Update on Transmission and Question about IMS Upgrade with 175K miles already on engine

My indy put a used transmission in and was not happy with it and let me know they would be working with their supplier to get another unit and that the supplier might send it out for a rebuild. My indy inspected the IMS (2006 replacement engine with larger bearing) and from what he could tell, looked okay, no leaking or areas looking like a problem. However, we discussed whether it made sense to replace the IMS since they already have the transmission out and it would be about 2 1.2 hours additional labor.

We could go LN dual bearing with 75K mile life at $800 or Pedro's lubrication kit at $1500. The car has 210K miles... engine has 175K.....

what would you do? 1. do nothing with IMS 2. Go LN 3. Go lubrication kit.

Thanks,
Barry

... and does not have to be replaced.
That’s what I would do.
Wait ... that’s what I did on my own car.
Happy Boxstering
Pedro.

BTW my Boxster just turned 20 years old yesterday!

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

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Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/2017 08:12PM by Pedro (Weston, FL). (view changes)

Quote
BarryL
My indy put a used transmission in and was not happy with it and let me know they would be working with their supplier to get another unit and that the supplier might send it out for a rebuild. My indy inspected the IMS (2006 replacement engine with larger bearing) and from what he could tell, looked okay, no leaking or areas looking like a problem. However, we discussed whether it made sense to replace the IMS since they already have the transmission out and it would be about 2 1.2 hours additional labor.

We could go LN dual bearing with 75K mile life at $800 or Pedro's lubrication kit at $1500. The car has 210K miles... engine has 175K.....

what would you do? 1. do nothing with IMS 2. Go LN 3. Go lubrication kit.

Thanks,
Barry

Doesn't replacing the IMS on this engine require splitting the case open (bearing too large to extract through the access hole )? If so you're looking at a considerable larger expense to replace the IMS than on the 986 and if the mechanic thought it looked good, why spend the extra money?

I have had two motors where i replaced OEM IMS bearings with LNE retrofit kits. Unlike most, i have then had those motors back apart (one motor apart, one bearing out when service was done) and been able to inspect them. My statistically crap sample of two indicates that the LNE bearings deteriorate faster than OEM bearings. YMMV - but it is NOT a solution IMNSHO. A better option would be to put in another new OEM bearing, about $100 + labor.

The products that add lubrication make much more sense to me. They address the fault rather than than trying to strengthen the bearing to overcome the fault, which seems to be impossible. LNE has their own "solution", which is lubricated - gee, i wonder why?

The kit from Pedro'sGarage is, I believe, $750 or so plus the incremental labor which you have estimated about right, so its not $1500 even in total.

My advice, with an Auto ( which for unknown reasons seem to fail less) is $100 or $750. I would nto spend similar money on the LNE "retrofit" bearing.

G

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

a couple of hundred dollars and comes with a new and improved/better IMSB and so other hardware. 'course, one is still required to drop the transmission to fit the new bearing.

What with all that has been going on this week I have not been able to obtain any details on this kit.

If I had kept the Boxster when it came time to replace the clutch I would have had this Porsche upgraded IMSB installed. I wanted to see the old bearing's condition after 320K+ miles.

Based on my engine number per my indy....This opens up possibilities for the IMS bearing replacement. Since I have 175K miles on the existing engine and bearing, looks like we did pretty good to get this far and since we are getting a replacement or rebuilt transmission, I can go ahead with replacing the IMS bearing.

Quote
BarryL
Based on my engine number per my indy....This opens up possibilities for the IMS bearing replacement. Since I have 175K miles on the existing engine and bearing, looks like we did pretty good to get this far and since we are getting a replacement or rebuilt transmission, I can go ahead with replacing the IMS bearing.

So, it's a rebuilt 2002 motor--not one out of a 2006 car.
You did say it did have the bigger bearing--how do they know that for sure? If it has the bigger bearing, it would also have the larger flange, bearing shaft --besides the bigger bearing. IIRC, in that era, Porsche rebuilds of that motor included a number of improvements, including the newest IMS available. Unfortunately, if true, that new bearing cannot be removed via the access hole in the case--it would have to be split.

My 2002 Boxsters engine failure occurred in 2006 with around 39k miles. Porsche replaced the engine with what I was told the upgraded ims bearing at the time, so I was assuming it was replaced with a 2006 engine. But my Indy shared with me the engine number that he said indicates that it is a 2002 engine with a dual bearing ims. I am assuming it's the type I can replace without breaking open the case and have asked my Indy. Thanks for your feedback. Hope it actually is the earlier bearing.

BarryL '02 2.7 Seal Grey Tip 207K
Santa Cruz, CA

Here's how it happens.
If Porsche remanufactured any water-colled engine after 2005, no matter the model year and the type of IMS bearing it originally had, they installed the larger, single row bearing that goes into the 987.
That bearing cannot be removed unless the engine block is split, but you can still add the Direct Oil Feed System so it lasts forever.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna