IMS Replacement Strategy

[Jake Raby]

Honestly we find most mistakes are made by seasoned veterans of the IMSR. Why? Because they learn that they can cut corners and get away with it, then do the job faster and make more money.

I'd take an attentive first timer any day over a guy thats done 50. Here we treat every one like the very first one that I ever did.

[Xpit77]

Had my 99 tip done a few weeks ago. 133 kms. I`ve only owned the car for a few months and couldn`t confirm if it had been done The bearing was still intact but the tech said the grease was drying out and it was only a matter of time. New LN and rear main good to go.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by Jake Raby

Honestly we find most mistakes are made by seasoned veterans of the IMSR. Why? Because they learn that they can cut corners and get away with it, then do the job faster and make more money.

I'd take an attentive first timer any day over a guy thats done 50. Here we treat every one like the very first one that I ever did.

Disturbing to read. I've found nearby (30 min drive) a shop that's an approved installer of the LNE Retrofit bearing that I had planned to use. Now you suggest I ask how many they've done and, if they say 50 or more, I should tell them, "Sorry. Won't be bringing my Boxster to you---that's way too many."

This is frustrating advice indeed, Jake.

[Nmbrsix]

I think LN may have changed their policy since Jake commented in this thread back in 2014. Their site now lists LN-approved installers.

My Single Row Pro was installed by an LN recommended installer in my area.

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by Frodo

Disturbing to read. I've found nearby (30 min drive) a shop that's an approved installer of the LNE Retrofit bearing that I had planned to use. Now you suggest I ask how many they've done and, if they say 50 or more, I should tell them, "Sorry. Won't be bringing my Boxster to you---that's way too many."

This is frustrating advice indeed, Jake.

Is the shop a Preferred Installer on the LN site (just a paid advertisement), or is the shop an IMS Solution Certified Installer? These Certified Installers are the only shops that have been trained, evaluated, and must conform to a Code Of Conduct.

That said, the act of doing something over and over again means nothing to us. We find that the more bearings a shop does, the more corners they learn to cut, and the least disciplined they become. This job isn't about speed, its about attention to detail, and proficiency, along with situational awareness.

Choose wisely, and the real question you should be asking (rather than how many have you done) is:

-Please explain your pre- qualification process thats carried out before the IMS Retrofit.

-Have you ver replaced an IMS Bearing that was already in the process of failure?

-How long does the IMS Retrofit procedure take to complete?

-Do you always change the oil when doing the IMS Retrofit procedure, or do you pour the old oil back in?

These are three keys to grade the shop's ethics...

Too many shops treat this like doing a brake job, they jam it out and don;t give a damn about the health of the engine otherwise.

trust me, I have seen it all... And its not getting better. The more people learn the corner cutting, the more haphazard the procedures have become.