Although it has not happened to me....
 

that is an engine failure due ims and I have complete sympathy for those owners who it happened to, I would like to know from those owners what they did to get a new/used engine. Send your Box down to Flat 6 Innovs. or did u source one from a wrecked Boxster? What did u pay for an engine from a wrecked Boxster?
Did u do the install yourself or have somebody else do it?

mine went in my 02 C 4 at 46K miles. New engine from Porsche installed by dealer to the tune of $20K

I replaced ...
 

... mine when the engine let go at 220,000 miles with a used engine.
It was a 2000 tiptronic 2.7 which I got for $2,000 (shipped).
Put in about $2,500 in parts to refresh (rings, seals, bearings, chain tensioners).
Had to rectify my 2.5L heads in order for my engine management to work properly.
So I now have a 2.7 liter block with 2.5 liter heads.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

I can't see where it could make economic sense to spend $20,000 to replace the motor in 2004 or older Boxsters. You can buy very good examples of those cars for $20,000 or less.

I think a used motor is the only thing that makes sense with an older car.

Dismantler engine is typically $3K-5K. Installation runs ~$2k.

1997 1999 Porsche Boxster 986 Engine Motor 2 5L 67 000 Miles Used | eBay

From a purely financial point of view, early Boxster engines (and transmissions) are basically disposable. Of course, there are other things to consider but if you just want to get the car running again, you can do so at a reasonable price.

Sometimes cost is not a factor as you own the car because of what it is... I updated my IMS and many other parts as I want to keep the car for what it represents to me. If it blows an engine, I will ship it off to Jake or Renegade and continue on enjoying it. For some folks the car is just that a car and the cost of an engine vs. replacing the car is not justifiable. No biggie as it just means more parts for the rest of us!

You guys are freaking me out a little. I know IMS failure happens, but at 79K can I assume that I'm OK? Does sitting over winter with only a few outings increase the chance of failure?

I wouldn't think letting the car sit over winter increases you chances.
I assume you do start the car periodically over the winter to circulate the fluids.
You should be checking your oil filter for metal particles at oil changes.

My perspective:
I did research on the IMS failure and some of the stories.
It is a little discerning, statistically it happens to about 5% of the motors.
(Don't quote me on these numbers, I read it somewhere)
But 5% compared to how many cars manufacturer can make that number seem like a small percentage.

Reading about the IMS bearing problem, one tends to conclude it's like Russian roulette with the motor. I think I read too much information about it. LN Engineering provides some very convincing facts.

I looked at this early warning add on IMS Guarding at $400 bucks, and felt I could apply that dollar amount towards the retrofit instead.
Checking your oil filter regularly is also your early warning system.

So you spend 10 to 14K for your car, if the IMS were to fail, you now have a decision of spending another 7K for another motor and install.

That money would be better spent buying another Boxster instead, unless you have modded the car to your liking and.

The worst story heard was someone that just purchased one, had the IMS go bad out of the blue. They are still making car payments on it, and now faced with getting another motor.

I purchased my car at 85K miles, it was due for a clutch and the IMS retrofit just made sense to protect my investment.

A IMS retrofit should run about $1,700, parts alone are like $900.
No labor for the clutch replacement since the tranny was already out of the car.
By the way, the dual row bearing replaced in my car was just fine.

So I ended up purchasing a new clutch and a peace of mind better technology IMS bearing replacement..

I sleep better at night, one less item to worry about on the car..

Forums like these are full of information, but I also found over the years forums tend to bring out some of the worst case scenarios. What about all the normal car owners that don't join forums. Their stories are never heard..
I found forums like these best for enhancements such as modifications and best practices of people that done it before.

For what it's worth...
At the end of the day, its your investment and enjoyment..
Whats it worth to you?
Does the statistics warrant replacement?

T

respectfully, disagree with this idea. the best thing to do is let it sit. only start it if you plan on actually going for a drive and letting the engine get up to temp. lots of people (myself included) park it and leave it until the first drive the next year.

i will say there are some who feel starting and letting it idle to warm up has no adverse effect.

Agree with Tony but will start it once more to make sure Stabil has made it's way all the way through the injector system.

which tony you agree with? :D

and now for something completely different:

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1353086910.jpg

People always want to "Mod" their cars for increased performance. Install all the LNengineering upgraded parts to transform it to a 3.6L & make it better than new. You want your Boxster forever because you don't want a newer, slower Box. If some idiot hits & totals your Box the engine still belongs to you. Install the engine in your next Box! :cool: