Confusion - IMS

I am in the process of hopefully purchasing a 2003 996. 45000 miles. Records of annual oil changes. Minor repairs like window regulator. All done at Porsche dealer. Car is being inspected at a well known Porsche Indy including borescope and filter cutting. I thought I would just get the �the solution� installed. So, I ask the Indy if they do this. (There is no certified installer for 400 miles. There was one that is no longer certified). Indy says that in 18 years of business they have yet to see an IMS failure. Another very well known Indy does not agree with the solution and only does the dual row retrofit. So, I like the idea of the solution as it is forever. This will be my forever car. The dual row retrofit has a life of 75000 miles or 6 years. I get the 75000 miles. I don't Understand the 6 years. How does a bearing degrade over time? i am not trying to create controversy. I have read pages and pages about the IMS. Car will be driven 3 to 4000 miles per year. Opinions? I am very confused.

Find a reliable shop that will do the Solution. While the dual-row retro fit is a viable alternative, the fact that he is against the solution tells me that you should find another indy. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Provide your location and someone here might be able to recommend a shop.

Everything will degrade over time...and everyone has opinions. I'd be willing to bet it comes down to all the hoops a shop has to jump through and $$$ it costs them to become a "certified installer", which many will consider as just another way to extricate cash from them...again...opinions.

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^^ This ^^... I did my IMS Solution myself - it's not difficult, and it's the same process as the bearing retrofit (except cutting a notch in the crankcase for the oil line). As for "not agreeing" with The Solution - this just makes no sense. The plain bearing design is essentially the same as Porsche had been using prior to the sealed ball bearing used in the M96. It's also the same type as the bearing used in the Mezger designed GT3 and Turbo engines that don't suffer IMSB failures... What's not to agree with?

Opinions are like ********...everyone has one. Go with facts not opinions. If you really want this car forever get the forever solution. I had mine trailered to a certified indy 4 hours away to get the solution done. Then I took a train out when it was finished and drove it home! BEST DRIVE EVER!

Yes, the IMSB can fail, even at lower mileage - I had one and it's a very expensive repair. The small single row bearing (MY2000 to 2005) has the highest failure rate. Find a certified shop and do the Solution for the ultimate peace of mind (just one more opinion).

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Well known indy in my area said the same thing, "I've NEVER seen a IMS bearing fail!"... That's because he doesn't deal with Porsches. (facepalm)

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In order for a shop to install and warranty IMS solution retrofits, they must be a certified. The process of certification is extensive and thorough, not some online read through the terms and sign a declaimer process, but hands-on training by Jake Raby and Charles Navarro. I was in the same boat as you. I looked at all the products and went with the proven Mezger plain bearing design of the IMS solution. Made sense to me. The GT3 and Turbo models have the plain bearing design and don't fail like dporto wisely stated. If you really want to keep the car for a long time, then make the wise choice and go with the IMS solution.

Solution all the way. I would find a Certified Installer and either drive and stay for a few days or ship the car there. Well worth the piece of mind.

