Should you REPLACE THE IMS BEARING in your Porsche?

Рет қаралды 15,927

2 жыл бұрын

This controversial topic resurfaces in the form of a video I was asked to take down last year (which I did), but re-edited to point out the many errors that were in it. I didn't want to spread any bad information that I got from a trip to HBI Auto.
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I am a Do It Yourself, also known as DIY, mechanic. I am NOT a professional mechanic. I do not have any formal training in the automotive field.
Help Me DIY assumes no liability for anything you choose to do to your car, before, or after watching one of my videos or utilizing the content from this web site.
All DIY repairs or modifications you perform to your car are made at your own risk. Sometimes, even if you've done everything the right way, you can destroy or damage one or more things on your car. You must understand this, but by leveraging knowledge and patience, the probability of encountering one or more problems can be reduced.
Also, if for some unfortunate reason, I do give incorrect instructions and something breaks because you followed my instructions, I will NOT reimburse or pay in any way for whatever cost that may be incurred due to following my wrong instructions.
Lastly, please don't do anything to your car unless you yourself feel comfortable and confident in doing so.

Пікірлер: 101

@benmontelongo3927 2 жыл бұрын

I have a 98 Boxster and my super old, experienced, indie Porsche mechanic told me not to worry about the IMS. I am at 79K miles. At about 85-95K he recommends clutch job and IMS bearing at that time. My boxster is my daily driver and dual row bearing is also a factor. If it wasn't for the clutch job he wouldn't recommend IMS.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Ben Montelongo yeah that’s currently my opinion as well

@johnzebarth4102 2 жыл бұрын

I did my IMS when I did the clutch. I used the basic ims replacement from Pelican. I did the work myself. It was easy and did not require any special tools, just some ingenuity. 04 S with 130,000 miles.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+John Zebarth well done! 👏

@Drumheros 9 ай бұрын

What was the condition of the IMS when you took it out? Should be a single row

@johnzebarth4102 9 ай бұрын

I did not break apart the bearing, but it rolled smooth and had no play in it. For me, it is a maintenance piece and I will change it whenever clutch is done. I still don’t see the value in a high dollar “solution”.

@RockyTopAviator 2 жыл бұрын

My 986 direct oil fed IMS solution (completed by previous owners) doesn't leak and seems to be working fine. Been 5+ years and 25k+ miles. He doesn't look like the kind of gentleman that accepts when he is providing inaccurate information during his presentations. Thanks for the video!

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Jacob L. You got it!

@bikemellon 11 ай бұрын

Love these videos as I am in the market for a 987.1 Cayman. Thanks for putting them out! I would really be interested to see a video of cleaning the drain holes throughout the car. I haven't been able to find any videos of this being done to a Cayman and it sounds like a very dangerous maintenance item to overlook.

@HelpMeDIY 11 ай бұрын

+bikemellon thank you! I have a couple videos on cleaning the drain holes on a 986 Boxster, but I can look into making one for the Cayman as well 😉🍻

@demetriosmeletioujr5179 2 жыл бұрын

At 16:40 Mechanic said to let the car idle. LN Engineering/Jake Raby recommends NOT letting the car sit and idle due to gas rich wash down on pistons. This dilutes the oil with gas. Drive it as soon as you start it.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Demetrios Meletiou Jr yes!

@billgreen8966 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Aaron. Thanks for fixing the lies and mistakes in the original video, it is good to get info out there but it has to be accurate. I have a 987.2 S now so no IMS but previously I had a 2004 986 S, with the weakest small single row bearing. I changed it for the LN Eng solution myself using their tool kit. Both bearing and tool kit were excellent by the way. I am a mechanical engineer and I understand the IMS issue. My conclusion is that people misunderstand the risk of IMS failure. Risk is measured with two factors, the occurrence risk and the consequence risk. Whether you have the small dual row, the small single row or the later large single row bearing the risk of the failure occurring is low. BUT the consequence risk is high, usually a trashed engine and with cars of this age that can mean economic write off. So to me the consequence risk just wasn't worth it when it was fixable for relatively small money compared to the value of the car. But that is a matter for each individual owner.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Bill Green yes very true! Consequence risk for me is low because I have a base and if it fails I will put in a bigger better engine 😁

@otter25702 2 жыл бұрын

I hope your foot heals quick. My 00S has over 100k miles on it and running strong. It is my understanding that this year doesn't need changed so I have zero plans to change it unless I need a new clutch and then I will have it included.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+otter25702 thanks! Cast comes of Thursday

@Phil99six 2 жыл бұрын

I’m glad the IMS Solution (installed by a Certified installer) on my 996 hasn’t started leaking 🤣🤣 It’s terrible that people are looking to this shop for answers , yikes Edit: I can’t believe that he recommends starting your Porsche (with a M96) and letting it idle for an extended period of time. That’s the worst thing you can do and is most likely one of the causes of bore scoring.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Phil 996 yes, you found one that I didn’t buzz 😁

@theXbaT1 2 жыл бұрын

Very good update and very important.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+TheXbaT thanks. 😎

@KaniZRC 2 жыл бұрын

My 99 boxster has 161k, original 5 speed transmission with original double row IMS, I removed the bearing seal (130k) (rear side seal) when I did clutch replacement. I only use mobile 1 0-40w since I owned it 15years ago. This boxster doesn't like sitting in garage ,drive it hard and she well last long!.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+KaniZ RC definitely love to be driven!

@onethirdmayo8556 2 жыл бұрын

I bought my 97 just to avoid the extra fail rate of IMS bearing and pull cable throttle for the instant response. I like it a lot so far, impressed even though I just walked out from a miata.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+ONE THIRD MAYO nice choice!

@sealcuddl3r 2 жыл бұрын

I've been driving a '08 987 S since 2015, but I've never heard of removing IMS bearing grease seal. My understanding is that the M97 IMS bearings are far more reliable than those on M96s but now I might ask my local indy shop about it at the inevitable clutch job

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Daniel Mann 👍

@thescotsmantechnologyrevie2138 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting video. I didn't see the video you pulled down but I appreciate anyone spreading knowledge about the Cayman/Boxster. I have a 2007 Cayman 2.7 - I am not at all worried about IMS issues. I tend to think they are highly overblown issues. I hear a lot about “affects 10% of cars” - my guess would be less than 1%. They're such wonderful cars, they drive well, look good, and are built well. Drive and enjoy them.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+The Scotsman Technology Reviews yes like all preventative maintenance it’s risk vs reward. Most never fail during the time you own your car. Some do. I’m personally taking the risk it doesn’t fail before I sell mine. I also never buy extended warranties 🤷‍♂️

@georgelouie5330 2 жыл бұрын

pretty sure for the 2007 models, the accepted rate is 1%, as it has the larger single row IMS bearing.. my gut feeling is even that may be high, as there was alot bad publicity surrounding the high (6-8%) failure rate of the smaller single row IMS bearing, that carried a stigma for upgrade. This eventually led to Porsche getting rid of the IMS altogether..

@markmercnut 2 жыл бұрын

The 2006 engines had a 1% failure rate which is good because you have to split the case to replace the IMS bearing. I believe his recommendation of removing the seal is spot on

@daviddapra4028 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, and it sounded like he was suggesting that one should let the vehicle idle for an extended amount of time, buuut that procedure is detrimental on new-era Porsches with modern emissions equipment.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+David Dapra yes!

@chuckborozinski5110 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting this with the corrections. I've never listened to this guy and don't plan to. Appreciate the DIY videos you post.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Chuck Borozinski thanks! 🍻

@edjustice7755 2 жыл бұрын

IMS was then, and still a concern when buying 986 thru 997.1's (2008 or 9), great video to help the masses out there. The now is more concerning Bore Scoring, which seems to be the buzz now...No real solution other an a rebuild and lotsa mulah! Regular oil changes, and perhaps a thicker 5w-40 vs 0w-40 would be a good start. Thx again for sharing and creating helpful content!!

