It's 2013 - any updates on IMS issues or cost of engines?

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by The Radium King

great thread on pelican about an oil-fed ims:

Who has done an IMS change (New Oil Fed Design Idea) - Pelican Parts Technical BBS

started about a year ago. now Raby has one in development. parallel evolution?

from what i can see, feelyx taps the block and runs a line internal to the bellhousing. the raby solution uses an external oil line (from a sandwich plate on the filter?) that passes through the bellhousing. both use an exposed bearing and a modified cover plate with an oil fitting.

one of the things that feelyx's design does that i'm uncertain the raby one does is move the bearing further inboard in an effort to reduce radial torque on the bearing (presumably one of the causes of failure, along with insufficient/failed lubrication).

Perhaps Feelyx is familiar with the term prior art. Posting your R&D online is certainly one way to establish a record.

The entire concept is fascinating. Am I to understand that this solution, if oil starvation is a/the prime failed IMS culprit, basically works/addresses any m96 bearing? If that is indeed the case it really makes you wonder why the guys in Germany didn't do this from the start or at least afterwards when they were debating moving from single row vs. dual.

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

The entire concept is fascinating. Am I to understand that this solution, if oil starvation is a/the prime failed IMS culprit, basically works/addresses any m96 bearing? If that is indeed the case it really makes you wonder why the guys in Germany didn't do this from the start or at least afterwards when they were debating moving from single row vs. dual.

The "Guys in Germany DID DO THIS! They just didn't do it with the M96 engine.

The only reason thats logical as to why the factory did not follow the previous designs of the Metzger aircooled engine or any other engine that uses a "layshaft" is because of cost. The M96 engine has a crankcase that is cast with 1/3 the amount of internal oil passages that were found in the aircooled engines. Because of this there are no pressurized oil passages in the region of the IMS and adding them would have been extremely expensive, requiring major redesign of the crankcase. All of this increases production costs and we already know that the accountants were in charge of engineering.

The use of a "permanently lubricated" bearing allowed the engine to be built with less internal passages within the crankcase, meaning a crankcase that was simpler to cast and machine. This means it was cheaper to build.

All previous Porsche engines that utilize a plain bearing with a pressure fed design have historically never experienced any sort of "IMS Failure". All we did was make a retrofit thats possible with the engine installed into the car and assembled and used the same type design as the engines that date back to 1955.

Here is a picture of a 547 4 cam Carrera engine from the 1950s that utilizes a layshaft to carry out the same job as the "IMS" in your M96 engine. Note the method of bearing support that is utilized. The IMS Solution design goes one step further and also sets the "end play" of the entire shaft with one easy to install, pre-set arrangement that bolts right in.


This retrofit only takes one hour longer to complete than a standard IMSB retrofit using the current LN bearing. That extra hour is just to install the oil filter adaptor and the external oil feed hose.

We'll open the IMS Solution web page next week and have some videos posted of how it works to help you better understand it.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Posting your R&D online is certainly one way to establish a record.

More likely, the courts would see it as sharing it with the world rather than attempting to prevent replication

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

The entire concept is fascinating. Am I to understand that this solution, if oil starvation is a/the prime failed IMS culprit, basically works/addresses any m96 bearing? If that is indeed the case it really makes you wonder why the guys in Germany didn't do this from the start or at least afterwards when they were debating moving from single row vs. dual.

They did, but just in the $50K+ engines, not the $20K ones..........