If I was thinking of buying a new 986 for $65k dollars back in 2002, knowing about this IMSB issue would have been a big deterrent.
But in most cases here we are talking about 12-16 year old cars with 10s of thousands of miles and multiple owners. 100k miles is not the end of life on cars anymore like cars of the 80s and 90s. Many are buying these cars with 100k+miles and having good experiences with them.
I have fallen into the preventive maintenance thought, trying to stay ahead of issues. Therefore I have come to think of the IMSB like timing belt replacements on many other cars. There are many that don't change the belt or the IMSB and just keep driving them without problems.
What ever you think of those that have a stake in selling IMSB replacements, one thing is true.
The ability to change the 986/996 IMSB is possible and routine now by DIYs with the motor in the car. That by itself is a good thing

I'd start with the steel bearing retrofit sold by Pelican; is was designed from the outset to be the "low cost" alternative to the ceramic hybrid. Some individuals have also started sourcing their own steel "off the shelf" bearings for replacement, again to keep costs down. At best, these bearings have the same life expectancy as the factory bearings.

Using an "open"style bearing such as the LN or some other retrofits on an engine with circulating metal debris quite often leads to very quick failure of the new IMS bearing. If the pre retrofit inspection finds metal, we stop the process and will not move forward. If the engine is full of metal, it needs to come out an apart for a full rebuild. Installing a new IMS bearing is throwing money away.

the PO put in the Pelican Bearing (low cost - high end independent did the job). Staying with your thought, if oil changes continue to show no evidence of debris, then treat this bearing as OEM - what is the safe mileage again?


I appreciate marketing hype, but I also appreciate subtlety and appreciation for the demographics intelligence ... I just got a lot of 'the sky is falling!!'

Good points though ... especially the death one :P

Unfortunately, it isn't "marketing hype". We have only seen one or two engines that were full of metal and survived more than 100 miles after thoroughly flushing the oil system and installing a new IMS bearing out of perhaps a dozen attempts. Far more common is for the new IMS to start to come apart in 50-100 miles due to debris getting into the new bearings. It only takes one particle of metal to get into the bearing to kill it, which is why we stop when ferrous debris is found in the sump or filter. For us, it simply is not worth the grief to move forward on something we know has little chance of success. While very few people hear about the dozens of successful retrofits, it seems everyone hears about the one that goes south.

I'll chime in....
 

.....I owned a Miata for over twenty years and always dreamed of owning a Boxster. Two years ago I decided it was time.

After reading that Road & Track columnist Peter Egan's Boxster's IMS failed and grenaded his engine, I was concerned about buying one of these machines.

I stumbled upon a 2004 SE with only 25,000 miles on her by chance almost immediately.

The car was maintained, by the book, by a Porsche dealer.

I did the research, on this forum and others.

I called Flat 6 and spoke with Judd. He didn't know me from Adam. It was a cold call, out of the blue. He talked with me for over an HOUR. Just a couple of fellas talking about cars. He told me their procedures and how Jake Raby operates and...well...I just had a good feeling about them after our phone call. Trust your gut, I always say.

So I bought this gorgeous car, drove her home.....And parked her for two months.

My wife thought I was crazy.

I did NOT drive her because I had an appointment to ship the car to Jake Raby and Judd at Flat 6 to perform the IMS "Solution" and other preventative upgrades.

I was not home when the car was picked up by the flat bed driver. My wife was home alone to greet the driver. He was such a professional, that my wife felt very comfortable with what I was doing.

I get the car back, and we've now put 15,000 miles on her in about 15 months. We've driven her to Missouri, Charleston, Savannah, Tail of the Dragon, Aspen, Colorado, all over. And it has been freaking EPIC!!!!

I got lucky. My car passed the pre-work inspection.

Raby gave me complete documentation of EVERYTHING. I have photos and VIDEO of all the parts, everything. And a nice door jam sticker proclaiming the "Solution" is spinning inside.

I can now use a Napa spin-on oil filter, nice.

I have piece of mind that my wife & I won't be stranded in BFE because of an IMS.

As far as I'm concerned, the "Solution" is the way to go--NO MOVING PARTS. Simple.

These things aren't Toyotas. Just factor in the cost of a "Solution", Air/oil separator, water pump, Rear Main Seal, and cam chain tensioners into the price of buying one of these lovely machines. Simple.

If that's too much money for you, then buy a Miata and start enjoying life.

:cheers: