IMS Bearing Solutions

With the change from the Metzger engine to the M96, cost cutting measures were made.  911s, Boxsters, and Caymans fitted with the M96 & M97 engines use a sealed ball bearing to drive the camshafts indirectly off the crankshaft.  Over time, this sealed bearing can lose grease and seize, resulting in engine failure. Working with LN Engineering, we implement a solution that will last the life of the vehicle.  By replacing this sealed ball bearing with an oil feed plain bearing, similar to that of air-cooled engines, the chance of bearing failure is greatly reduced.  

IMS bearing failure is most common in vehicles that don’t see much use and are not driven hard.  Up until 2000, a dual row bearing was fitted to all vehicles which had a smaller risk of failure.  Some 2000-2001 Porshces were fitted with this bearing while others were fitted with the inferior single row bearing that had a lower load capacity.  These bearings were fitted up until 2006 when a larger single row bearing, with similar load capacity and failure rate of the earlier dual row, was implemented.  These larger bearings are inaccessible and require splitting the case to replace. With the introduction of the 9A1 engine in 2008, the intermediate shaft was completely removed, removing the issue entirely.