AWDGuy

you will need a durametric to check timing and deviation to know how urgent this repair is.

but since you replaced an already failed IMS, my opinion is you're on borrowed time.

Flat6 Innovations

I think I need to hire you!

The clock is ticking on this one.....

"oh, but the pieces of debris were small".
Yeah, so they'll suspend in the oil and destroy every internally lubricated part in the engine. Its mechanical Russian Roulette.

5CHN3LL

AWDGuy

LOL. well Jake....if you're expanding in Canada - give me a shout. haha

PeaCar

Pardon me for not being as savy as all you bunch, you guys have the knowledge, clearly, I am simply asking and providing the best information that I can.

I had a mechanical engineer look at the IMS bearing, we pried off the seal and there was a small amount of wear in the bearing, it was filled with engine oil.

I installed a pelican IMS bearing update just trying to stay ahead of issues with my engine. Pardon my complete and total lack of 996 mastery. I had no clue what a small tick/rattle was in my engine, when I dropped my sump plate and looking in my oil, I couldn't find any evidence of metal shavings, just the few tiny shreds of plastic.

I'm not used to these engines, and I've never had one of these cars before, I'm just trying to have a bit of driving fun and apply my DIY skills as best as I can.

So what you're saying is that my engine is finished? I don't fully get what everyone is hinting at...

Flat6 Innovations

That small debris inside the bearing was being washed out, as engine oil entered the bearing. This is known as Stage 3 IMSB failure, the point where the seal has failed enough to let wear debris out into the oil supply, as well as letting oil into the bearing. The bearing is supposed to be filled with grease, not oil. That said "Mechanical Engineers" created the IMS Bearing problem, and haven't created any solutions for it to date..

Slit your wrist... dump in some Mercury and put a band aid on the wound. Thats whats been done to this engine.

AWDGuy

no, your engine isn't finished. yet.

none of us have a good idea of how much metal, what size, etc is floating around in the engine. we can guess that there is SOME as you said you replaced a faulty bearing. but that's just it - were guessing. some are making a very educated guess though.

I had scored cylinders and while my motor was "healthy" in the sense that there was no CEL, and that it pulled hard, because I was shaving cylinder walls/piston skirt, that there was some metal going around where it shouldn't. I decided to park it and tear it down before I caused further damage.

my suggestion is you do the same.

PeaCar

So what you are saying is that the engine is no longer usable?

I'm confused why there is so much 'out there' about replacing a compromised IMS bearing and just continuing with life? I'm simply asking, I'm trying to learn, not to imply doubt in what you are saying.

So the engine is not rebuild-able either because everything is totally going to be ground down and worn out now, or if not now, will be very soon?

PeaCar

Ok, thank-you, this post was helpful.

AWDGuy

my engine was re usable but that was after disassembly and a thorough cleaning at the machine shop, and using new rod and crankshaft bearings.

IF you're going to keep driving it then I would do frequent oil changes and get the oil tested to see how much metal is floating around in that oil....

dgjks6

Actually - and I am going to get flack for this, but since I was in a similar situation and I invested a ton of $$$ into mine I will give you my opinion.

I put a new bearing in after a failed bearing like you did. Car ran great but due to the risks I eventually got a $7500 refresh. Basically split the block, cleaned everything and put it back together and I put 30,000 miles after without an issue. Everything inside the motor looked perfect. That was a best case scenario. You may be able to do that now.

So the question is how long do you have and the answer is no one knows. You may go for years and miles without and issue to you may already be wearing the liners and needs new liners. It is a cost benefit analysis no one can answer.

AWDGuy

Yeah, who knows how long you got?!?!

there's a car on here that has ran for years and over 10k km on scored cylinders. just adds oil.

I'm not lucky with cars so I didn't want to push it.

PeaCar

Btw, this was my extracted bearing, no scoring, so I'm a bit perplexed. Maybe the rattle was exhaust or something else?

5CHN3LL

There are several schools of thought. One school says that any time anything foreign has entered the oil - even a smidgen, even once - your engine needs to come out, be disassembled, and have all eleventy-nine faulty parts replaced.

Another school says you find a 996 and drive it, come hell or high water.

A third school says you should buy a 996, and then park it and lose the keys.

I'm a fan of School 2.

Word to the wise: If you EVER want to be able to sell your 996, maybe you want to make absolutely certain about the source of the "rattling." In fact, if you want to pick a verb to NEVER use in any way to describe a 996 you might be interested in selling for more than six bucks, "rattle" would be on my top 3 list. Tell us more about the rattling, and how replacing what appears (at least visually) to be an intact bearing made it stop.

Also, now that PeaCar's bearing is sitting there all sexy like and not completely disintegrated and spread throughout the engine like Magic Johnson's genetic fingerprint throughout states with NBA teams, maybe we can throttle back on the imminent destruction talk...

docmirror

Back to post #12, which was the start of this.

A. Is it required to split the case to replace the valve train guide wear components in the engine? (my understanding is that no, the wear components, guides, rails can be replaced without complete tear down)

B. If splitting not required, what shop time would be good to replace said plastic wear components by a 996/Boxster knowledgeable wrench?

C. If splitting IS required, same as B?

I don't know from 'stages' what level of bearing destruction has occurred, but it looks pretty decent to me. If there's been some metal floating around, that is of course not good, but is the engine a complete write off/do over based on the plastic bits in the sump? It would appear with limited info that this can be saved for many more miles by repl the guides and rails, and maybe a chain or 2.