Disappointed to read the Tech Q&A

In this month's Panorama, in which the 996 tech adviser answered a 996/M96 IMS basic question with, "The LN Retrofit kit is a must on all 996 models." I have no interest in opening an IMS discussion, so please do not. I am however sorry to see the passion with which the tech expert responded in the negative. That you can discuss.

Well, I never intended to replace my IMS bearing, as long as no materials showed up in the filter. However, after my last oil change, I noticed quite a few pieces of black plastic in the filter. I decided to have the bearing replaced. I change my oil every 3400 miles and my car is a vehicle that was/is always driven (not a garage queen, it's my DD). So my indy pulled the bearing and said, "the bearing looks great!". That provided a certain level of relief as you might imagine. However, I don't believe my indy is as well versed in the modes of failure for the bearing. They gave me the bearing. It had a lot of clean oil ON it. (I changed my oil 4 days before I put it in for IMS service.). When I brought the bearing home, I wiped off the outside of the bearing with paper towels (seals in place). I had the bearing sitting in the IMS Mounting plate (showing off the world's most expensive paper weight) and over a day clean oil ran down onto the IMS mounting plate. I then pulled the seals. Inside, there was very little sign of any permanent grease. Plenty of clean oil, but almost no grease. And my bearing seals looked perfect..... Case in point, if you don't want to replace the bearing, it would be important to know 2 things: How long did you engine sat unused and how often was the oil changed over the course of the engines life. If you can't answer these questions and change your oil when you remember instead of every 6 months, I would replace the bearing. My bearing may have lived for many many more years and thousands of miles do to my oil change obession. But if you are not obsessed and the car sits all winter, you may want to quesiton how much permanent grease & or clean fresh oil in sitting in your bearing?

If Road and Track or Car and Driver took up the banner could a recall on Stutgartts dime be in the cards?

I just got done doing my IMS retrofit. It made very good sense, especially since I needed a clutch for which there is no additional labor. I would suspect if the tech advisor answered in that way then the IMS replacement is becoming a standard preventative maintenance item. It would be nice if Stuttgart stepped up but I doubt it.

I'm not a PCA member, so please forgive a stupid question as I couldn't find the answer on the PCA website. But, what are the credentials of the PCA tech adviser for the 996? No doubt that he (I'll assume it's a "he") is an expert, but does he have any official position within Porsche? Is he an indy mechanic? Porsche surely has little ongoing concern for 996 maintenance issues as they are all out of warranty by now, and it is my understanding from reading here that Porsche does not officially recognize the IMS issue with these cars. It is an interesting glimpse into the inner sanctum of Porsche if someone within the company were recommending that the retrofit "is a must" for all 996's. That's pretty strong language. As for me personally, I'm a former 964 owner and recently bought my son a 951. I'll buy a 996 at some point over the next few months, and I've been listening and learning from you guys in this forum over the past few months. So, if you want the outlook of an outsider/non-owner who isn't tempted to rationalize/minimize the IMS issue, here's my take on this comment by the PCA tech adviser: It adds nothing to the real world issues that a 996 owner faces. The IMS problem was discovered years ago. 996 owners now have viable options to deal with the IMS issue (LNE retrofit, IMS Guardian, aftermarket warranties to name 3). Almost every make and model of car has some sort of significant flaw (search "2001-2002 Honda transmission" for proof that even the paragon of reliability has bad days). If it is an admission by Porsche that there is a significant design flaw with the IMS bearing, it should come as no surprise that they have waited until the last of the IMS bearing engines (model year 2008) are nearing the end of their warranty (4 years). As much as we like to think Porsche is all about the enthusiast community, it still is a "for profit" company (how else do you explain the Panamera?).

Quotes source post: 9110141

A translation for the non laywers in the forum....

Got a few great responses from the group there; needless to say they do know their stuff I'm sure. If I have permission I'll post it, but in any case I appreciate the responses I've received from Panorama.

again this just proves the point that those cars with the LN engineering ceramic IMS bearing upgrade are more enjoyable/less stressful to drive for the owner and much more desireable to buyers. i don't think there is any room for discussion on the topic.

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+1

I've instructed and spoken to dozens of people with 996s (or M96 variants) through PCA. I've never met somebody that's had an IMS problem themselves. I've personally torn down two 996 motors that were broken: 1: Cracked cylinder at 40k miles. IMS bearing looked and felt new. 2: Low oil pressure at 170k miles. IMS bearing looks and feels new. I may rebuild this motor, and I may re-use the factory IMS bearing if I do. To each his own. I worry about other things, my 996s have been incredibly reliable.

Here is the Background info on Joe. I think I would trust his opinion. I personally take my 996 to Chris Powell, and Chris is another one of the independent expert mechanics called on by the PCA as a Tech advisor in Panorama. (Note: this is Not a Porsche Inc. publication) Chis is also a fan of the LN Bearing. I trust his advice and he has often advised against some costly repairs to stay safe and save $ when deferred maintenance is not a big risk. As Joel says - the risk of a $20,000+ repair part of his consideration when thinking about the LN update. This is what I want from a Independent Porsche tech - straight advise based on real experience, and considering risk verses cost. You decide.... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joel Reiser 19 years experience working on Porsche street & track cars PCA National Tech, 964/993/996/GT3/Cup since 2001 PCA dual member since 1988 – Upper Canada & Niagara PCA & Trackmasters Driving Instructor since 1994 PCA Natl. Certified Instructor 2nd Overall 2005 CASC Ontario Challenge Cup Championship 3rd Overall 2003 CASC Canadian Touring Car Championship 4th Overall 2002 CASC Canada Challenge Cup Championship Reiser-Callas Team Owner, ‘98-’00 1999 ALMS GT3 Privateer Points Champions 1999 USRRC GT3 championship 2nd at Daytona, 3rd at Sebring 2nd of 40 cars, 9th of 80 overall, Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona 3rd in class, 12 Hours of Sebring inaugural ALMS event in 2000 PCA/GrandAm/ALMS/CASC Race driver since 1998 Co-drivers David Murry, Hurley Haywood, Johnny Mowlem, Craig Stanton, Grady Willingham, Doc Bundy, and others. finished 24 hrs of Daytona twice, 12 hrs of Sebring twice, & Petit LeMans once - total of 5 for 5! 10th of 80 drivers in 1999 ALMS GT driver points Team car #02 won Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca (Murry/Mowlem), only air cooled RSR ever to beat the GT3R/GT3RS in pro competition Licenses: ALMS, ProSportsCar, GrandAm, USRRC, PCA CR, SCCA Pro Dual, HSR, SVRA, ASN-FIA Canada, ACCUS Entrant

Techs opinions vary widely on almost any subject involving mechanical or electrical issues. No different from MDs or any professionals. Ask your doctor if he recommends a PSA screening?

remember to replace your water pump every 3 years or so, this part seems to cause as much damage as the IMS, through engine overheat. The bearing is just more dramatic for the owner with noises and smoke and whistle, while overheating is not as 'graphic'.

I just read this in my local PCA Newsletter about oil annalysis http://www.porschenet.com/Noreaster_...1Noreaster.pdf Page 25 (e.g. you can not use a magnetic drainplug connected to a continuity meter to tell you anything other than your engine is about to fail, in which case it is usually too late),

Jules didn't drive no German car, although Mr. Wolf did have a decent NSX. Only if he can bill for it.

LN recently updated their website discussion of the retrofit to admit they've had 3 of their single-row bearings fail. At first blush one has to admire their overall honesty...of course, it does tie in neatly with their recommendation that even those with their LN retrofit should consider buying their Guardian Disturbingly, they also say that the latest retrofit bearings are being redesigned with a ferrous casing which would trigger the Guardian...leading to the implication that the Guardian won't alert to an impending failure of the existing LN retrofit bearing that most of us have installed. Given the (relatively) small number of retrofits, 3 failures feels like it could be roughly the same percentage of failure as the OEM. I personally would like it if Charles and/or Jake could elaborate on those failures. Have they necropsied the failed bearings, and what is their conclusions? Clearly to me, there may be numerous variables which complicate speculation about the LN bearings' longevity. One is the quality of installation, and another is preexisting engine conditions/failures-in-progress. It would be useful and informative to hear from the manufacturer regarding these failures. From LN's website:

(e.g. you can not use a magnetic drainplug connected to a continuity meter to tell you anything other than your engine is about to fail, in which case it is usually too late), That may be the case... but the author also suggests changing the oil at 15,000 as suggested by the manufacturer. So while Oil analysis is great ... who is watching the engine in between the 15,000 mile oil changes??? On an average Porsche that could be three years! Everyone has an opinion... so that is mine. P.S. I have an LN Bearing and Magnetic drain plug, and that makes me happy.

