Remove seal on IMS Bearing?

Would you recommend removing the grease seal on the conventional retrofit bearing in your kit prior to installation? The folks at LN Engineering suggest this would prolong the life of the bearing http://imsretrofit.com/lubrication/. Thanks.

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[Wayne 962]

I'm not a fan of this. I think that debris can possibly get into the bearing and cause it to fail. I've seen engines where this indeed may have happened. Since I recommend replacing the bearing every 30,000 miles or so regardless, I don't think removing the seal is necessary, and the potential downside risks are greater than the benefits. That said, Charles at LN Engineering advocates the removal of the seal to encourage more lubrication of the bearing itself. The bottomline is that frequent oil changes are your best friend in prolonging bearing - removing the seal may assist or not - it's really difficult to say one way or another.

- Wayne

[tonythetarga]

Hi Wayne
What about the '05 and later bearings that can't be easily replaced? I was also thinking this would add life to the bearing.
Thanks.

[Uwon]

I have a '06 C2S which has the later oversized and non-removable IMS bearing. Last year I pulled the seal at 58k. I now have 75k. I religiously change oil and filter every 5k, always make sure that the oil is at the full mark and never park the car uphill. I plan to instal a DOF system soon as extra protection. BTW, when I pulled the seal I tested how much lubrication got to the bearing- the oil reached the bearing after pouring only 4 liters. See post #48
Clutch, AOS, Water Pump, Thermostat DIY Questions - Page 3 - 997-1 Series (Carrera, Carrera 4, Carrera 2S, Carrera 4S) - RennTech.org Forums

[danohallaron]

Just bought the Pelican IMS kit. Fast forward a few years, remove the seal or not?? Good indy shop recommends pulling it.

[Uwon]

^^^Pull the seal. I did mine on my ‘06 at 58k and have ~120k miles. Never looked back. Friends with earlier cars have done it with similar results.
Good luck.
Johan