Guys, Jake Raby here. I have been away from RL for a long time, and while I really should not reply to this forum post, I find it necessary to bust the fake news with facts that you can only attain directly from the Inventor of the IMS Solution. First, business and politics have nothing to do with the Certified Installer program. Anything that you may read about this is just more fake news, and I'll explain this further below. People love to make assumptions, and start drama. I will crush those with fact as you read this further. Before going further I'll state that the only ties that I chose to retain when relinquishing the IMS Solution sales, marketing, and circulation was related to the Certified Installer program. When someone thats as serious about things as I am creates something from scratch, we don't want to see fools install it incorrectly. Its called pride, and its backed up with dedication. So, when it was time for the Solution to hit the market, thats when I was effectively "done" with it. I hate selling things, and wish I could just give engines away. I hate business, and hate to feel like I must answer to purchasers that have just bought a part from me. This is why my company, Flat 6 Innovations refuses to sell parts, or even offer services outside of a complete engine reconstruction. This is also why you can't buy an IMS Solution from Flat 6 Innovations. or any other part. We don't even want to sell T shirts, or decals! Last month 914 Okteenerfest passed by our shop, and instead of offering people things to buy I announced that "nothing will be sold here today". Then everyone in attendance walked away with a free T shirt. What we are the best at is building engines, and developing components, and processes. An engine is all that we have to sell you. Here is why I mandated the Certified Installer program be implemented: 1- So shops that are doing this work "have something to lose". Any normal shop out there has access to the parts to do this work, but when they install the product, they have nothing to lose if they fail to pre- qualify the engine, or do a haphazard job that leads to a failure. While there are many, many hundreds of good shops out there that can do the job just as well as a Certified Installer, these shops have not been specifically trained, and have nothing to lose if they make poor decisions that lead to a failure, or a complaint. 2- Regular shops that are not Certified often try to jam out the work. Generally speaking they charge "flat rate" which means the shop charges you a set rate for the labor, no matter how long it takes the technician to do the work. This is a problem that leads to negligence, and a total, and complete lack of attention to detail. In this scenario the Technician gets paid the same amount if it takes him 4 hours to do the work, or 14 hours to do the work. To me, this is about as stupid as it gets when it comes to concepts where detail & procedure are paramount. What works for an oil change does not work for an IMS Solution installation. I have had technicians brag to me that they can do 3 IMS Retrofits in a week, but instead of a pat on the back from me, I went ballistic on them explaining that I wasn't impressed. This happens all the time, and at Rennsport one tech walked up to me and said he has done 5 Retrofits in a single week, with one of those being an IMS Solution.This isn't a race to see who can do so many jobs, its about who can do the work without complications, or complaints, and represent the technology in the best way possible. Certified Installers must follow a particular protocol that starts with pre- qualification, and ends with bearing registration. 3- A big challenge with a non Certified Installer is pre- qualification, and honesty in regard to this. Often if a shop is doing a pre- qualification (just going through the motions) and they do find an issue, like debris laden oil, a chunk of timing chain, high cam deviations and etc, the Technician will pretend they didn't see it. Why? Well, if they are working on a commission based pay schedule and they "down" the job, then their paycheck can suffer greatly at the end of the week, just because they did the right thing when no one was looking. In most cases this isn't the case. The technician has nothing to lose, as it isn't his shop, isn't his name on the product, and it isn't his job to do more than rip a bearing out, and throw another one in. Certified Installers must document these processes, and they have a direct line to me, for those awkward situations where they don't know which call to make. I am circled in a couple of times per month by Certified Installers to help them make the decision regarding what should be done, pass or fail. A worst case scenario is a shop that doesn't have someone overlooking the work being done, and allow a technician to try and carry out multiple Retrofit jobs just to generate money for everyone involved. If your shop brags about how many of these they have done, then they are likely the worst shop you can choose. A first time, novice will usually be the better choice, as they pay attention, and take their time based on what we've seen. With numbers of retrofits increasing at a shop, the complacency sets in, and with that its treated just like a "brake job". 