2003 Boxster S - prevent IMS failure?

[chitowndad]

I also contacted the Hartech guys and what he had to comment is below... The problem is that these guys are in the UK. The challenge is to find someone in a major US city that understands the issue like Hartech does. For the Chicago-land guys - I once saw a Porsche specialist on Irving Park Road East of Itasca (Roselle or Bensenville?). I'll try and Google it and contact them.

-Steve

----------- Explanation from the Hartech guys----------------------------------------
The main problem in our opinion is that the bearing is shrouded with a seal
so that it starts out with grease in it, but as it runs the grease is
gradually replaced by oil. This oil however does not get in and out very
quickly - so inside the bearing all the minute bits of metal that wear off
stay and form a kind paste while the oil is not circulating - but is
trapped - so gets hot. This combination can prematurely wear out the
bearing.

The bearing can be accessed by anyone removing a gearbox and flywheel and
then the bearing carrier and any garage could manage this.

The outer bearing seal could then be picked out of the way and the whole
things reassembled except to do it you should remove the two chain
tensioners and pull the intermediate shaft sideways to get the carrier back
in place. Now the original shaft on older rmodels has a cut out for a seal
and is very thin and weak - so it is a worry that in pulling it sideways -
it may damage the spindle and lead to a fatigue failure later - so we
replace it with a larger spindle (nothing clever). The bearing could be
replaced at the same time but we think, more often than not, the old one
will be OK with the better cooler oil feed.