Had a chance to ride shotgun to Safeway and back in a 718, a 2021* model. No denying it, it was a lovely machine. As well it should be, considering it had an $90K+ price tag in '21. The interior made my humble 986 look positively spartan. One thing I noticed right off the bat was the exhaust note. There's something about the sound of the 986's naturally aspirated flat six. It's music to the ears. The 718's turbo-charged four sounded refined and almost polite. And truth be told, I really don't think the stylings of the later-model Boxsters were an improvement over Grant Larson's exterior design for the 986. The 718's jutting, angular front-end treatment and trick taillights are wrong notes in a symphony. I did not share these opinions with the guy who owned the 718.
Back to the question of which IMS bearing will replace the one in the new engine. After thoroughly exploring alternatives, I've made a decision, and here's how it came about. First, I considered a stock bearing with steel balls, either an OEM bearing or one such as this from 123Bearing (
https://www.123bearing.com/bearing-housing/deep-groove-bearing/double-row/bd20-17-a-ddua17nx01-nsk#container-tech-schema). In either case, I would have removed the outer seal so that oil from the sump could lubricate it, and hoped for the best. The price is certainly right, especially 123Bearing's. But I kept coming back to LN Engineering's hybrid-ceramic IMS Retrofit. Here's what LN has to say about their product:
"The IMS Retrofit uses an open bearing (no grease seal), [to] allow engine oil to freely enter and exit the bearing. The ceramic hybrid bearing used in all IMS Retrofit kits require minimal oiling,
far exceeded by oil in the engine’s 'integrated dry sump.'" [Emphasis mine]
LN also stated:
"
Forced oiling of a ball or roller IMS bearing does not provide any benefit as the bearing does not require or benefit from additional oil. Lubrication alone is not the problem." [Emphasis mine]
LN sold me on the Retrofit, although in so doing they eliminated from my consideration their expensive, forced-oiling IMS Solution. (That, and the fact that they priced it out of my reach. Even the Retrofit is pushing the boundary of my financial reach. In fact, it will have to wait until after Christmas.) Anyway, the hand wringing is at an end. I choose the Retrofit.
Only one thing can make me reconsider: an email reply from 123Bearing that says, "We have decided your suggestion that we offer a reasonably priced ceramic-hybrid IMS bearing for the Porsche 986 has merit. We agree the product will sell like hotcakes, and therefore we are putting it into production without delay."
*EDIT: I apparently misunderstood when 718 Guy told me the year of his car. He meant the 718 line was
introduced in 2016, but his was a 2021.