4- Certified Installers have no second chances. To error may be human, and to forgive may be divine, but neither of these are my policies when managing the Certified Installer program, which I do FOR FREE to keep my invention at the top of the food chain, and without complaint, or failure. Now, with that said I will give you the direct facts concerning how Certified Installers are chosen, and what they have to "pay", and why: Everyone thinks that this is motivated by money. That would make it like everything else in your life, right down to having to pass through a damn gift shop after going to a Museum. Everywhere we look someone wants to get in our wallets, or see how deep our pockets are. Its modern society, and its getting worse. Trust that the Certified Installer program isn't about money. This was implemented as demanded by me 7+ years ago, after my original negotiation requirement was for ALL IMS Solution installations be carried out only by Certified Installers, with non- installers not even having access to the parts. In retrospect my demand of this was a little crazy, but I like crazy stuff, and I'm a little crazy myself. If I would have stuck to my original mandate things would not be where they are today, and the IMS Poll here on RL would not have nearly as many satisfied members listed there. When I saw those poll numbers for the IMS Solution from here on RL, I was floored! I receive emails all the time from shops wanting to become Certified. I explain that they should attend one of my hands on classes, and get to know me, as this is the first step in the invitation process. Yes, I said "invitation". No amount of money buys this Certification, and no amount of clout in the industry does, either If someone comes to my world, and I see them assemble an engine, and I like what I see, then we discuss having them start the Certification process. At that time a small amount of money is collected as a one time fee to process their training, written test, and practical application evaluation, all of which are part of the process. An ad in a Porsche magazine for one month costs more than this amount of money they are charged, and there are no recurring fees. That said, if I feel that someone is only coming to the class to brown- nose, or try to impress me to get an invitation, they don't get the invite. Why? Its simple, I want good people that are naturally talented, and think like I do to have this Certification, and be working with something that I spent more than 10 years of my life inventing, developing, and perfecting. Sometimes I can hand a wrench to someone in a class and know in 3 seconds if the guy is real or not. No, I am not judging people, I am qualifying them to represent something that is very important to me. I do not take that lightly. Attending a class does not guarantee anyone, for anything. They may walk away with an invite, or they may get it 6 months later, after I consider them further. Most never get this, or another shop in their area is already Certified, not allowing them the opportunity. So, if a shop is making up excuses about why they are not Certified its either because they didn't attend a class, were not invited, or thought the fee (albeit small) was too much. Some shops will not carry out the Solution due to mark up of the parts. The IMS Solution takes them longer, and thats one part of it that many do not like over the retrofit. The percentage of component markup is a second negative for them. Put simply, if they have a technician that can jam out 2,3 or 4 (or even 5!!) Retrofits per week, then they will prefer to do this over deviating the plan to install the Solution. Yes, all too often considerations about what to use are made by percentage of markup, time to process, and "breaking the routine" rather than whats the best way to go for the long term. They will often make up reasons that seem genuine to justify installing a product other than the Solution. IMS Solution Certified Installers are quite the opposite. These people are bound to the IMS Solution as a singular product to use in 100% of their retrofits. This is part of the Code Of Conduct. Since I started the program, we followed suite, and since 2011 the only retrofit product we have installed here is the IMS Solution. Next month is our semi- annual IMS Solution Clinic, and we have most of our schedule built already for this. The Clinic is a time where all of our focus is on the IMS Solution, and allows us to schedule all these jobs per year in succession, for total focus. There are more IMS Solution Certified Installers now than ever before. In some regions (like Nor- Cal!) we have yet to have a Certified Installer. Speaking of Nor- Cal, we have not seen many shops that really live up to the program's expectations. We did invite two, but both did not accept, as they said they were already so busy that they could not keep up with the demand for their work. As more shops attend training, we will add them to the invitation list, and start the evaluation. Sometimes it takes a year to execute the Certification process, so it is not quick. The goal is to have a Certified Installer in each PCA region, selected by their abilities, and ethics. To help other shops and DIY efforts I did complete a video last month that covered an entire IMS Solution pre- qualification, and retrofit using the IMS Solution. Not sure when the guys at IMS Solution will release this, or how, or where... I did this for free, so don't bitch, moan, or complain if it isn't perfect! I'll close with 4 points: 1- A DIY install is likely done more comprehensively than one done at a shop where speed and volume of work is everything. 2- If a shop doesn't want to use the most superior product on the market, there's likely a different reason for this other than what you are being told. 3- The Certified Installer program isn't about having a shop on every corner, or even in every state to do this work! 3- The IMS Solution Certified Installer program works, and with this in place the IMS Solution has never had a single reported failure. So, there ya have it. Back behind the green curtain I go......

