I plan on having my IMS replaced soon.... any opinions between the $1000 LN version vs. the $500 PSR9Line https://www.psr9line.com/products/im...rrera-psr9line

For reference I am driving a 2002 996.2 TIP with 58,700mi I do not track but I do Haul *** on the highway!

 

Instead of having your Intermediate Shaft (IMS) replaced, please consider having your Intermediate Shaft Bearing (IMSB) replaced. It will be far cheaper. Don't go cheap on this one. Recommend the LN Solution. Good luck.

 

The PSR9 seems to be the bearing and RMS included....

 

Rms is a $10 part. I would go with the LN IMSB Retro or Solution.

If you want a permanent fix go Solution. If you are like me and don't have a problem with replacing the LN Retro in 7 years or so, then go with the Retro.

Bottom line: Don't skimp on proven parts that keep your engine running.

 

Lot's of options. A few things to ponder:

Every IMS bearing replacement has similar labour overhead and "while you are in there parts update" including Clutch, flywheel, RMS and AOS. Labour hours for any IMS bearing replacement is in the neighbourhood of 10 to 14 hours.

Labour is expensive. I like new parts if they offset the risk of future labour.

I chose the LE "Solution" as it does not ever require replacement. This is the most expensive way to address the IMS bearing risk.

I was speaking to a very experienced tech. He buys a $20 bearing, takes the seals off of it, and put it in. That's the least expensive option IMHO.

My thought process was to reduce future costs, I put in the Solution. I planned on keeping the car for a long time. If I was only going to keep the car for a short while, maybe I would do nothing or the least expensive option.

 

That PSR9 website is so unprofessionally put together. That alone tells you something.

 

Thank you all, great advice,... I have a few items on my list with LN and it appears we will stay with them.... would hate for cheap decisions to beget expensive results.

 

Do not use the PSR option. All the options, LN, EPS, Direct feed use a bearing without seals. The PSR option is a sealed bearing. It also requires you to remove and press fit the new bearing, and what you then have is a new bearing with the ssame issue. I used the LN Retrofit.

 

The psr version doesn’t have a Center bolt . A significant amount of failures are due to the boot snapping at the thin shoulder .
the l&n has a beefed up Center bolt to emilinate this . Not all imsb failures are the bearings

 

Check out the IMS Solution. I've never heard of PSR9 so I can't speak about them. However I have personally dealt with both Jake (Flat6) and Charles (LN) and both are top notch experts in the field. When it comes to your Porsche I'd stick with the best.

 

I wouldn't install anything but The IMS Solution.

 

I have the IMS Solution in my Boxster S and 996 C4 . Once and done . One less thing to worry about .

 

Guess I'll play devils advocate, and look at it a little different than many.

But agree the ims solution oil fed bushing is probably the longest lasting most permanent fix. My problem,, is it over kill to put in a bearing solution that will most certainly out last by many times the planned obsolescence of the basic 996 motor construction...?"

By 100k miles ALL the experts on 996 engine building say the cyl loco-sil structure fails, causing massive out of round/taper to the cylinders creating a ripe condition for bore scoring. Some say it happens much sooner in some low maintenance cars... did Porsche engineers plan this obsolesce. They knew in just a few years of 996 production of all the block structure problems, taper, out of round, bore score, and the 996 engines planned in spec lifespan of under <100k. But continued on with silicone impregnated aluminum non coated cyl blocks. Maybe Porsche engineers figure, well, it is a hi strung sports car so 100k meticulously maintained miles in a 996 is a decent life span.

So my question is, why over do the imsb with a $2000+ solution (imsb parts only) when the rest of the motor is either toasted or on its way out soon. From my experience, a bushing set up like in the LN setup with oil feed of sufficient lubrication might go 500,000 miles and still be good to go, unless the oil feed line lets go.

why reinvent the wheel..? Instead of a very expensive extreme forever lasting retrofit to a oil fed bushing, maybe just install a good quality ball bearing and feed it with a few cc of oil. Or if the car getting the 'imsb fix' has >50k miles on it, maybe just a decent quality ball bearing with no seals, probably will out last the rest of the engine...? Could be the best solution for the guy not ever planning on a engine rebuild that cost as much as the car did, but needs to change out a 60k miles imsb thats maybe about to have a problem.

One exception to all the above, if we're talking about a maybe on average $20-40k+ sleeved/nik'd cyls, etc, + x51, etc, fully built engine,,, then by all means continue the build with a LN forever solution, as long as all other problem areas be retrofitted properly...

jmho

 

I am using the LN IMS solution in my self assembled 4.0. My logic is I don’t want to replace it again.

 

I'm not an expert, but I don't think bore scoring has to do with number of miles, it's really the result of "excessive heat events" that can cause the cylinders to get slightly out of round. Once slightly out of round, wear happens quickly. No excessive heat events = no bore scoring in my opinion. The 996 cylinders are more prone to going out of round from excessive heat events because the cylinders aren't encased in a block like a normal engine.

Absent exceptional events, water-cooled 911 engines should have very long longevity (way, way more than 100k miles). The air-cooled had far less longevity -- the 74-77 2.7 being the worst case where heat would cook the engines to requiring rebuilds at 40k miles. The 911 SC was the air cooled exception and was often good to 200k miles.

This is a 3.4 liter 996.1, but 325k miles on the original engine and original IMS (dual row) -- https://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/cto...634420153.html