Quote:
Originally Posted by OsideBill
I just bought a 99 a few weeks ago, it has 78k miles on it now, IMS never serviced as far as I know. Is this something I should be concerned about? Were the bearings different in the 96-99 models?
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Those were dual row bearing units. Its design suffers from the same root problem as single row bearings but since there are two rows the durability is significantly better in the short and medium term. But given enough time, mileage and improper maintenance and driving practices and it can also fail except that a dual row failure creates much more damage since its payload has twice the shrapnel. Best practice for an engine with a murky multiple owner history is to replace the bearing when you take down the transmission to replace the clutch. With a special tool the old bearing can be removed without pulling the engine. Single row bearing cars that decide to wait for clutch replacement to service the IMS bearing are taking a much bigger risk. The class action legal settlement specifically excluded dual row bearings and 2005-2008 Boxsrers that incorporated a non-serviceable bearing albeit a much more robust unit.