JFP in PA

First, all IMS bearings, regardless of style, have some risk of failing, yours included. That is a documented fact. We have seen a couple, other shops have seen more than we have. Now the really bad news: All M96/97 produced after 2005 (and even some 05's) carry the last revision IMS bearing which is too large in diameter to fit through the opening in the rear of the assembled cases, making it impossible to change with totally disassembling the engine. LN Engineering produces an upgraded shaft for these engines, as described on their website, but disassembly is required to install it. Sorry about that...............

The OEM lube is really just silicone grease; get a $3 tube of dielectric grease at your local parts store and you are in business.....................

Are you looking at "camshaft deviation" values on a Durametric or PIWIS system, or are you using some other methodology?

I think he means "caliper" and "rotor"............

Right now, there are not a lot of options available. While I am anything but a fan of aftermarket warranty products, if the dealer’s program is a sound one, it may be your best option.

Automated sequential manual gearboxes, such as the PDK, are pretty complicated. There are multiple sensors, actuators, and of course, lots of software to make this all work smoothly and without reducing everything to rubble. One of the major downsides to all this complicated technology is that there are a lot of potential failure points, any of which can stop the process cold. Added to this is the fact that these gearboxes are a world unto themselves when it comes to special diagnostic electronics, fixtures, and tooling required to disassemble or repair them in the field; and then you have to train personnel to do the diagnostics and repairs. The end result is that the dealers are often ill prepared to deal with issues, or spend a vast amount of time trying to figure out why the gearbox does or does not do some particular task. End result is that they try a quick software re-flash, and then pull the unit if that does not work. You also have to remember that dealers do not get reimbursed at their normal retail hourly rates on warranty work, so they don't want one of these to turn into the proverbial "hanger queen" on them either. Porsche is not alone in this; I recently stopped a local Nissan dealer to pick up some parts, and they were trying to figure out why a brand new GT-R's version of the PDK would not shift when you hit the paddles manually. After two days of diagnostics and software re-treads went nowhere, they opted to pull & replace the gearbox, resulting in the car's owner having a fit and demanding a diminished value refund because the car would no longer be "numbers matching". I know this doesn't do much to allay your concerns, but unfortunately it is the reality of this technology. As the owner of an independent shop, I am very concerned about how we are going to deal with these units when the cars are out of warranty; the potential costs for my shop to "be ready" are significant, particularly when it does not currently appear that the OEM's are going to do anything to share the technology, or even make parts available to the aftermarket. Down the road, a simple "pull it and replace it" approach is not going to be viable; I saw the replacement gearbox for that GT-R, the dealer's cost (what they would normally pay for it) was over $18,000………..

More likely, your problem is a noisy clutch return spring (under the dash), not uncommon and can be fixed. Do a search on the subject..............

Interestingly, there have been several on-line reports that some of the so-called Chinese PIWIS clones are actually pirated copies of older Durametric systems…….

Yeah, don't even think about a PIWIS, which leases for about $12,000 or so for the first year, look at the Durametric enthusiast package for less than $300............

Thanks for the reply. Disappointing to hear no improvement. I understood they offered better pedel pressure when brakes were hot at track events. We will see. NASA-SE event in two weeks. Still fun to work on the car. They do improve pedal pressure and feel, particularly under hard braking, but many think that SS lines will actually improve how the car brakes, which they cannot do. Response tends to be subjective, most like the change...............

While it may involve the MAF, more likely culprits are either vacuum leaks or a fuel pressure/volume issue. Both codes indicate that the air fuel ratio is on the lean side and the DME cannot richen it, so I'd start with looking for vacuum leaks (the most common cause) first. You can still pull and clean the MAF as well as that never hurts.

What code(s) are you getting?

Kind of throw’s a new light on all of the supposedly MAF related problems and codes when someone takes it out and leaves it on the bench and drives the car off with no apparent ill effects……………….

All manufacture’s build a dud from time to time, and the original price range or make does not matter. Regardless of the make, from time to time we see one car that simply breaks everything, sometimes twice, while others of the same vintage seem to have no problems at all. “Fecal matter occurs……”

The image below should help you with which bank is which. P0430 is for cylinders 4-6: As for the O2 sensors, they can be tested by themselves to make sure they are working. If they are good, or after you replace any faulty ones, clear all codes and road test the car for a prolonged period. If the P0430 code returns, your cat is toast...........

We have seen late MY '05's that have the "non serviceable" large diameter bearing. All MY '06's (or any earlier MY that had a replacement engine installed after 1/06) would definitely have the larger bearing, which requires total engine disassembly to replace.

Actually, Porsche transitioned to the larger diameter IMS bearing in late 2005, all 2006 (and on) cars or replacement engines have the larger bearing as well.

Anywhere from "not at all" to "very", depending upon the source of the intermix. It can come from a failing oil cooler (easy to replace and parts are about $200 or so), to either a popped sealing plug in the head, a bad head gasket, or a cracked head. The latter three are on the more expensive side..................

Transmission cases rarely fail, and are available as parts, but they are expensive. That said, “JB Weld” is not going to work, to fix your case, it needs to be disassembled and heliarc/TIG welded by a specialty welding shop that knows what they are doing……..

Actually, I'd start by getting the codes read and reporting back on what you find.............

You can safely and effectively change the IMS bearing to the LN version without any camshaft locking tools. Wayne Dempsey of Pelican Parts has come up with an ingenious way of locking the sprocket on the IMS tube (which is behind the IMS flange,just on the other side of the engine case) by using three 25mm long set screws that get substituted for the IMS flange bolts. Those set screws press against the face of the sprocket (which is inside the engine, on the other side of the case) and prevent the sprocket from moving (or altering the timing). Simple, effective and fool proof, and you don't even have to find TDC and use a locking pin. Regards, Maurice. Maurice, while Wayne's idea should work well on a five chain motor, I still think that not locking a three chain engine at TDC and using at least one set of cam locking tools is running a significant risk. The TDC tool can be fabricated for a couple of bucks at most in materials (5/16 metal rod and a drawer knob for the other end), and the LN "install kit" has the TDC tool and the cam locking tool as well at a reasonable price. I would also bet that there is a good market for a used LN install kit once you are done.......

As long as the connector makes good electrical contact and is weather tight, you should be fine.............

The LN kit has everything you will need.

Not uncommon for the in car system so show low just after the car has been run. Let it sit on a level surface for a bit, say 30 min., and then re-check it, it should be back to where it was when you got done changing the oil.

Two possibilities: Your cap is bad (those ending in “00” are known to be a problem, “04” is the latest revision) You have a trapped air pocket in the cooling system, which is not a good thing. You need to either run a vacuum or atmospheric bleed (run a search for the procedures).