Quotes source post: 9111960

So far, only one engine failure has been 100% attributed to an IMS bearing failure, more exactly, the cage was what failed on the one that we had anything to analyze. Thankfully, that individual heard something and shut the engine off, preventing mass carnage. The other two (one as recent as last week), was driven until the engine would not run any more. The problem we have in the other two situations is that there are numerous things broken in the engine and it's impossible to determine what failed first. With an open bearing, any debris in the oil will certainly make its way to the IMS bearing and can cause the cage to fail. That was one thing we always knew could be a problem, especially when users are installing retrofit kits on engines that have had bearings that are starting to fail or already failed. That's one reason we have such an elaborate warranty procedure to make sure there is professional installation and the bearing that was in there originally wasn't failed. Having a product like the Guardian available to provide advanced warning is great, but owners need to be attentive to the sounds their cars make. Any advanced warning is only good if the driver makes use of the feedback provided, be it a CEL, warning buzzer, or mechanical noise outside of the norm. I've lost count of the number of times I've been told that the damage caused by a failure has been made that much worse because these warnings were not heeded. All the dual row IMS retrofits have always used steel cages. The singles have used polyamide since it's the more common configuration for those particular ceramic bearings. Given we've had about 4000 retrofits and upgraded IMSs in service for several years now and the only ones that have failed have been single row bearings (and we see more failed factory single row bearing IMSs), it's clear to us now that the single row bearing is the most flawed design. We have had zero upgraded MY06-08, triple bearing IMSs, or dual rows fail. Overall, the failure rate is still much lower than any of those figures we've seen quoted. The moment the first single row bearing failed, Flat 6 Innovations and LN Engineering immediately hopped back into researching alternative solutions to the IMS problem and right now we have two possible, however more complicated solutions to the IMS issue as a whole we are developing and testing. The best explanation our bearing engineer and supplier have is that the single row bearing is insufficient for the loads placed upon the bearing. In the case of the only bearing that was even possible to be evaluated, the cage went first allowing the ***** to spread in the races unevenly, which there is only so long the bearing can operate like this. Considering the bearing had recently been installed, the cage itself probably had an internal defect. Knowing this, I very well expected this to happen at some point, since these are mechanical systems and even with the best bearings from a trusted source, there certainly is a chance of a bad bearing being thrown in the mix that we have no control over. Very well said. All concerns we have had throughout the process. You'd be amazed at the questions we get from shops installing retrofit kits and moreover, shops that probably shouldn't be doing this work. Most do not buy directly from us, but rather through a wholesaler, separating us from the transaction, allowing for more chances that someone, somewhere doesn't do an installation properly or worst, doing it on an engine that shouldn't be retrofitted. We've also been able to extract used IMS retrofit bearings from engines that came apart for cylinder failures and the most recent had over three years and 36,000 miles on it, and was in perfect shape. Other bearings upon inspection have likewise been perfect. Regardless of what people may say about the IMS problem, I've always tried to be as transparent as possible with everything I do. I'm always available by phone or email, or when directed, to threads like this, and I'm more than happy to answer questions to the best of my ability.

