Page 30 - KCRPCA JulyAug 2022

PLAY PCA VIDEO #1
One of the most contentious subjects in the Porsche world is the intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing used in water-cooled
First, if your peace of mind
at getting the bearing replaced is worth $400, then by all means, do so. Second, if you’re cheap like me, is there anything you can do to lower the probability of failure? Fortunately, the answer is “Yes.”
The IMS failure has been traced to a lack of lubrication. PCA has a couple of videos that address this (VIDEO #1 and VIDEO #2). It turns out that you are probably already doing your part to keep
the bearing lubricated. “How am I doing that?” I hear you ask. Easy. Simply getting the engine above 3000 RPM is enough to do the
job. And, trust me, that isn’t hard to do on either an intermittent or
an extended basis. So, it turns out that the best way to prevent an IMS failure is to drive your car as it was meant to be driven. Sadly, there are no guarantees in life; you can only consider the options and do what is right for you.
In breaking news, I just read that the older LNE bearing replacement is only good for four years or 50,000 miles. This means that if you plan on owning your car a long time or actually driving it your cost of pre- emptive bearing replacement at least doubles. LNE is now marketing one that is designed to last for the life
of the vehicle, but as it costs $1000 more than the original, the Option A price is more likely $3000, making the cost of your peace of mind $1400 instead of $400.
~ Jim
911s and Boxsters and Caymans from model years 1997 to 2008. So when our test drive and inspection videos of a 986 Boxster and 996 Carrera collectively achieved nearly 50,000 views, we decided to follow up with an in-depth series to dispel myths surrounding the problematic IMS bearing these Porsches were equipped with from the factory.
PLAY PCA VIDEO #2
In our last video, we covered the general subject of what the intermediate shaft (IMS) and the IMS bearing are and the
functions they serve in Porsche’s first water-cooled flat-six engines from 1997-2008. In our second video, we show you ways you can reduce the wear of an original IMS bearing in the chance that you still have one in your 911 or Boxster.
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