IMS Bearing failure mode?

[sam c.]

Btw, getting the cover off revealed just how much lat movement is in the IMS (and how much side loading can occur on these bearings...). Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting contaminated oil, moisture, etc don't wreck havoc on the IMSB and its seals but jeez, there's a ton of side loading. IMO, the only true permanent fix for this problem is an oil fed journal bearing with thrust loading capabilities.

[thom4782]

I'm not clear in what you're saying so part of my comment may be off base

If you've taken the IMSB flange off and the bearing has a lot of play, then it's degraded and nearing failure. New bearings have little or no play whatsoever.

There is a better solution out there than the ball bearing design. It's called the IMS Solution. It is for single row bearing cars only. It sounds from another thread that you might have a dual row bearing car. Dual row cars do not have a snap ring whereas single row cars do.

PS: IIRC, 99s were dual row bearings.

[sam c.]

Thanks for the comments... just to clarify my post, the bearing itself seems very tight and in good shape. What surprised me was the play in the shaft. Not a ton, mind u but several mm. Again, that play wasn't in the bearing but in the entire shaft assembly when I was prying the cover off. My thought was that in addition to other abuses these bearings endure, the end play in the shaft has to allow a good amount of side loading as well.

[sam c.]

Thanks for the heads up on the IMS Solution. Interestingly enough, I threw together some ideas over the weekend to replace the IMSB with an oil fed journal bearing and emailed them to some machinist buddies. What I came up with looked similar in concept to the IMS Solution solution but I decided to go as simplistic and robust as possible while minimizing part numbers and tool time on the mills so my final CAD model did wind up uniquely different then their kit.

Oh and btw, thanks for all the support to everyone and for enduring the painfully slow process as I try to differentiate between my as and a hole in the ground. Obviously, my excessive posting demonstrates I'm wearing my learning curve on my sleeve here. Haha.

[sam c.]

I don't know if the developers of the IMS Solution are reading these posts but nice job on the eloquent oil feed source. That's what I tapped into as well in my design. Turbo'ed tuners and I'm sure just about everyone else have been using this as a source for feed oil forever and it works great. With its close proximity in our application, it just makes so much sense.

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by sam c.

I don't know if the developers of the IMS Solution are reading these posts but nice job on the eloquent oil feed source. That's what I tapped into as well in my design. Turbo'ed tuners and I'm sure just about everyone else have been using this as a source for feed oil forever and it works great. With its close proximity in our application, it just makes so much sense.

I invented the IMS Solution, all of its development has been carried out under this roof. The oil feed component was developed years ago. Everyone things that the LN Spin On Oil Filter Adaptor is just to add a spin on filter to the system, when in fact it's original purpose was to feed the IMS Solution with just filtered oil from day #1. The difference was that for years no one knew about the IMS Solution as we worked to develop it entirely in secrecy. For a reason.

Our patent application is broad and claims more than just the journal bearing for use in the IMS.

[sam c.]

Originally Posted by Jake Raby

Everyone things that the LN Spin On Oil Filter Adaptor is just to add a spin on filter to the system, when in fact it's original purpose was to feed the IMS Solution with just filtered oil from day #1.

Nice job. I gotta admit, I struggled to understand the need for the spin on adapter when I first came across them, seeing as how very few boxsters are ever put under boost. However, I immediately recognized its importance when I started thinking about a more permanent and robust IMSB solution. I just assumed the adapter was a convenient coincidence though, not realizing it was the deliberate purpose from the get go. You guys def get props for developing products that are both modular and also marketable as individual components. Again, nice job.