Dispeling M96 engine rumors

[Jake Raby]

Owners of vehicles are concerned with whats best for their engine.. I am also concerned with that, but I must above all else provide security for the company I started at age 13.

The only person who can cover my ass is me and if that hurts some feelings or means that some cars can't be retrofitted then so be it... We could be like most everyone else and take your money, hoping and praying you don't have a problem and then not really caring if you do... Thats not the way this company operates. I am point blank and too honest for my own good in some cases, but we stay out of trouble while everyone knows where we stand at all times. I won't tell someone what they want to hear just to get into their wallet.

What developed the tick...tick.. mind set is the bearing Engineers that offered us reports on the bearing from an analytical standpoint stated the bearing had a service life measured in hours, not miles.. The clock on that service life is ticking with every minute the engine operates and thats just a fact.

Last week I caught a bearing WHILE it was failing, unknowingly until the bearing flange was pulled. That particular engine ironically was within TWO HOURS of the target service life that was calculated by the bearing Engineer who has been assisting us... We didn't even notice it until we were logging the ECU information for our database..

Its a fact that anything mechanical can fail at any time, people who don't work with mechanical things all day, everyday and do so also as their hobby just can't understand that. I lead a life of pushing things to the extreme mechanically so failure is fairly common place. Morticians are accustomed to dealing with dead people so it doesn't bother them too much.. Same thing goes with us, when parts scatter its to be expected and I've even been known to crack a smile while picking up the pieces in the dyno cell... But that engine made 150HP per cylinder and broke about every rule on earth just by firing up.

We've fielded THREE IMS bearing calls today and 9 this week so far. I've started recording the calls with those who want to share their stories.

[landrovered]

Too honest for your own good....are you telling your customers that you are recording their calls?

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by landrovered

Too honest for your own good....are you telling your customers that you are recording their calls?

Absolutely.. I even ask permission and every one so far has had no problem with it...

As my post stated, some people want to share this story and for us it means that the same old broken record we hear time and time again and try to reiterate can be proven.

Above all else do what you feel is necessary to enjoy the car, be that an IMS upgrade or just not worrying about it. I am just happy that we have the procedures and components to support the IMS retrofit, this time last year that wasn't the case... There was no choice. Think about that.

BTW- On the phone personal service is much easier. The internet doesn't afford that kind of communication, unfortunately. Thats why so many internet flame wars happen with people who in person or on the phone get along just fine.

[Dragonwind]

Well I'm glad that I had me shop put the bearing in at 87k as Jake would have turned me down. He'll say I'm wrong but really don't believe 85k is anywhere near the end of my 2.5's life and with all the TLC it gets I hope to make it more than double or tripple that.

However with the power bug always gnawing at me it probably go through an upgrade at some point in it's life.
Chris