IMS bearing change tools.

[Miata2Boxster]

Going to bite the bullet and change the IMS bearings on my 2001 base 5 speed with 74K on her. The prior owner recently changed the clutch, was right there to make an easy install and nada...anyway....wondering how critical the recommended tool set is that Pelican sells in terms of the installation process? Are there good extraction tool substitutes that an experienced mechanic might already have on hand? thanks

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Miata2Boxster

Going to bite the bullet and change the IMS bearings on my 2001 base 5 speed with 74K on her. The prior owner recently changed the clutch, was right there to make an easy install and nada...anyway....wondering how critical the recommended tool set is that Pelican sells in terms of the installation process? Are there good extraction tool substitutes that an experienced mechanic might already have on hand? thanks

You should not even be thinking about doing an IMS replacement without the correct tools.

[Jamesp]

I made my own and it worked. Definitely hillbilly, and I wouldn't swear it would always work.



It's a Craftsman moulding blade, 2 inch PVC, 3/8 all thread, modified 3/8 coupling combo. The modified coupling is half ground away, heated with a torch and bent to fit under the IMS nut to pull the bearing out. I was in a hurry or instead of the ground out coupling I would have made a fitting with a 3/8 thread on one side and the IMS bearing bolt thread on the other side. It's cheap and I was just playing around, but it worked well for me. If I were more serious I'd have found the proper tool, or made a better one. So it's up to you make your own tool or buy one. I'd be very squeamish about using a tool that pressed on the engine block, it's just thin section aluminum and you'd stand to damage it by pressing on it to pull out the IMSB, the forces get quite high so press on the face of the intermediate shaft. Best of luck!

[particlewave]

Oh no...that's not an official lisenced Porsche tool.
Did you at least take it to an official qualified Porsche shop?

You know, Porsche puts a lot of research and development into their tools, so you should only buy genuine Porsche tools and parts and paper and hats and floorboards and cats.

...and potatoes.

[Dlirium]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

You should not even be thinking about doing an IMS replacement without the correct tools.

And even the right tools may be the wrong tools - I read somewhere on the interwebs that the tool (at least at one point) that Pelican was selling was setting the IMS to the wrong depth? Anyone recall that?

[Miata2Boxster]

Originally Posted by Jamesp

I made my own and it worked. Definitely hillbilly, and I wouldn't swear it would always work.



It's a Craftsman moulding blade, 2 inch PVC, 3/8 all thread, modified 3/8 coupling combo. The modified coupling is half ground away, heated with a torch and bent to fit under the IMS nut to pull the bearing out. I was in a hurry or instead of the ground out coupling I would have made a fitting with a 3/8 thread on one side and the IMS bearing bolt thread on the other side. It's cheap and I was just playing around, but it worked well for me. If I were more serious I'd have found the proper tool, or made a better one. So it's up to you make your own tool or buy one. I'd be very squeamish about using a tool that pressed on the engine block, it's just thin section aluminum and you'd stand to damage it by pressing on it to pull out the IMSB, the forces get quite high so press on the face of the intermediate shaft. Best of luck!

Thanks! I like your style!

[Tucker2]

Originally Posted by Jamesp

I made my own and it worked. Definitely hillbilly, and I wouldn't swear it would always work.



It's a Craftsman moulding blade, 2 inch PVC, 3/8 all thread, modified 3/8 coupling combo. The modified coupling is half ground away, heated with a torch and bent to fit under the IMS nut to pull the bearing out. I was in a hurry or instead of the ground out coupling I would have made a fitting with a 3/8 thread on one side and the IMS bearing bolt thread on the other side. It's cheap and I was just playing around, but it worked well for me. If I were more serious I'd have found the proper tool, or made a better one. So it's up to you make your own tool or buy one. I'd be very squeamish about using a tool that pressed on the engine block, it's just thin section aluminum and you'd stand to damage it by pressing on it to pull out the IMSB, the forces get quite high so press on the face of the intermediate shaft. Best of luck!

How in the **** did you come up with that? That is awesome. Way to go.