porschedog

LOUD NOISES -- yeah, but to be more specific, it is a Loud, "sounds like a bearing going bad, heart clenching, WTF-is-happening-can-it-be-what-I-have-feared-even-though-I-replaced-the-damn-thing??" noise........

Esfoad

Dang!! Don't EVER want to hear that.

uskiing

Replacing IMS bearing on 2002 911 c4 tip convertible with 31k miles as preventative; a highly recommended indie shop who has done many replacements is replacing it with DOF system. I didnt want to go down this road bc it feels like i am bastardizing the car but got way too paranoid to enjoy it. (scaremongers got me) Hoping I am doing the right thing here. I would love to hear back from anyone who had this replacement. Feels like a no win situation.

Don't know IMS bearing status thats why replacing it as preventative but just voted 'NO" since car seems to run fine.

Cefalu

I have a '99 996 and did the LN dual row IMS replacement about 5 years ago. When I bought the bearing I recall it was called the solution or something similar. Since it was the solution I figured "one and done".

From what I am hearing now it's being considered a wear item to be replaced concurrently with the clutch. Is that the current status? Is their a mileage limit?

Cefalu

Maybe this has been discussed, but it seems that among many likely factors, one of them is the machining of the case for the IMS bearing. Could off center machining locate the bearing off center and impose unintended loading on the bearing leading to bearing wear, seal failure, grease washout them imminent demise of the bearing?

808Bill

Did you buy the "Solution or the Retrofit"?
Copied from their website.
Its pretty simple to make the best decision in regard to choosing which form of IMS retrofit that you choose if you use the above factors as a guideline. With the IMS Retrofit being rated at 6 years/75,000 miles of service for the Classic Dual Row and Single Row Pro IMS bearings and requiring proactive replacement at that mileage point, people who want to keep their cars forever have been looking for an absolute solution to the IMS Bearing failure issues. If you want to keep the car forever then the IMS Solution provides a lifetime of service, because the wear components are removed. Using the Classic Single Row IMS & RND Roller bearing kits will give you a 4 yr/50,000 mile service interval.
The IMS Solution makes the most sense when rebuilding your engine. Jake Raby and his team at Flat 6 Innovations equip all their engines exclusively with the IMS Solution.

nelsontod2

140,000 miles. zero issues.

Flat6 Innovations

Yes, and this is a variable that few have considered. I have developed a special tool to measure this differential in bore machining.

DrMEMS

Can an out-of-spec intermediate shaft be machined straight, or must it be replaced?

Flat6 Innovations

No way to repair it.
The spec that we have seen come into play most isn't the shaft (though it does happen) but more the bores that are machined into the crankcase to mount the IMS flange, and to hold the crankshaft carrier.


I have at least 10 blocks that look perfect and have no issues, but this dimension is out of my spec, and therefore the case is junk. Anyone else would use them, because they don't have the spec, nor do they have the proper tool to measure for it. Moreover, they don't know to look for it.

dporto

^this^ is interesting. Is there a way to re-machine those blocks - to make the bores for the carrier end and IMSB end larger, and then use an "insert" (that fixes the offset/runout) that will accept the IMS/IMSB ? Perhaps it's a lot of work, but considering what these blocks go for, might it be worthwhile? Obviously it would be a custom made per block sort of thing...

Ryan Pinkston

I'm sure this has been talked about before, but is there a certain milage point where the risk of failure actually goes down? I have over 91k on my 02 now and so far it hasn't failed. Probably a stupid theory...lol! I'm just trying to justify not doing it. I just figure if it hasn't gone by now that maybe I have a good one (if there is such a thing).

dan_189

Any answer you're given is just a guess maybe a slightly informed guess at best. Swap it out when you get the clutch done, sooner if you want piece of mind. Single row are more prone to failure statistically compared to dual row. So based on that IMO get it done and drive happy 😊

808Bill

I would think an IMS Guardian combined with annual oil analysis would be the safest thing to do until then it's just hope...

Ryan Pinkston

I'm a tip (lame I know) so I won't be doing the clutch. I can't find any info on the guardian. I've looked on the website. Do you have a direct link?