Wow! that looks great! Judging by how the socket fits in there I'd oversize it a bit in case the fitting sits at an angle. Maybe you can try a dry fit to make sure?

I'll definitely dry fit it, Al. The notch needs a little work on the left side, which will open it up another millimeter. You mentioned the angle; I've been considering making the notch's sides the same angle as the oil fitting. It's only five degrees or so off vertical...

Wait a minute... angling the sides strays into the kind of obsessiveness I'm trying to subdue these days. It could be done, sure, and it would turn out nice, but it makes more sense (and would take a whole lot less time) to simply open up the un-angled notch until it has clearance enough to accommodate the angle.

The dry fitting will tell the tale.

Don't worry, you're not OCD enough unless you try to devise some sort of dust boot to seal the hole you just made! Until you try that, I'd say you already have it under control.🤣

Go ahead and laugh, Al, but a dust boot did cross my mind! I've got some 1/4"-thick scrap rubber that could be pressed (literally) into service.

Wow! It is very impressive how clean the radius of the cut came out, if you file the sharp points a bit, it could pass as a factory made notch :-)

After I returned from my dinner engagement last night I headed out to the shop. Whereupon I promptly destroyed my last sanding/grinding drum. So I had Amazon overnight these replacements at $7.99 for 210 drums. (And nighttime is over, so where are my drums?!)

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1739381211.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2DF2RGK

A drum sander/grinder is all you need to grind the notch. Aluminum burr bits are massive overkill; they don't provide the fine control you need. It's like using a bulldozer when you really need a shovel. Intended for Dremels, the drums have 1/8" shanks, but my Ryobi right-angle grinder can accommodate them. The drums' 80-grit aluminum oxide cuts through the crankcase's aluminum with no problem. Forget drills, forget hacksaws, and especially forget aluminum burr bits — drums are the answer.

Great minds, Gilles. My metal-fabricator friend Mark told me the same thing. According to him, sharp edges combined with vibration tends to promote cracks. "Soften them edges," he said. Good looking out, you guys. But I intended to hit those edges anyway. The goal is to make the notch look factory.

Before making further alterations to the notch I tried a dry fit. I vacuumed aluminum particles from the inside of the bell housing and used a tack cloth to catch any stragglers. Then I peeled off the opening's seal and set the flange in the opening, taking care not to push it in, which could damage the flange's triple seal. I used a bolt to hold the flange in place. The notch had enough clearance to put a socket on the fitting, but it was tight. So I replaced the seal over the opening (it had more than enough stickum left) and opened the notch a couple millimeters. I also made the notch a millimeter or so deeper so that, when bolted to the bell housing, the transmission case won't interfere with the socket. Finally, I "softened" the notch's edges with a flat bastard file (and no need to use a round motherflipper). The end result looked as though the factory had machined it, which was my objective.

I'm glad that's done. Now I'm waiting for the Supplemental kit to get here so I can install the Solution. LN shipped the kit today and it's scheduled to arrive on 2/17, a welcome break that will allow me to attend to some things I've been putting off, things that actually bring in money rather than consume it.

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If you must, maybe one of these would work:

https://www.amazon.com/Assortment-Firewall-Electrical-Plumbing-Automotive/dp/B0BFX9ZYDZ?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A1L4EVDV9X5RUP&gQT=1&th= 1

Thanks, Al. I'll keep those in mind.

After the Solution is installed, and before I tackle the cam chain wear pads, I'll replace the rear main seal. Ordered one from LN and also bought the tool to set the new RMS's depth (RMS: $39.52, Seal Tool: $45.00, both sensibly priced). Installation seems fairly straightforward, not much different from other rear main seals.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/RMS1739582045.jpghttp://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1739582073.jpg

You might or might not have noticed that nearly every one of my posts has been edited. I take pains to make sure that each post says what I set out to say as clearly as humanly possible. Why do I go to the trouble? OCD-LIte would be a good guess, but that's not the primary reason. I do it because folks will be reading this forum for decades. Everyone's posts will be read hundreds, possibly thousands, of times. I regard these words as my progeny. From the here and now I say, "Hello, future people! Hope you find something of value in my contributions. Good luck with your 986 DIYing. As every DIYer learns, it requires caution, guts, and lots of swearing."

Barring unforeseen circumstances, I'm going to install the Solution bushing — I mean, bearing — tomorrow. Reaching a point where I understood the process turned out to involve a modicum of head scratching. LN's engineering's IMS Solution Installation Manual, supplied with every Solution, is sorely in need of revision, one with clearer photos. Written by Jake Raby, the current manual is unclear in spots, skips over crucial steps, and relies on assumptions, although it makes perfect sense if you already know how to do it. Jake, being the inventor of the Solution, could probably install one in his sleep.

But then, Jake's a brilliant engineer, not a professional writer. For about three seconds I considered offering LN my services, but I'm currently stretched too thin with other projects, not including the engine swap. However, I think I'll start a new thread and create the kind of concise Solution installation how-to I wish had been available from the get-go. I'll do it for the DIYers of the future.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1739935265.jpg

Above: IMS Solution Supplemental Tool Kit (L.), IMS Pro Tool Kit (R.). (And toolkit is one word, but let's not go schoolmarm on LN.) The Solution's bush... bearing and its installation tool and the IMS tube plug are beside the manual (but not beside the point). Some of the Pro kit's tools are in use, thus the empty foam pockets.

