Bruce In Philly

Partially true, the 997.1 Turbo and GT3 use the "Mezger" engine up until the recent 991.... it has an intermediate shaft but not the ball bearings at the bad end.

Quick interesting reading of the "Mezger" and when/where it was used:
http://www.total911.com/technology-e...mezger-engine/

About IMSs:
http://www.total911.com/technology-e...mediate-shaft/

Note, the use of the term "plain bearing": a plain bearing does not have ***** but a pressurized film of oil that separates the spinning element (journal) from the housing (bearing). In the M96/97 engines, a plain bearing was on one side (force fed oil), and a "life time" sealed ball bearing on the other. It is the ball bearing that fails. Why didn't Porsche use the tried and true plain bearing on both ends of the IMS? No one knows but cost cutting is the suspect as Porsche was failing during this time and they cut costs big time including racing etc etc etc. This engine (never race tested), the Boxster, and using the same parts across models including the engine saved Porsche. By the way, this is why if changed my IMS bearing in my Boxster I had decided to use a direct oil feed solution.. but the engine blew up before then (from an unknown failure mode, definitely not IMS bearing).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_bearing

For good info with a bit of selling:
http://theimssolution.com/ims-101/

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Petza914

Bruce, thanks for the clarification on my IMS comment.

Wayne Smith

I thought the Mezger was used up to the 2009 997.2 (MT or Tiptronic) with the 9A1 DFI with option for PDK appearing in 2010. That's why 2009 with the newer PCM (and other .2 upgrades) is the sweet spot for the TT. Am I wrong about this?

Bruce In Philly

You may be correct Wayne as that is what I understood until I read that one post. Make the post was incorrect. We need a historian to weigh in here.

Peace
Bruce in Philly