987 IMS Failures

[77mgbv8]

I'm in the hunt for a 2006 boxster s (w/ commission date of 1/06 and ~ 25,000miles). i'm a fairly competent DIY guy and excited as hell to get my hands on a boxster! have to admit i'm a bit paranoid about the issue though. Believe me, wouldn't hesistant to pull a motor if need be, but would hate to buy the car and a few thousand miles down the road have the motor grenade on me! Of the course my back-up plan is 2003........less money and oh well time to pull the motor should the unexpected happen. Anyways, the 2006 with the presumed beefier bearing (albeit not the final solution), would there be less likely an issue......THANKS

[mikefocke]

Based on reports from those who know, less failures with the last rev of the IMS. But it is hard to really tell as only when the earlier revs were out of warranty and in second owner hands and the owners had to pay for repairs themselves did reports of the earlier revisions problems surface.

[JFP in PA]

Any M96/97 engine with an intermediate shaft has some probability of suffering a failing rear IMS bearing, regardless of the IMS bearing style employed. The last design bearing does fail as well. Perhaps the biggest concern should be the fact that the 06-08 engines cannot be easily IMS retrofitted without a complete rebuild, which can quickly escalate well beyond the resale value of the car, while the earlier years can be done at a cost near that of a typical clutch replacement.

[Brando]

Does anyone know the production range of 2006's that have the earlier version of the IMS that can be serviced? My searching online has not turned up much usable information...

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Brando

Does anyone know the production range of 2006's that have the earlier version of the IMS that can be serviced? My searching online has not turned up much usable information...

All 06’s are presumed to carry the non-serviceable IMS bearings; we have not seen one that did not. There is no way to determine which bearing is in the engine from any known dates or other data. The only way to know which style IMS bearing is in the engine it to pull the flywheel and look; the unserviceable units have a 22MM center bolt, and are the only ones that do. Even some 05's have them from the factory, as do any earlier models with engines replaced by a dealer after 2005, but again there is no other way to find out other than to look..

[Zeke]

Ironically I see an ad for "Porsche IMS Lawsuit" at the bottom of this page. I tried a screen capture, but I don't know how to save it and then upload it.

[stealthn]

After reading another site I think what is missing is the compaints to the NHTSB, they are the ones who do investigations and force a recall (or so I have been told). I searched the site and to my surprise not 1 compaint of a IMS bearing/seal failure in Boxster, Carrera, Cayman.

I think if everyone from all boards put the real world facts in as a complaint here we may start to get some real numbers and maybe even force Porsche to fix everyone's car.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

Tell all your friends

Bob James

[Brando]

Someone here listened...

[stealthn]

Ok so that's one....