devin_wala

Thanks Porsche Pilot :thumbup:

My story is somewhat similar as far as the intent goes. My son just turned 16 and I gave him my well loved and well maintained 99 BMW E46. My plan was to get a cheap Boxster S that I could use to learn the ins and outs of Porsche ownership and repair before handing it down to my daughter in two years time and buying myself a 997 CS. But I found a car that was crazy cheap although not without risk... Sold by a guy who was moving to Peru, living in an LAX airport hotel, leaving the country tomorrow. When is that not a scam, right? I did the title research and made sure that was all good and had a PPI done at TRE in Van Nuys, CA. They found some stuff, they missed some stuff, and told me that the car was in really good condition for the year. I was looking for a light project car that I could tune up, redo the interior, do some painting, replace a bad O2 sensor, that sort of thing. I'm an engineer by training so slow careful and methodical comes pretty easy to me. However I have never been an auto mechanic. Until I build some more experience I really don't want to split the engine so I have my fingers crossed.

Thanks KTS, Mine is a black 2000 cab as well. I have to admit I'm currently wondering what I have gotten myself into as mine sits unmoved since the drive home. :( I will be really interested to follow your ownership experience as well. I would have liked to have the tan interior instead of the gray but am happy not to have an extra spoiler to remove

Thanks for the advice! I suspect that the clutch was recently replaced because it feels very good. But I have a new clutch disk sitting in my parts box just in case I find out differently. There isn't any chatter on startup but I'll examine the chain tensioners while they are out. Almost all the plastic is the black color like the oil filler tube or the AOS units (no sign of AOS failure). I have no idea where it might have come from. There is just a little bit of this brown plastic which matches the color of the chain tensioner guides repair kits Pelican Parts sells (same thing as the chain advance tensioner rails?). I am thinking that this repair is beyond my ability. Is the failure mode of the chain tensioner rails as catastrophic as an IMS failure and also without warning? Thanks. Devin

This is my first Porsche. I am really excited to have a new to me 996! I've spent months online reading various forums about what to look for etc.. I purchased an unloved 996 with no history and 98K miles knowing full well that it was going to be a project to get it up to an acceptable state of maintenance. I had a pre purchase inspection done in LA and drove it back to Arizona. I didn't have time to have the PPI mechanic do an oil change. Mistake. I drove it home to Arizona, did an oil change and found bits of hard black plastic, about 6 small aluminum chips and two small ferrous metal chips in the sump oil and a few aluminum specks in the dissected oil filter. I immediately thought IMS and have done three weeks of research and parts ordering to prepare for the bearing upgrade while the car sits unused in my garage. I am at the point where I feel competent to preform this procedure and actually started today. However, I am already doubting my diagnosis. I pulled the sump cover expecting to find metal filings all over the sump cover. Nope. Not a one. Lots(15?) of hard black plastic and maybe some (brown?) plastic. Is this consistant with an IMS bearing failure? (picture attached) I have cleaned the suction screen and replaced both sump AOSs. I am under the impression from other DIYs that there may be a third AOS in my engine that sits outside the sump. Would oil contamination be a reason to replace this AOS as well? Thanks for any help or encouragement you can provide!