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+ED Justice yes I’ll make some note scoring content soon as well

@edjustice7755 2 жыл бұрын

@@HelpMeDIY Can't wait!! Thx for all u do for the community!

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

@@edjustice7755 🙏

@jonkotek234 2 жыл бұрын

I have a 99 and I am going to go with changing my oil often until I need a clutch then look at doing the IMS bearing at that point. I believe I read that the pre-2000 had an even lower failure rate since it was dual bearings.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Jon Kotek 98 dual row here 😁

@jonkotek234 2 жыл бұрын

@@HelpMeDIY So did you replace yours?

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

@@jonkotek234 nope

@michaeldelay9141 Жыл бұрын

He’s referring to Jake Raby from flat 6 innovations which is in GA. Jake was the inventor of the “IMS solution” that LN sells. Now, my dual row IMS started to fail with 125k. It sent metal through the engine but didn’t completely come apart. I did put the tuners DOF. Good so far.

@HelpMeDIY Жыл бұрын

+michael delay but he’s wrong. About so many things 😆

@nickskipper2245 7 ай бұрын

Just thought I would mention I have a 2005 987S factory build date April 2004 with M96 engine and replacing clutch and it has the later non serviceable IMS bearing with the 22mm nut. Forgot to say I am in the UK only mention it because most say the larger IMS was from 2006 and M97 engine. As stated mine is 2005 and M96 and it is the original engine.

@HelpMeDIY 7 ай бұрын

+@nickskipper2245 🍻

@diyforlife2809 7 ай бұрын

Nice video...I enjoy your channel...I also make some DIY videos...I just picked up a 1998 Boxster in Japan...I wanted an early one as I heard they are the most analog and have the less fail prone IMS...I knew that there are potential issues with the engines, but hopefully I won't have any major issues.

@HelpMeDIY 7 ай бұрын

+DIY life in Japan thanks! 🍻

@georgelouie5330 2 жыл бұрын

it always amazes me how many people say "if it hasn't happened yet (or after XXX miles), It won't happen. It astounds me how many times I've seen that statement on the various forums and places on the internet...

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+george louie ☝️

@speedcaptured 6 ай бұрын

Love the way that guy repeats the same facial expression 4-5 times while turning his head making sure that everyone in his audience gets to see it. Can't stand smug people. Really can't stand people who are so arrogant that they repeat half-truths and misinformation as if they were personally handed the info chiseled into stone tablets. Capped by the fact that you know darn well that there were guys in that audience who will take that "information" to heart and repeat it endlessly.

@HelpMeDIY 6 ай бұрын

+@speedcaptured yup 👍 🍻

@AdHominem888 6 ай бұрын

It's Dunning-Kruger effect.

@JackBeckman 2 жыл бұрын

I have the TRS Direct Oil Feed kit in my 2001 Boxster. He keeps talking about "oil leaks" from the pressure, but my car doesn't leak. I've had it in there for over a year, and it's my track car, so it gets pounded pretty good, and it does not leak. Maybe it just needs to be installed correctly. (And I didn't do it, my mechanic did.)

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Jack Beckman 😂 yeah, let him give it a go.

@PatrickMariani 2 жыл бұрын

Good one - somehow I missed the original. Probably would have dismissed the guy when he said oil was hydrophilic. I think he meant to talk about condensation - but whatevs. '99 boxster with 27k miles.......Got a lot of clutch left.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Patrick Mariani it wasn’t up long. Wow, that’s some serious low mileage!

@williammontgomery3249 Жыл бұрын

Nice video. I am selling a Targa 78k with LN IMS spin on adapter and pressure line. I have actually had someone ask me how they can really know if the oil feed line was actually hooked to a new bearing or if it was just capped off up there. (Because you can not see the connection.) Not a bad question I guess if you want to drop the transmission and "fake it".... I take pics of all my work. I didn't take pics of the bearing being put in. I did add a modified hose clamp to the braided stainless line coming out of the oil filter adapter. The 90 degree fitting had come loose and had a very small drip. Oil feed line vibration likely the cause there. Cleaned fittings, put some Lock Tight on it. No problems after the line was stabilized. Thoughts on automatic transmissions avoiding IMS bearing failure? I see a comment below... Again, great video.

