06 C2 cab, 105K miles. No IMS issues

 

just purchased an 08 c4s with 110k miles previous owner has no history and the car runs fantastic!

 

Just picked up a 2005 C2S 6 speed manual currently with 12k miles no issues

 

997.1 4s. 73k. No issues.

 

Recently purchased 08 Carrara with now 85.4K . No IMS failure

 

My 2005 997 Carrera, 163k miles (M96 engine code) is in for a new clutch and flywheel. No clutch slip but having the flywheel replaced as i have transmission slack and i suspect (hope) its the dual mass action thats worn out. Clutch is at 102k but obviously will change with the flywheel. Im reluctantly having the IMS replaced (LN Engineering), i say reluctantly as its significant cost ($800 for part) for something i never worry about, but it seems you cannot sell the Car unless you can prove its done. The garage handling the work has done many IMS replacements and actually asked me why was i bothering, because they had never seen a failure in one. It really does seem like a heavily over blown issue, and although im aware of the failure rates (up to 8% on the early effected 996 engines) it seems pretty rare to happen today. My car is driven daily since i owned it (2009 @ 39k) and it seems to be in good health. Neither does it burn much oil, leak anything or have any metal in the oil change. Today i should be getting feedback on the old bearing condition as they just told me the opened it up. The only signs or wear on my car are the number of squeaks it has, brought on no doubt by the terrible Houston FM roads and the heat cycles the car has gone through! My experience is this...dont sweat the IMS unless you have any signs, and when your in for a clutch maybe get it done then (assuming manual). Happy motoring.

 

Looks like you and I are alike, do it now rather than on a road far from home. I am going to install a new low temp thermostat and water pump in the next little bit. I didn't have any symptoms but after reading all through the boar scoring thread, I just want to keep it going as well as it is and start saving for the overhaul. This will be passed down to my daughter also an enthusiast. I think you're wise to do the IMS while it's half apart. Since my 977.1 was a very late build, I never worried about the IMS, the 997.2 had it incorporated. Hope it runs like the wind when you get it back.

 

How often should the smaller bearing be replaced? I have basically 0 metal in oil (from Blackstone labs) and my bearing was replaced by the previous owner in 2019, about 8k miles ago..

 

What did they replace it with. If an LN offering, they show the year andileage replacement interval on their website. .If you use the IMS Solution, its a lifetime replacement and never needs to be done again.

 

This is all based off recent memory but is pretty accurate. I have exact numbers/dates around, but I'm not an organized person.

2005 m97 997.1 C2 6MT
Purchased November 2022 w/ ~75k mi
Currently ~79k mi
No IMS issues

More info:
Initial condition: Car operated well, but I noticed a coolant leak after a couple weeks of ownership. Coolant was the wrong color. I took it in, it needed a water pump and a cooling system flush.

Driving habits: (rounded to nearest percentage from back-of-napkin math)

• 10% of driving is done in San Francisco amongst our steepest hills for school drop off
• ~20% is highway driving between San Francisco and Marin County
• ~70% is above 4k RPM along the California coast and in the mountains (FYI I'm a very cautious driver—I'm a cyclist on the same roads).
  
  I will be tracking the car shortly (this weekend at Thunderhill 5 mi if my shifter is finished, November at Sonoma) and will adjust the numbers as I go.

Bore Scoring:
Minor bore scoring found in all cylinders via spark plug scope around March
Normal oil analysis results via Blackstone Labs @~77kmi
No tick, save for one time after a very spirited drive
No issues at this point

 

2009 C4S 3.8 - no failure

 

2nd owner 2006 997S with 24K. No IMS issues. Great car but oil comsumption more than my 1999 3.4 996 I owned. Great car!

 

How long for replacement if replaced with OEM?

 

Porsche never officially released a replacement and there is no part number associated with the factory bearing. You can only buy a complete replacement intermediate shaft which would be the latest revision with the non-serviceable 06-08 bearing.

Porsche did make a replacement that was sent out to select customers which used a single row 6204 ceramic hybrid bearing similar to the original single row IMS Retrofit, however Porsche did choose to retain the grease seal.

The Pelican PEL-IMS-1 kit is supplied with the closest to the original single row bearing. When Wayne originally released this kit he recommended a 3 yr or 30k mile service interval from what I remember.

 

Jeez seriously? Replace IMS every three years? What's the service cost for switching to the "forever" solution typically?