Jake Raby Question
 

Local dealer says $1200.00 for IMS LN Engineering bearing in a manual trans and

about $2000.00 for a Tiptronic, which I have. Does this sound right? Is there that

much more involved in the Tip removal to install the bearing?

Everything is more difficult with a tip. I charge 500.00 more to do the procedure to a tip car than a manual.

Those prices are dirt cheap, they must be hungry over there!

Not sure about the Boxster, but in the 996 cars the engine and gearbox must be dropped as a unit, and then separated out of the car, which is not a fun job in and of itself, as access to the bolts to that hold the torque converter to the flexplate (flywheel on an automatic car) is through the opening in the bellhousing where the starer sits (you remove the starter).

Those prices seem pretty reasonable for the amount of work involved.

In a Boxster the Tip tranny can be removed with the engine remaining in the car, but it is no fun at all.

I'd never do an IMS procedure for that kind of money, but then again we do way more than just the retrofit and we helped develop the tools and procedure.

Thank you for the information. $1200 seemed like pretty cheap IMS "insurance"

to me.

This quote over the phone was from Reeves Imports, the local Porsche dealer

here in Tampa. They usually anren't considered the cheapest place to have work

done!

Didn't even ask about a PCA discount which they normally give!

Rob C.

That's pretty close to the labor when I had mine done on a manual transmission. $1200 doesn't include the bearing and puller tool, right?

The guy I bring my S to, recommended by a board member, so far has been great and I am very impressed with his work. Top quality.
For the clutch replacement he charges $430 on labor. I imagine doing the IMS at the same time he would charge me probably another $210-300 at the most (labor only). As the IMS retrofit kit is in the $700-800 ballpark from what I know, a full clutch replacement plus IMS kit would not cost more than $1800-1900 what is very cheap considering what you are getting for.
Others may charge way more per hour than this guy over here does.
Anyone has any idea how much more work it is to replace the IMS once you are already doing the clutch? I mean if you need 6-7 hours to do the clutch, how much more labor (timewise) to do the IMS?

I guess that is what we get when healthcare is free. Cheaper labor overall. :D

CR

I asked what it would cost to have the IMS bearing replaced and this is what I

was told 1200man/2000tip. I assumed that included the part/s. Hopefully a

$600 IMS bearing was not going to be a later surprise as an additional cost

on top of the $1200.

Might want to ask. Note that the different bearings have different prices.

Ask the question this way
 

What is the total charge on a '03 TIP to install the LN IMS bearing bolt, cover etc parts and labor all included.

Then ask how many they have done.

They are probably quoting the factory parts.

If your 986 is 02 and older and a TIP, I would not worry about it my self. Mine is a 2000 S with a 3.2 with 68K. Usually the IMS fails before the 60K mark. If it's stick I would maybe consider it when I needed a new clutch.:cheers:

It is a 1998 Tiptronic, 26K mi.

I asked about the LN Engineering IMS bearing when I spoke to the service

advisor. They are listed on the LN Eng web site as installers and I wanted to

make sure they still were.

I'll call again tomorrow for clarification.

If a 98, you certainly have the dual row bearing, which I would worry considerably less about. Being a 98, I'd be much more concerned about the risk of suffering a slipped sleeve.

Not sure I would agree with that anymore... I just recently did the IMS bearing retrofit on my 2000 Boxster S 70k miles 6-speed, lets just say the factory dual row bearing was not looking too good. I was very glad I had it replaced along with a new clutch and RMS. There was way too much play in the center bolt and when rotating the bearing you could feel the grittiness of worn bearings as it turned. :eek:

Sounds exactly like my 2000 S @ 88,500 miles when I tried to remove the seal frome the IMS bearing the bearing outer race came off also & bearings spilled out.
:eek:

Sounds like we can all retract our statements that the dual row bearing is more reliable....

The dual row bearing is more reliable, BUT they still fail.
The dual row arrangement is twice as robust as the single.

