IMS Bearing
 

Folks,

Sorry for not researching but am in the middle of looking at a beautiful 99 Boxster, and when I asked about the IMS bearing, that I was aware of as a problem in my 2000, they pointed snapshot that indicated the single row bearing of the 99 was as robust as the modern bearings... true? Still a problem that needs to be upgraded?

Sorry for my ignorance, but just getting back into the Boxster fold...

I just had my bearing replaced in my 2003 when I did the clutch(75,000 miles) and the mechanic said it look good! Oh well at least I have piece of mind and won't have to worry about it.

'99's had a dual row bearing with much lower failure rate than the mid 2000-2004 cars.

Worth the risk?
 

How many KM/Miles does the car have on the clock? It's something to consider that a kit can cost you between $600-$1800 (US) or a new engine can cost you $5000. The thing about the IMS bearing is that it's a silent failure. There are no symptoms of it failing aside from metal particles in the oil. You may turn it on one day and have it go bang or it might never happen. Its a gamble.

My car is a 97 and has 131000 KM on the clock and its on the to list for me. Its worth it to me for the piece of mind and also if I sell it I can advertise that the IMS bearing has been fixed :)

Everyone is different, but I would not even look at, much less buy, a 986 that did not have a clutch and IMS done.

YMMV

As Dghii mentioned, the single row bearing didn't appear until MY 2000-2001, so the good news is that the dual row bearing has experienced a much lower failure rate. But like many other folks on the forum, I would hesitate on a car that did not have it changed out, or... I would ensure that my offer price reflected the fact that I would have to drop the $2,500-$3,500 to have one installed.

A replacement engine is a very expensive alternative, so you have to decide how "risk-averse" you are...

There are a lot of "under-educated" buyers out there that will see a Boxster for an "affordable" price, leap in, and then find out that their $6K car is really a $16K car after they drop $10K addressing all of the deferred maintenance....

Good Luck! Hope it all works out!

Car is 99 model with 57k miles on the clock. Blue with tan interior located near Lancaster...

I haven't seen it in person yet, but it looks very clean from the pictures... They list recent tires, brakes, and oil changes, but I haven't see a full maintenance history...

I just bought 04 base and live in York. Let me know if you get the 99 and we can meet for beer.

If they can show consistent oil changes that would reduce my stress on the IMS for a 99. Mine is going in for an IMS next week, I'll enjoy the car more knowing it is done.

Ah but now you get to worry about did I pick the right replacement bearing and did the mechanic install it correctly and. of course, the other 27 modes of failure that have been identified. Mechanical stuff wears and brakes.