Re: IMS replaced and more.....

As a precaution, I had the IMS bearing on my '02 S replaced with the LN Engineering bearing. I ordered the car new and, even though not driven a lot, it's part of the family. Worked was performed by Dearing Automotive in Tucson.......an absolutely excellent shop, by the way. At 42,000 miles, the original bearing itself was perfectly intact, but oil which had seeped into and around the bearing was rancid, as the tech described it. Failure may not have been imminent, but I now feel more comfortable in keeping the car for a long while. Since much of the car was apart, I had the AOS replaced, the revised Porsche RMS installed, the starter serviced to cure an occasional squeal on start-up, the clutch inspected, and Fabspeed cat bypass pipes installed. The car has a second generation PSE and the bypass pipes make a huge difference in sound....in a good way. There is no resonance or droning whatsoever at any speed. By the way, the shop which did the work has been in business for, like 25 years and said they are seeing more and more IMS bearing failures, most likely because our generation Boxsters and 911's are now accumulating some miles. Since those of us who own these cars must live with the IMS, I now consider the bearing replacement to be relatively cheap insurance and will replace it again in another 40-50K miles if I still have the car.

I am thinking about the same for my 99 31Kmiles.. Do you mind telling us the cost? part+ labor

Thanks,
Tony

I was in my buddies shop today and we talked about doing the bearing and clutch. That sounds like a great price for all that work . I think if your cars out of warranty and has 50,000 miles or more, do the bearing, the CV boots ,and the clutch and the aos you should be good for the next 100000 miles. I'm sure if you were to try to sell a car that has a receipt for all that work its got to be a plus for any future buyers

for a number of years, it may make sense to do preventative maintenance like the IMS bearing and other things. However, as we all know, some cars never experience an IMS bearing failure. For me, it was an easy choice. The car is perfect with relatively low miles and I can see keeping it for a long time and then giving it to my son. If the bearing failed, to replace the engine would cost from $4K to $12K depending on the source and condition.....used vs new. And, the IMS issue would probably still be there in the replacement motor. I never had an RMS leak, but still replaced the seal anyway. I've had several Porsches and they are fantastic cars and always seem to maintain their aura.....maybe even more so as they age.

free engine if there's a problem.

LN is no guarantee.

Any suggestions on which insurance provider that will guarantee coverage when you need it?

Insurance companies will cover anything their actuaries can estimate. They will cover your engine.

Maybe add the water pump to that list of preventative replacements.

I replaced my 2001 S IMS bearing assembly last September with 47,000 miles on the odo, and, like JiminAZ, the original bearing was in good condition. But with Boxster prices in the US now approaching the low end of $10,000, its a hard call to put 30% of the cars value on a preventative maintenance bearing upgrade for no performance or visual gains....
But in retrospect, what other car can give you the driving experience for $10,000. I am really envious as a 12 year old bag af cr*p here in Oz can rob your wallet of $30,000 and you still have all the maintenance issues to attend to. You guys are very lucky.....