Best laid plans... I'd forgotten I had promised to help a friend remove the starter from his Isuzu Rodeo and rebuild the solenoid, since I had done it on mine a couple months ago. Needless to say, the IMS bearing will not be going in today. I want to be rested and fresh for the procedure.

As my mother used to say "Haste makes Waste". Good idea to tackle it with a fresh mind. I find any auto related job to be easier when I think about what I will be doing the night before.

I thought I had viewed all the IMS Solution videos available, but somehow I overlooked this one, in which Jake Raby fills in the holes in LN's installation manual. I was glad to see that the details I'd worked out on my own were correct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oKlgMNYOxA

So there's no need for me to write up a how-to, leaving more time for actual wrenching. Speaking of which, I finally have a chance to install the bearing after lunch.

Take lots of pics, please.

Jake Raby mentioned that variances in the inside diameter of the intermediate shaft can sometimes result in a tight fit for the bearing, and he wasn't kidding. Forget tapping — seating the bearing required many mighty blows with a heavy rubber mallet. That was a surprise, since I kept the bearing in the freezer and lubricated its outside liberally with assembly lube, as per Step 30 in the IMS Solution Installation Manual. I managed to get it seated before my arm gave out. Next comes a shim, followed by a retainer clip that fits in a groove around the inside of the shaft to keep the bearing in place. Getting it in the groove is a challenge. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to master the technique, I decided I needed a break. I'm on my break now!

One hour later... I can't think of a single reason why that blankety-blank clip can't wait until tomorrow.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740115913.jpghttp://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740116326.jpg

I wonder why they didn't use a regular internal c-clip that you can install and remove with snap ring pliers. That will be a justifiable cause for some serious curse words if you have to remove it. I can't remember the last time I've seen one of those, but I think I know the trick. You probably do too, but it wouldn't hurt to reiterate it.

Do you see how the clip has a slit at the 8:30 or 9:00 position in the picture? That is not a straight cut for a reason. If you pry it apart there, you'll see that one end comes to a point on the outside and the opposite end has a point on the inside. I think your best chance is to insert the end with the outside point first. It has the best chance of staying in the groove while you go around the horn pushing the rest of the clip in. Good luck!

Thanks, Al. And using a small flat-blade screwdriver to guide it around the groove supposedly makes it easier. That's the technique I'm going try to employ after breakfast and I'm properly psyched. LIke you, I wondered why they didn't just use a standard snap ring. But then, I also wondered why they didn't use a standard torx or allen for the transmission fill plug, instead of requiring a triple-square bit.

The reason LN used a Spiralock instead of a snap ring has to do with the original wire ring used in the tube; the Spiralock conforms to the grove machined into the tube better than a flat snap ring would, giving you a superior holding power.

I must comment about the quality of LN's products. Beautifully machined, they are almost works of art, worthy of a place on the mantel. Here's an exploded view of the installation tool and the bearing as it's installed in the shaft:

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740160192.jpg

Spiralock! Many thanks, JFP. I've been searching for the official designation. Thanks to you, I found a company with a trick name for theirs, Spirolox, and they have an installation how-to:

https://blog.diamondracing.net/how-to-install-spirolox

I managed to get the Spiralock installed, with the help of a small flat-blade screwdriver. I think it's fully in the groove, but I didn't have sense enough to measure the width of the lock before I put it in. Consequently, I can't be sure how much is actually in the groove, which is only a millimeter or so deep. A couple millimeters of the shim can be seen behind the lock. It seems secure. I can't easily pop it out of the groove with the screwdriver. I think it's okay. In fact, I'm almost sure it might be.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740188135.jpg

Isn't the Spiralock flat too?

Looks great! That thing ain't going nowhere!

Seated, the bearing was less than a millimeter in from the groove, about the thickness of the shim. Which I figured was the objective. But a little voice is whispering, "What if the bearing isn't fully seated, and there wasn't enough clearance for the lock to fully engage in the groove?" I hate that voice. The only way to shut it up is with experience, but this is the only IMS bearing I'm likely to install. At least, I hope it's the only one.

By the way, not to stir the pot again, but Jake Raby refers to the Solution's bearing as a "bushing" here, at 18:12:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ87UcYkT7A&t=892s

Yes, but because of its spiral sectional design, it can better conform the bottom of this grove, which is slightly curved, much like a "U" to accept a round wire. A snap ring would not fully seat in this grove.

Got it. thanks.

I examined the Spiro-loc (which is how the manual spells it) with a magnifying glass and was satisfied it's in the groove, baby. So I proceeded to install the flange, taking great care to insert it evenly so as not to pinch its triple seal or disturb the stud's o-ring. I'm ready to torque the flange bolts and center stud nut, but I encountered an unforeseen problem. Seems my 7/16" box end won't fit into the flange's notch and allow me to tighten the nut (while holding the stud with a screwdriver) enough to start torquing it. No room to get it on the nut. I'm stymied. A possible solution is to find a wrench that's more svelte than the one I have. Don't ya just love those unexpected work stoppages?