Good to hear from you Jake! (and yeah, I read all that and appreciate the explanation)

Amen! That's the way to maintain product integrity.

I am finally fulfilling a lifelong dream to own a Porsche 911. I am trying to do everything to make this a positive experience. I found a low mileage 996, with service records at a Porsche dealership. Car is being ppi'ed today to include borescope at an independent (no the IMS Solution installer). I really want the IMS Solution. I live in a 10 million person metropolis, 90 minutes from the US border. Would you believe that there was only 1 certified installer? He is no longer certified. Realistically, he is my only choice. A certified installer is 350 miles away. I am awaiting ppi results and based on that will be booking the earliest appointment (Oct 29) for the week long IMS upgrade. Wish me luck!

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My head is spinning. Does this count as a Raby reality check that I've read so much about on this forum? I've followed this man's work for years, way back to the VW aircooled days. Guess most of the guys just hear about his most recent work on the M96/M97 engines, but you gotta see what this man has done for the aircooled people. This kind of read makes me reassured that I made the right decision to have the IMS solution installed and fortunately, I was able to watch a lot of the process unfold as long as I didn't get in the way. I didn't have a clue about the extent of pre-qualification steps going into this procedure, but the certified installer for my car went through each step verbatim. The agreement was very clear to me that my car could be disqualified if it didn't meet certain standards throughout the pre-qual process. I learned alot about oil analysis, ECU evaluation, cam deviations, cylinder bore inspection, manometer readings and the single row bearing seal problems among other things. After reading this and seeing mine installed, I now truly understand why he insists on such a stringent program. No one wants anything to jeopardize their investment. We're all stakeholders in this... the product and what stands behind it is the BEST it could be to ensure positive results from every IMS solution install.

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I think the 6 year warranty is an arbitrary number because no mfg or vendor wants to deal with warranty work more than 3,4,5,6, years. Some auto mfg have extended their warranty out for 10 years as a market competitive argument. As for how they degrade, when a car is driven short distances, and not allowed to warm up, and only goes 3-4000 miles per year, acids in the oil and fuel degrade over time and can etch the bearing or the race. It only takes a very tiny imperfection in the race of a bearing for it to eventually self destruct. If you've ever heard a car drive past you with a whine noise, that's a wheel bearing that is going bad. It may not fail in 10 or 100 miles, but within about 2000 miles it's going to give up. I wouldn't put too much stock in the 6 year time frame. If you take drives that are long enough to fully warm the car, and get it out on the road and moving, then do your oil changes correctly, I suspect the dual row LN bearing will last much longer than 6 years, but I will still not warranty it for longer than that. The 75,000 miles is a hard stop replacement based on the type of bearing, working conditions, and environment. if you drive 4000/year, the bearing will 'wear out' in 18.75 years.

Before I purchased the car I have now (it came with the IMS Solution nicely wrapped in a Stage II engine) I spoke with a Certified Installer whom I have known for years, long before he became a CI, about another low mileage 996 I was looking at. He told me that he would not guarantee that he would install the Solution in this car until he had a chance to inspect it and make sure it was a good candidate. And that it would take him around 30 days before he even had time to do that. And then another 45 days or so before he had a slot to do the work, and to expect him to have the car for about a week. You are doing the right thing in shipping the car the 350 miles and having it done properly. Good luck with the purchase.

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I hear the quote "I am finally getting my dream car" all the time. Unfortunately, people only call us when they have a problem, and too often that dream became a nightmare. For some, its a few days, or weeks after purchase, and in those cases, most of the time the person was taken advantage of, and someone knew the engine was failing, or had failed and was patched up, only to fail again. This is happening all the time. Driving the 350 miles to the Certified Installer is the wise decision. Trust that any facility that loses their Certification has this occur for a well- substantiated reason. I have kicked two shops out of the program since it started, but there's zero tolerance for bad judgment, or mistakes to be made, so #3 is just around the corner. I lead this program with a lead fist, reinforced with titanium. The low mileage cars fool people the worst. They think that low mileage is the key, when in actuality the low mileage car simply wasn't driven enough to fail in some cases. Just last week we saw a 1999 996 with 12K miles. It was purchased at a premium by a buyer that said "This has been my dream since I was a kid, I have always wanted to own a Porsche 911". Finally at the age of 52 he was able to fulfill that dream. 3 weeks later he finds a bubble of coolant under the car, and dripping from the tail pipe. He then started the car and tried to drive it. The classic 1999 cylinder failure had struck, and later that day the engine would " D chunk" and seize on a piece of the broken cylinder, stopping him in his tracks, and finding him making a call to us. This failure should have happened under warranty, and been repaired like the thousands of others that were driven, and did fail under warranty. This car was 19 years old, with 12,000 miles, and it suffered a failure that it should have suffered 19 years ago. Now, he paid a premium for the car, and he is in line for our engine. While he did have the "best failure" possible, with very little trauma to the rest of the engine, its still costing him 9 months without the car, and 20K to reconstruct... So, when people brag to me about low mileage, I just shake my head and say "I'll take the one with 80-100K on the odometer instead". Make a wise decision and it sounds like you are having the PPI done with great detail. That said, have them pull the sump plate and check the back side of the cylinders first for scoring, while the pistons are at TDC. Testing at BDC through the spark plug holes shows you about 2/3 of the picture. Going from both directions is what I do, and two of the cylinders are very difficult to reach from inside the sump. Don't be fooled by that low mileage car. Treat it with great discretion. Jake Raby

