How many miles are on your IMS Retrofit?

[autodoctor911]

I guess that ws the Info I was looking for. If it was just a matter of Porsche cutting costs, then this fix should suffice. 70 cars is a pretty good number of testers out there, but not enough to be a guarantee it won't eventually happen. I wish we could get some input from someone inside Porsche, maybe in the racing development area on this.

[Lobo1186]

Originally Posted by autodoctor911

I guess that ws the Info I was looking for. If it was just a matter of Porsche cutting costs, then this fix should suffice. 70 cars is a pretty good number of testers out there, but not enough to be a guarantee it won't eventually happen. I wish we could get some input from someone inside Porsche, maybe in the racing development area on this.

the racing sources while good they may be may prove to be not the best on this issue. because as I understand it, the IMS issue is not suffered by the higher end motors (IE gt2, gt3, rs etc)

also the application of a racing motor is so far away from the application of the daily driver it also makes it moot.

if daily driver motors were torn down every few uses also, i am sure they would not have the same issues.

correct me if I am wrong on where the IMS problem exists.

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by autodoctor911

I guess that ws the Info I was looking for. If it was just a matter of Porsche cutting costs, then this fix should suffice. 70 cars is a pretty good number of testers out there, but not enough to be a guarantee it won't eventually happen. I wish we could get some input from someone inside Porsche, maybe in the racing development area on this.

Good luck. All I have interfaced with were sworn to secrecy and would mention nothing.

If anyone is looking for a false sense of security that the IMSR will create a bulletproof engine, you won't get it with me. The IMS just happens to be ONE OF the 21 modes of failure that we have documented, it is also one of the only ones that can be applied with the engine together and in the car, lots of others cannot.. Thats thanks to a lot of effort related to the development of the procedure that was not mainstream until March of 2009! Prior to that what we are doing now was considered "impossible" and it is still considered that way by Porsche.

A few months ago a board member here suffered an IMS failure while waiting for his slot on my schedule for the procedure.

This has happened to a couple of other people that have reservations due to the time in service that the bearings have and the procedure. To be quite frank, anyone who doubts the procedure should not do it at all, if you are that negative, stubborn and reserved then just await your destiny and hope for the best, whatever that may be. Don't even call me and waste the time of both of us.

We will not complete a process for a client if they do not trust our technology, knowledge and enthusiasm 100%. Any doubt at all is too much. I also do not make promises or give people false hope that the bearing will be the ultimate fix for everything related to the engine. Some people think this is the case, because they don't understand mechanical things that will always wear out, will always break and will never be predictable.

As we write our book on the M96 engine and its assembly we have found all sorts of conflicting sales numbers and dates, my co-author Dr. Smith has been researching that for quite some time.

The numbers that you'll never find are related to how many of those vehicles sold required serious mechanical intervention both while under warranty and out of warranty.

If you want to do the IMSR then we want to help you. If you don't believe in it, just do your own thing and enjoy your Porsche, but if you do become a statistic I wouldn't bother admitting that you were one of the "chosen few".

When its time, its time... Heart transplants don't make Humans immortal, and IMS retrofits don't make engines immortal-

The opposition can complain all they want about the procedure, because just the fact that the IMSR is an OPTION with the engine installed into the car is a miracle. Before the procedure was made public if your IMS bearing STARTED to fail you REQUIRED a new engine, there was no option.

After I saved just ONE engine with the procedure I had already been successful. We began ONLY doing "salvation work" with the retrofit, it was the DEMAND from the following that made the preventive procedure go viral.

[andyv94]

IF I am going to purchase the Boxster that I am looking at (a 2003 tt, 45K miles "S") do I purchase the extended warranty or do I pay for the retro for the IMS??

Ideally I would do both, but economics does now allow me to do so................any reputable warranty company that will cover the failure if it happens?? are there any out there??

[autodoctor911]

I am quite in agreement that it is an amazingly gracious means to fix a bearing that is known to be going out. salvation indeed. but what is the actual risk. everone here seems to talk like it is inevitable, but ehat are the actual percentages. one source that would definitely have this kind of info is the extended warranty company. they track repair costs on various vehicles.

[Cloudsurfer]

Originally Posted by autodoctor911

I am quite in agreement that it is an amazingly gracious means to fix a bearing that is known to be going out. salvation indeed. but what is the actual risk. everone here seems to talk like it is inevitable, but ehat are the actual percentages. one source that would definitely have this kind of info is the extended warranty company. they track repair costs on various vehicles.

The odds are clearly in your favor for the bearing NOT failing (do the math on the numbers of 98X and 99X cars sold, and the number of IMS failures- it's likely under 1%), but considering that the gamble has the potential to create a need for a motor swap, upgrading the bearing is cheap insurance.

If you study this forum and/or Renntech, you'll find several stories of people who paid for extended warranties and then got denied coverage for a new motor when the IMS failed, so I would hardly consider the warranty "insurance."

[autodoctor911]

how could a warranty not cover engine failure due to an internal bearing?

[jhandy]

speaking from experience.....they will blame it on oil change interval ( too soon or too long), have you ever redlined the motor, one missing reciept for a oil change, not using the recommended oil, but for me after working through all of these issues....

was the fact they could not put a price on the bearing replacement proceedure because the bearing is not for sale from porsche and the proceedure is not listed in the cost/hour book they use.

after a 5 month delay, they finally paid to have my bearing replaced to save the motor. At one point they even tried to give me a used pull motor instead of paying for the retrofit.

[Frank M]

Originally Posted by autodoctor911

how could a warranty not cover engine failure due to an internal bearing?

in addition to the afore mentioned reasons,
was there a noise or other symptoms that were ignored until complete failure
any prior leaks that could suggest low oil level
is it wear and not a sudden catastrophe as many warranties do not cover wear

any song can be sung by an extended warranty compnay by using what is printed in their contract.

persistent communication with them over a declined repair can sometimes net an approval.

unfortunately most people just roll over.