boxster ims bearing failure

[mikefocke]

Well I know someone whose IMS failed and he was a very regular racer/instructor/DE guy and was on the track at least 10 times a year with his car. He replaced his bearing and has installed a Guardian.

So yes regular/frequent oil changes and good oil and reving occasionally when warm and long trips and frequent use do help keep contaminants out of the bearing. But there is no sure way to prevent seal deterioration.

And can you tell by examining the bearing housing from the outside that it hasn't gotten to the stage 3 or 4 level of failure...yes...if you have seen bad ones before. Can you tell if it is at stage 1 and heading for near term catastrophe, no.

boxster, while you are in there, just replace it with the LN part if you are worried. Keep in mind that the majority don't fail for the majority of owners.

[boxster]

ive also heard that it hepls if you remove the seal from the bearing.
but wouldnt that make the ball bearings a bit more prone to coming off then?

[harryrcb]

Originally Posted by boxster

ive also heard that it hepls if you remove the seal from the bearing.
but wouldn't that make the ball bearings a bit more prone to coming off then?

the seal does not hold the bearing in place. heck it won't even hold the grease in place. I suppose it could help with lubrication. Here is the catch. the only way to get the seal off and do any good, you have to remove the bearing then reinstall it. seems a waste of time to install the same bearing back in the car