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I was on a waiting list for a open slot more than 9 months out. I would ask periodically, but got turned down. Then finally, got a message in the summer to deliver the car for pre-qualificiation. It was approved and the Solution was installed. The only regret I have is not requesting to have a dyno done before and after the IMS Solution install. It feels like it has much more power. The shop told me the car will experience a noticeable performance increase because the IMS Solution produces LESS friction over OEM IMS bearings.

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^^^Hmmm...Nutty Professor indeed! I think you've drunk the Kool-Aide That shop should be ashamed of themselves! The IMS/IMSB produces no power of it's own. If you're original bearing was dragging enough to reduce power (enough to feel it) it would have self destructed long before you had a chance to replace it. Also, your engine never would have been pre-qualified, as it would have been full of metal from said bearing. While it may feel like your engine has more power, rest assured it does not. More likely it's a result of your wallet being lighter, and you not being afraid to step on the gas pedal a little harder now that you've got The Solution!

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The shop did warn me that noone would believe it.

I bought a low mileage 2003 C4 cab 10400 miles. Before I bought it I had it trailered to Upstate imports in Balwinsville NY to a certified installer. I couldn't get it into him for a month for the PPI and pre-certification. I paid the seller $500 to allow me to do this as a condition of purchase. I figured $500 was a good insurance rather than dealing with a nightmare as Jake has said. I previously owned a new 2001 C4 cab and put 60k miles on it in 4 years with never an issue, never heard of the ims in that time. I always did my own oil changes and maintenance, it NEVER saw the dealer or an indy for that matter. We both waited there for 1/2 day so the procedure could be done. I went into the shop several times and the owner showed me the "stuff" on the Porsche computer. Had the sump oil pain off and filer cut open showing me it all. Verified everything. After that, he found a few different things wrong (not engine) and it would cost an extra $1500 to fix those. I went out and offered the seller $1500 less to account for these things. He hemmed and hawed and finally agreed. I paid for the car and he told me after what he learned that day if I did not buy the car he was going to leave it with them to have the solution done. I left the car for 3 weeks till he could get to it and do the job. He showed me the old bearing which was perfect. I wanted it back as a paperweight but he said no he had to send it back to Jake for analysis. I took a train out there when it was done and drove the car home. I have put 3000 permagrin miles on it in 2 months! I put 30-40 miles on a day while my Subaru just sits in the driveway.

Well, true enough. (post 19) However, engineering studies have shown that a properly pressure lubricated sleeve bearing has lower radial resistance than the same size/design load ball or roller bearing. Having said that, the work HP of delivering pressure lubrication to another sleeve bearing has a small cost as well. However - in this case we're talking milligrams/meter of torque difference between sleeve, ball, and roller. heheheheee... A pressure lubricated sleeve bearing is what should have been used in the first place. It was a design flaw which has dogged Porsche for almost 20 years now, and will go down in history as one of the worst mech engineering decisions ever. The market knows very well that the 911 from 1999 through 2007-ish has 'bearing problems' even if they don't know the IMS specifics. Heck, even my dentist mentioned it when he saw my car, and he's no gear head.

Thanks for the lesson Jake! My 996.2 had The IMS Solution installed by the previous owner. I read up on the qualification requirements and knew the engine was in great shape just 4 years before I bought it. Very few miles had been put on it after The Solution was installed. I was given copies of the pre-qualification pictures and all the paperwork with the car. My IMS Solution paperwork was signed by someone with the last name Raby. It's now past the 5 year warranty, whether it transfers or not, but I'm not worried about the IMS failing.

I'd like to add to this quote from a post above... We do not monitor the IMS Solution program, or have anything to do with any aspect of the sales, or warranty. The only thing that we are associated with is choosing, and training Certified Installers, as well as handling tech support for these Certified Installers. The old bearings go to LN Engineering to be registered, they do not come here. When it was time for the IMS Solution to hit the market, it was time for us to step away from it. That was 9+ years ago.