Thanks, Charles, for your considerate reply. I have your single-race bearing in my engine. The shop who installed it is on your list of dealers, has installed many of the bearings, and has a good reputation in the area for building engines for track cars. They said they use the LN bearing whenever they build an engine, and have subsequently torn some of them down with over 50k miles and a proportion of it in heavy-duty track use, and found the bearings in like-new condition. They also showed me my old bearing (30K miles) and said it appeared in good condition, with an intact seal and no signs of imminent failure. I have my oil and filter changed inside of every 6 months (my extended warranty requires it), which for me amounts to about 3500 miles. Although I only drive about 7000 miles/year, it's daily driving year-round, and my commute is long enough to get the oil to normal operating temp, and does not involve sitting in traffic jams. I try as best I can to keep the cruising revs above 2500, and always downshift if it drops below 2000. My upshifts typically happen in the 3-4000 range. Keeping the bearing flushed with oil, and changing oil frequently, I hope to prevent small particulate debris from attacking the bearing. Since my bearing has the synthetic cage, I find a less-than-compelling argument for installing the guardian. A large number of the single-race OEM bearings seem to have survived to quite high mileage, which counters the assertion that it's underspecified for the load. Most likely it merely doesn't allow for as much deterioration to take place before it will no longer support that load. I was certainly hoping given the LN version's specifications (open lubrication, ceramic components and thicker bolt shaft) that it would easily surpass the OEM, so it's a bit disheartening to learn that it might not. As you said, there is always going to be the possibility of a defective bearing. I've got a year and nearly 7000 miles on mine, so hopefully it's not one of them. Certainly if my car needs another clutch in another 30K miles (although the shop said it should go twice that or more, the pedal gets quite stiff as the plate wears) and you have a better solution then, I will consider it. I do hope the current bearing lasts that long. I'm grateful I went ahead and got the extended warranty.

Quotes source post: 9114062

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Most importantly, I think Marc is referring to Dirty Harry, not Pulp Fiction.

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I was paraphrasing the "say what one more goddamn time" from Pulp" But I could work up a good Dirty Harry upon request

yeah, Im bored.

Nice!

Oh, Please put that in the sticky!!

Who is the bigger badass Jules or Harry?

On hair-doo alone, Jules, hands-down.

LNEng IMSB is no miracle cure. If there is any "magic" it is LNEng's extractor which allows many IMS bearings to be replaced without engine R&R and teardown. That is all. Rear tires every 10,000 and replace the IMSB with each clutch.

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And he has a wallet like this:

/outta control

/someone stop me.

I am requesting Heath Ledger as the Joker next. I am not sure he needs a line; perhaps just the mad laughing would be enough...

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/ \ | That might be the best one yet

That you actually typed in, then blurred the nametag, that sir, is impressive. Is that photo of the Borg, or is that VW's CEO at the last EU autoshow?

Thank you.

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there is a difference? Clearky all these IMS threads have made me lose what little mind I have left

You, sir, have mad Photoshop skills!!

My guess is that every great artist has at least one piece they regret... M

A more fitting movie quote that best suites the 996 is: "You can't polish a turd." from Stephen Kings movie, Christine

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Really? is that the comment you want to make on a forum full of 996 owners?

Quotes source post: 9116048

Where that logic fails is that "each clutch" is as disparate as "each owner". The prior owner of my Porsche managed to wear it half-gone in 30K miles. The racing shop that replaced it (and installed the LN bearing) told me they typically replace clutches in daily-driver cars at a minimum of 75K miles. My own experience has been, I've never had to have a clutch replacement even on cars with 150K or more.

Replace the IMSB with each clutch doesn't work for me, in the case of my Boxster. 248K+ miles and it is on its original clutch. Due to a starting issue, that has happened before, I think I'm going to have to replace the clutch interlock switch again though. This will be the 3rd one. Sincerely, Macster.

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They must be Rennlist members.

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Another wonderful contribution.

Tried to avoid posting, but on the IMS/reliability thread same poster notes his interest in looking for a 996 despite the 996 being, "Porsche's worst failure" ever. That, sir is not only incorrect, but odd.

Ban or ignore.

+1, I'm sure my IQ is a few points lower after some of today's brilliant posts. Marc, you said your finger was on the ban trigger...

OMG! I spend a day out the office in Chicago and I miss some douche named KrazyK post some **** about our beloved 996's......messin' with the wrong crowd pal.

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Why keep coming back here to make comments about a "turd"? Do you really have nothing better to do? Go post this sh*t somewhere else!

has anyone used the Pelican Parts retrofit yet? I dont think the 996 is as bad as the mid 70's 911 2.7...now those had some inherent problems!

I don't think the Pelican kit is available for sale yet???

