Jake Raby

With anything mechanical there is NO WAY to absolutely know why something fails.. Sure, I could make up some big words and explain in 10,000 words why the bearing fails, but then I'd be just like every other person telling you what you want to hear.... Because thats easy.

Fact is so many aspects of the engine impact the IMS that anyone that was stupid enough to stick his head out with a single failure inducing element would certainly be both a liar and a fool.

The materials the IMSR bearing are made of were not available when the M96 engine was designed. They were still being used in Human prosthesis and military weapons applications and too costly for inclusion into a production automobile. I did use these materials in air-cooled Porsche engines for lifters as early as 1999 and have been working with them every since. Silicon Nitride is awesome!

jferrer1

Jake,
You never answered my question regarding signs and symptoms of the IMS failure. Do they ALL show signs of a drip (moisture, wet or a drip). If so can preventative maintenance be to look for signs of a leak a proactively do the upgrade when warranted.

jferrer1

Good video showing a PPI with mechanic diagnosing "wet" junction at the engine transmission junction. This is what all 996 owner should be doing before and after purchase to monitor the IMS/RMS leaks. In reading these threads it seems no one mentions preventative "looking" to reduce the chances of engine failures. Interesting to note how the tech in the video discards the wet old drip as "a common problem" nothing to worry about...hmmm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP5FbfNrJ0A

Pac996

Since you guys like the stuff here's a couple of the noise said to be the IMS after failure. 1st video sounds what I would think is IMS but the 2nd video kind of sounds mainly like a collapsed hydrolic lifter. Oh yah, so much for shutting the engine down after the sound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruLdi...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ8mN...eature=related

DCP

I'm confused. I thought that turbos didn't have this problem. Both those videos are turbos.

Jake Raby

I didn't answer the question partly because it would require a blanket statement I am not willing to make.

No two failures are the same, as soon as I state that failures always have oil leakage prior to failure someone would prove that wrong..

I've seen some bearings that only had oil leakage AFTER the failure occurred, others leak for days or months before letting go.

One would have to work with mechanical things daily to understand my position, there are no absolutes. Thats why I don't ride roller coasters.

Shark Attack

Joking... 5000 words will be fine.... Tee hee... I am trying to find an indy to do your retro now to my car. A place here in town called RennSport will be calling or emailing you in the next day or so. Seems like a really nice guy. His name is Charlie.

99C2

Jake:

If I visit you facility do you have a show room where we can see your improvements and modifications. I travel the country and will be in ATL very soon.

Question - In order to bullet proof the M96 what would you reccomend be done to the engine.
- IMS for sure but what else should we consider.

Thanks,
99C2

Ahmet

That's because most drips from there come from the RMS and never progress into anything beyond that. Most techs have that experience. Conversely, somebody that specializes in IMS failures (and makes money off of a retrofit) has a different experience, and people on the internet have the inclination to be worried about hysteria. There are hundreds of thousands of these cars on the road, and dozens of them every weekend on track. Knock on wood, but I've yet to see a failure, or hear of one first hand in years of instructing for the PCA amongst others. I personally have put tens of thousands of miles on M96 based motors. The worst I've seen as a mechanic (don't do that anymore) was a failed cam actuator. Oddly I've seen dozens of those on M-Bs, BMWs AUDIs, etc.

I find it absurd that somebody can be too worried to drive the car 200 miles (Shark Attack) to get a retrofit done without any symptoms what so ever. I think this goes in line with being primed for a problem, and reading about the worst consequences of it. It's like asking my mother (a surgeon) about a possible health issue. According to her, if I get a stiff neck after snowboarding, there's a 90% chance that I'm about to be paralyzed, and if I get some pain in my knee after running 5 miles, it's a permanent injury. Both are possibilities, neither are likely. If I listened to her, I'd have been hospitalized 6 times this week! When you know all the possibilities, you tend to worry quite a bit...

4Scargo

Yeah Jake, me too. What would you do to a 996 (3.6 in my case) to make it "go the distance"

BTW I have had a 912E in my garage for the last 30 years....just gave it to my daughter. Love that car. Peru Red

Jake Raby

We do not have a showroom, my facility is situated more like a lab and testing facility more than a conventional shop... We don't see many clients face to face.

I would be happy to show you around when you are in town.. We have tons of broken parts and updated parts on hand at all times.

Due to the rules of Rennlist I'd prefer not to answer any other direct questions about services and etc. I am simply here to provide the most accurate general IMS info possible.

Shark Attack

Sadly this guy named named Murphy follows me around. You may know his name from the one law he wrote. I think the price to have this done is well worth the piece of mind. Tell ya what Ill do. ill give you the 2 grand. You put 15K in an "and" account with your name and mine. If at the end of 6 years or 100,000 miles no IMS failure you will walk with 17K. If I have IMS failure by then I take the money to put in another engine. Fare enough? Wait, tell ya what, make it 3 years 20K miles. You will never get a better return off your 15K in 3 years.

Shark Attack

Holy crap Jake. I didnt know we shared an office

BruceP

I don't think it's all that helpful to sit in judgement. To me, upgrading weak bits in a Porsche engine has been a ritual for decades. Nothing new there. And this stuff, well, it makes no less sense in strict economic terms than an extended warranty does.

There are lots of things I've never 'seen', but still make a personal decision to protect myself against. I bet the same goes for you.

DreamCarrera

Where are you investing your money?

You think a 13.33% total return on your money in three years is unbeatable?

Do yourself a favor and sell your car. The stress it is putting on you is not worth it. I cannot believe that someone is afraid to drive their car, a car that is not experiencing any symptoms of a problem, 200 miles to have preventative maintenance performed on the car. Experimental preventative maintenance I might add.

Life is FAR too short to live in fear this way.