986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post - Using Durametric to Detect IMS Bearing Weakness

mikefocke · 10-26-2011, 05:01 PM

Keep in mind that the bearing/race contact area starts to get rough when the lubrication breaks down and the first particle is shed. The wear then accelerates.

So depending on a check of the oil filter media, a magnetic drain plug, or a deviation check is no sure thing because you aren't going to do any at a frequent enough interval to catch the problem with any probability before it is spraying significant debris into the oil passages and or taking out the sprocket/chain interface leading to valve clash.

Sure you can get lucky and catch it but the probability is against it.

10-26-2011, 05:01 PM	#9
mikefocke Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sanford NC Posts: 2,567	Keep in mind that the bearing/race contact area starts to get rough when the lubrication breaks down and the first particle is shed. The wear then accelerates. So depending on a check of the oil filter media, a magnetic drain plug, or a deviation check is no sure thing because you aren't going to do any at a frequent enough interval to catch the problem with any probability before it is spraying significant debris into the oil passages and or taking out the sprocket/chain interface leading to valve clash. Sure you can get lucky and catch it but the probability is against it.