IMS Upgrade - Should I have it done

[Jim Miller]

Originally Posted by Jake Raby

Sounds like a classisc victim... Low mileage, clean, probably hasn't been driven enough to see short interval oil services, etc, etc.

Read this and the links that you'll find inside the article
http://www.flat6innovations.com/services/intermediate-shaft-retrofit

If you have the opportunity to ask the question that you have posted here, then yes you should have the IMS bearing retrofitted.

Thus far this week we have saved one engine from IMS bearing failure (just today) and have had 3 IMS failure calls come in from various parts of the country. One of those that failed did so at 27K miles.

Low mileage, clean cars that haven't been serviced frequently enough and haven't been driven hard enough are what we see fail most.. The other day someone asked me how he should drive his car to help avoid a failure... My answer??? "You can't drive it hard enough".

I understand the need for oil changes and driving in the proper RPM range but I don't see the benefit of driving the car hard. Seems like the driving hard will diminish life.

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by Jim Miller

I understand the need for oil changes and driving in the proper RPM range but I don't see the benefit of driving the car hard. Seems like the driving hard will diminish life.

Thats what conventional wisdom would lead one to believe.. BUT we never see failures from engines being driven hard.. Maybe one call per year.

Very seldom do IMS bearing failures occur in race engines.. I tore apart one that had 50K track miles on it and the IMS bearing looked fine and it was even a single row.

[Jim Miller]

Well I bought it, 32K miles 1999 and its home and in my garage. Now I need to make the big decision of getting the IMS bearing replaced. I'm leaning toward it for piece of mind if anything. Thanks to all for the discussion.

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by Jim Miller

Well I bought it, 32K miles 1999 and its home and in my garage. Now I need to make the big decision of getting the IMS bearing replaced. I'm leaning toward it for piece of mind if anything. Thanks to all for the discussion.

Glad to hear that you purchased it. If you'd like to chat via telephone I'd be happy to.
I can also get you in touch with some people who have had failures and others who had the bearing proactively replaced.

[yelojkt]

Originally Posted by Jim Miller

Well I bought it, 32K miles 1999 and its home and in my garage. Now I need to make the big decision of getting the IMS bearing replaced. I'm leaning toward it for piece of mind if anything. Thanks to all for the discussion.

Congratulations! Please let us know how you like the little bugger after a couple weeks. And some pics would not hurt either. Happy motoring.

[JoeFromPA]

Congrats!

My '99 boxster has 58.5k miles on it now (56k when I got it) and was owned by my father for 7 years. It wasn't driven alot the past 4 years or so, but always had annual oil changes and I know the service history.

I've decided not to get mine replaced unless I decide to do it along with a clutch job, notice a bad bearing noise from the engine that appears it could be the IMS, or notice bits of plastic in my oil. That's my own personal choice - each person needs to make their own.

The car is worth ~$11-12k (mine that is). If the engine goes, it's worth roughly $4-6k in parts or selling with a blown engine. I decided I wasn't willing to invest for the retrofit upfront, and instead will warm it up properly and drive the piss out of it frequently.

[Jim Miller]

Thanks, I have some of that excitement of when I first bought my 71 911T. This car actually has creacher comforts (AC, ventilation). Love the sound, you can hear a little of the 911T in it.

Question about oil, I plan to do an oil change right off. How do you check for plastic or metal filings? Screen the oil use a magnet?

[Jake Raby]

IMS seal material is rubber, not magnetic.. To properly inspect for damaged bearings requires an extensive inspection of the oil filter element as well as the engine's oil sump plate.

Taking your chances on the IMS is certainly your choice. Lots of people have learned that hindsight is much more clear than 20/20. As long as you know that up front, you are making a well informed decision.

[djw8282]

Originally Posted by Jim Miller

I understand the need for oil changes and driving in the proper RPM range but I don't see the benefit of driving the car hard. Seems like the driving hard will diminish life.

Hey Jim.. I have driven my 2002 S from brand new..I racked up 92k miles in 8yrs by absolutely driving it like I stole it from day one. This car has been driven in all types of weather including snow. I also had a 99' that I drove in the same manner..I put 36k before getting the S. I had no engine problems with either car!

[mikefocke]

and that is what so many of us have to judge from. If it happens to you, it's common. If it hasn't, it must not be. And if it didn't, then your way of doing things must be right.

Somehow my statistics professor would laugh at our drawing conclusions that way but we all do it.

(And my sample of 2 isn't much better!)

[eightsandaces]

How's this for the professor: Common enough to cause the Porsche factory to support a replacement program as well as IMS replacement specialists as a sub business but not common enough for a consumer recall class action lawsuit.

Seems like every Porsche engine I have owned was spinning some power robbing Jimmything you wish it wasn't, last time it was the anti vibration counter balancer.

[Jim Miller]

Well, the bearing is replaced. First of all the guy who did it, Ralph at Ralph's auto service in Owings Mills, MD said the people at LNengineer were the nicest an most helpful people he has ever dealt with.

He said the procedure went very well. And now for the drum roll. He said the bear looked fine (double row) and turned smooth. He agreed it was better to find it in good shape than in some other condition. While in there he replace the RMS and since the clutch was 2/3 spent I had him replace it also.

I'm overall glad I had it done. So, I'm good to go. I now plan to drive this thing as a good weather daily driver and enjoy.

[mikefocke]

you get it back just as the weather turns and you have to begin to look at road surface temperatures and the kind of tires you are driving on. 40F is the critical number if you have summer tires!

Freeze warnings tonight in mid-NC the day after I washed the car in my shorts.

[extanker]

Originally Posted by mikefocke

you get it back just as the weather turns and you have to begin to look at road surface temperatures and the kind of tires you are driving on. 40F is the critical number if you have summer tires!

Freeze warnings tonight in mid-NC the day after I washed the car in my shorts.

whats your car doin in your shorts ?

[SoK]

Originally Posted by Jim Miller

Well, the bearing is replaced. First of all the guy who did it, Ralph at Ralph's auto service in Owings Mills, MD said the people at LNengineer were the nicest an most helpful people he has ever dealt with.

He said the procedure went very well. And now for the drum roll. He said the bear looked fine (double row) and turned smooth. He agreed it was better to find it in good shape than in some other condition. While in there he replace the RMS and since the clutch was 2/3 spent I had him replace it also.

I'm overall glad I had it done. So, I'm good to go. I now plan to drive this thing as a good weather daily driver and enjoy.

Pretty much the exact same news I heard back from Porsche on mine. Bearing looked perfectly fine, had them redo the seals, clutch stayed in as it was > 50% good (I'll have it replaced in a couple of years, having the AOS and water pump done next year around this time), replaced a couple of spark plug o-rings, the oil filler tube, did an oil change and basically went over the car with a fine tooth comb looking for anything that needed work. The car passed with flying colors so I'm very pleased I pulled the trigger on this Box!

[Steve Tinker]

Isn't it great to hear a few good tales about the infamous IMS now and again.......

So, in the last month that's 3 IMS assemblies (mine, Sok and now Jim Miller) that have been replaced and found the old unit still servicable.

I guess Mike Focke's statistics prof won't like a sample of 3, but its a hell of a lot better that adding them to the 4 that Jake Raby had delivered to his forecourt earlier this week........