JFP in PA, the installer says he thinks they would have put a 2003 engine in a 2003 Boxster, even in 2006. I wonder if maybe he just wants to work on the engine. Sounds like I need to get the engine number and try to see if Porsche can tell me if it is a 2006 engine, or an older one that would have the single row bearing. Can you tell me where the engine number is?

On the rail along side the sump plate on the bottom of the engine:

http://i43.tinypic.com/16awdty.jpg

You can order the ceramic bearing from LN for the single and/or double (an engine eligible for The Solution can get the ceramic LN bearing and even Jake recommends it rather than The Solution if you aren't planning on keeping the car and engine beyond another 50k miles. You can't return it IIRC so figure out which you have before ordering.

Porsche is known to have used what I call third generation IMSs in rebuilding/building replacement engines for 2000-2004 and even early 2005 cars that had dual row second generation bearings originally. So those people who own cars in those years and who didn't know their engines have been replaced get the unpleasant experience of disassembling their engine only to find out that the bearing can't be replaced without cracking the case. The good news is they have a seemingly better original bearing that may not fail as often/soon (not that any of them fail that often but, if it is yours, on is too many)

Incorrect. Unless that replacement engine was on the shelf for 3 years it would not have the earlier bearing.

Remember, if you bought a replacement engine for a 1997 Boxster in 2007 it would have the M97 bearing installed.

The installer doesn't know Porsches like he says he does.

See Jake's post of yesterday where he says the only way the car got a second-gen IMS engine was if someone somewhere someone had squirreled away a engine for several years as all the engines even for several years prior to when yours was done were third generation IMS setups.

And they didn't tend to sit around as they were used as replacements pretty quickly. No one wants an inventory of $10k+ engines sitting around. And I recall that even the US Porsche distributor usually had about 10 several years ago so they were moving them out at a pretty good clip.

Jake knows, he is inside these engines more than anyone around. He has seen all the surprises.

Thanks guys. I'll check the serial number, but it sounds like an M97 engine is probably in there.

OK. I got the serial number off the engine. It's M96/24AT67465645. So my (last?) questions are: there is really no way to know by the serial number if that is a single row bearing or not, correct? Or were all M96 engines single or double row, and all M97 engines non-removable (without splitting the cases) IMSB? I just hate to have the tranny, clutch and flywheel removed to know (I don't need a clutch). Or is that the only way to be sure? As I mentioned the engine was replaced in October of 2006. Thanks all for your help and patience :cheers:!

The "AT" indicates it is a factory replacement engine (reman). All reman or crate engines shipped or installed after 2005 are the large IMS bearing, the numbers say yours dates later than that; the IMS cannot be replaced.

Yay; an answer! I guess I'll just change the oil often, check the oil filter, and drive the heck out of it!

For the last four years that the IMSB Retrofit has been available you have chosen to do nothing, which he is suggesting is still an option for you.

I am with you though Johnny on not wanting to ship your car. In fact I have never had any of my cars in the shop except for tire changes (even then I only bring in the wheels) and paint (but not body work). I prefer to do everything else myself. So the IMS Solution is also not really an option that I would personally consider at this point in time. Kinda irks me a little the way they are marketing it, but in all fairness it's not my business how they run their business and if they chose to do it that way they have to anticipate that they will lose potential customers like you and me. Sooner or later here I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and do the Retrofit on my 986 and 996, even though I will be keeping these cars until either I'm dust or they are rust.

Ims
 

What about if you already have the retrofit? Is this an added protection ? or it won't work at all since the retrofit is a seal ceramic bearing

As a person who just chose to have this procedure done, I could not be more pleased. I dropped my Boxster off at Flat 6 on the way down to Destin FL for a vacation, knowing that they would not be able to get to it right away, as they are quite busy. Dean gave me an amazing tour of their facility and I was quite impressed. My car arrived back on Sunday, so I have had three days of driving it and my impression is that the car runs much smoother, Less vibration from the motor, and for some reason, drastically minimized the 3,200 rpm vibration.

Jake and Dean took great care of the car while it was in their possession, and that comes from a person who is very picky and crazy protective about his vehicles. My warranty from Porsche expired at the beginning of this year, so I always had the slight fear in the back of my mind of a part I have no control over. Now I have better feeling of peace and know that I can hand it down to my daughter when she becomes of a proper age (as one of her first words was Porsche) and keep it in the family.

or it won't work at all since the retrofit is a seal ceramic bearinghttp://erem.bescomputer.com/6.jpg
http://erem.bescomputer.com/7.jpg
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http://erem.bescomputer.com/9.jpg

I already had one of Jakes early M96 motors with all L&N parts, nickies etc and I went with the new IMS replacement. If I hadn't already bought all the parts I would upgrade to the largest displacement I could get and buy a different crank but I just can't justify making it faster anymore. More reliable, always! In addition to the aforementioned reliability benefits my car came out of it with ~10-15 more HP. Jake didn't expect it, nor does he make such claims, but it happened with my car. I'm less than an hour away so my car is there for regular oil changes and Jakes staff knows it very well. The last time I was there, 5k miles after the upgrade, I was asked how it was doing and could only honestly say that the upgrade was seamless to me. If I didn't know I had an additional oil line, I would have no idea I had a gorgeous new hunk of metal that slides back and forth with such ease.

To be fair my engine was not built to maximize HP, but seat of the pant torque, so a little may have been unlocked that wasn't searched for originally, who knows, but it was the same dyno it's always been on. I don't really feel the additional HP, I think because the torque is such that I rarely if ever get anywhere near max HP as the torque across the band is more than enough to keep a smile on my face wherever I go. I make it a point to cross the mountains around Cleveland every chance I get. I haven't been on I-75 to Knoxville in the 40k miles I've had a Raby motor and I go there regularly to see family. In 40k miles I've never had one problem of any kind with my Boxster. The car has now been Raby powered for half its life.

How much is it to do a ims solution on a 2005 987s, installed?

For just the parts alone, the IMS Solution adds around an additional $1K over a ceramic hybrid installation, and about 1 to 1 1/2 hours of additional labor to machine a notch in the engine cases to accept the oil line, mounting the special spin on oil filter adaptor, sealing the IMS shaft, and routing the braided stainless line that carries the oil to the IMS flange.

That said, before we do any retrofits on a 2005 car, it has to come apart to make sure it has a serviceable IMS bearing rather than the oversized bearing. With a 2005 car, there is no way to know which bearing is in the engine without opening it up and looking.

Ok, so how much to buy and have one of their dealers install it?

Is there a better solution? What would you do on a 2005 987s?

...Is there a better solution? What would you do on a 2005 987s?...

Ya - drive the S#%! out of it

Assuming the car is carrying a serviceable IMS bearing, the IMS Solution parts kit is $1725. Realistically, an all in installed price (including parts) with a new RMS, clutch, but no flywheel should be budgeted for around $3500 to $4000.

Thanks
 

Thanks for the info. Im in CT