@HelpMeDIY Жыл бұрын

+William Montgomery yes very interesting question for them to ask. I guess when I sell mine it will be pretty well documented 😂

@jeffjeff4477 Жыл бұрын

Yes you should. I lost my original 02 986 motor, jumped timing and bent all the valves on one bank....fun... Replacement motor was out of a salvage vehicle with front end damage, Replaced the ims and main seal immediately . Once you get the necessary tools, go for it. Lots of opinions about which ims you should use, as long as you get the faulty one out is the main thing You want to be driving not worrying

@HelpMeDIY Жыл бұрын

+Jeff Jeff ooh, no bueno!

@jadamsnz 2 жыл бұрын

FWIW I caught the IMS failing in my 97 Boxster in time to prevent any damage. I got the rattle on startup symptom and got it to the shop whereupon I learned all about IMS bearings... My mechanic offered my a "standard" or "race" replacement which I chose thinking it should be better, not sure of the specifics without hunting down the receipts. Had the clutch and clutch plate replaced at the same time. As for the "tech" in this video, keep away from him. Anyone who works on engines and doesn't know that oil doesn't absorb water and that engines operate with a degree vacuum in them shouldn't be allowed near an engine.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+John Adams great catch before disaster! Yes, that’s why I DIY everything that I can. Some mechanics are great, most are much better than me, but there are so many that are just smug and talk like they know everything when they are wrong about everything. I know I’m the one that will care the most about my car and will do the best job more often than not. Plus it’s fun to learn!

@KaniZRC 2 жыл бұрын

Your cold rattle start is normal on boxster. With over 100k miles the tensioner plastic guide become brittle. But not certainly ims failing. Imo

@jadamsnz 2 жыл бұрын

@@KaniZRC This was not the normal cold rattle start which I’m familiar with. It was louder and more metallic sounding. Metal fragments were found in the oil filter and when disassembled IMS bearing was in the process of self destructing. So definitely was the bearing.

@KaniZRC 2 жыл бұрын

@@jadamsnz did you end up replacing your IMS? Metal fragments in oil filter dif early sign.

@jadamsnz 2 жыл бұрын

@@KaniZRC yes

@ol48spring 10 ай бұрын

Don’t idle a flat engine! 16:40

@HelpMeDIY 10 ай бұрын

+ol48spring correct!

@JackNatti 2 жыл бұрын

I’ll have to. Cylinder 4 valve springs broke in my 2001. Whole engine needs to come out

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+JackNatti great time to do it

@michaelbowers885 2 жыл бұрын

My bearing in my '01 Boxster S was close to failing at ~65K miles. I discovered it when changing the oil and finding metal shavings on the magnetic drain plug I'd installed. Given that the car is essentially a write off if the IMS completely fails, why would you not change it out? I second your "False" claim on "if it has lasted over 50K you're fine." Bad bad bad information.

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Michael Bowers glad you caught it! There are a couple reasons people might not want to change it, I’ll cover them in the next video

@andrewfarrow4699 2 жыл бұрын

My plan for my 1998 is for me to DIY the clutch, RMS, and IMS right after I see it done on this channel. I don't want to try it blind. 😀

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Andrew Farrow haha love it. Thanks! Very flattering 😁

@andrewfarrow4699 2 жыл бұрын

@@HelpMeDIY Any plans to do yours in the near future?

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

@@andrewfarrow4699 I had a local guy that was going to bring his over to my garage and we were going to do it, but I think he’s not ready for it yet

@andrewfarrow4699 2 жыл бұрын

@@HelpMeDIY I guess you know you're ready when the clutch goes bad or the engine suddenly stalls at the lights. ☹️😭

@williammontgomery3249 Жыл бұрын

PS. I have the Bentley service manual for 996. Worth every penny and more.

@HelpMeDIY Жыл бұрын

+William Montgomery yessir!

