Is IMS Retrofit the Solution for the Porsche 996?
A little proactive maintenance now could save you big bucks (and a big headache) in the future!
For Porsche owners, the acronym IMS undoubtedly conjures up feelings of anxiety. The Intermediate Shaft Bearing isn’t a wholly complicated part, but it can cause some big problems. When the IMS bearing wears out, it throws the valve timing off, leading to valve-to-piston contact. At that point, your engine is essentially toast, as it won’t be accepted as a core when you go shopping for a replacement. Sadly, this problem is one most Porsche 996 owners are more than familiar with.
There are ways to avoid this catastrophic problem, of course. Many replace their IMS bearings before they reach this point of no return as a bit of proactive maintenance. An even better option is an IMS retrofit kit like the one from LN Engineering. LN bearings feature a dual row of ball bearings in place of Porsche’s single row setup, which allows for 90% more load capacity. And in turn, longer service life.
With all the information surrounding this hot topic (some real and some not so much) floating around the internet, Rennlist member titan7 understandably went to the forums for some reliable answers.
“Looking at picking up a 996. Read that there is an IMS retro fit that will solve the grenade potential on the motor. They are just priced so low, I figure just add $1500-$2k for the IMS change. Correct?”
The responses came hot and heavy. But surprisingly, they all lean in one clear direction.
“There’s a pretty general consensus that the IMS Solution from LN Engineering is a permanent fix,” said Sula.“The cost of just the parts can reach $1500, and the labor will typically be more. It more or less requires that the engine be removed, which is time-consuming (and thus expensive) but allows other jobs to be done at the same time (e.g. RMS, AOS, clutch).
The IMS Solution is by no means the only choice. Googling will reveal plenty of others, with varying reviews. None are quick or easy to install.”
The recommendations for LN’s bearing kept pouring in.
“Prior to picking up my 2001 C4, I had the 6/75,000 Pro bearing from LN Engineering installed,” added todcp.“Cost was $1750 total, but I added a new clutch and RMS, so I paid just over $2300. The smart solution for long term use is ‘the solution’ from LN Engineering.”
