Clean oil filter! Yea!

[NoGaBiker]

Just changed oil yesterday. 2004 Boxster 550SE, with 41,000 miles. Change oil every 5000 (about once a year.) Cut that sucker open and you could have eaten off of it. Well, you could have eaten something that is good with an oily sauce!

I know that the bearing seal could begin to let go today, so I'm not gloating; just wanted to give a little psychological boost to those who are not rushing to change to the LN bearing; at least for now, mine seems to be just fine.

I plan on keeping the car a long while (owned it since new) and I will do the bearing when it's time for a clutch. And if it goes before then, it's 3.6 time for me.

[san rensho]

Originally Posted by NoGaBiker

Just changed oil yesterday. 2004 Boxster 550SE, with 41,000 miles. Change oil every 5000 (about once a year.) Cut that sucker open and you could have eaten off of it. Well, you could have eaten something that is good with an oily sauce!

I know that the bearing seal could begin to let go today, so I'm not gloating; just wanted to give a little psychological boost to those who are not rushing to change to the LN bearing; at least for now, mine seems to be just fine.

I plan on keeping the car a long while (owned it since new) and I will do the bearing when it's time for a clutch. And if it goes before then, it's 3.6 time for me.

Thats my plan of attack too, wait for the clutch to go before I do the IMSB.

I also inspect the filter halfway through the oil change period just to make sure there is no metal in it. Some say to put in a new filter after inspecting but I just put the old one back in.

[Perfectlap]

I'll just chime in with the total opposite view. There's really no reason not to upgrade a known weakspot. Checking the filter only tells you if you are in imminent danger (as in do not fire up the car even once more). You could change the oil, see no fragments of the IMS in the filter, think all is well with the world, put the top down on a beautiful day, fire up the car and within 50 miles the car is a roller.

Now ask yourself why did you put off addressing a known problem? Let's examine...


1- don't trust messing with something that isn't broken. (fine... some will neve be sold).

2- If you don't fall in #1 then you're putting it off so you can get some more miles out of the clutch. (frugal or natural procrastinator)

3- You just don't have the cash now. (understandable, tough times).


So basically if you fall into #2 you're taking a risk. And the reason for that is that you think you can squeeze another couple of years out a $600 clutch? Okay... so let's ball park the clutch at "still half good" or $300 in unused value. Do you really think that saving yourself $300 is an even trade in the event of an catastrophic egnine failure? Personally I don't think that's an even trade even if you don't ever have an engine problem. Like waiting until TV remote batteries die before you go to the store to buy batteries for your smoke detectors in your house. Chances are you'll never have a fire your in your house.... why rush it?

The real beauty of the IMS upgrade is that you actually get a new clutch, most of the cost is usable and not like some other piece of mind preventative expense that just sits there.

[particlewave]

That's like never going swimming because you might drown. I just don't care...I mean, its not like its $100k Porsche. I'm not going to fix something that isn't broken, and if it does break, I'll buy a new car.

JM2C.

[vijen6]

4- Deliberated the ratio of cars with failed IMS vs cost to do upgrade just for the sake of piece of mind .. and decided against it ..

I fall into this category. I'm sure others too. Its definitely not about the money if OP said he's going with a 3.6 when the engine goes.

[NoGaBiker]

Originally Posted by vijen6

4- Deliberated the ratio of cars with failed IMS vs cost to do upgrade just for the sake of piece of mind .. and decided against it ..

I fall into this category. I'm sure others too. Its definitely not about the money if OP said he's going with a 3.6 when the engine goes.

Precisely. I've said it on here before, but with the cost approaching $3500 (Raby is local to me, Hi Jake!) that is pretty much exactly 25% of the cost of replacement engine. Since paying for a replacement engine would not be a hardship for me (and in fact would give me an excuse to upgrade to a 3.6), I like the odds. I don't think they are anywhere near 25% for 40-50,000 mile M96s, so statistically it is a bad gamble.