The Pelican IMS kit will be available probably next week or so. Our test car just completed about 25,000 miles with no issues and no leaks! -Wayne

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I usually skip this section of Panorama but my GF brought this one to my attention as well. What a load of nonsense. Looks to me like Panorama needs to find a MUCH better "tech advisor" IMHO. Or get rid of the section all together. It's a useless waste of ink in the age of DIY videos.

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do you have pricing yet? Your website still says coming soon

Anyone know if the 04 M96 uses a single or dual row IMS bearing?

Single

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+1 How many retrofits does Joel's shop perform? I'd be willing to bet that the number will go up after PCA members read this latest issue of Panorama.

Sept of 2011 Panorama issue: much different answer to the same question in regards to an 05 from a different tech adviser.

For what it's worth, in his email to me, he noted that it was an opinion, and that others might not share it. There's no "truth." Sorry, Mulder.

Wow! Thought I was joining in on the movie quote IMS parody and I get slammed? The IMS fiasco isnt really funny but its better to laugh than cry about it. Remember Porsche designed it, not me. Make sure your upset with the right people for your IMS woes. I bet the designers of the Titanic were bragging how great their ship was as it spiralled to the ocean floor. The only reason Im still looking for a 996 is becuase the prices are dropping from the net hysteria almost making them a bargain.

Hey Wayne, is it true your kit is approximately rated as strong as the original bearings, or are you beefing them up a little similar to the LNE option?

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from the info on the website it looks like it is a *modified* stock style bearing

Despite all the negative talk about IMS falure it has to be a very small % of cars. If not Porsche would have been forced to recall. I had the LN IMS upgrade done when I had the leaking RMS replaced. Two different indy's at two different shops have said their experience is the 996 is a reliable car with less issues than any previous 911. The 996 is a great car period. I love my 996 and plan on us having a long relationship. I accept the cost of R&M can be very high. A small price to pay for the joy of the drive! I think to may people buy a 25K car and dont understand the cost of service.

If only 10% of all 996s made will have a IMS failure, I look at it this way. If 10 cars were lined up all 996 from 1999 to 2004 models, what's the chances of me picking a good one. I think I stand a damn good chance of picking one of the good nine. Why do we 'live in the wreckage of our futures' so to speak. Or put in an opposite way. A ten horse race, whats the chance you could pick the winner. I bet you wouldn't put your wages on it. Those are the odds that you got yourself a bad 996. Sleep well my friends. If it happens it happens but you are on a ten to one shot that it won't. If it is a 5% chance than it gives you better odds again. Double the odds.

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Here's how I see it in my opinion. Note, this is just my opinion based upon my experience with the cars, and also my background in Mechanical Engineering (MIT). It would appear that *all* the cars suffer from a distinct design issue that causes premature failure of this bearing. The exact factors that make the failure more or less prone in individual cars is not widely understood. I personally have a 31,000 mile car that had a completely destroyed bearing in it. It's my opinion that frequent oil changes (every 5000 miles or less) can help considerably to mitigate the effects and slow down the wear of the bearing. I believe that all the cars have this issue - it's how they are maintained (or not maintained) that may contribute to the speed at which the bearing wears out. -Wayne

I have to concur with Wayne, it's just a matter of time. The whole ball-bearing supported IMS is a flawed design. Every bearing engineer I've spoken to can't understand why they would have put on there to start with, especially without a service interval for the bearing.

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And you sir...have mad PHOTOGRAPHY skills....who is that...got a website?

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I did the same thing, needed a new clutch and did the IMS retrofit with the dual row bearings on my 2000. Made sense to me and I have no regrets. I had no issue with the article, I read it also. Guess better safe than sorry. I plan on keeping the car for a long time.

I have a 996 with 107K miles on it. At 96K I did the clutch, LNE double bearing replacement and had the shop also put in a newer version of the main bearing seal for which the older version frequently fails. I sent the old factory bearing assembly to LNE for analysis, and to obtain their warranty. The bearing was intact but had leaked engine oil into the "permanently" greased bearing assembly, which meant that the seals were not intact. It is my understanding that the mixture of engine oil and the factory grease can cause the bearings to freeze and fail. Now that I understand that the LNE double bearing replacement has not failed, I feel quite good about the "operation." I have not replaced the water pump, as I have absolutely no symptoms, such as leaking or sound, but, as the majority opinion in this Forum is to replace the water pump as preventive maintenance, I will do so the next time I have my Porsche serviced, but I do not know whether to do a factory pump or a steel impeller after market pump. 2001 Carrera 4 - runs better at 107K than when it was young - most that ride in it cannot believe it is 10 years old with over 100K mileage. I change oil at 7K and never, never rev above 3K until the motor and transmission are saturated with heat.

