Originally Posted by rntrg

[Follow up to [url=https://rennlist.com/forums/boxster-and-boxster-s-986-forum/1336692-ims-clean-up-plan.html]"IMS Clean-up Plan" thread]

Hi folks. I purchased a 2000 986 last year and have since discovered the dreaded metal shavings in the oil. The car still runs just fine, but shows a few tell-tale signs of impending doom (odd vibration/rumble that has come and gone a few times; oil seepage at transmission; ferrous metal in oil). I've gone back and forth about whether to try to fix it myself - I am not going to put the money into paying a shop to go through it or ship it off to LNE for a rebuild. In the end, I think it's going to be more stress in my life than I am prepared to handle at this point, so I'm thinking I'll just take the loss and move it along.

I was hoping to get some guidance on a few points, as I've never tried to sell a car in this state before. I want to sell it to someone who will actually fix it properly, which entails tearing down the engine to clean out all of the metal contamination, as well as replacing chain guides, IMS bearing, etc, etc. I *don't* want someone to buy it from me cheap and then sell it along to the next guy as a "running" low mileage car. (CarMax Attack!)

With that in mind:

1. What's the right venue for this? Auto auction? Which one if so?
2. Is there some way I can make sure that the CarFax or title indicates it was sold due to mechanical issues?
3. Any thoughts on a reasonable asking price for a 53k mile 986 Base in otherwise good shape? It's not a "roller" yet, is it? I recall seeing $3.5k as reasonable for a car with a dead engine.

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions!

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Basically, what you have is a "roller"; while it still runs, the engine is done, and the car's value is the same as one without an engine. At best, you should be looking at getting a couple grand out of what is left.

Originally Posted by rntrg

[Follow up to [url=https://rennlist.com/forums/boxster-and-boxster-s-986-forum/1336692-ims-clean-up-plan.html]"IMS Clean-up Plan" thread]

Hi folks. I purchased a 2000 986 last year and have since discovered the dreaded metal shavings in the oil. The car still runs just fine, but shows a few tell-tale signs of impending doom (odd vibration/rumble that has come and gone a few times; oil seepage at transmission; ferrous metal in oil). I've gone back and forth about whether to try to fix it myself - I am not going to put the money into paying a shop to go through it or ship it off to LNE for a rebuild. In the end, I think it's going to be more stress in my life than I am prepared to handle at this point, so I'm thinking I'll just take the loss and move it along.

I was hoping to get some guidance on a few points, as I've never tried to sell a car in this state before. I want to sell it to someone who will actually fix it properly, which entails tearing down the engine to clean out all of the metal contamination, as well as replacing chain guides, IMS bearing, etc, etc. I *don't* want someone to buy it from me cheap and then sell it along to the next guy as a "running" low mileage car. (CarMax Attack!)

With that in mind:

1. What's the right venue for this? Auto auction? Which one if so?
2. Is there some way I can make sure that the CarFax or title indicates it was sold due to mechanical issues?
3. Any thoughts on a reasonable asking price for a 53k mile 986 Base in otherwise good shape? It's not a "roller" yet, is it? I recall seeing $3.5k as reasonable for a car with a dead engine.

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions!

Originally Posted by elgy

A couple of observations...
1) Until I see the destroyed IMSB I would not assume that that was the problem.

… it was a spun rod bearing... the IMSB was fine).

Originally Posted by b3freak

Now, is this a manual car? If so, then it's easier to do the IMS replacement if you just want to roll the dice and DiY.

Originally Posted by Nickshu

A lower mileage used 2.7L is going to cost you $4-5K. Maybe less for high mileage or if you could be lucky enough to find a short block (most for sale appear to be complete). If you are not DIYing then maybe another $2000 for a shop to swap it out. So you are in $7000ish there.

Or sell it as a roller for $4500-5K. Someone will want it to build a race car, or as a project. PCA Club Racing just opened up a new racing class for the 2000-2004 Boxsters, previously the 00-04's were sort of undesirable for racing due to classing.

You'd have to do the math on which option you could come out better with.

Originally Posted by rntrg

It is a manual and I have actually been planning for months to do the IMSB myself. I am actually interested in doing work on this car. I don’t mind dropping the transmission every so often to change the clutch or the IMSB or whatever. I can do that in a weekend and get back to enjoying the car. I figure the safest and cheapest route would be to use the OEM bearing from Pelican - partly because it’s sealed and thus metal contaminants in the engine won’t hurt it. Cheap add-ons to this plan are magnetic drain plug, spin-on oil filter adapter and filtermag, which I plan to do. All in its looking like $500ish, which I’m fine with.

And @elgy is right - it may turn out to be something different. If it is not the IMSB, I’ll have to make a decision at that point. I may just say to hell with it and… drive it til it pops. What I don’t want to do is fall into the trap of throwing good money after bad. I’d rather put a little into it, enjoy the job, enjoy the car, if it survives another 10k miles or so with no major red flags, maybe I’ll look at dropping some more on parts.

Learning about the metal in the oil and the cost of a rebuild is what was pushing me toward just dumping it at a loss, but if it’s a near total loss (as it sounds like it may be) why not just drive it like I stole it and then sell it as a true roller down the line? Or, if I wind up really loving *this* car, maybe then I’ll look at an engine swap.

I think the mental shift I needed to make was from “this car is my baby and I’m going to invest time and a reasonable sum of money into it, hoping that it’ll retain its value for the most part” to “this car is at the end of its useful life - what can I do to maximize enjoyment of it while minimizing cost?”.

Originally Posted by Charles Navarro

I would second the idea of putting the pelican bearing in it since it is a sealed bearing. I would also install one of our spin on oil filter adapters along with a filtermag and a magnetic drain plug. Dropping the sump to clean debris is a must too. I'd do several oil changes back to back and also drop the pan after say 1000 miles to verify that you don't have a new accumulation of debris. It's worth a shot.

Before you do anything, I'd take pictures of the debris you have found in the filter and also what is in the sump and post those so that we can try to confirm that indeed it is the IMS bearing that is generating the debris.

Originally Posted by Charles Navarro

I think at this point you need to determine that this is indeed from a bad IMS bearing. Usually IMS bearing debris w/o a complete failure is ferrous "glitter". Not until you get a complete failure do you see "chunks". If the sump has never been dropped, it is possible some of that is manufacturing debris.

The plastic looks like variocam wear pads and chain ramp material. I'd check the cam timing deviation with a durametric. If it's over 4.5 degrees the variocam pads are worn and need replacement.