Is a new engine a good thing? Newbie needs help!

Hi guys! Another newbie question. I purchased 2004 c2 cab with 26,000 miles on about 10 days ago from Carmax. Car is going strong and I am having fun. Autocheck states that the car was locally purchased and maintained. Carfax maintenance record showed nothing out of ordinary. Since there is only one local porsche dealership, I called them out of curiosity with VIN number. I talked to the mechanic who remembers the car and the previous owner. He said he put a brand new engine in January of 2014 due to IMS and RMS issues (I read about those issues). Porsche covered the expense under the previous owner's extended warranty. I am going to stop by the dealership to get a copy of the service records. I am not sure why Carfax doesn't show this engine replacement? According to the mechanic, the new engine he put in addressed IMS bearing issue and RMS issue. I thought that even if Porsche gives you a new engine, you still have to put a new IMS bearing on your own. Am I wrong? Bottom line: (1) Should I be happy that I have a brand new engine in a 10 year old car? (2) Should I still be worried about IMS bearing and RMS in the future with the new engine? BTW, FWIW, the mechanic said the car is a good car and clean for everything else. . . Thank you for your time and help!

If you have a brand new engine from January 2014 installed by the Porsche dealer, then don't even sweat it. Go drive the sh*t out of the car and pop a bottle of champagne as Carmax sold you essentially a brand new car. IMS died on the old engine from lack of driving. IMO IMS death is a form of Porsche suicide from lack of use. Rather than continue leading the miserable existence in a garage Porsche chooses to commit seppuku. So, to stop the new engine from dying you must drive the car much more than PO did.

Score of the year. Find those twisty back roads and have at it.

^^^^^^ What he said. 1) Get every service record you can lay your hands on. 2) Drive car. 3) Be happy. Seriously, new engine is a good thing. Use quality parts & fluids, change oil every 5k or less, have fun.

It is a VERY GOOD thing! I had a Porsche crate engine installed in my 04 C4S one year ago, Porsche provided the engine and I paid $2,200.00 for the labor and fluids. Initially I was pretty angry that the engine went, I purchased the car 3rd party in October 2011 with 23,000 miles on the clock, at 37,500 miles the engine went. My anger turned to gratitude after I realized that everything except the A/C compressor is also new, from spark plugs to water pump to alternator and even the AOS. And - a two year factory warranty sweetens the pot. The only possible downside is that a Porsche remanufactured engine uses a larger IMS bearing and as such it can't be replaced as easily. So, you my friend, truly lucked out here as you do not have to contemplate performing some rather expensive preventive maintenance such as AOS, Water Pump, and of course the infamous IMS bearing wear item. As has been mentioned, drive the car as it was meant to be driven. I also have an 04 C2 that I purchased in 07 with 23,000 miles, she now has 82,000 miles on the clock and although I did have the IMS bearing replaced at 75,000 miles; there was absolutely no visible evidence that the OEM bearing had any issues. I paid more to have the bearing replaced and a new AOS in the C2 than I paid in labor for the new engine swap in the C4S - that put it in better perspective for me. Welcome to the community - and I hope you are out enjoying your new ride at this very moment.

I found the same thing when I bought my 2003 C2 last year. The car had 30,000 miles but the engine had been replaced in 2007 and only had around 10,000 miles on it. I had the RMS bearing checked by an independent shop right after I brought it home and it was the large, non-replaceable one. The Porsche dealer I bought the car from supplied a copy of the paperwork for the replacement engine, but there wasn't anything about it on the Carfax. Maybe Porsche doesn't like to report these things, even though they will report every oil change and tire rotation.

I was pretty sure this was a TRICK question ..........all NEW cars that leave the factory/dealer lot have a NEW engine, right?

Thank you guys. I feel much better now. I just was not sure about a new engine at 26,000 miles. I got the complete service records from the dealership. Up until Jan. of 2014 (25,000 miles), it was pretty routine maintenance except replacing oil pressure gauge at 16,000 miles. At the Jan. 2014 new engine replacement, PO decided to replace clutch, flywheel, and battery. So, it sounds like except AC unit, I have a new car! I should buy a lotto ticket. BTW, this is my DD and I hope she will last 200,000 miles. Thanks again

And just to keep your buzz going - before Porsche stepped up to provide the engine at no cost to me as good will - the dealer needed $37,500 from my pocket just to order the engine - I guess I was supposed to feel good when they told me I might get up to $17,500 refunded after Porsche received my original engine and determined that it was a re-buildable core. So, you just picked up roughly $20k in value. Put your foot in it with zero fear.

Key word here is "might"...

My 2001 vehicle frame chassis has 108,000+ miles on the odometer, however the engine only has 25,000. This is common place.

Would you please provide some information as to your statement that this is "common place" ?