Yes. single row.
While you can't update to a dual row, you can upgrade to a hybrid ceramic single row.

WHAT?????????? I changed the clutch and RMS on my 996 turbo without dropping the engine.

996 and 996 Turbo are completely different monsters to work on....

Reeves Imports
 

After reading numerous posts here, I called Reeves Imports (Porsche) to see if they did the retrofit w/LN bearing etc... . They said that they had performed HUNDREDS and were in compliance with warranty requirements. So, I had everything done along with clutch kit all bearings blah-blah. They said my paperwork was in the car. Next day I call Raby's shop to see what I have to do and was told that Reeves had to send in the old bearing along with paperwork. Called Reeves and was told that they never had to send in anything and would call me back. Never did and all my calls have now revealed that they give a two year unlimited warranty from Reeves. WTF! Reeves advertises on PCA websites and should be dropped. They act as if they are qualified to properly perform this service, and obviously are not. All the other folks like me are probably unaware of this. Maybe, some of them will read this post and contact their attorney as I have.

What's the difference? They give you a warranty instead of LN?
Doesn't LN's warranty cover only the part?

Not sure what is your problem and what you expect them to do.
If your engine will blow up tomorrow, LN will not cover it even if the bearing was sent to them. So if reeves gives you 2 years warranty, you are in a better situation then most people who replaced the bearing.
Unless I'm missing something here :confused:

Reeves
 

Read Jake's warranty if done by approved technicians. Three times the warranty given by Reeves. That's the problem. I don't want to change the friggin bearing every two years or risk failure. Are you a Reeves technician?

Reeves
 

Maybe I'm reading Jake's info wrong? Yes, the engine may disintegrate today, but with 27000 mi.,I was hoping to get to 30. Not accustomed to the attitude of expecting something to fail just because it's a Porsche.
I've owned several without problems. I appreciate all the knowledge provided on this forum and hope new Boxster owners are more diligent than I.

On LN's website it says two year warranty for the LN retrofit, but that doesn't cover the labor nor anything that will need replacing in case of a failure.

They RECOMMEND replacing every 6 years: IMS - Products LN Engineering
But the warranty says 2 years: Dual Row IMS Retrofit Kit for MY97-01 - IMS - Products LN Engineering

The engine won't blow up just because the garage didn't give you LN warranty nor do you have to change the bearing every two year ;)

Meir and I both installed ours ourself, no warranty... at all, still running ;)

Reeves
 

:cheers:Thanks for relieving some worry.

LN like to see the bearing that came out of the car just to confirm is was not already failing. If it is good, their warranty on the part is in effect. If they don't see it, they will not warranty the new part. This is a particularly important step to take when you install the $1800 IMS Solution, which gets a 5 year warranty when they see the original bearing.

I called numerous Porsche mechanical shops in Florida and half a dozen claimed to perform the IMS SOLUTION, having had the training from Jake. Called Jake's and was told that they were FOS. Reeves even claimed to have taken Jake's class in Georgia. Cannot be too careful when dealing with anyone touching a P. Love my little Box, but am now leery of alleged certified P mechanics. :o

Then do it yourself........

For that matter, being "qualified" is not that critical; we do IMS Solutions, and we are not an "approved" shop, by our own choice.

If I knew how I would. Glad you have the knowledge and space to fix your cars. Some of us are not so inclined. I can shoot, play war, jump from planes, and patch a bullet hole. Can't fix a car or toilet. Wife says I'm only good for walking the dog. The dog doesn't act enthused. C'est la ve.
De Oppresso Liber

Just cause a shop isn't on the 'approved' list, doesn't mean they aren't qualified or know what they are doing. Some simply don't want to spend the money to get on the approved list....but are more than qualified to do this job.

14 posts in and you are already bashing people and local indy shops. Nice.