I also have a 2001 C4 and they are now installing the 997 water pumps in the 996's. I just had mine replaced at RUF and thats what they put in. I don't know what the impellers are made of however.

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Excellent summation... Which completely validates Joe Reiser's statement in Pano that the LN bearing retrofit is a "must." Frankly I am surprised at all the fervor this comment has generated. You can argue percentages and causes all day long, but the bottom line is that these failures happen and spending $2k to avoid an $18k nightmare is a no-brainier, particularly if you are already doing a clutch or replacing a leaky RMS (and acknowledging that the RMS Guardian and perhaps the soon-to-bow Pelican solution are also worth considering). I personally think this discussion is closed, and as you can see from my signature I put my money where my mouth was. And it bears repeating... If you can't afford the repairs, perhaps you should not own the car...

I'm going to stick up for Joel Reiser here. It is a strong statement to say *every* factory IMS bearing needs to be replaced, but, taken in the context that he runs a successful Porsche and race shop, it makes sense. For his customers, for their piece of mind - and his piece of mind, they should all do the upgrade. He'd rather recommend it and do his best to ensure they won't have problems. If you look at the bearing retrofit price vs an engine replacement, it is sort of a "no brainer". If I had a shop and relied on customer satisfaction to stay in business, I'd recommend everyone replace it, too. The risk of losing customers to engine failures isn't worth it. Obviously, if a customer doesn't want to do the upgrade, for whatever reason (e.g. cost, principle, inconvenience, etc.), Joel's done his job as long as he tells them about the risk.

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...and dollars Actually the statement is one of those that is correct in the abstract but meaningless in the real world. Like stating that everyone's heart will eventually fail (quite true, if nothing else causes mortality first), therefore everyone should get a proactive transplant. The fact only a very small number of cars have had verifiable IMS bearing failure, and the fact many many cars have gone well over 100K on their original bearings while others have failed at very low mileage does not lead logically to the conclusion that the design itself is faulty. More likely than not, there are tolerances in the installation that cause some bearings to wear prematurely. Even LN agrees on their website: . Where the failure is in the design , is in the fact a single bearing is allowed, if it fails, to damage the engine beyond repair. If it were simply a matter of a bearing failing and needing replacement, the whole issue would not have the magnitude it does.

And, don't forget about manufacturing tolerances (and mistakes) at the bearing manufacturer... There could have been a batch of races that were just at the low end of the harness threshold and weren't able to stand up to the harness of the *****... There could have been a batch of faulty bearings that made it through quality control because of technician error.

Meanwhile I have had four vehicles arrive at our facility from across the country with catastrophic failures that were NOT related to the IMS bearing. Thats just during the time period that this post has been alive. While we have been closed this week I have received 3 more voicemails from those who have had failures; we still have to follow up with them in 2012. That said, people wonder why I don't write articles and submit tech information. The criticism that Mr. Reiser has received in this thread is a perfect illustration of why. People always have to think that those in the know with these engines are money driven and that surrounds everything we do. This couldn't be further from the truth because most of us live, eat, breathe, dream and excrete these vehicles/ engines and success isn't measured as a bottom line figure on a tax return. The only way we learn what we do, so it can be shared is by doing this work with unparalleled enthusiasm every minute that our eyes are open. That said guys like me live a very modest life and as long as I can still afford to drive a 30 year old Porsche, play with my firearms hobby and go to my shop and consider all my "work" as "play" I am just fine. Evil doesn't drive the straight forward truths about these engines, its all fact. The "Vendor Haters" don't realize that without guys like us their car would fall apart after the age where it is no longer feasible to have all the work carried out by the dealer. It astonishes me how many have to coat the truth with sugar just to digest it. I promise that you will never get that kind of "spin mechanics" from me. If it pisses people off, well I guess that means I got the point across.

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Well said Jake, ALL cars have their weaknesses and it's guys like you who help people like us keep them going.

