Jason 996

I decided to have the IMS bearing upgraded and toke it to a local repair shop. They called me the next day and said they could not remove IMS flange due to the bearing part was seized onto shaft. I asked what the best course of action to handle this problem was and they quickly said they would sell me a new engine for 23,000K. I said the engine ran fine, why can't you just pull out what part you need to replace (I don't know much about engines). They said they don't pull engines apart, just install and remove is the far as they go. I did notice that they seem to have porsches for sale like mine that they must buy and fix up and sell there. I said let me digest all of this, it was a lot to absorb in a 2 minute phone conversation. I read on this forum to ask about metal shavings. They said yes there was in the housing, but when i got there and asked to see the housing they said the mechanic must have dumped the oil out. They showed me little oil in the pan on the bench with barely visible smallest amount of shine, (or it was the power of persuasion). I didn't feel right about the situation and told them i would get it brought back to my house and throw it in the garage and let it sit. They keep asking me did i want to sell it and how much.
My question is does a engine have to be rebuilt if the IMS bearing is seized on the shaft?

Sneaky Pete

Your best bet is to get your car back and go elsewhere because I seriously doubt they are being candid with you.

centexsi

I would suggest having it towed to another shop. Sounds like they are trying to scam you - i.e. scare you and get you to sell them the car cheap. I would stick around when you tell them that and keep your car in sight while you wait for the tow truck as they might try to sabotage it.

I could be wrong, but that situation doesn't sound right to me. I work with many shops (I own a car dealership) and you'd be surprised at the crap they will try to pull on you.

I am the Walrus

Wow that's crazy. I wonder what kind of online reviews this shop has?
Yelp? Etc...
Perhaps someone on here can recommend you a reputable shop...
As you are in Florida are you close to Champion? They are very good from all I've read

DBJoe996

Run little rabbit run! Get your car flat-bedded out of there immediately. Along with whatever parts they removed. Seriously. Get it home so you can apply some time and thought to this project. Now, what year is your car? What is the condition? Why did you decide to replace your IMSB? PM or was something noticed?

FYI - the flange is a separate piece from the bearing.

alpine003

Run and don't walk, and get your car out of there ASAP and hope they didn't mess anything up.

I'm hoping your simple PM doesn't turn into a major repair.

List the name of the shop so others can avoid it.

gnat

I haven't heard of a case where the bearing has seized in the shaft and the bearing is still good.

Are you sure you are understanding them correctly? Are they telling you the bearing is in a failed state? Or are they telling you that you have a replacement motor that has the captured bearing (can't be replaced without splitting the case)?

Is this a dealer or an Indy? Based on the replacement engine cost it sounds like a dealer, but they should know the difference between a failed bearing and a captured bearing.

If we take your description of the situation at face value, I think you are kinda screwed no matter what. Based on your description the shop sounds like they have no experience with the M96 or bearing replacement and are therefore incompetent purely based on them not telling you this isn't something they can handle before getting deep in. That they told you there was metal in the oil, but cleaned it up before you could see it is also suspect to me.

Your real problem is that if we assume that the bearing was OK before and this shop is indeed incompetent, I would not button it back up and drive the car on that bearing. God knows what they could have done in the process of trying to remove it that may have caused damage to it that you can't see.

Unfortunately I think you need to find a reputable and experienced shop to get the car sent to and have them access the situation and give you some real answers.

Hopefully it's a simple misunderstanding of things and it's a captured bearing, they do know what they are doing, and there was no metal in the oil. If those things are true you might not be in as bad of a situation.

lomax

I agree with everyone above, RUN away. As far as I know (no expert here) the inner race of the IMS bearing sits ON the shaft on the removable IMS housing. There is NO WAY that they could not remove it if this was the case. The entire carrier, shaft, and bearing come out of the engine case.

The outer race of the IMS bearing fits INSIDE the Intermediate Shaft and as this has oil inside of it I don't see how it could be seized. The proper tool/puller should be able to pull it out of the shaft with no problem.

If course stranger things have happened but my gut tells me the shop is either trying to scam you or they just don't know what they are doing.

Best of luck getting everything straightened out.

DBJoe996

http://imsretrofit.com/preferred-installers/
http://theimssolution.com/certified-installers/

Noz1974

Yes get out of there , can we have photos of the ims, you said the flange , then bearing which is it?? If the flange is seized then the bearing is behind it and they haven't got to it, if it's the bearing, it's a tight fit with a retaining ring, you have to use a proper ims puller to get it out , they probably tried with a normal puller and had no luck , just hope they not damaged anything and are trying to cover it up, metal in the housing?? They aren't even using proper terminology for different parts , they sound like idiots, get it to a proper porsche Indy and if they have damaged your engine your going to have to try to reclaim the damages. You took a good car in to a garage for an upgrade , now it doesn't work , I don't believe you had a failure it just sounds like they are hiding something, the ims doesn't seize on the shaft it's just the inside of the bearing which fails so that's bull****!!

Sue Esponte

RUN FROM THIS SHOP!

How can they tell you that they "don't pull engines apart, just install and remove is the far as they go" when they agreed to install the IMS in the first place. I get that they don't do rebuilds but that's not what you're asking. I would tell them to stop any work on your car and have it towed somewhere else. Just curious, how did you choose this shop to do your IMS in the first place?

-Eric

kromdom

for the 996th time: GET YOUR CAR OUT OF THAT SHOP ASAP! NOW! PRONTO! POST HASTE!

Jason 996

Here are the pics I toke with my iPhone if it helps.
BTW thanks to all of you for your advice. I really do appreciate it.

Ahsai

So you brought a running and apparently healthy car into the shop to do a preventive IMSB retrofit and this is where it ended up? I'm speechless.

I agree with others. Run and take your car and engine away from that shop ASAP and tow both to a recommended shop to minimize further damages.

Ahsai

Actually I see their (potential) unfortunate mistakes now. Can you ask them to take a photo of the water pump side?