When Porsche replaced Boxster engines, what spec did they use?

[Adrian Thompson]

Hi, I'm going to look at a 99 base Boxster (worse than that, it's an auto!!!) that had a new Porsche engine fitted, buy Porsche in 2005. Since then It's done less than 20K miles.

What I want to know is what engine would Porsche themselves have fitted to a 99 Boxster in 2005? Would it be:
A: Early duel row IMS Bearing 2.5
B: Would it be a 2.5L but with the later single row bearing.
C: Would they have just used the then current engine which would be a 2.7 with a single row bearing.
D: Something else.

I'm hoping it's A actually as the single row IMS bearing seems to have a lower failure rate from what I can tell than the later duel row bearing?

Thanks

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Adrian Thompson

Hi, I'm going to look at a 99 base Boxster (worse than that, it's an auto!!!) that had a new Porsche engine fitted, buy Porsche in 2005. Since then It's done less than 20K miles.

What I want to know is what engine would Porsche themselves have fitted to a 99 Boxster in 2005? Would it be:
A: Early duel row IMS Bearing 2.5
B: Would it be a 2.5L but with the later single row bearing.
C: Would they have just used the then current engine which would be a 2.7 with a single row bearing.
D: Something else.

I'm hoping it's A actually as the single row IMS bearing seems to have a lower failure rate from what I can tell than the later duel row bearing?

Thanks

Porsche tended to match the engine specs to the original (yours would be a 2.5L engine), with some notable exceptions like installing the oversized non serviceable IMS bearings. Unfortunately, as yours is from the transitional year, the only way to know if it is the oversized bearing, or the more failure prone single row, is to pull it apart and look at the IMS center bolt; if it is a 22MM center bolt, you have the oversized bearing.

[Adrian Thompson]

Well I've just bought the car so well see. What's the current consensus of the current failure rate? I've heard 10% for the single row but I don't think I've ever seen a number for the 05 up non serviceable version.

[jdraupp]

Originally Posted by Adrian Thompson

Well I've just bought the car so well see. What's the current consensus of the current failure rate? I've heard 10% for the single row but I don't think I've ever seen a number for the 05 up non serviceable version.

If you literally look in the General Discussion Forum there's a thread on the larger bearing. And you're better off calling it the 06 and up bearing because a lot of 05s still had the old single row.

Welcome to the forum. Use the search function to help topics stay relevant. If you had used the search you'd have gotten a ppi, because you'd know how valuable those are when buying a p car. You'd also see that for the 01-05 smaller single row the number is 8 percent and the 97-00 dual row was about 1 percent. Less failures with the large non serviceable but I'll let you read the other thread.

[Adrian Thompson]

Originally Posted by jdraupp

If you literally look in the General Discussion Forum there's a thread on the larger bearing. And you're better off calling it the 06 and up bearing because a lot of 05s still had the old single row.

Welcome to the forum. Use the search function to help topics stay relevant. If you had used the search you'd have gotten a ppi, because you'd know how valuable those are when buying a p car. You'd also see that for the 01-05 smaller single row the number is 8 percent and the 97-00 dual row was about 1 percent. Less failures with the large non serviceable but I'll let you read the other thread.

Thanks for the feedback. I know about PPI's and wouldd have got one on any other Boxster. But when I set out to look for a car I was planning on either a nice Z4 M Roadster ($20-25K) or the best late 03+ glass window 986S I could find for around $20K which should have been a mint one. But then this car came up through a friend of a friend for cheap, like seriously cheap as in cheaper than any other running Boxster I've heard about and less than many cars needing a new engine. So as it's got less than 20K miles on a new Porsche engine I've taken a chance. I mean, what's the worse thing that could happen!

I already needed to be rescued once with jumper cables by, ironically, the most unreliable car in the world, a Land Rover Discovery! Looking for the radio code (not found the card yet) before getting a new battery.

I'll post an intro and running thread once I've got it titled and insured tomorrow.

[jdlmodelt]

I bought a 99 that blew the engine in 2006 with 37kmiles, i bought in 2014 with 58k miles. It had an X in the replacement Porsche rebuild back to factory specs engine. it has been running spotless. I have 97kmiles on it now.

[Jake Raby]

Being replaced in 2005 it can have the M96 Single Row (horrible) or the M97 Single Row bearing. Its a toss up.