I recently purchased a 987 with 48k miles. It’s really in beautiful shape and drives amazingly. The question I have is should I proactively replace the
IMS
? I appreciate everyone’s input.
I also have the 2005, 2.7 manual and welcome!!! What is your manufacturing month / year? If a bit "later" (Apr, May, June?) in the year then you should be good. I got lucky and got one of the later ones (June, 2005) and has the bigger
IMS
with "1%" failure rate...
Hey, thanks for the response and details. I’m not sure of the manufacture month but I’m looking through the documentation the prior owner provided, the in-service date is June of ‘05 so my assumption is that the manufacturer date is going to be earlier. I’ll just need to keep an eye on it and hope for the best.
Congrats on the 987! Regarding the
IMS
, if it hasn’t been replaced or upgraded already, it might be worth considering the proactive replacement, especially if you plan to keep the car long-term. Many owners opt for an upgraded
IMS bearing
to mitigate potential issues. However, if you’re not experiencing any symptoms and the car has been well-maintained, some owners choose to monitor it and replace it if necessary. It really comes down to your peace of mind and long-term plans with the car.
Just to be clear, based on the excellent info provided by
@Hoster987
, if the OP has the smaller, earlier bearing it can be replaced with one of the aftermarket ones (such as the LN Engineering product) that feature improved oiling. To do this requires removing the transaxle in order to access the bearing. The failure rate on this smaller bearing has been a cause for concern for quite some time but actual failure rates are hard to get a handle on.
If the OP has the later, larger bearing, it cannot be replaced without removing the engine and "breaking the case". If you take this route, you just put in a new bearing of the same type and leave the inner grease seal off in order to obtain "splash lubrication". But in effect you are well on your way to a full rebuild. It is generally agreed the failure rate on these larger bearings is very low and based on the cost of doing the work, most choose to leave it as is.
Many implement oil monitoring (Blackstone, etc.) as a way to keep an eye on engine health. If metal particles start to show up in the oil analysis, then you have to basically stop driving the car and plan on major engine work.
I have found that if you show up at your local Porsche dealers parts counter, armed with your VIN, the parts guy can drill down and find the part number of the bearing that is appropriate for your car and engine. This is probably the best way to determine what you have. I'm fortunate to live close to a dealer but I suspect if you are some distance from one, they will provide this service over the phone.
@sammysammy
- you've received some excellent advice above. One other factor in the decision you might consider is the resale value of the car with and without the bearing being replaced by one of the bearing cures marketed by various shops.. You probably will recover all your expenses in doing this since the prospective owners/buyers won't be concerned about the engine blowing up the day after they buy it.
Now - about an introduction - it's tradition around Planet-9 that new members introduce themselves and their cars (with photos) - in the
New Members Introduction
forum. Please do so - we're a friendly group here.. and welcome to
Planet-9, the Friendly Porsche Forum
for people with Porsche questions.
The month and year of production should be on a sticker in the driver's door jamb. That will tell you the assembly date of the car, but the engine could be earlier than that. However, I'm sure there must be a non-invasive way of telling which
IMS bearing
your car is fitted with.
I paid for a VIN analysis report from vinalytics.com. They confirmed the build date of 3/05. I’ve made an appointment to get the ISM bearing replaced. Thanks everyone!
Just to be 110 percent, please check your engine number if you have a set of ramps or jack stands so you can crawl under....