Jake, Do you certify shops or do you certify individual technicians? Also wondering if a small 1-person shop would ever be able to become certified.

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Both. The shop must have one employee that will be responsible for the work trained, and handle the Solution workload. The size of the shop means nothing to me. All that matters is ability and ethics. That said, several of the Certifications belong to shops with no employees, and the owner does all the work.

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That's good to hear. I do repair and maintenance work on the side at the moment, but may be "retiring" from my primary (non-automotive) job and working for myself "full time" soon. (Probably in 2019 or 2020) Planning to attend the Knowledge Gruppe M96 101 class in 2019. I'll do the full week long 102 class as well if the schedule works out for me.

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Sounds good. The M96 classes are being scaled back to just one online, and one hands on class per year for 2019 and beyond. Sigjn up early, when the schedule for 2019 is released in a couple weeks. l�ve added a ton of other classes, including 996 Turbo, and Mezger aircooled.

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Steam Mill, it's been an month and haven't heard anything on your search. How did your search and PPI on the "low mileage 996" turn out? Updates?

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Sweet! If you get certified you will be my choice! I'll be ready for the solution in three years or so, take your time!

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He picked it up a few days ago.

Very cool to hear how they conduct their business. You don't see that often at all! Anyway, back to the discussion of which IMS solution to get. Given all of the potential issues with the M96 engines, the IMS Solution should ONLY be used on an engine that has been rebuilt the proper way (sleeved block, all known failures addressed). For most of the people who choose to simply change the bearing, the retrofit is the best solution. The IMS Solution would be the only solution, IMO, if the engine was prone to only that failure. That's simply not the case with these engines. You can replace the IMS bearing with either solution on a non-properly rebuilt engine and have any one of the catastrophic failures happen on the ride home. It's literally like having a basement that has the potential to leak from several places but you decide to focus on one of those potential leak locations and spend a lot more than you need to secure it. You are still left with the same chances the basement will flood.

Prelude Guy, I think that's a reasonable perspective, but I don't see LN or others recommending that approach. If I understand them right, as long as it meets prequalification, you can have the plain bearing solution installed on any M96 engine by a certified installer. If this forum is any indication of the level of anxiety in the 996 community, the IMS bearing has to be the most frequent concern, even if the engine has multiple other common failure modes. It is the most written about 996 issue in the literature and online as well. Resolving it alone probably alleviates the most concerning of the failure points for most people. I bet the typical 996 owner off the street (without the name Raby or Navarro) could not name many other failure modes off the top of their heads. People addicted to online Porsche forums are probably a bad sample of "average 996 owners", so probably could name a handfull, but none as visible as the IMSB. I can see how going to the plain bearing solution has non-monetary benefits. The IMS bearing seems to keep many people up at night. If spending on the Solution alleviates that concern, then it might be a reasonable price to pay to get peace of mind? Another perspective is the long view. The replacement bearings are a wear item with a limited service life (years/miles), but the solution is a once and done permanent solution. If a person is going to hold onto the car for multiple ball bearing replacement cycles they've paid the same money as they would have to install the plain bearing version. Why not do it once, with one labor charge, and be done with it? I don't lay awake worrying about my car, ever . That being said, if I didn't have a AT engine with the newest single row bearing, I would have already installed the plain bearing solution. The fact that the cases must be split to replace the bearing has prevented me from taking that action on my car. I like the idea of the re-design, and the fact that it has been bulletproof on the Mezger engines. There is something to be said for proven, well engineered solutions.

Thanks to everyone that provided invaluable advice. Picked up a 2003 45000 mile 72000 km black 996 this past week. No accidents. I think the only options is Bose cdr23. That�s the way I wanted it. Very clean example. Ppi was clean. Leak down and borescope were clean. Even has a 2017 Porsche branded battery. IMS Solution being installed in a couple weeks. Likely clutch, rms and aos for sure.

Congrats!

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Water pump might be a good idea too.

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I wouldn�t attempt the ims myself. I will do the water pump myself. Considering I have a lift that Iminstalled and lots of tools, shouldn�t be that hard base on what I have read.

