IMS Refresh w/Ceramic
 

With all the topics regarding the IMS I had a hard time finding the answer to this question, since there is just too much to read:

Has anyone used the Bearing Refresh Kit (steel bearing, new stud/seals, old flange) and just swapped out the steel bearing with an independently sourced ceramic hybrid bearing?

Cost-wise, it's significantly less. $165 plus a bearing ($41) and the tools for $250, or $450 versus $900.

TIA

What bearing are you talking about, double row, single row? makes a big difference. Info please.

It's a 2002, so single row.

It would help is you posted more data about what you are discussing. Links to said products???

Bearing-

6204 Bearing Hybrid Ceramic Open 20x47x14 Ball Bearings:HybridCeramicBearings

Pelican's refresh kit -

Pelican Parts - Product Information: PEL-IMS-1

Thank you!

You need to step back and look at this objectively; the aftermarket ceramic hybrid is an unknown that you are risking your engine on. It also is an "open" bearing design, which means it does not have anything on the rear to keep the IMS shaft from flooding with oil, so you will need to fab a plug for the shaft in order to use it. I also love the single review on the vendor's website.

The Pelican bearing is basically similar to the OEM bearing, which is know to be a problem. So you need to ask yourself if you want to replace a known problem with another one.......

I understand what you are saying... not that it matters, but it's available open, double shielded (2ZZ) or double seal (2RS), and shields/seals are easy to pop out. I've been running a risk for 72,000 miles with the original Porsche bearing as well. I was just curious if anyone had gone this route and what the result was.

I'd have to say that it would be more reliable than the plain "refresh" kit but unknown against the LN kit, whose major cost component has to be the new cover, with which I have no problem - it's the bearing.

The LN product is a well known and documented product, while some of the other options out there are not. Some have chosen to "go their own way" with aftermarket bearing selections of their choice; some went with other vendor's Porsche specific replacements, others found their own. Unfortunately, not all of these stories were successes in either case.

At the end of the day, it is your car and your money.......

I replaced mine with the LN Bearing, in my 2000S.
With all the time LN has been in the market and all the positive reviews, why would you do anything else?
JFP I agree "At the end of the day, it is your car and your money......."

So $450 savings on a $1500 or more job (when you include labor)
to risk a $10K or more engine.

I'd either leave it alone -- or "do it right" and use the IMS Solution and I'm a cheap SOB.

Mike

I tend to think of you more as "careful with your money"...........;)

Isn't the single row LNE only rated for ~50K miles? If its a short term part I can see the desire to reduce cost. Or OTOH it's less than $100 per year for a proven track record when a $10K+ investement hangs in the balance. Moral of the story, this really is not a cost-savings point on the car.

The labor's free, it's $450 vs $900 straight up. Also going to put in a clutch and that damnable coolant tank while the car's apart.

At that milage, and given you are putting a clutch in, I would put in the pelican and hope/expect that it will last until your next clutch is needed….or another mode of failure presents itself….or???….

Make sure you're buying the right ceramic. I think you're looking for silicon carbide with a metal cage.

Has any failures occurred and posted on the pelican kit to date?

RP17:

LN Engineering / Flat 6 Innovations just released a 'dual row' replacement IMS bearing for single row M96 engines. It's called the Gen 2 Single Row Pro IMS Retrofit and it solves the thrust and radial load problems associated single row IMSB designs. Check it out at: Gen 2 Single Row Pro IMS Retrofit

The gen 2 IMS looks very intriguing. If I were to source my own ceramic 6204, I'd choose this one [BO] S6204 Bearing 20x47x14 Si3N4 Ceramic Open Premium ABEC-5 Bearings:HybridCeramicBearings just beacause I don't like the thought of a nylon cage. I bought the Pelican parts retrofit for the stronger bolt, but replaced the NSK bearing with a Nachi because I liked the Nachi seals better and am trying to keep the grease in the bearing. I also modified my IMS shaft to keep the grease in the bearing. If I find the grease leaves the bearing after about 15k miles, I'm dropping in an open ceramic.

Please help this "newbie".....I have a 1998 Boxster (5 spd) base model that I bought 7 years ago. It had 36,000 miles when I bought it and now has 74,000 miles. (It's my "summer-sunny day car" thus I only drive it about 5,000 miles a year)

I tuned it up once and changed all of the filters once in the last 2 years and the car runs great and gets great fuel mileage.

My question is about this bearing topic. My Porsche mechanic (specializing in BMW's, Mercedes, Porsches) has never mentioned anything to me about it....Then again I never brought it up to him.

Is this something that I need to take care of?
Does this affect my year and model?
Is it a widespread issue?
If its problematic, I would think I would have been told about it by my mechanic?

Thanks,
R

Search, lots of info. Short story is your '98 has the "more reliable" of the 986 IMS designs. Conventional wisdom would be to change it when you get the chance. The most opportune time is at clutch change time, should add around $1k to the job. Any mechanic that works on these cars should know this and advise you of your options.

Thanks Runjmc2.....
Ive owned a few cars with standard transmissions but never long enough to have any clutch work done...possibly because I'm such a wonderful driver but more likely just dumb luck with a bit of skill thrown in.

What's the typical life expectancy of a clutch? (I know much depends on the driver but a AVERAGE range of miles would be helpful) I currently have 74,000 on my 98.

Thanks,
Rob

mine was toast by 70K miles, as was the flywheel. At which point I upgraded to the LNE dual row IMS bearing and replaced the RMS with the Cayenne unit.

Pricey repair, first time I ever forked over $3K plus on anything that wasn't an engine or transmission rebuild. My original dual row bearing looked solid from the outside but that's not really a good metric to go by.

Even if my clutch hadn't been on its very last legs I would have have done the IMS bearing and clutch prematurely. No point putting it off in my mind just to save a few hundred bucks in extra clutch mileage. This upgrade is one of the few that both addresses a weak spot while providing utility -- you get a new clutch out of the way and are good to go for a long time.