If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

[Topless]

Take good care of your car with frequent oil changes and drive it like you stole it. When it finally goes, you had to take the motor out anyways right? Just replace it with a shiny 4.0L

[thom4782]

So here's a contrarian view...

If you plan to keep your car a long time, say past 200K miles, then the IMS solution makes economic sense compared to putting in the LN Retrofit or Gen 2 Pro. The risk you're taking is whether some other critical engine component will fail before you reach your mileage goal. And that's hard to know.

I just faced the same issue when the clutch needed replacing at 125K miles. My camshaft deviations were close to out of spec. So I had the shop replace the chain rails, the variocam solenoids and thoroughly inspect the lifters and other items before making the IMSB decision. I went ahead and installed the Solution. If my bet doesn't pay out so be it. I'd rather bet on an engine I know over the lifetime of the car rather than one that comes from wreck in a junkyard.

BTW: My OEM bearing looked great - almost brand new - when it was take out and it didn't wobble at all. When I removed the outer seal, however, it was clear the grease had been washed out. It was only a matter of time before it would have failed.

[Giller]

Originally Posted by thom4782

So here's a contrarian view...

If you plan to keep your car a long time, say past 200K miles, then the IMS solution makes economic sense compared to putting in the LN Retrofit or Gen 2 Pro. The risk you're taking is whether some other critical engine component will fail before you reach your mileage goal. And that's hard to know.

I just faced the same issue when the clutch needed replacing at 125K miles. My camshaft deviations were close to out of spec. So I had the shop replace the chain rails, the variocam solenoids and thoroughly inspect the lifters and other items before making the IMSB decision. I went ahead and installed the Solution. If my bet doesn't pay out so be it. I'd rather bet on an engine I know over the lifetime of the car rather than one that comes from wreck in a junkyard.

BTW: My OEM bearing looked great - almost brand new - when it was take out and it didn't wobble at all. When I removed the outer seal, however, it was clear the grease had been washed out. It was only a matter of time before it would have failed.

While all good points - spending $4000 on a part that may or may not break (and it's not even 50/50 - there is far more chance it will never break) can be a bit overwhelming for some. Really, replacing the IMS to me is akin to 'taking out engine insurance'. It's really personal choice how one wants to spend their money.
IMS seems to be more a personal opinion vs. hard fact unfortunately. If only Porsche would release more info, we might all have a cleared view of the actual percentage/risks.