4 stages of IMS failure.

[RandallNeighbour]

I just watched the video. I've decided to drive my boxster like I stole it and take it to redline every time I drive it. I will not replace the IMS that came with the replacement motor put in the car in 2004 (Just before I bought it out of the Miami auction). And when the motor craters I'll sell it as a roller to a Spec racer or I'll put an LS1 in it.

I used to lose a lot of sleep over this IMS failure when I first got my car in 2004 and discovered it was a potential catastrophic issue. I'm over that now.

[DWBOX2000]

Some of us don't have the extra money and some us will just replace when we do the clutch. Hey some could care less, and won't do it and be just fine. If that retrofit can go 75000 as LN puts on their warranty and a person does it with the clutch every 75k, I think I would need to do about three clutches to match the solution in price (1000 x3). I think my shop wanted 2500 for the solution. Considering most of these cars likely won't see 225k without a new motor (yeah some do) I think the retro is a pretty good value. Heck, what if something else goes kaput in the motor totally unrelated. I'll be pretty happy I just got the retro. 150k if you start at day 1. Still a lot of mileage.
I guess if the LN is as good as advertised, it should at least go 75k. Reading British magazines, some might think it's poor value to buy the LN and not the Vertex. Who the heck knows.
At least If Somebody wants to pull out and reuse, its probably cheap to do😜.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by DWBOX2000

Some of us don't have the extra money and some us will just replace when we do the clutch. Hey some could care less, and won't do it and be just fine. If that retrofit can go 75000 as LN puts on their warranty and a person does it with the clutch every 75k, I think I would need to do about three clutches to match the solution in price (1000 x3). I think my shop wanted 2500 for the solution. Considering most of these cars likely won't see 225k without a new motor (yeah some do) I think the retro is a pretty good value. Heck, what if something else goes kaput in the motor totally unrelated. I'll be pretty happy I just got the retro. 150k if you start at day 1. Still a lot of mileage.
I guess if the LN is as good as advertised, it should at least go 75k. Reading British magazines, some might think it's poor value to buy the LN and not the Vertex. Who the heck knows.
At least If Somebody wants to pull out and reuse, its probably cheap to do��.

Only problem with your clutch logic is that we have customers over 100K, over 200K, and even over 250K miles on the original clutch, so not everyone will ever get around to doing the clutch. And just as a by-the-by all of the high mileage cars are retrofitted.

As for the Vertex unit, roller bearings are no stronger or longer lived than the ceramic hybrid ball bearings, have a limited installed base, and cost nearly the same as the LN kits ($600 vs $799 list).

[rexcramer]

With a Tiptronic, you can put me in this category.

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

so not everyone will ever get around to doing the clutch.

[Drphil]

a year ago I bought a stock base '97 with only 37,000 miles on it ( now has 42,000), flew to NYC and drove it home, could feel clutch did not feel same as my 2001S I had a few years before, and after a few months realized the hydraulics needed work , master cylinder was going and it looked like I had an RMS leak , slow but nonethe less there so I took it in for a clutch, and turns out the leak was the IMS not RMS, the rms was bone dry. - I was in stage1/2 of IMS failure- good thing I took it in when I did- I have no idea how much effect the previous drive had on this but how the HELLL do you burn up a flywheel and disc in 37k miles??? holys@** - - my last boxster is with its 3rd owner(bigjake) and is on the original IMS and clutch at what, Jake, about 125k miles?? This car is a dual row IMS with a less than 1% failure rate- it may be true that cars that sit a lot have more problems - IDK but, I now have a dual row LN IMS hybrid ceramic bearing- my mechanic has replaced hundreds of these and has never had one come back with a failure!. - so new dual mass fly wheel pressure plate disc and whole new hydraulic clutch upgrade new pipes lines slave and master cylinder and car drives like new- I guess I will put about 5k miles a year on it or so I should be good for 10 years if I keep it- its got 42k miles I guess as of today, guys all I can say is I would not hesitate if you don't know the history of a car and who and how they drove it, its a crap shoot it may last or not. but I would have done this myself didn't have time, paid $3700 for all that- way cheaper than a new motor!

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Drphil

a year ago I bought a stock base '97 with only 37,000 miles on it ( now has 42,000), flew to NYC and drove it home, could feel clutch did not feel same as my 2001S I had a few years before, and after a few months realized the hydraulics needed work , master cylinder was going and it looked like I had an RMS leak , slow but nonethe less there so I took it in for a clutch, and turns out the leak was the IMS not RMS, the rms was bone dry. - I was in stage1/2 of IMS failure- good thing I took it in when I did- I have no idea how much effect the previous drive had on this but how the HELLL do you burn up a flywheel and disc in 37k miles??? holys@** - - my last boxster is with its 3rd owner(bigjake) and is on the original IMS and clutch at what, Jake, about 125k miles?? This car is a dual row IMS with a less than 1% failure rate- it may be true that cars that sit a lot have more problems - IDK but, I now have a dual row LN IMS hybrid ceramic bearing- my mechanic has replaced hundreds of these and has never had one come back with a failure!. - so new dual mass fly wheel pressure plate disc and whole new hydraulic clutch upgrade new pipes lines slave and master cylinder and car drives like new- I guess I will put about 5k miles a year on it or so I should be good for 10 years if I keep it- its got 42k miles I guess as of today, guys all I can say is I would not hesitate if you don't know the history of a car and who and how they drove it, its a crap shoot it may last or not. but I would have done this myself didn't have time, paid $3700 for all that- way cheaper than a new motor!

You probably lost your DMF due to the oil leak; most bell housing oil leaks end up degrading the elastomeric section between the flywheel masses, killing the unit. This is one of the main reasons letting a car leak for a prolonged time frame is bad economics, the DMF is the most expensive part in the bell housing.