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Thanks for taking the time to discuss. I really enjoy that and appreciate it. I will admit, I am more vocal here on the Porsche forums than I am on the Honda/BMW/Nissan and whatever other cars I have. I can't even remember anymore. lol If I am understanding you correctly, you are saying FSI and LNE say the IMS Solution can be installed on a non-rebuilt M96. If that is what you are saying, I agree with them. Does it hurt to have the better IMSB installed? Nope! Does it have a lower chance of failing compared to the Retrofit? Absolutely. But that doesn't take away from the fact that the M96 can fail just as easily from some other reason? NOPE! Sure the IMSB might be a little more reliable with the Solution but for the cost, it's debatable on the need for it on a non-rebuilt engine. For a rebuilt engine, it's a no-brainer. Get the Solution! I like analogies. That's like deciding if it's better to put Michelin Super Sport or basic Bridgestone all season tires on my mom's 1987 Yugo during the summer. Sure, the Super Sports are better. Maybe her stopping power will slightly be better in stop-and-go traffic but at the end of the day, the Super Sports advantages aren't worth the price over the all-season tires. The all-season tires are the best solution to solve her need for new tires, especially since her car could break down at anytime for a number of other reasons. She runs the risk of having a non-running car with some nice tires. This M96 engines in general are EXTREMELY unique in that the only way to make these engines more reliable is to tear them down and rebuild them from the ground up. I strongly feel this engine has proven to be such an extreme case that it's not even debatable. I can't think of one other mainstream car that is even close to the M96 in terms of so many potential CATASTROPHIC causes for engine failure. It is shocking. Not only that, most owners don't push their engines like people who own cars like the 350Z, M3 (any generation), etc. Most of these engines are failing even after being taken care of!! Here's another thing that is unique to the 996 (maybe the first gen NSX as well). If the engine fails, it is very expensive to replace. For most owners, when the engine fails in the 996, it's rare that the current owner repairs it. Most are sold off as rollers. The decision is understandable though. It's tough to spend approximately $25K on a used 996 that eventually has catastrophic failure, then be presented with the cheapest option of a $10K replacement engine (that usually doesn't include additional things like labor to replace the engine, most likely will need a new IMS bearing, water pump, etc) and still have no assurance that the replacement engine won't fail again! Heck! The replacement engine they buy might already be failing! It is literally that bad! If an NSX owner's engine fails, replacing it with another C30 or C32 might be expensive (now they have the cheap option of J-Series engines from the 2001-2003 CL and TL), but they can feel pretty confident the replacement engine will be pretty reliable as is the case for most engines. Yes, you are correct, The avg person usually doesn't know the other causes of engine failure other than the IMS bearing. I've spent a lot of time researching the M96 and am still learning a lot about them. I don't expect many people to dedicate the time I have to learning about them. I do it because I am intrigued by how great the 996 chassis is and how to make them reliable with a budget in mind. Personally, I don't think the IMS Solution vs the IMS Retro will make any difference when explaining to future buyers. The cost differences between the two solutions is too significant to justify especially since most people don't know the differences. Most will be happy when they find out the bearing has been replaced. Plus, when you brought up not having to pay for labor to keep replacing the IMS retrofit, you are making one UUUUUGE (MAGA :-P) assumption - that the engine won't fail before then. That's my whole point. There is no assurance the engine will last. I keep saying this but the engine can literally fail for another reason right after you have the IMS Solution installed! My opinion on the M96 is you either bite the bullet and have it rebuilt the right way or just do enough to do your due diligence to hopefully lower your chances of engine failure. Of all the potential causes of failure, the RMS and the IMS bearing are the main ones any owner can have done. Trying to prevent D-Chunk, broken timing chains, etc is not possible without the full rebuild. With that in mind, the IMS retrofit is the prudent choice. For people who go the full-rebuild route, the IMS Solution is the prudent choice. The reason why I am so vocal on these forums is for one reason! For most of us who haven't gone the full-rebuild route, there are many opportunities to waste money on things that don't make the best financial sense and don't make the failure of the M96 less likely. Owners of non-rebuilt engines should not lose sleep over their engines. Enjoy the car. My moto is enjoy it like it is going to die tomorrow. By that, I mean not worry about it and enjoy driving it aggressively. You just don't know how long it will last, so have fun! That's where you and I agree. I NEVER want to scare anyone. If I thought the 996 wasn't worth saving, I wouldn't be here.