RMS Failure - NOT! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

rene525d · 02-03-2012, 05:26 AM

Well,

i have been seeing some oil drips just beneath the engine area and i was thinking it must be the RMS. Earlier this week i did a clutch replacement, removed the flywheel to get access to the RMS and to my disbelief the area there was clean from oil. It seems that the oil leak culprit is a small bolt located at the middle bottom of the engine just behind the flywheel. -------- THE IMS!! It was not tightened well and i tightened it more and cleaned the area. 2 days later, no more oil leak. Is it supposed to be tightened?

rene525d · 02-03-2012, 05:31 AM

IMS Bearing

Flavor 987S · 02-03-2012, 05:47 AM

Don't drive it or start it until you determine a course of action. Call Jake Raby.

JFP in PA · 02-03-2012, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rene525d

Well,

i have been seeing some oil drips just beneath the engine area and i was thinking it must be the RMS. Earlier this week i did a clutch replacement, removed the flywheel to get access to the RMS and to my disbelief the area there was clean from oil. It seems that the oil leak culprit is a small bolt located at the middle bottom of the engine just behind the flywheel. -------- THE IMS!! It was not tightened well and i tightened it more and cleaned the area. 2 days later, no more oil leak. Is it supposed to be tightened?

You need to proceed very carefully here. What you are describing is a leaking IMS cover. The rear IMS bearing is a major weak spot in these cars, its failure can lead to a totaled engine, which gets very expensive. Do a search on the subject, and you will see a lot more than you bargained for. Porsche used to reseal pre 2005 IMS bearings that leaked, but even they no longer do this as leakage, particularly from around the center bolt, is not a good sign.

Fortunately, there is an IMS retrofit available (LN Engineering), but it requires removing the flywheel again to do it. We do not tighten or reseal leaking IMS bearings, we retrofit them………..

jsceash · 02-04-2012, 02:25 PM

rene525d,
Don't get excited yet, If one of the three flange both was loose. Drain the oil pull the bolt put sealent on it and install it again. Or take one extra step and R&R the oil filter, cut off the ends and look in the filter. Dozens of metal flake would be a warning sign. If the the center nut was loose on the slotted stud, that would be bad. Checking the filter is the next step.