Who is this raby guy or shop?

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by runjmc2

This is a great forum with some world class people that are very willing to help. Based on your posts, you are either very uninformed or just here to mock…..sorry but I believe you need to be called out and move on...

I dont see any of this, i mean aside from not knowing that shell of a car was majorly overpriced. http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/50710-what-have-you-done-break-stereotype.html

[Jake Raby]

Jake Raby designed the IMS retrofit via Flat 6 Innovations, which I think may be part of LN Engineering which sells it now.

Incorrect. Flat 6 Innovations is a division of Raby Engine Development. Our company carries out development and has partnered with LN Engineering on many products. With the exception of maybe one product that LN sells we have carried out all of their testing since day one, even before LN was actually a company. The very first product that LN Engineering ever had was billet Nikisil cylinders for the Porsche 914 engine, and the very first set that was ever made can be found in my 356 and its 2.6L, 220HP 914 based engine.

Even though I assisted in the founding of LN Engineering, the two companies are completely separate from each other.

We dislike selling products and manufacturing them, so after development our part is done. LN Engineering manufactures the products and then they are channeled to large distributors across the world to be sold to Porsche shops and dealerships.

We develop the products so they will be available for use in our engines, which are our only commodity that we sell direct, and we only sell them direct. Our engine program was the first in the Porsche industry for the M96 powered cars and was in place years before anything else.

Our IMS product line was also the first, and we developed the IMS Retrofit (TM) procedure from scratch. I invented the first IMS extraction tool, as well as the Faultless IMS Tool recently released. We invented and developed the IMS Solution, and the Single Row Pro (dual row bearing for a single row application) and the list goes on. Today our competitors that have spawned in the past few years use the tools, procedures and (some) of the same parts to try to assemble an engine as good as ours, but they can't, because the specific components that we use aren't sold to anyone else, or even divulged. Thats the benefit that we have from having assisted with the founding of LN Engineering.

On the IMS issue, no one here knows what actually transpired or who pushed Charles (from LN Engineering) and I to create IMS related products. I divulge some of this in my book.

Prior to Jake arriving about 5-6 years ago with the IMS retrofit, IMS was an issue that got discussed, but not nearly at the level it is today.

It was just as big of a deal, the difference was NOTHING could be done about it. If an engine started to fail because of an IMSB, you either sat back and let it consume it's self, or you bought a new engine. No resurrections were possible. The IMSB at that time was believed to be non-replacable and impossible to remove (dual row especially).

People have opinions that are based on assumption, about a topic that they know nothing about. We never tried to scare anyone, we told them the truth and that scared the hell out of them. Today we can't even share the truth or what we find without people and their opinions getting in the way.

We responded to a DEMAND and solved a problem. ALL I care about is solving problems, its all I know how to do. Read this PCA article about me and my shop that was published in December of 2013. See page 11 of this PDF for a better understanding as the interview reveals quite a bit thats never been mentioned before.
http://www.peachstatepca.org/content/newsletters/PresseFall2013.pdf

[Mart]

Jake,
I'm a beneficiary of your IMSB retrofit, and I'd like to thank you for that. Car runs beautifully minus the anxiety.

Originally Posted by Jake Raby

Incorrect. Flat 6 Innovations is a division of Raby Engine Development. Our company carries out development and has partnered with LN Engineering on many products. With the exception of maybe one product that LN sells we have carried out all of their testing since day one, even before LN was actually a company. The very first product that LN Engineering ever had was billet Nikisil cylinders for the Porsche 914 engine, and the very first set that was ever made can be found in my 356 and its 2.6L, 220HP 914 based engine.

Even though I assisted in the founding of LN Engineering, the two companies are completely separate from each other.

We dislike selling products and manufacturing them, so after development our part is done. LN Engineering manufactures the products and then they are channeled to large distributors across the world to be sold to Porsche shops and dealerships.

We develop the products so they will be available for use in our engines, which are our only commodity that we sell direct, and we only sell them direct. Our engine program was the first in the Porsche industry for the M96 powered cars and was in place years before anything else.

Our IMS product line was also the first, and we developed the IMS Retrofit (TM) procedure from scratch. I invented the first IMS extraction tool, as well as the Faultless IMS Tool recently released. We invented and developed the IMS Solution, and the Single Row Pro (dual row bearing for a single row application) and the list goes on. Today our competitors that have spawned in the past few years use the tools, procedures and (some) of the same parts to try to assemble an engine as good as ours, but they can't, because the specific components that we use aren't sold to anyone else, or even divulged. Thats the benefit that we have from having assisted with the founding of LN Engineering.

On the IMS issue, no one here knows what actually transpired or who pushed Charles (from LN Engineering) and I to create IMS related products. I divulge some of this in my book.


