[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by algiorda

Thanks for the wise words. Yes, we've had that discussion already. I recommended he take it for a pre-service test drive to see if he agrees with me the engine was purring and running smooth. I asked about the RMS, but he said if it's not leaking, not to change it. He mentioned they are very tricky to seat perfectly. We agreed he'd look at the spark plug oil tubes, serpentine belt, pulleys, etc. He is going to change the AOS. I don't have an unlimited budget, however! LOL

I would be concerned about this shop. You definitely do not have to drop the engine to do the IMS, and his explanation of why is questionable as these engines have few gaskets and the belts are easily accessible. More worrying is his comments about the RMS. We always replace the RMS when doing an IMS. The seal is less than $20, and Porsche released an updated version a few years ago that is way better than the original. While his comment about setting the installed depth of the RMS is correct, it also tells me that he does not have the correct tools to do the RMS, as a blindfolded chimpanzee can set it correctly every time in a couple of seconds with the right tools. The RMS seal is cheap, but it will cost you a couple of grand to get at in the future if it starts to leak, so it needs to be replaced with the updated part while you have the car apart for the IMS bearing.