Right on Jake. I appreciate your contribution here and all your work.

+1 thanks for your work on my car Jake - I sleep better at night and enjoy my car more.

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Regardless that you might choose to not spend your income in a conspicuous fashion, we all know you're more than a shade-tree mechanic piecing together 20 yr old Buicks with bailing wire and spit, and most of us are savvy enough to understand you must be making a good buck. If anyone begrudges you for it, that's their problem. Obviously your innovations fill a need, and you're entitled to more than simply recoup your R&D. What has engendered skepticism regarding your altruism is your own fear-mongering "Tick Tick Boom" campaign, and ranting against world for being "vendor haters" comes across as petty defensiveness.

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What a convoluted and nasty comment. If this is the way you choose to participate, perhaps you should just go elsewhere.

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Sorry to have offended you, miss. If you can't see the constructive criticism in my remarks, the problem is with you, not me.

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And you think that opinion/criticism had value? Interesting.

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Fear mongering? no. It's called marketing, the man runs a business. And regardless of what you think he brings some good knowledge here to Rennlist.

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Hilarious!

I can see his perspective. I do feel it odd to say that the design is flawed and that they will all fail when there's ample evidence of them making it to 150-200k and sometimes far greater mileage. I've rebuilt and repaired many engines as a mechanic (and some of my own) over the years including a few m96 and other Porsche engines, I've yet to lay my hands on a failed IMS bearing. I've spoken to several shops that have written off 996 engines as "broken IMS" for something as benign as an accessory making noise or a bad air oil separator. It is my opinion that the critical mass point and histeria on Rennlist has been passed, and a differing opinion doesn't have chance of getting its fair shake.

It's important to observe the problem in the context of the history of Porsche engines. There have been issues with almost *all* Porsche six-cylinder engines from their design in 1965. Some highlights: - Intermediate shaft wear in the 1969+ cases - Magnesium case head stud pulling - Chain tensioner failing (similar to the IMS failure in the amount of damage inflicted) - Dilavar head studs snapping - 3.6 valve guides wearing To use the chain tensioner problem as an example - not all engines will have chain tensioners fail. But some did, and experienced some very severe failures. In the same manner, the IMS bearing failure is somewhat intermittent - some engines will fail and some will not, as evidenced by the facts. I myself have one car with 30K in my possession that had a complete IMS failure. On the other hand, I have another engine I tore down with about 110K on the clock with no detectable IMS wear. So, the bottomline is that it *may* happen to your engine, and if you wish to help minimize this particular failure mode, then there is a solution on the market. LN Engineering's kit contains the ceramic bearing and a new, redesigned end-plate for the bearing (probably the most robust option). Our kit (on the desk in front of me), simply contains a replacement bearing (same as the original), updated stud, and some specially designed spacers (expected price to be under $200). At this price point, I think it's quite reasonable to recommend that the bearing be replaced at each clutch replacement interval (or about 30-60K miles). That seems to be a safe bet for people looking to protect their engines from this failure. Also, keep your oil change intervals to under 5,000 miles. -Wayne

Wow, first of all I I didn't think this post was all that serious especially with the levity of Sam L Jackson and others. But the new option from Pelican parts is quite interesting.

Quotes source post: 9145769

Wayne Was the 30k mile car that suffered a failure purchased in a failed state or near failed state? It's important to distinguish between a 50% failure rate (personal to you) or a zero failure rate. Did you purchase the car

Quotes source post: 9145769

Sanity. Thank you.

I am a new owner of a 99 C2 cab and have no history of any repairs or upgrades that the car might have had throughout its life. For my peace of mind re IMS bearing I change oil and cut open my filter. Mine is clean. No silver or plasctic bits or dust particles. I have a 45000 mile 3 year warranty on the car and should I see anything in the filter that should not be there, I will photograph it and give fair warning to the warranty firm of an impending engine failure. I think that phone call should wake them up into replacing the RMS bearing. The car has just completed 53000 miles. Its thanks to this forum and to the posters that I even found out about the 996 IMS bearing fault. I didnt know when I first bought the car. I have changed from Mobil 1 5w-40w to Motul 8100 excess 5W-40W since reading this forum and driving the car as though it was stolen. haha.