[BruceH]

The IMS bearing was supposed to be a sealed bearing but it has not been. Engine oil gets in and washes away the original bearing grease. If the car is driven regularly and above 3000 RPM with some revs close to the limit, the thinking is fresh oil gets in to the bearing and keeps it lubricated. Also, oil gets behind the bearing and into the tube behind it. For a car that doesn't get used too often and infrequent oil changes, the oil turns acidic and begins corroding the bearing, leading to an early demise. Once the bearing goes, it is game over. Most get the bearing replaced when the clutch is due to be replaced. With a low milage car, you are more susceptible to the oil becoming acidic. There are different replacement bearings out there and various "solutions". Do a search for the name Jake Raby, he is a frequent contributor on this forum and developed a replacement bearing and now the IMS Solution. You can also get the IMS Guardian which warns of a potential failure.

I change my oil ever 5000 miles, inspect my filter for metal debris, and get the oil analyzed by Blackstone Labs($25) for my piece of mind. I have 75,000 miles but the car has been used regularly with regular oil changes. I also have a magnetic drain plug to show any metal debris in the oil. My plan is to change the bearing when I have the clutch changed. Everyone has to make their own decision with what they are comfortable with. Since this was an impulse buy, I figured you might want to know a little about the IMS. There was a class action suit against Porsche for this but for most of us, there is no remedy under that.