Page 28 - KCRPCA JulyAug 2022

TECH
NUTS & BOLTS
DOUBLE DOWN ON IMS
SHADE TREE GARAGE WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
TREASURER
JIM CUMMINGS
As a double 986 owner (1997 with a Tip and 2001S with a 6-speed) I’ve been following the 986 auctions on Bring a Trailer (BAT) more than I should. I mean,
I love both of my cars and wouldn’t consider selling either of them re- gardless of their current sales price. So, why do I watch? Well, primarily for the educational value of the com- ments. Anyone looking for a used Porsche should look at past auctions for the vehicle they’re interested in and read every comment before they make their purchase. But I digress.
One of the things that bothers me the most about BAT comments on the 986s and 996s is the inevitable question (or sometimes multiple questions because people don’t read the posted comments) is whether
the Intermediate Shaft (IMS) bearing has been replaced. I have not, and do not plan to, replace
the IMS because I’m cheap. (I prefer “frugal”, but my wife says otherwise.) But as I’m as concerned about being without my Boxster as the next guy, I decided to investigate the matter for myself and to look
at it from a purely economic perspective.
Basically, I needed to compare the expected cost of doing the upgrade (Option A) with the expected cost of NOT doing it (Option B). A couple of quick notes before I get started. First, all costs are from vigorous GOOGLE searches that took me as long as
a minute to conduct (so you may want to verify them on your own); and second, this involves a little
bit of math. If you want to discuss the math in person, I’m usually at Pegah’s on Saturday morning and will be more than willing to discuss it with you.
Costing out Option A is fairly straightforward. Replacing the IMS
13YEARS
the IMS in either of my Boxsters.
28
Der Sportwagen
Initially I decided against replacing