Hi, this is my first post. I recently bought a 2008 Cayman S with 60K miles. Bought it from an older gentleman, first owner, who had kept all records, and changed the oil frequently. He even had a report from a mechanic indicating that the bores had been scoped earlier this year, in preparation to sell the car. I took the car to a reputable independent shop this week to replace the shift cables and to take a look at the brakes. When they inspected the car they noted a rear main seal leak. Sent pictures which showed an area of accumulated oil and dirt. That leak is not of too much concern (yet), but they also said that if they were to replace the seal they could also replace the IMS flange seal with an upgraded one which would significantly reduce the chance of an IMS failure. I have read a fair amount on this and other forums about the IMS issue, and I understand it is uncommon in the 987.1. I was not aware of any upgraded seal. They were also suggesting replacing the clutch and possibly the flywheel depending on what condition it was in. They quoted $3200 if they were to do all of this. I would appreciate any input that would guide my next steps. Thanks!

 

If the car is at 60k and you're spending all the labor to remove the transmission anyways, a new clutch should definitely be on the menu. That said, if driven by an old man, the clutch may still have some life left in it. Might be a game day decision after looking at it when it's pulled. I'd replace it personally. Reset the clock on it so to speak.

 

Thanks, that makes sense. My primary question is, how pressing is it to get this work done, in terms of reducing the risk of IMS failure. And I need to better understand what the deal is with this upgraded seal. Like how much difference does it make.

 

I have my engine from my 2007 Cayman S currently torn down and am familiar with the parts. I am confused about your shops terminology. On the 987.1 cars, the IMS bearing is a press fit on the IM shaft. Holding the shaft at the IMS bearing end there is a fitting, Item 14 below, that the PET calls a bearing cover. It has a seal , Item 15. This seal just keeps oil from escaping from the crankcase. It is relatively easy to replace with the engine out. That said, replacing it will do nothing to improve the life of your IMS bearing. To do that, the only solution is to split the case and replace the bearing. Splitting the case is of course major surgury and not to be entered into lightly. So maybe I am confused but I would double check with the shop to if the seal they are talking about is on the bearing cover. Now there is an upgraded seal for the rear main shaft. It is generally referred to by Jake Raby and others as the PTFE seal. That would be a worthy upgrade. This may be what they were talking about. I believe it is the default seal sold by Porsche. You can recognize it as it has a brightly colored protective insert that pushes off as the seal is inserted, protecting the seal from contaminants as it is installed.

You will not like the parts cost but your clutch and/or the dynamic balancing flywheel may be a few tens of thousands of miles from failure. Mine got replaced by the PO at around 75K. If it were me, I would replace the flywheel, and the clutch components now. The flywheel in particular, which has a rubber annulus, is worn down by engine miles and the environment, not by smokey burnouts, etc.

 

Replacing the IMS flange seal has no bearing on IMS life (pun not intended). While in there to replace the IMS flange seal, the grease seal should be removed and that will indeed extend the life of your non-serviceable IMS bearing. This is a must while in there.

https://lnengineering.com/products/t...s-bearing.html

 

What Charles said. I was not sure if the seal could be removed without splitting the case so it is good that Charles confirmed that can be done. Yes, removing the grease seal provides "splash lubrication", which helps extend the life of the bearing.

 

Well, I couldn't have asked for information from a more authoritative source. Thank you very much. Part of me wants to wait another 10-15K miles or until the leak gets worse, just from the point of view of getting more life from the clutch and flywheel. Would that be associated with much more risk re: IMS bearing? Also could you please give me your thoughts on the PTFE seal mentioned by harveyf? Below are photos of the area around the leak in case that is helpful.

 

Thank you, that is very helpful!

 

The fixing or not fixing oil leak will have little to do with the life of your original IMS bearing other than you obviously will want to get the grease seal off the bearing as soon as possible as that's the only thing that will extend the life of the bearing.

If it has been already been recommended to replace the rear main seal, it's for sure not going to get any better. For sure, the only rear main seal you want to use is the most current Genuine Porsche seal. Do not use any aftermarket seals:

https://lnengineering.com/products/rms.html

 

For what it's worth, my RMS is lightly leaking too. And I also have a clutch with about 55k on it that has no issues. But my car has 162k on the odometer so "saving my IMS" doesn't feel realistic. The car is new to me (got it super cheap) and my decision as of right now is just to drive the car and keep tabs on the oil level. I'll slide a pan under it when it's in my garage. I just did an oil change with LiquiMoly A40 spec 5w40 and 2 bottles of Ceratec so we'll see if that does anything for the time being. Some have said that changing oils can tighten up the leak sometimes. I work from home though and only drive my Cayman S (which is only one of many cars I have) a few thousand miles a year. So your mileage may vary. Pun intended.

 

Great, thank you! I ran this by the owner of the shop (Kevin at RennWorx in Asheville) and he said that he was a friend of yours and that is exactly what he would do.

 

Sounds like a good strategy to me!

 

Kevin is a great guy. You are in good hands!