dnitake

Just a gratuitous pic of my IMS bearing caught in time. Pulled the seal and let it drain. Right down the pipe of prevailing wisdom: Check for glitter in your oil filter. It will also be magnetic. Read it might be bits chewed up by the oil pump. But glad (?) to know it's metal chewed up inside the bearing before it gets out. You can just feel the runout on the bearing. Engine sounded fine and regular. Did the LNE fix. No editorials, just geeking out. Might take the bearing apart to look at the pitting. 2001 3.4 65K.

soverystout

Wow. Glad you caught it. Looks like that bearing was living on nice clean oil and borrowed time.

Glad it worked out for you.

C4CRNA

What was your mileage and oil change intervals on this car?

dnitake

Mostly track the car now. Oil changes around 2500 miles or 3 track days/weekends. I was using a 50% blend of 15-50 and 0-40. Mech recs all 15/50. Used to live in Boston for 3 yrs so it would sit all winter w/ weekly warmups. Probably didn't help. Oil change prior to the last one, noticed a touch of glitter in the filter but thought it might be "normal". 2500 is pretty short for a street car, but one can just change the filter and check.

D6lc

Would the IMS Guardian pick up such fine debris and alarm?, of does it only sound when the bearing really starts to break up?

dnitake

Certainly enough metal to bridge the gap on the last oil change. But the one prior? FSI could answer that.

Down South

I can't tell from the picture; is that a single row or double row bearing?

Hurdigurdiman

What year is the car? What is the milage? Good to know that a filter can be changed without changing the oil. Never thought of that and filters are cheap enough. Has the plastic been removed on the other side of the bearing? If that metal came from the bearing and the plastic is still in place, then oil must get to the *****. That fact would contradict all logic on the design of the bearing. Isn't it a sealed unit?

"Oil change prior to the last one, noticed a touch of glitter in the filter but thought it might be "normal".

What could make you think that 'could be normal?
Did the fact that you discovered the first white traces make you pull the bearing for this photo? but you ran the vehicle another 2500 miles before doing so...


Sorry I only just noticed he end of your posting.. 2001 3.4 65K. That should be a single row bearing then.

C4CRNA

Supposed to pick up small bits prior to disaster.
Also will pick up minute metal from engine wear,so they reccomend 3-5K
Oil changes or you will get possible false alarm.

rpm's S2

Gotta love a good outcome!

eidolon

+1

OGWGFIW

My indi showed me a bearing at about that state of failure when I went in for my retrofit. Good catch.

AndyK

I bought the magnetic oil plug, so if I see any little metal bits next (or any) oil change, I'll get my clutch and IMS bearing done pronto!

Marc Gelefsky

My bearing looked good when it came out BUT it was leaking.

dnitake

Down South,
2001 was a bridge year. Had to order both bearings from LNE. It ended up being the single row.

HurdiGurdi,
It IS a sealed bearing but sealed bearings are not really sealed. I won't argue w/ the noticing a very small amount of glitter on the prior oil change and not opening it up. Won't make that mistake again, but apparently it'll last 2500 miles w/ 1000 miles of that being on the track. I suspect I didn't have much time left, so I'm feeling quite lucky. As it was, I had a sinking feeling looking at glitter. Feel for those who had to listen to the marbles sound and lost an engine.

On good outcome,
Check the oil often. My mech and I were musing about the 15K service on oil. Not that oil can't go that long (I wouldn't do it), but doing it at 2500 intervals forces a frequent check. One might say tracking the car has helped me save it, ironically. A magnetic plug is a must.