IMSB Seasonal Storage

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by pjq

04 S
Winter storage will soon be an issue for some of us.
I am finishing an engine rebuild and a LN IMS Upgrade (triple row).

LNE uses triple row bearings on their rebuilds? Is this the same as the plain bearing in the IMS Solution?

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

LNE uses triple row bearings on their rebuilds? Is this the same as the plain bearing in the IMS Solution?

No, it is a special shaft and triple row ceramic bearing assembly that can only be done while the engine is apart. The plain bearing "Solution" only comes in the single row bearing size, uses a pressurized oil feed off the filter out line and has no moving parts whatsoever, and can be retrofitted to an assembled engine.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

No, it is a special shaft and triple row ceramic bearing assembly that can only be done while the engine is apart. The plain bearing "Solution" only comes in the single row bearing size, uses a pressurized oil feed off the filter out line and has no moving parts whatsoever, and can be retrofitted to an assembled engine.

so why do the former? does this special shaft prevent other types of failure?

[pjq]

Perfectlap at the time I didn't have the choice.
After my IMSB failed and I was faced with a rebuild it became questionable if my IMS was even re-useable. (finding a second hand IMS wasn't easy at the time, I didn't want porsche's new IMS) I sent it to LN Engineering and fortunately they were able to work with it and upgrade it to the triple row and pin the sprockets to the shaft. At the end of the day I still have bearings, not sealed but still bearings, in an oil environment, engine oil. I'm not an engineer or mechanic but I don't like the idea of a sealed bearing in a liquid. I'm pretty sure its the only one in the whole engine. Most other things around this bearing are journal bearings, similar to The IMS Solution. Its just smooth steel and oil, if the oil stops flowing .... well the rest of the engine is also toasted, not because of the IMS Solution.

I was a few months to early for the IMS Solution and many miles away from an authorized installer.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

so why do the former? does this special shaft prevent other types of failure?

As PJQ mentioned, the triple bearing shaft existed prior to the "Solution" and had proven to be very strong. These were being used, albeit in small numbers, by those that were doing a total rebuild and wanted the best available. The triple row shaft also has pinned end sprockets, which eliminate any chance of the sprocket coming loose or moving, which does happen from time to time and cannot be addressed with the shaft in the motor during a retrofit. While Jake developed and perfected his "Solution" system, the existing dual row LN ceramics were proving to be pretty bullet proof, so he only designed the Solution for the single row engines, which were always the most problematic of the bunch. The Solution also addressed the concerns over having to replace the single row ceramic bearings periodically, but does it at a higher price tag. the triple row shaft can also be used in any M96/97 engine, regardless of what style it came with, because the triple is a compete shaft and bearing assembly; and by 2005-2006, the only replacement shaft (if you needed one) that you could get from Porsche was their "final solution" big bearing shaft, which has proved to be susceptible to the same style of failure as the units it replaced.

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

LNE uses triple row bearings on their rebuilds? Is this the same as the plain bearing in the IMS Solution?

LN does not build engines.

The IMS Solution was developed for my engine program, and was invented right here by Charles Navarro and I.

See the "Tech Forum" in Excellence Magazine in November of 2013 for a 3,000 word feature on the IMS Solution.

[Jamesp]

I bought an old style IMS with bearing on ebay - very hard to find - to rebuild my 3.2 with a failed IMS. After reading Pedros thoughts on IMS bearing failure I convinced myself to remove the bearing and check for oil in the IMS, and boy howdy did I find it! Ther was about half a cup of rancid engine oil in the IMS. It was so bad there were chunks of what appeared to be baked oil floating around in there. It even smelled bad. The bearing seals looked good, and the bearing feels ok. No evidence of corrosion on the bearing inner surface or interior of the IMS. Still, a replacement beaing is in order. I see two paths for oil intrusionand subsequent acidification into the IMS. 1) through the non metalic seals on the OEM bearing, 2) around the bearing to IMS interface. I wonder if falures are determined by which path the oil takes?