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Been looking at wrenches on Amazon. Most of them look like mine. I added "thin-wall" to the search and it came up with this set:

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740280130.jpg
https://www.amazon.com/HORUSDY-11-Piece-Wrench-Combination-Organizer/dp/B0C9W2C34M/

More cheap Chinese tools, but I figure for what they cost, if the set's 7/16" box end works on that one nut, I will consider it money well spent; otherwise, I'm out only fourteen bucks. To my eye, these 12-pt box ends do look perhaps a millimeter thinner than on the ones I have. They'll be here tomorrow and then we'll see.

Why, you may be asking, does LN use both metric and SAE? That's a good question. The oil-line fittings are metric, but the Solution Supplemental kit provided a 7/16" deep socket specifically for that one nut, which came in the bearing kit for the stud. Wish they had included a 7/16" box end I could get on that nut.

Perhaps you'd be better off with one of these pass-through sockets:

https://www.harborfreight.com/sae-and-metric-pass-thru-socket-set-21-piece-62305.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_ca mpaign=21901739207&campaignid=21901739207&utm_cont ent=171677809102&adsetid=171677809102&product=6230 5&store=496&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAq-u9BhCjARIsANLj-s2nkJNBm1KzUzJU4wwXF8mwDPMCKJ1H48bAjB74_eW5FNLna8e AnpgaAi3_EALw_wcB

Your problem seems to be more of a depth issue than a clearence issue. These are sockets that are open all the way through so you can use a screwdriver to hold the bolt. At the same time, like every other socket, they can reach in and tighten the nut.

You may want to review the Jake Raby procedure on YouTube that you cited as what you are experiencing is shown around 20:54 of the video.

I saw that too, unfortunately the video kind of speeds past that. Shows him using a socket and a screwdriver and then cuts away to him using a torque wrench.

Thanks, you guys. I already tried the socket/screwdriver method yesterday, but I can't seem to get the nut tight enough so that the stud doesn't turn. It needs to be fairly tight before it can be torqued. I'm going to try again, turning the socket with vice grips, protecting it with a shop rag. The problem is that only a small screwdriver will fit through the socket, seemingly too small to hold the stud. Nevertheless, after working on it all night in my dreams, I'm going to have another go at it. The hopefully thinner-walled box ends won't be here until later today anyway.

Were you using a 7/16 with a 1/4" drive or 3/8"? You'd fit a larger screwdriver if you have one with a 3/8" drive. And the passthru sockets from Harbor Freight have an even larger opening.

Hopefully I'm wrong, but I suspect the thinner box wrenches may not me much help in this situation.

By the way, the manual states, in Step 38: "Using assembly lube, lubricate IMS Solution bearing and install IMS Solution flange into bearing by hand. Then using a soft face hammer, lightly tap the IMS Solution flange until is is flush with crank case."

Right. But when getting it the last quarter-inch or so to make it flush, I forgot about "lightly tapping." Making it absolutely flush required a couple dozen mighty blows with my 45-oz rubber hammer. After driving in the bearing and now the flange, my right arm is beginning to look like Popeye's.

I did everything I could to facilitate an "interference fit," as my friend the metal fabricator calls it. I kept the flange in the freezer overnight. The place I'm working in is unheated, but I placed a heater to direct heat at the opening for a couple hours, until the crankcase felt warm to the touch. I coated the appropriate surfaces on the flange liberally with assembly grease. I don't know what else I could have done. I think I was bitten by the machining-variance situation.

The screwdriver won't quite fit through my borrowed 3/8"-drive socket. There's a structure halfway down, no doubt to add strength, that won't allow a screwdriver of sufficient size to go through. Also, it has a shoulder on the outside that won't quite let it seat all the way on the nut due to the narrow notch. A friend is coming over with a 1/2"-drive 12-point 7/16" deep socket, which might be just the ticket, if it's slim enough to fit in the notch.

UPDATE: My buddy's 1/2"-drive deep socket won't fit in the notch. I'm checking Amazon for a 3/8"-drive deep socket with overnight delivery. If that doesn't pan out, I'll make a run to Harbor Freight and Home Depot. And I will drill that sucker out if that's what it takes to get a screwdriver through it and on the stud. By the way, all the pass-through sockets I've seen have shoulders that will make contact with the notch and prevent them from seating on the nut.

I could grind the shoulder off the 3/8"-drive socket I have, and enlarge the inner structure. I have the technology. However, I borrowed the set it came from and it's owner might not appreciate it.

Found this individual 3/8"-drive 7/16" 12-point deep socket on Amazon for $5.99. It looks perfect — except delivery is Mar 1-4. I don't want to wait that long. Stymied again. I tell ya, this is sexism and rank misogyny, pure and simple! Why, I oughta...

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UPDATE: After giving it some thought, I realized I could leave the flange and nut untorqued and complete the rest of the Solution installation and perhaps install the rear main seal while I'm waiting for the socket to arrive. If the $14 box ends are a bust, I'll order it.