Are 996s with LN Retrofit essentially “safe” from IMS failure?....
02-02-2019, 08:04 PM
#1
Are 996s with LN Retrofit essentially “safe” from IMS failure?....
Looking a a couple of 996s with the LN Retrofit, both with 30k miles after the retrofit was done (same time as new clutch for both) Can I assume IMS failure should not be concern?
02-02-2019, 08:40 PM
#3
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Well, I'm a total newby to the Porsche world and probably not at all qualified to comment. I just purchased a 996/911 and did a sick amount of research before making my purchase. I had the LN Retrofit bearing done when I purchased my car. The current bearing was just fine, and probably would not have had any issues. I thought the replacement was good insurance. From the research I had done, I could only find one documented LN Retrofit failure. It was a bit tainted as the car had been rear ended, and after they inspected the motor after failure, the bearing was actually fine, and the shaft had been the real culprit. I'm hoping for 100K out of mine. The originals were sealed. The LN Retrofit sits right in the oil and is constantly bathed. I don't think you could say with 100% confidence that any IMS bearing would be essentially "safe".
Kyle
Kyle
02-03-2019, 12:04 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
Are the installers certified? If so you should be fine. But there are other issues you need to research...
02-03-2019, 01:07 AM
#5
A year and a half ago I looked at the decision to install the retrofit or the solution. I found the retrofit to have significantly more installations with zero failures. Seemed like a no brainer to go with the retrofit which had years of additional real world trial over the solution (at the time). Now I sleep fine at night knowing the IMS issue has been completely addressed for the life of my car. Don't know if that helps.
02-03-2019, 10:12 AM
#6
Rennlist Member
The retro fit is not a forever fix, "The Solution" is.
02-03-2019, 11:42 AM
#7
Rennlist Member
It’s safe enough. Meaning that you are doing just about all you can and the rest is out of your control.
LN bearings don’t really fail, but you can still have any number of other issues.
If I had an LN bearing, I would be able to sleep at night knowing I did the ‘right’ thing. If you wanted a true bulletproof fix, buy a Turbo. Next best thing is a Jake Raby build. Both are much more expensive. So for the price, LN bearing is the way to go.
LN bearings don’t really fail, but you can still have any number of other issues.
If I had an LN bearing, I would be able to sleep at night knowing I did the ‘right’ thing. If you wanted a true bulletproof fix, buy a Turbo. Next best thing is a Jake Raby build. Both are much more expensive. So for the price, LN bearing is the way to go.
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02-03-2019, 03:38 PM
#9
Rennlist Member
The Solution is a plain bearing conversion. Plain bearings are what’s in your rods and crank. They won’t really wear out as long as they get good oil pressure and don’t get too hot. It costs more money to have The Solution done, but it basically 100% solves the IMSB problem.
02-03-2019, 03:41 PM
#10
Rennlist Member
there are literally so many ways that an engine can go belly up. To be considered safe is kind of amusing. I had the bearing installed and while the bearing was okay even after the engine blew up, the rest of the engine cracked like an eggshell. Crank broke, rods broke in half, cylinder walls had chunks missing.
She died doing what she loved. On track, being hustled like she was meant to.
There is no use spending . your life worrying about what could be. Enjoy the car. It's a mass produced machine. I laugh at all the people stowing away their GT3s in the garage never to see the light of a upper rev range. SMH
Now looking for an engine for its rise from the ashes......
She died doing what she loved. On track, being hustled like she was meant to.
There is no use spending . your life worrying about what could be. Enjoy the car. It's a mass produced machine. I laugh at all the people stowing away their GT3s in the garage never to see the light of a upper rev range. SMH
Now looking for an engine for its rise from the ashes......
02-03-2019, 03:42 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
The solution is a plain bearing with an oil feed off a flange between the engine case and oil filter. The LN bearing is an upgraded roller bearing similar to the bearings the were originally installed. The turbo and earlier air cooled engines, along with the 9A1 and newer engines produced since 2009, all used oil fed plain bearings. The solution kit is more expensive than the roller bearing replacement kits.
02-03-2019, 04:16 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
The solution is a plain bearing with an oil feed off a flange between the engine case and oil filter. The LN bearing is an upgraded roller bearing similar to the bearings the were originally installed. The turbo and earlier air cooled engines, along with the 9A1 and newer engines produced since 2009, all used oil fed plain bearings. The solution kit is more expensive than the roller bearing replacement kits.
02-04-2019, 10:43 AM
#14
Rennlist Member
http://www.imsretrofit.com/ims-check/
If an IMS Solution was installed, there is no service interval as it's permanent and there are no moving parts to fail.
02-04-2019, 10:54 AM
#15
Burning Brakes
I did not know that. I know the IMS shaft allows the use of a single head design that can be used on either bank. I assume then that the 9A1 has bank specific heads.