LN IMS bearing replacement interval?

The shop indicated 4 yr or 50k mile interval for the LN IMS bearing (not the solution one). This 2003 911 had its bearing replaced 9 years ago but only has 15k miles since. (LN today state 6 yrs or 75k miles on their website. Not sure if today�s bearing is different from 9 years ago.) What are your thoughts on how long the replacement bearing should go, miles vs time? thanks.

How often do you change your oil? They base replacement on time as well as mileage. Low miles and long oil change intervals are not good for the bearings due to oxidation occurring in the oil if it is left for long intervals because of low mileage. I changed the oil every 6 months or less. The need to replace the IMS bearing is why I changed to the Solution in all my M96 engines. It is a one time fix. However, I still change the oil every 6 months, even if the car has been driven only a few hundred miles.

I would start making a plan to put the "Solution"in it even if it meant doing away with the Sunday Icecream Trip, don't you wish the previous owner had done that ?

It's 6 years or 75k whichever comes first. I am on my second IMS Retro on my 2002 996. First one worked beautifully with alot if track days on it. It may have lasted over 10 years before I got around to replacing it. Just got busy with business and lost focus on the 996 for a couple of years. Did a major invasive PPI (dropped sump, ripped apart oil filter, scoped bores, went over the whole car to see what needed to be replaced) and then refresh to the car 2 years ago of which I replaced the IMS Retro, RMS, AOS with UAOS track, coils, plugs, MAF, fuel injectors, low temp thermo, oil cooler. Clutch and flywheel were good this go around. Don't have a problem with using the Retro because I had a regular routine with my indy to drop the engine and look over everything. So a replacement wasn't an issue. Eventually I will go to the Solution either when I decide to do a planned rebuild sometime in the future. Just not yet. Gonna replace alot of cooling parts this winter including the water pump. It's been about 7 years and time. Something to think about. I have replaced my oil over 90x in nearly 22 years of ownership and 62k miles. It has handled the street and track beautifully without any scoring or catastrophic failures. Bores are smooth and oil tests are great. Engine pulls strong.

THAT’S allot of oil changes! Like every 3 months. I take it you change relative to your track days?

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Yeah, I would change the oil after every track day and flush the brakes. Or to put it another way, change the oil before every track day and the same with the brakes. In the 5 years I didn't track the car, I still changed the oil a couple of times a year. Always kept the key engine parts fresh as well. 63k miles, no bore scoring and great oil tests. Something to be said about keeping your oil and critical parts fresh. Overkill? Maybe. But when I get in my car and drive it around town, or on the track, or from Chicago to Phila and back to visit family, its good to know its gonna work.

Undoubtedly better than a bore score or IMS story. Good for you.

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For sure. No guarantees with anything mechanical. But you can certainly improve the odds with a few higher quality parts and procedures.

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Imagine if people knew back then what we know now about how to keep an m96 in good health. You did it right from the start and your bores show it. Overkill only hurts the wallet but is also security and at the end of the day the $$$ is so minimal in the long run it doesn't really matter anyway over 20 years. Also I use FCP so my oil changes only cost whatever shipping is. I always have 10 quarts of DT-40 on hand ready to go.

I'm in the same boat with the same questions. We have two IMS cars; '99 996 and '01 986 S. Both original IMS's, 2 row, were replaced w/ about 50K on the cars and both originals were perfect. We used the IMS Upgrades and I only put ~2k max/year on each car w/ annual oil changes of quality oil (Redline 10w-50), cutting apart the filter, magnetic drain plug, etc. I plan on running each for at least 10 years or longer assuming use remains the same. I understand LN's replacement recommendation from a business perspective, but from a mechanical perspective I see their bearings, especially the dual rows, lasting much longer. If our sealed OEM ones were capable of ~15 years and 50k miles, then LN's open and lubricated higher capacity bearing, assuming proper install and regular oil changes w/ quality oil, should be at least as durable. Love to hear alternative opinions and why.

I agree with what you say, I still went with the solution on the 2 cars.

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I knew that FCP Euro replaced parts for free... do they also replace oil (& filters) for free??? What a deal if they do!

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They absolutely do and it's kind of amazing, you can send back everything they sell if it's broken or a consumable used. Every 6 months I buy more stuff I need and I send a box full of all the stuff I have used for a store credit. Oil, brake fluid, filters, brake pads, used wipers, broken parts and so on. I haven't paid for sooooo much maintenance over the years it's insane they have this policy. I have been doing this for as long as I can remember starting with a MKIV GTI, then to e46 BMWs and now also my 996. Dt-40 is so expensive, like $20 a quart, paid for 1 oil change years ago and now I just send back the oil & filter every 6 months for a store credit. They used to give CASH back but now it's a store credit, I have 3 German cars currently so I always have stuff to spend it on .

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so you actually send back the cruddy used oil? any issues actually shipping it (FedEx, ups�)?

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Yup, you use the same bottles, put some tape on the cap just in case, and they also ship the oil inside a thick plastic bag which I then put the bottles inside and tape the top of the bag closed. Never had a problem shipping the oil, the oil was shipped to me so there is no reason I can't ship oil I assume, I always just say the box is full of "car parts", I have used both UPS and Fed ex, Fed ex was cheaper IIRC

So is your only cost now the shipping that goes each way? Im assuming they dont credit you for that cost

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When you buy from them it's free shipping to you over $75 or $100 can't remember exactly. I pay to the ship the old stuff back and the difference in price since everything keeps getting more expensive as time goes on. Basically you get back whatever you originally paid, so if something is $5 more expensive now you pay the extra $5. They credit you in a store credit that you can spend on whatever you want but you do have to lay out the money and buy the replacements first. The system is most beneficial if you are maintaining a few cars since the credit can be used on anything after you have bought the initial replacements. The system was a lot better when you got cash back since now you are stuck in their ecosystem with a store credit, AND have lay out the money for the 1st replacement part but it's still the best deal out there for replacements. It makes more sense when FCP explains it I'm sure lol.