First off, we don't sell, or manage any aspect of the bearing retrofit program. There are NO Certified Installers in Florida, my facility is the closest to your location. A list of Certified Installers can be found at IMS Solution – IMS Solution – permanent fix for M96/M97 engines intermediate shaft bearing problem

These are the people who have been invited to the program after excelling in our hands on classes, then they have been further trained, and ultimately evaluated to become a Certified Installer. These shops must follow a strict Code Of Conduct, and log every installation, along with old parts, and photos to be submitted to LN Engineering.

That said, never call us for anything other than my version of the IMS Retrofit procedure to be carried out here, or to purchase an engine.

Why? Because we are developers, and we don't deal with program management, or sales of individual bearing kits. The last time I did that was in 2009, but today we don;t even have a way to sell a part, and would;t, even if we could... I hate selling parts, it gets in our way.

My facility is the last place that you should call for information about installers. There's no need to call anyway; because, if a shop isn't listed on the IMS Solution – IMS Solution – permanent fix for M96/M97 engines intermediate shaft bearing problem website, that shop has never been evaluated, and is NOT a Certified Installer- period.

I'm only bashing shops that have said they were authorized. I'm sure there are very qualified technicians around, but they needn't give themselves a false bump to make a sale. Once revealed, it makes them look like liars. Sorry you are pissed, but not all independent or dealer service managers are honorable. I guess I need to look at it like AC repairmen. Also, within my 14 posts, you see I'm as uninformed as can be.
Jake's place was going to do the Solution for $5000 + flat-bedding. I went with a locally PCA advertised company. Honesty is becoming more rare daily.

I can't shoot.
I can't patch a bullet hole.
I can't fix a modern car.
I can't fix a toilet.
I don't own a dog.
I can kill spiders, and that makes the wife happy.


It sounds like you might be x-military? If so,.....thank you for your service.

My very few skills are for another lifetime and place. I don't kill critters. I catch and release. Humans are the only true threat on this ball. Dishonesty, lack of respect, and hubris will destroy us. The critters win in the end.
Thank you!
SF'er

Jake,
In Feb. and Mar. Tanz Tech Auto Repair (Sarasota) was on the list. After calling them I wanted to make sure they were legit. You have some good folks up there that answered questions, w/o attitude, and debunked Tanz. Humility ain't your forte.

I have...
 

.....participated in one of Jake's online engine seminars and it was spectacular.

Even better, however, I shipped my 2004 Boxster S to Jake's shop and had his staff replace my IMS with the "IMS Solution" and also replace the clutch, rear main seal, water pump, air oil separator, spark plugs, serpentine belt, idler pulleys, and cam chain tensioners.

I've put 10,000 miles on the car since I got her back and am happy as a clam.

My wife and I have enjoyed drives to Missouri, Lone Star LeMans in Austin, Charleston, Savannah, and Deal's Gap in this wonderful machine since Jake did the work.

As part of his IMS service, he installed a spin-on oil filter adaptor and I am running Napa Gold oil filters as per his recommendation with the Lake Speed/Jake Raby developed Driven DT40 motor oil.

I want to shout out loud from the highest mountain top how wonderful the entire experience has been. I've never been happier with an automotive service.

My wife was VERY worried, and very vocal(!), about me buying a Porsche Boxster to replace our faithful Miata that has never let us down over 400,000 miles.

She's a believer now.

THAT is priceless.

Thank you Jake Raby!!!!!!

"The value remains, long after the price is forgotten."

:cheers:

10K miles in just a few months! Drive it! Thats what they love.
Thanks for the kind words, you were also great to deal with.

Jake...
 

...Indeed!

I'm driving her to Fredericksburg, Texas this weekend for the "Boxstoberfest" drive in the Texas Hill Country.

And the following weekend we are driving her to Colorado for a week of Aspen peeping and canyon carving.

And in October she is taking us to F1 at COTA.

After 23 years of Miata ownership, this Boxster is the dream car I always wanted and your service has made that dream a reality.

:cheers: