Racing a 2002 Boxster S; what about IMS bearing?
03-28-2018, 06:28 PM
#1
Track Day
Thread Starter
Racing a 2002 Boxster S; what about IMS bearing?
I am thinking about taking my 2002 Boxster S to the race track and doing some HPDE (high performance driver's education). My BoxsterS has the vulnerable IMS Bearing
and it has not been replaced. Car has 61,000 miles with good maintenance record and oil changes.
QUESTION: should I NOT take this car to the race track for fear of blowing the IMS bearing and engine? Many things I've read say racing might put too much pressure
on the bearing and cause it to fail. (maybe i should sell it and buy a 911 in order to go racing?).
and it has not been replaced. Car has 61,000 miles with good maintenance record and oil changes.
QUESTION: should I NOT take this car to the race track for fear of blowing the IMS bearing and engine? Many things I've read say racing might put too much pressure
on the bearing and cause it to fail. (maybe i should sell it and buy a 911 in order to go racing?).
03-29-2018, 03:02 AM
#2
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Well, first off HPDE events are definitely NOT racing. So, keep that in mind. Yes, you are driving a bit hard, but hardly pushing your car to its absolute limits, particularly in street trim. You should have no IMS issues what-so-ever. Make sure your oil is topped up, and drive it like you stole it. Keep an eye on your power steering as it may puke fluid as it gets hot. These cars are fairly notorious for that. Much more so than the IMS thing. If you don’t feel comfortable running hard on the stock bearing, simply get it replaced and go to town. Many other things are possible to fail to think about. AOS being one and the above mentioned PS fluid issue. I cooked my voltage regulator my last track day. Things happen.
Last edited by Geof3; 03-29-2018 at 03:34 AM.
03-29-2018, 06:16 AM
#3
After 30 years of 911, I can say that track days with a Boxster S are much more easier (..to drive!)
Well, track days or no track days, I think chance to blow a m96 (engines of 986 and 996 have the same ims..) are pretty "similar".
Some people even tend to say that the oil splashes that the engine can get during track days could be good for the ims !
..But, it is also true that if the ims has already been "attacked" (i.e.: if you have a magnetic oil pan plug, and can see plenty of small metal part on the magnet), then track days would certainly be an accelerator on the end process !
For a good oil maintenance, I would strongly recommend the use of magnetic oil plug, and when doing oil change, looking at the magnet is top important. (I would also strongly recommend to open the used oil filter, and see what is on the paper of the filter. You do NOT want to see any small piece of metal in these two places.
Note : normally, if after frequent oil change, you see no metal particle there, then, your ims is still good and happy.
To be back on the question, it is true that a m96 enigne on track could well show different problems:
. if your track tires are good ones (ie "r" compound), better have a oil sump extension with a metal oil baffle kit, as good track tires with standard oil baffle and good driving (high lateral g on curves) would lead to lost of oil pressure, ..and this is just no good.
(Sure, if you use good track tires, you must also have negative camber and stiff suspension, like coil over .)
. good track days in summer will make the steering oil pump running very hot, and create problem. In my case, I burned one steering wheel pump, before understanding that installing a under drive main pulley would seriously limit this very potential problem !
. just make also sure that you go to track with brake fluid (racing type, the best of the market) that is less than 12 month old ! Good also to remember that brake pads must be checked before any track event, keeping on mind that heat from rotors goes to pads, then to caliper pistons, ..and then to brake fluid. ..Or, the more pads tickness you have, the best heat isolation you get. (I would tend to say that track brake pad life is different than road pads life !!!
(One thing that is real bad on track is trying to brake and having the pedal going on floor ! .as this could cost a LOT more than a complete engine repair/change.)
These are all "track routine', as I continue to think that a Boxster S is a fabulous track car, just keep love it big time.
I would only love to have "more juice", i.e. having a strnger engine. (One of these day, will do.)
In the mean time, my front brakes are 6 piston calipers on large floating rotors (Brembo kit), as one may remember, that on track, ..you use the brakes as much as you use accelerator ! (yes, after each lap, you pretty much always end up at the same speed !)
Have great track days with your Boxter S
Well, track days or no track days, I think chance to blow a m96 (engines of 986 and 996 have the same ims..) are pretty "similar".
Some people even tend to say that the oil splashes that the engine can get during track days could be good for the ims !
..But, it is also true that if the ims has already been "attacked" (i.e.: if you have a magnetic oil pan plug, and can see plenty of small metal part on the magnet), then track days would certainly be an accelerator on the end process !
For a good oil maintenance, I would strongly recommend the use of magnetic oil plug, and when doing oil change, looking at the magnet is top important. (I would also strongly recommend to open the used oil filter, and see what is on the paper of the filter. You do NOT want to see any small piece of metal in these two places.
Note : normally, if after frequent oil change, you see no metal particle there, then, your ims is still good and happy.
To be back on the question, it is true that a m96 enigne on track could well show different problems:
. if your track tires are good ones (ie "r" compound), better have a oil sump extension with a metal oil baffle kit, as good track tires with standard oil baffle and good driving (high lateral g on curves) would lead to lost of oil pressure, ..and this is just no good.
(Sure, if you use good track tires, you must also have negative camber and stiff suspension, like coil over .)
. good track days in summer will make the steering oil pump running very hot, and create problem. In my case, I burned one steering wheel pump, before understanding that installing a under drive main pulley would seriously limit this very potential problem !
. just make also sure that you go to track with brake fluid (racing type, the best of the market) that is less than 12 month old ! Good also to remember that brake pads must be checked before any track event, keeping on mind that heat from rotors goes to pads, then to caliper pistons, ..and then to brake fluid. ..Or, the more pads tickness you have, the best heat isolation you get. (I would tend to say that track brake pad life is different than road pads life !!!
(One thing that is real bad on track is trying to brake and having the pedal going on floor ! .as this could cost a LOT more than a complete engine repair/change.)
These are all "track routine', as I continue to think that a Boxster S is a fabulous track car, just keep love it big time.
I would only love to have "more juice", i.e. having a strnger engine. (One of these day, will do.)
In the mean time, my front brakes are 6 piston calipers on large floating rotors (Brembo kit), as one may remember, that on track, ..you use the brakes as much as you use accelerator ! (yes, after each lap, you pretty much always end up at the same speed !)
Have great track days with your Boxter S
Last edited by GVA-SFO; 03-29-2018 at 06:42 AM.
03-29-2018, 12:20 PM
#4
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No matter if you are racing or it's an HPDE, it's still track time and the car doesn't know any different. It's been my experience that dedicated track cars that are raced are better maintained than street cars that are used occassionally for DE events.
I've take the time to write an article on this topic as we get so many emails about this specifically at LN and Bilt Racing.
There is no reason not to track an M96 based car - you just need to take a few precautions along the way. Great cars - I too agree a Boxster makes a great mixed use street and track car. I have a 99 with a 3.8 that has seen many, many track events over the years.
I've take the time to write an article on this topic as we get so many emails about this specifically at LN and Bilt Racing.
There is no reason not to track an M96 based car - you just need to take a few precautions along the way. Great cars - I too agree a Boxster makes a great mixed use street and track car. I have a 99 with a 3.8 that has seen many, many track events over the years.
03-29-2018, 01:31 PM
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I have a 2002 Boxster with 90,000+ miles on it. Last year I did the IMS. I was getting a grinding whiney noise when the engine coasted, that would go away when I gave it some gas. During the repair, my flywheel was replaced, but my clutch was still good (changed 60k ago). The noise was still there after the repair. I read somewhere here that the air/oil filter could give out that sound. So I told my mechanic about this (as he was not sure what to try next besides throwing in a new engine) and lo and behold, I needed a $100 repair rather than the $3K (including flywheel) that was done.
My opinion is if it ain't broke, don't touch it. You don't know what other parts are going to go bad. You can test for IMS after an oil change. Save the oil and search it for plastic. If I hadn't had that done a year earlier, and if they hadn't found any plastic at the time (they did, and I waited it out), I would not have done the IMS.
My opinion is if it ain't broke, don't touch it. You don't know what other parts are going to go bad. You can test for IMS after an oil change. Save the oil and search it for plastic. If I hadn't had that done a year earlier, and if they hadn't found any plastic at the time (they did, and I waited it out), I would not have done the IMS.
03-30-2018, 07:16 PM
#7
..well, between any time that you enter in your car and you go out of your car, you use the same amount of braking power and accelerating power.
(supposing that you do not exit of your car before full stop.)
You may say that if you live at the top of a hill and drive down that hill, it will be not true.
But later, when you will be back home, the balance will be also back to even.
(supposing that you do not exit of your car before full stop.)
You may say that if you live at the top of a hill and drive down that hill, it will be not true.
But later, when you will be back home, the balance will be also back to even.