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YOUR RESEARCHPorsche IMS Question
Leading reported evidence
Replace their bearing and it was still fine
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
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0
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1
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Read evidence and context
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
You�ll hear people say they changed their bearing and it was still fine.
Leading evidence: 'Replace their bearing and it was still fine' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Repair /rebuilt' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Suggestion
In my opinion if your engine won�t pass an IMS Solution pre-qualification it needs to be repaired/rebuilt.
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Suggestion
If you catch small filings very early (frequent magnetic plug and filter checks) and are able to ID them from the IMSB you will have a high probability of success by changing the bearing.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion · Original poster
I only asked because I have seen many people say that they have or plan to change the IMS bearing which just got me thinking if the original bearing already started to deteriorate (for lack of a better word) causing damage to the engine, would a new bearing even help at that point.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
If you catch small filings very early (frequent magnetic plug and filter checks) and are able to ID them from the IMSB you will have a high probability of success by changing the bearing.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
I only asked because I have seen many people say that they have or plan to change the IMS bearing which just got me thinking if the original bearing already started to deteriorate (for lack of a better word) causing damage to the engine, would a new bearing even help at that point.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
15 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
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Generation: 20261027T005001Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Hi Everyone,
First of all, I want to apologize about an IMS thread, but not to worry, I know a fair amount about this topic (the years impacted and which years are more worrisome than others). I am confused about one thing that I am hoping someone could clear up for me. For the model years leading up to 2006 which can be changed out, my question is is it possible to be too late in swapping out the IMS? I hope that makes sense.
What I am trying to say is, is it possible to have an engine close to blowing that even changing the IMS won't help stop the failure? Basically wasting money on a new IMS change when it should have done much earlier?
I think I just messed up this post but am hoping someone understands what I am trying to say.
Thanks!
IMSB. Hardly anyone changes the IMS.
Possible but unlikely. I'd rather change the bearing have something else fail than have the bearing fail. Bore scoring and D-chunking probably won't wipe out the valves; IMSB failure gets everything.
Alternative answer: this is why a per-qualification is recommended.
Yes.
Once the IMS Bearing has started to shed material, increased wear will happen to the engine.
When this is too late is certainly going to be debated, but the sooner you stop running the engine like this the better.
You�ll hear people say they changed their bearing and it was still fine.
That�s good or else they would be rebuilding their engine soon.
When you hear people say they replaced theirs just in time because it was about to go...their engine is going to need rebuilding VERY soon.
In my opinion if your engine won�t pass an IMS Solution pre-qualification it needs to be repaired/rebuilt.
Thanks for the response. This is what I was looking for. There is a point where even replacing the IMS bearing could still destroy the engine. Thanks for this!!!
I think this might be a bit of an exaggeration. Assuming the "just in timers" are determining that the bearing was "about to go" based on slop or noise (it's really difficult to determine the differences between bad, really bad, and about to go), and even assuming that the bearing was shedding some metal, the majority would probably end up int the sump screen or the filter. Sure, there may be cases where the bearing has been shedding metal for long enough to have the chains drag it all over the place, but we can only guess at the damage. Look how long the scored bore engines run, clacking away and spewing oil.
I believe I follow you. However, it would be nice to know exactly what model of car we're dealing with in this thread. IMHO, if you have good reason to believe that the engine is nearing the point of needing a rebuild or in your words, "is close to blowing", then rebuilding the engine is the better course of action in the long run. Of course, throwing a new bearing in the car will not help the bigger issue with the engine and unless you're installing the LN Engineering IMS Solution, a new IMS bearing will have to be purchased again during the rebuilding process.
My question to you is... How do you know the engine is near "blowing up"? Did a training Porsche mechanic make this diagnosis or are you making this determination based on age and miles?
Correct, this is more just for general knowledge and not a specific car. I only asked because I have seen many people say that they have or plan to change the IMS bearing which just got me thinking if the original bearing already started to deteriorate (for lack of a better word) causing damage to the engine, would a new bearing even help at that point. I would think metal flakes would be flowing through the engine already, right? Sorry I am not really knowledgable about the inner workings of an engine....I just like to drive lol.
Unfortunately IIRC, the first place that metal goes after leaving the IMS shaft/rear crank area is though the main and rod bearings.*
That's the worst place for shedded metals to go.
It's a long way to the oil filter.
The oil pick up screen is much too large to contain the fine bits of metal that leave the IMSB.
It's these first fine bits that cause a lot of wear throughout the engine.
Once an IMSB is "bad/really bad/starts to go" the damage is done.
Can you replace the IMSB and get some more mileage out of the engine?
Yes, sometimes.
But you're not getting a lot of miles unless you're lottery level of lucky.
Does LN Engineering/Jake/Tony Callas/etc. recommend replacing an IMSB that's worn?
I know they don't.
Pre-qualification doesn't allow for "oh it's just a little wobbly."
*The Knowledge Gruppe M9x Rebuild 101 Class goes in depth into oil flow within the engine.
It's been 2 years since I took that class so I may be a bit off on oil flow order.
Interesting. Those guys would know, I suppose.
I agree that the screen wouldn't stop them. but surprised the filter wouldn't arrest them on their trip to the bearings.
Agreed that metal shards on the bearings is basically the beginning of the end.
The OEM IMSB is lubed by sump oil (when seals removed). If it sheds metal it will drop to the sump, then to the pickup, through the pump (including the front IMS bearing) and then the filter and on to the rest of the engine. If you catch small filings very early (frequent magnetic plug and filter checks) and are able to ID them from the IMSB you will have a high probability of success by changing the bearing. Of course I don't sell insanely over priced bearings or bill high labor rates (at least not as a mechanic) so not having any skin in the game I might be a little un-biased