@brucewayne2773 2 жыл бұрын

I've known the solution to permanently fixing the IMS issue was to remove the seal from the original bearing so engine oil would lubricate the bearing. I did this simple fix when I replaced my clutch years ago. I argued with LN engineering on this issue and returned their so called IMS bearing fix kit. This was 5 years ago. So now they just got rid of the seal and considered it a fix. Geez I wonder where they got that idea from???

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+bruce wayne that’s their advice only for the non serviceable bearing, from what I understand.

@Steve_MFr Жыл бұрын

From YOU? Ya REALLY think? Wholly poop. Let me bow down to ya!

@robinmckenzie951 Жыл бұрын

It is a shame the repair industry has frightened Porsche owners with M96 and M97 engines into this situation. There is nothing wrong with the original IMS bearing which does not have a mileage limited life. The bearing is the victim and not the route cause of the problem. The majority of failures happen in cars with manual gearboxes. This is because clutch dust is collected by the engine oil leaking out of the leaking IMS end cap. Capillary action from the engine going hot and cold will take it back into the engine. The reason for this is because the hole in the two crank cases is no longer perfect from the aged aluminium and therefore the outer seal does not cope. Stop the contamination of the bearing and you will no longer have a problem unless the bearing is already contaminated. Read the Porsche work instructions for this job but also use a sealant. Never use a ceramic bearing in an engine. They shatter with contamination. Always use the correct tool to replace a rear main seal. This ensures it is at the correct depth and is straight. RMS's inserted by hand and eye will always fail prematurely. Please pass this information on to stop this madness of people being ripped off.

@HelpMeDIY Жыл бұрын

+robin mckenzie clutch dust? That’s a very interesting theory that I have never once even heard mentioned before. Where did you hear this from?

@autoumbauporsche7810 Жыл бұрын

@@HelpMeDIY I own my own Porsche garage and have been repairing Porsches since 1995. I work daily on these engines and have read the Porsche repair manual !. I was also the head of engineering at a well known engineering proving ground, where I was employed to find the real reasons why components fail. I have an original IMS end cap, the seal is an o ring. Porsche also figured this out when they changed the design to the new sealing arrangement. The problem goes away when the endcap is sealed properly. The problem is garages do not seal the endcap properly, so the problem remains.

@grahamking4280 Жыл бұрын

Buzzer is a little annoying

@jonedgar5996 2 жыл бұрын

There's a word for someone like him, and that word is Numpty!🙄

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+jon edgar haven’t heard that before 😆

@PBradz 2 жыл бұрын

@@HelpMeDIY The Scottish have a way with the English language…and with food of late too. No, not talkin haggis either…lookup munchy/munchie box 🥴

@roxximusik8958 Ай бұрын

Who would have thought that this engineering-based subject could become such a minefield ? Certainly not this rather opinionated gentleman from Louisiana (?), who reminds me of Roger Moore's nemesis, the late and great Clifton James as Sheriff J W Pepper. 'And that means you, smart -ass !' 👽🏁

@HelpMeDIY Ай бұрын

+@roxximusik8958 😂🍻

@bobfognozzle 2 жыл бұрын

👍

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Bob Fognozzle 😎👊

@PBradz 2 жыл бұрын

Wow 😮 … there’s a lot of wrong in there. SMH 🤦🏻‍♂️

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Phil Bradham ikr 😞

@cruzi9475 2 жыл бұрын

Jeez think about the amount of water that has been sucked out of the air all these years because of these cars 😳🤣🤣

@HelpMeDIY 2 жыл бұрын

+Cruzi #climatechange

@georgelouie5330 2 жыл бұрын

Its almost like someone should create a common idiom about it, like "Oil and Water Don't Mix..." hmm.... :D

@michaelnoriega1564 Жыл бұрын

Perfect example of knowing your business before you purchasing an expensive vehicle and this guy seems like he knows what he's doing but he doesn't but a lot of people will fall for the bologna

@HelpMeDIY Жыл бұрын

+Michael Noriega the most dangerous people are the ones that are wrong but act like they know what they are talking about. The people I can’t stand the most are those that do that and then are too prideful or arrogant to admit they were wrong when presented with the facts and apologize.