It was just as big of a deal, the difference was NOTHING could be done about it. If an engine started to fail because of an IMSB, you either sat back and let it consume it's self, or you bought a new engine. No resurrections were possible. The IMSB at that time was believed to be non-replacable and impossible to remove (dual row especially).

People have opinions that are based on assumption, about a topic that they know nothing about. We never tried to scare anyone, we told them the truth and that scared the hell out of them. Today we can't even share the truth or what we find without people and their opinions getting in the way.

We responded to a DEMAND and solved a problem. ALL I care about is solving problems, its all I know how to do. Read this PCA article about me and my shop that was published in December of 2013. See page 11 of this PDF for a better understanding as the interview reveals quite a bit thats never been mentioned before.
http://www.peachstatepca.org/content/newsletters/PresseFall2013.pdf

[Johnny Danger]

I guess the part about Lee Harvey Oswald is false ?

[Porsche9]

Read pages 16 and 17 of the February Panomara.

[VWAudiChris]

Originally Posted by runjmc2

This is a great forum with some world class people that are very willing to help. Based on your posts, you are either very uninformed or just here to mock…..sorry but I believe you need to be called out and move on...

Hey man like I said Ive been around Audi and VW for years but other than hearing this and that have never really looked into buying a Porsche or working on it. Maybe I'm not as smart as you but don't call me an idiot.

[thom4782]

@ rick3000

The Eisen estimates suggest there have been at least 3500 IMSB failures in the US and more than 7000 worldwide.

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by thom4782

@ rick3000

The Eisen estimates suggest there have been at least 3500 IMSB failures in the US and more than 7000 worldwide.

Thats the ones they know about. It doesn't count the ones that were misdiagnosed and etc.

[VWAudiChris]

Originally Posted by thom4782

@ rick3000

The Eisen estimates suggest there have been at least 3500 IMSB failures in the US and more than 7000 worldwide.

Man thats really a high number for whats suppose to be a high end car!!!!! Mazda had there issues with the RX8 cars blowing up and they just gave everyone a longer warranty so why didn't Porsche do the same??

[Perfectlap]

If it wasn't a problem Porsche wouldn't have settled. They would have moved for dismissal and told everyone to pound sand. If they weren't confident of getting the case tossed it was because there were bad documents that would have supported the plaintiffs opposition to the dismissal. Litigation costs of trying the case are insignificant given that this isn't a case involving millions of cars like a Toyota or GM car. So no its not just fear, the issue is nothing more than logic. A sealed bearing within an engine is prone to oil starvation or oil contamination depending on driving and maintenance practices. And no sealed bearing lasts forever, it needs to be replaced at some interval, sooner if those prior practices are unknown to the new owner or if they were in fact detrimental to bearing longevity.

[rick3000]

Jake, I want to thank you for replying and clarifying everything. I should add that I think you offer a great product, that it provides a solution to a problem that could not previously be solved and gives a lot of people piece of mind. If I had a single row IMS I would likely buy your retrofit when I changed my clutch. I have a lot of respect for you for creating a solution.

@VWAudiChris - That post is my opinion, which is that, yes IMS failure can happen, but it is not as likely as the number of posts about it would have you believe. Almost every potential or new Boxster owner that comes to this site posts about it.

There where about 165,000 986 Boxster's ever sold, there is no solid statistic on how many suffered IMS failures. So any number is pure speculation, the average guess is between 1-8%. It's up to you to decide how worried about it you want to be, and if you are worried Jake has provided you with a solution. If you aren't then you can start enjoying your Boxster that much sooner!

EDIT:
Well worth a read:

We responded to a DEMAND and solved a problem. ALL I care about is solving problems, its all I know how to do. Read this PCA article about me and my shop that was published in December of 2013. See page 11 of this PDF for a better understanding as the interview reveals quite a bit thats never been mentioned before.
http://www.peachstatepca.org/content/newsletters/PresseFall2013.pdf

[thstone]

Originally Posted by rick3000

There where about 165,000 986 Boxster's ever sold...

Minor clarification:
Porsche Boxster 986/987 (early 987's should be counted) were at 200,000 in Nov, 2006.
Porsche Boxster/Cayman total sales surpassed 300,000 in June, 2011.

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/20/porsche-produces-200-000th-boxster/

Porsche Celebrates Production of 300,000th Boxster Cayman

Just keeping the numbers current for other readers doing the math at home.

[Perfectlap]

Flat6 and LNE don't have to sell anything in the forums. By that I mean that nearly all Porsche specialists who know what they're doing will suggest to an wholly un-informed owner that they replace the bearing when the customer comes in for a clutch replacement. And it's not a hard sell, "if you replace this bearing your engine will be out of danger for that type of failure. We already have everything apart to do it. Do you want to add it to the job?". Sold.
An extra bit of income on parts and labor for that shop owner.


