Subaru BRZ. I am expecting power figures ~240whp / 215wtq tuned on E85.

The custom headers and subframe:
The biggest challenges with this swap were designing the custom stainless headers to clear the modified OEM subframe. I had to notch out and reinforce the OEM front subframe to allow the custom headers to run over the top. This was a tedious process and required a good amount of custom fabrication.

The Standalone ECU:
I decided to run the swap on a Haltech Elite 2500 stand alone ECU. The OEM EZ30 engine harness was adapted through the OEM BRZ bulkhead connector, through a jumper board then finally pinned out to the Haltech ECU through its harness. This was indeed a time intensive job that took months of trial and error to finally complete.

This EZ30 swap has been a success in countries like NZ and the UK but after some online investigation it seems like I was the first in the USA to compete this swap in the 86 chassis. Follow the progress on my IG: nikko.zc6

Factors that influenced my decision to make the swap:
• The engine weighs ~30 pounds more than the FA20 (no clutch)
• The engine fits perfectly in the BRZ/86 engine bay
• The engine mounts to the OEM BRZ 6-speed manual transmission
• The engine mounts to the OEM BRZ subframe locations
• The engine has AVCS / AVLS (basically VTEC)
• The engine uses the same flywheel as the FA20
• The engine uses the same DBW system as the FA20
• The engine uses the same bulkhead connector as the FA20
• The engine can safely rev over 7,000 rpm
• The engine can make 400whp on stock internals
• The engine is relatively cheap compared to an FA24
• The engine has a 10.7:1 CR (great for running E85)
• The engine is a returnless fuel system like the 86

ZC6_STi · 04-12-2026, 04:34 PM

Nicely done! Not too many run this type of swap in the US, and the majority of the eastern region has done this. I'm surprised you decided to cut and make a custom mount to switch the starter on the transmission to the opposite side rather than trim a small portion of the engine block. I don't know which is more tedious work for mounting the transmission, especially if the OEM transmission blew during the track session.

What would you say the estimated cost is to run this complete swap? I assume the motor mounts are custom as well?

Looking forward to the dyno session and update on this engine build.

04-06-2026, 09:36 PM	#1
Nick Dugdale Member Join Date: Dec 2021 Drives: 2015 Subaru BRZ Location: South East Region Posts: 39 Thanks: 35 Thanked 102 Times in 31 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s)	EZ30R Swap - NASA TT5 BRZ On February 2024 I decided to take on the task of swapping an EZ30R out of a 2009 Legacy 3.0R into my 2015 Subaru BRZ. I am expecting power figures ~240whp / 215wtq tuned on E85. The custom headers and subframe: The biggest challenges with this swap were designing the custom stainless headers to clear the modified OEM subframe. I had to notch out and reinforce the OEM front subframe to allow the custom headers to run over the top. This was a tedious process and required a good amount of custom fabrication. The Standalone ECU: I decided to run the swap on a Haltech Elite 2500 stand alone ECU. The OEM EZ30 engine harness was adapted through the OEM BRZ bulkhead connector, through a jumper board then finally pinned out to the Haltech ECU through its harness. This was indeed a time intensive job that took months of trial and error to finally complete. This EZ30 swap has been a success in countries like NZ and the UK but after some online investigation it seems like I was the first in the USA to compete this swap in the 86 chassis. Follow the progress on my IG: nikko.zc6 Factors that influenced my decision to make the swap: • The engine weighs ~30 pounds more than the FA20 (no clutch) • The engine fits perfectly in the BRZ/86 engine bay • The engine mounts to the OEM BRZ 6-speed manual transmission • The engine mounts to the OEM BRZ subframe locations • The engine has AVCS / AVLS (basically VTEC) • The engine uses the same flywheel as the FA20 • The engine uses the same DBW system as the FA20 • The engine uses the same bulkhead connector as the FA20 • The engine can safely rev over 7,000 rpm • The engine can make 400whp on stock internals • The engine is relatively cheap compared to an FA24 • The engine has a 10.7:1 CR (great for running E85) • The engine is a returnless fuel system like the 86 Attached Images __________________ "The vision manifests the reality." NASA TT5 Silver 2015 Subaru BRZ Limited

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04-12-2026, 04:34 PM	#2
ZC6_STi Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Drives: 2015 Subaru BRZ Series.Blue #709 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 95 Thanks: 49 Thanked 63 Times in 37 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s)	Nicely done! Not too many run this type of swap in the US, and the majority of the eastern region has done this. I'm surprised you decided to cut and make a custom mount to switch the starter on the transmission to the opposite side rather than trim a small portion of the engine block. I don't know which is more tedious work for mounting the transmission, especially if the OEM transmission blew during the track session. What would you say the estimated cost is to run this complete swap? I assume the motor mounts are custom as well? Looking forward to the dyno session and update on this engine build.

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