just bought my first porsche

[Perfectlap]

You have an 11 year old single bearing IMS with only 3,000 miles?

Unless the previous owner diligently changed the oil every year you are a prime candidate for a brand new purchase of the an LNE Guardian until you get the new IMS bearing in there.

Some of the experts have said its not a good idea to keep the old clutch when you swap out the old IMS bearing but I have to wonder if they had a 3,000 mile clutch in mind when giving that advice. Getting rid of that old single bearing devil will simply take 8 hours of shop time and one $600 part, or go with the lower cost Pelican bearing. Either way, that's too many years of sitting around for my comfort level. Even if it were dual row (97-99 Boxsters) I'd still get it out, it's past its sell by date. Ditto for the coolant tank (don't forget the new coolant cap) things get brittle with age... These cars need to be driven to stay tip top. If you're not driving them, then you really need to stay on top of preventative maintenance.

[jimmythemufflers]

This whole ism nonsense is making my head spin. This has all made me scared to drive it. To me its a brand new car. Did i really just spend 25,000 on a time bomb?

Maybe i can get some kind of warranty since the milage is so low. Replacing the bearing on 3,000 mile car seems silly. Some people say dont worry, just enjoy the car, and other people say change it out or youll have a beautiful lawn decoration.

The dealer i bought it from sells warrantys, ill buy one especially since it will cost roughly the same as replacing the bearing alone. Peace of mind and i can enjoy the car no matter what anybody says.

Thank you for all the replies, good and bad. I love my car and still love it despite all the ims hype. Ill post some pictures if chicago sees the sun anytime soon.

[jimmythemufflers]

Perfectlap, why should you change the oil every year if the car just sits? I cant see the oil breaking down if the engine isnt running. I would assume it would be no different than a quart of oil sitting on the back shelf collecting dust at the auto parts store.

Im not saying this to be argumentative, i just dont get why. Maybe if the car was stored outside exposed to the elements. With the number of posts you have i can only assume you know something i dont

[fatmike]

Originally Posted by jimmythemufflers

Perfectlap, why should you change the oil every year if the car just sits? I cant see the oil breaking down if the engine isnt running. I would assume it would be no different than a quart of oil sitting on the back shelf collecting dust at the auto parts store.

Im not saying this to be argumentative, i just dont get why. Maybe if the car was stored outside exposed to the elements. With the number of posts you have i can only assume you know something i dont

Why? Moisture in the oil is not your friend. Moisture in the oil built up over a decade? That's really not your friend. Do a search and look at folks go through to winterize their car every year. Ask yourself what happens to engine rings on cylinder heads (metal on metal) when it sits for a year, or 3 years, or 5 years, 10...?

You come to this board with folks with lots of hard earned lessons, ask some questions and get some answers. Maybe you like the answers and maybe you don't. But you've gotten a very consistent set of answers and you can choose to listen or not.

If it's me, I would change the all fluids. All means all. Brake fluid needs flushed every two years (not every 2 decades), the "lifetime" coolant is really good for 6 years. The filters (air and cabin) are probably crumbling. If your engine air filter crumbles, it could effect your MAF sensor (google) which will cause engine issues. This is a 5 minute DIY project that will cost $25. Belts on these cars need to be replaced regularly. Guess what happens to 20 year old belts (whether they were driven or not?). I would drive to the tire store to put new tires on, and that's about it on 20 year old tires.

Replace the coolant cap. Simple fix to prevent some serious issues.

I would put in a new IMS bearing. Why? Because the single row bearings fail at a rate near 10%, and many seem to suspect that the highest risk cars are the ones that got driven the least (and the oil sat around for years...). A failed IMS instantly grenades your engine. Period.

Did you buy a time bomb? Let's just say there was a class action law suit about the engine and there are plenty of facts out there about the weak spot in the engine (the IMS bearing). I didn't choose to replace my IMS, in part because my car was nearer to the end of it's life. Yours is at the START of it's life.

If you're not willing to do some preventative maintenance, this is the wrong car for you. The good news is this is easy stuff to fix up, then you'll have a cool reliable fun car.

Good luck with your new ride & welcome to the forum.


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[fatmike]

Originally Posted by jimmythemufflers

Ill post some pictures if chicago sees the sun anytime soon.

This thread is worthless without pictures.


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[fatmike]

Originally Posted by jimmythemufflers

The dealer i bought it from sells warrantys, ill buy one especially since it will cost roughly the same as replacing the bearing alone.

Do the maintenance, replace the IMS bearing. Save your $$ on the warranty. That is a waste of money.


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[jimmythemufflers]

[jimmythemufflers]

Her name is Epona. This car is just amazing. There are 2 things not right though. 1- the convertable top sensor isnt working because the dummy light is always on(red light with pic of the top half way
and 2-the drivers side tail light is brighter than the other one. Other than that its good as new.

I got a 4 year 60,000 mile warranty i paid for and it was about the same price as the ims bearing job. I now have the peace of mind to drive it like is was meant to be driven..

[BruceH]

Originally Posted by jimmythemufflers

You have excellent taste in color Enjoy