When I'm in there anyway (whenever dictated by a failed clutch, which might never happen if I decided to trade for something else, which could happen despite my intent not to right now) then of course the extra $600 is a small enough fraction of the cost of engine replacement that it could be considered incidental, and foolish to not do so at that time.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by vijen6

4- Deliberated the ratio of cars with failed IMS vs cost to do upgrade just for the sake of piece of mind.

^99.9% of Boxster owners will never know what that ratio really is.

Neither will they know if current ratios of failures have been misleading since the cars are now going higher up the mileage charts.

Example: Old owner didn't drive it very much for its first five years, changed the oil infrequently now fast forward to 2012 and a slew second and third owners start using that car as a daily driver. result: LN Engineerings phone starts ringing with more and more frequency.

Point is who is adjusting this "IMS Failed ratio" up or down each each year as m96 engines go up in mileage? Nobody.

There is deliberating with facts, albeit limited and guessing about possibilities.
Particularly when we aren't talking about buying a stock or a house but rather choosing not to address an isssue that is well known.
I wouldn't take comfort in perceptions.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by particlewave

...I mean, its not like its $100k Porsche..

JM2C.

All the more reason to bump up the clutch replacement. Plus A new clutch in a car attracts buyers. There's value in that. I really can't think of many things in life where doing something ahead of schedule, plus a marginal expense, can save the whole investment which is a multiple of the repair itself.

[NoGaBiker]

Why do you care so much? Just curious...

I see you drove around for 10 years (or however long you had it) without an LN bearing. Now you are a crusader. It reminds me of my sister, who was a big smoker for years, now has become somewhat overbearing in her opposition to smoking.

[kls]

I also fall into #4 - thinking that the odds are in my favor, even though I agree with you on;

99.9% of Boxster owners will never know what that ratio really is.

The problem is, that percentage is exactly the same for the LN replacement. If I got the replacement I would be paying a lot to reduce the unlikely possibility of a failure, not eliminate it.

[vijen6]

You're right, this number changes daily as more 986 break down. Since they're no longer making new 986, the ratio inevitable will increase and we'll never know the exact new ratio.

However, to make this cost effective for me at 25% the cost of a replacement engine, 1 in 4 986 ever made would need to have experienced this failure. Call me optimistic, but I doubt that.

Personally, my car doesn't get driven much anymore .. about 3000 miles a year mostly to / from autocrosses / trackdays ( and the occasional Starbucks run ) .. so it gets driven pretty hard .. however I change my oil very regularly, keep an eye on oil level / leaks, use the LN full flow filter with the 160deg thermostat, so I'm not too worried.

If I'm unlucky enough to be have the engine blow, I'll just swap in a new one ( maybe 3.4 or 3.6 ) and call it a day. I'll do the IMS when the new one goes in ( or at next clutch change ) because it will make financial sense to do it at that time since everything will be apart anyways.

I'm not looking to sell my car anytime soon ( if ever ), so resell value at this time means little to me. The bad economy, perceived upkeep / premium fuel cost, carbon hood and aftermarket bumper as well as the shiesty condition of my front end paint will beat my resell price to hell anyways. Beside, my car will appeal more to the 18 yr old crowd because its "cheaper than a civic" and "looks cool" with the carbon fiber bits and "rims', not the 50 year old Porsche enthusiast looking for a 'OEM cherry'.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by NoGaBiker

Why do you care so much? Just curious...

I see you drove around for 10 years (or however long you had it) without an LN bearing. Now you are a crusader. It reminds me of my sister, who was a big smoker for years, now has become somewhat overbearing in her opposition to smoking.

well I'm not about to go knocking door to door with Jesus brochures on Saturday morning..

Believe me I would have done the IMS upgrade sooner if it even existed then.
In those days you'd hear about this issue, no feedback or admission from Porsche and no one in the aftermarket willing to even attempt a resolution. Then we hear there's a possible solution that will not require a major surgery but is in fact simply part of a clutch job? no brainer.