Now multiply this hundreds of times per shop including Porsche dealerships.
Most Boxster/996 owners aren't any where near these forums. And I'd bet that most who have replaced their IMS bearings on their mechanics suggestion did so without ever having stressed over it pre and post swap.

[Nine8Six]

ahhhh... the ims, bearing lol

The contest for our little monthly's Pcar outing here (while passing by the industrial district) was to try everything we could to get 'any' bearings to fail, or blow-off, on a Porsche car.

Very sad ending... nobody won. Seven cars, 20min of mad-thrash driving.... and zero bearing failures

Its the participation that counts right?

[Jake Raby]

There's one thing that you guys need to understand:

I literally do not care if an engine is retrofitted or not, other than trying to save someone the heartache of having to deal with the issue. This is because the revenue stream thats generated by the sale of an IMS Retrofit doesn't come my way. This is because my work was done, and paid for, in full, years ago. This is the way I wanted it, because I do not want sales to screw with my development.

In all actuality its better for my business if people do not retrofit and the engine does experience some issue. Why? Because we are primarily in the business of solving problems and building engines.

With a 13 month secured backlog for reconstructed engines, we don't have to advertise. The same goes for the side of our house that carries out preventive procedures where we are already booked through April, again, with zero advertisement of these services.

The people that look our way for these things are rarely associated with forums. Of the 30 engines we have queued now, I only know of two of those buyers being active on forums. Being here, or on any other forum has never proven effective for us business wise, thats probably my fault, as I have never been one to sweet talk people into things, and of course, my direct nature with text turns more people off than on.

Trying to make that better.

[Paul]

Jake, thanks for putting up with us, I envy what you have done and truly appreciate your contributions. My dual row IMS that I installed myself using your ceramic bearing and tools is doing fine.

[Timco]

At the end of the day, we are all free to post, or not. Of course someone in his trade with his experience is welcomed and appreciated. I have seen him thanked many times.

Other times, some posts have warranted or deserved what was said. Nobody appreciates all the drama over swapping parts preemptively. No need to go farther down that road.

As for advertising, his knowledge and simple helpful replies are the best advertising he could ever ask for. These forums are browsed by hundreds who never sign up or post. And so what if it does equal "advertising"? His contributions to others who have a tech question certainly earn him some credit. I have yet to see a "I am Flat 6 and this is what I do" post, and so what if he did? Apparently there are several on here that are satisfied customers.

[nicecar]

Ford said " A man who tries to save money by not advertising is like stopping a clock to save time". Point being if he is doing it from a marketing standpoint...GREAT! I can tell from reading Jakes' posts, money means very little to him. Numerous times he has stated he lives, breathes eats motors, period. If it is for marketing only, whatever happened to location, location, location. He is in the Carolinas hiding in the woods somewhere. He is readily available by phone, from what I have been told by 2 men, and have to have an appointment. I think if he won the lottery he would not change a thing. Do what you love and the money comes. I have noticed that when you are among the few at the top ...you become a easy target. P.S there are alot of ways to market your buisness much less time consuming and far more effective than this forum, basically for the diy guys or someone using it as a consumers guide. PSS. Jake if you ever do want to market yourself or your buisness my wife owns a terrific agency in N.E. Fl. lol

[Jake Raby]

Do what you love and the money comes.

If you ask me whats in the bank, I don't even know... Accounting hasn't yelled at me in a decade about not having enough to pay the bills, and thats all I care about.

I win the lottery everyday, by being able to do exactly what I want to. I've never had a "job" and other than Uncle Sam (USMC) I've never had a paycheck that I didn't sign myself. I had my first paying customer for an engine build at age 13.

He is in the Carolinas hiding in the woods somewhere

Actually, its Georgia.. But we don't have to be anywhere else, and I wouldn't even if I needed to. We have Porsches here from 30 states, and as long as there's still an Interstate system and diesel fuel we are only 3 days transit away from anyone in North America.

We have a 996 inbound from Anchorage Alaska for an IMSR job just as soon as the weather will allow it. I have cars here now from Vancouver Canada and Nova Scotia. shipping is cheap she you're a broker :-)

[Porsche9]

Originally Posted by Jake Raby

If you ask me whats in the bank, I don't even know... Accounting hasn't yelled at me in a decade about not having enough to pay the bills, and thats all I care about.

I win the lottery everyday, by being able to do exactly what I want to. I've never had a "job" and other than Uncle Sam (USMC) I've never had a paycheck that I didn't sign myself. I had my first paying customer for an engine build at age

When I retire can I come work for you? I speak german, I am mechanically adept (started working on cars at age 10 and earned a AS degree in automotive mechanics by age 16), have a degree in finance and 20 years of experience in HR (compensation and benefit). Willing to do any work.