Rob175,
Great to hear your ‘98 Boxster is still running strong. Take good care of it and do not delay the maintenance. Regular maintenance, proper fluid levels, smooth driving, and addressing issues promptly are the key to extending your engine's lifespan.
The previous owner of my Boxster was not treating it that well…the exterior was and still is like new but engine & underbody I had to do a lot of maintenance to make it look decent. If I was the only owner the situation would be different and thats why I’m on this road to eliminate future mechanical failures. I want to enjoy driving it without thinking the engine may get toasted some day.
Steel Ball Bearings at one point have a tendency to deteriorate resulting in loss of hardness and reduces the bearing capacity causing early failure. In extreme cases, balls and rings will deform. I’ll post few photos of the original removed bearing and some of EPS IMS install stages
