2005 2.7 Question
 

I think this is a simple question.

Does the 2005 2.7 boxster have the same IMS Issues as the earlier models?

Thanks once again in advance for all the Great Help from you guys!

Bart

It has a roller bearing IMS just like the pre 05's but supposedly the bearing is better than the pre 05's with a big difference. It can't be easily changed because it is a bigger diameter than the flange hole in the block. The engine has to be split to get at it or the hole can be drilled larger (YIKES!) There isa process for this but man that is a scary proposition.

The 09 dispenses with the IMS and bearing all together. Probably the way the M96/97 should have been designed to start with.

I think it also depends when in 05 it was manufactured. I've heard tell that the early 05's are identical as Porsche wanted to use up parts. Later 05's switched to the bigger bearing. 06 is big bearing, 09 no bearing.

^^^ This ^^^

2005 was a transition yr from the replaceable IMS to the non-replaceable one. Chances are if the car was assembled in 2004, it has the replaceable IMS. Anything built from Jan 2005 to probably May could be either. Porsche didn't keep records so there's no way to know unless you drop the trans. The replaceable IMS fails at an 8-10% rate while the non-replaceable IMS fails at a 1% rate. By non-replaceable, I mean the one that requires the engine to be torn completely apart to be replaced (or drilled out) - essentially it's not replaceable without a lot of work.

The 2005 was a crossover year. It either has the single row ball bearing or the larger single row ball bearing and there is no way of knowing what it has without pulling the transmission off and looking at the IMS bearing area. Porsche had a habit of pulling whatever short block was handy at the time. No the engine number doesn't help. No the VIN doesn't help. The experts on this have all said they have been surprised more than once so to be sure they have said look and see.

reference: New to the IMS Retrofit? – IMS Retrofit

Your probability of failure varies with which bearing your engine has from ~1% per car year to ~.1% per car year.