Ims - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

just what is the IMS, a throwout bearing for the clutch

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Search is your friend: IMS Retrofit | The LN Engineering IMS Retrofit Kit for MY97-05 Porsche Boxster and 911 Models

Quotes source post: 350742

The Porsche Boxster 986 Enthusiast Guide: Intermediate Shaft (IMS) Bearing Info and Fixes That page is missing a few things. It's generally believed that IMS happens more frequently in low mileage vehicles that have been sitting a long period of time or are not driven on a regular basis. Also Porsche changed the IMS bearing in the 987, essentially making it what the LN Engineering IMS Retrofit kit is. The switch over happened in late 2005 987 vehicles, there's more information out there with a search if you're interested. Another thing to remember: the LN Engineering IMS Retrofit is not a cure. IMS can still fail. LN offers what they call a IMS Solution which should never fail How does the IMS Solution work? | The IMS Solution but it is expensive, currently runs $1,700 What’s included? | The IMS Solution If you're really worried about it, get a IMS guardian, which will warn you before failure occurs. Runs about $300 IMS Guardian | IMS Guardian. The first advanced warning system for Intermediate Shaft (IMS) failures!

thanks JFP that helped a whole bunch I now have become an expert LOL

The third edition of the IMS bearing used by Porsche from late 2005 is not essentially the same as the LN ceramic bearing: it is neither unsealed, nor ceramic, but rather is a larger, single-row steel bearing. Unlike the earlier single-row and much more reliable dual-row IMS bearings, it also cannot be replaced without disassmbling the engine. It can, however, beneift from direct oiling. Brad

An IMS, my friend, is death.

In my case, when the bearing failed it sounded like a squealing sort of like radio interference. It started as a squeal, then stopped, then squealed again, and BANG, loss of power but the engine still ran on a couple of cylinders.

Is anybody running the IMS Guardian on a '05 + Boxster? I have mixed feelings about it, whether it is a cheap insurance policy on a more recent engine, or an unnecessary extravagance. Coupled with that is the motor was replaced by the previous owner about 12,000 km ago. I have not managed to find out why it was done, but I do know he traded it in on a Carrera 4.

I bought a 1997 Boxster with 44K miles and immediately installed this IMS fix. The cost is way less than the other fixes and I believe it is a much better fix.

Getting the L&N this week. Done.

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Very interesting solution with the oil pump modification. Anyone try modifying the oil pump to oil the IMS with a stock bearing?

I'm going to hijack this thread a bit. There's a local indie mechanic nearby with a lot of experience with foreign cars; worked on Mercedes for years in St. Louis before opening his shop. He's rebuilt older Porsche engines back in the day but has not worked much with Boxsters or newers Porsches. I asked him about the IMS replacement on my 99 Boxster, and he asked me to bring him "everything I have" so he could research it. He admittedly did not know anything about the issue but when I explained the concept of the self-lubricated bearing he replied, "that wasn't a good idea." He seems eager to do the job, he asked lots of questions, etc, and said it's definitely a project he could tacke "for a lot less" than the shops in St. Louis would charge. He rebuilt my daughter's Eclipse engine a couple of years ago and did a fantastic job. And he has a great reputation locally for being fair. He's one of these mechanics who will drag you back to the garage and point out all the intracacies and workings of your engine; almost like a professor teaching a student. Would you turn your Boxster over to someone like this? Or opt for one of the recommended shops with more direct experience with IMS?

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Won't work, there is a seal on the shaft side of the OEM bearing what would block the oil.

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Thankyou for searching, if only everyone did this it would be easier to find the info you need & less wrong info. To answer your question, You are right, it is a extravagance, until the light goes on to alert you that you have magnetic metal in your oil which requires immediate attention. This is when the cheap insurance pays off!!

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A potentially brilliant brain surgeon wants to work on my brain but hasn't ever done the operation before? Should I go with him, he charges less? When I had cancer, I went to the group that had worked on 10k of my type and who had records of their success/failure rates. My local guy (who I like a lot) hadn't done any of the type of treatment I was selecting. The guy who diagnosed me only did 3 operations a year. I went three states away. I'm cured. So I guess it is obvious which I'd think would have a better chance of a happy outcome. There are some things in life I don't try to save money on, those are the things where experience and expertise counts and, if the job isn't done right, the consequences are quite serious. For lots of other things, I'm cheap as heck. I saved on the oil change, the O2 sensor changes, etc. Those weren't vital and I could check that the work was done right. Which is not to say he couldn't do it right. but he would need to buy some expensive tools and use the right instructions. I wouldn't want him learning on my car.