IMS Question

I recently bought a 2006 997S. Current mileage is 11,500 miles. I read somewhere the 06 models had an upgraded IMS bearing Porsche installed. If that is the case should I still be concerned about replacing it immediately? Funds are currently limited. Is there a way I can find out if my car had the upgraded bearing without pulling parts out? I think my Porsche dealer can print out what the car was born with but I doubt it would include the upgraded bearing. As a side note, I've been warned that LN Engineering doesn't stand behind their kit and they make you sign a non-responsibility other than to replace the bearing waiver. Any suggestions, or should I go with what Porsche recommends? Thanks in advance.

Your 2006 has the last revision IMSB. The failure rate of these bearings is very low. The bearing is larger then the old ones and too big to pass through the hole. To change it would require removal and complete disassembly of the engine including splitting the cases. If you are really worried about it. One option for extending life of the larger bearing engines is to add the Direct Oil Feed from Tuner Motorsports. DIRECT OIL FEED (DOF) FOR IMS BEARINGS | TuneRS Motorsports Porsche recommends that you buy a complete IMS and replace it by tearing the engine apart etc... You would then have the same bearing that you currently have.

Get a magnetic drain plug for the sump and always check the paper/fiber pleats of your oil filter element for metallic flakes that are clearly visible to the eye but typically hiding in the creases of the element. Cheers, Paul

Frank, Thanks so much for your message. I can't tell you how relieved I am. I think now my stress levels will go down. So many horror stories about the weak bearings in earlier models. Good thing I bought the 06 model. My very best to you. James

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Long before I would consider a aftermarket oil fed system, I would just remove the rear seal on the IMS so it can splash lubricate. We have many customers running this way without problems. And as for LN, they make by far the best retrofit kits for these cars; with more than 12,000 successful installs on the road,I would not hesitate to use their kits. The reason they have distanced themselves from the DIY market becomes completely evident if you read all of the different ways people have screwed up the retrofit, mostly by not following the directions. There is a perfect example of one in the Boxster forum at the moment ( http://forums.pelicanparts.com/boxster-cayman-forum/838113-question-boxster-intermediate-shaft-bearing.html ). Unfortunately, there is one way to do this correctly, and many ways to turn a simple install into a disaster, which happens more often than you would imagine, and at which point it had historically become LN's problem to deal with.

On my L&N post it's good to know why they took their position. I sure didn't want to throw dirt on them. I stand corrected because you took the time to explain things to us all. Wishing you much success.