EZ30R Swap - NASA TT5 BRZ

[Nick Dugdale]

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]

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.

[Nick Dugdale]

Thank you. It was very difficult to find any research on this swap online which lead me to perform my own R&D over time. Regarding the starter location, In hindsight, I should have just made it easy on myself and notched the back of the block to accommodate the BRZ starter. This would have made it a big time saver in the paddock if I lost a transmission. I will make this design change next time I have the transmission out of the car. The motor mounts are designed in Russia from KEIN fabrication. These were initially designed for the Legacy / Outback subframe but also fits the 86 front subframe just fine. These mounts do however sit the engine very low in the engine bay.

[Nick Dugdale]

UPDATE: Here are the power figures from the EZ30R swapped BRZ running pump E85. --- Big shout to MXA out of Denver, NC for the fast turn around on this this tuning sesh. The engine peaks at 248whp & 232wtq on this roller-type DYNOJET. These power levels exceeded my expectations and pulls strong past 7,000 RPM. Power figures corrected to SAE Smoothing Factor 5 for NASA racing compliance.

Reference: My original FA20 on E85 power figures: 188 whp & 158 wtq
That is a 32% increase in HP and 47% increase in TQ throughout the majority of the power band.

(As a reminder this is an unopened basically stock JDM EZ30R with a CAI and catless headers. Very impressed with these figures from a NA 3.0L H6.)

[ZC6_STi]

Appreciate your feedback, Nick! Dyno results are great numbers and expected from this type of swap, which will make most track enthusiasts do something differently with this swap over the FA24. This is definitely one of my project plans once the FA20 goes out.

Do you have any plans to swap out the oil pan to prevent oil starvation? I was eager to go with the EZ36 due to the tad more power, but researching that oil starvation was a slight problem compared to the EZ30R. Maybe a dry-sump oil system would fix it.

We're all looking forward to hearing this Flat-6 engine roar at the track with video footage.

[spcmafia]

Originally Posted by Nick Dugdale

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

That header is a thing of beauty.

[JD001]

The headers look fantastic.. piece of automotive artwork!!!

[Nick Dugdale]

My pleasure! I was also very pleased with the dyno figures. I do believe these EZ30 swaps will become more common once the chassis becomes more affordable in a few years. Expect more aftermarket support once that happens.

I intend on posting up some more sound clips and videos once I am back in the US. Cheers.

[Robbie]

The dyno chart implies that you shouldn’t be revving over 6800 rpm for optimum acceleration. I’m surprised how weak the torque curve is below 4K for street driving (not relevant for you).

[Nick Dugdale]

I agree with your observation for sake of efficiency. However, I chose to push the revs over 7,000 for class avg HP optimization.