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I am starting to prepare my car for a track day at Chuckwalla valley raceway at the end of the month, and I was told that the car as it sits has oiling issues? My car is a 2003 Carrera. I bought the car last year with 74k miles and immediately did the following: LN IMS bearing, Waterpump, coil packs, spark plugs, all filters and fluids, clutch + flywheel and a stock AOS. In anticipation of the event, I am going to do an oil change from M1 0w-40 to the Joe Gibbs dt40 oil suggested by Jake Raby along with fresh filters. Is there anything else I need to do to not have oil starvation? Is this issue blown out of proportion? does the 2qt sump extension make that much of a difference? will it affect the streetability? I am running 200tw tires.

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum. I own a 98, bone stock, manual Carrera and here is my attempt at scattering the clouds over 996. Hope you'll like & share.

I plan to replace the RMS and IMSB on my 2003, Carrera, Coupe, 3.6, Tiptronic. I have read about the MB version of the Tiptronic requiring the removal of the trans/engine together while the ZF can be removed separately. Is this true and how can I determine which one that I have? I crawled underneath and could not see an I.D. tag. So far I have found conflicting information regarding the trans. in this car.

Hi all and happy festivus, I can't find any literature on the LN special tools if the width differences on the 5 chain and 3 chain camshaft locks means that you needn't bother putting the 3 chain lock on Cyls 1-3 (or on a 5-chain motor) if you've already got the 5 chain lock on Cyls 4-6...just for the extra piece of mind that locking both sides would offer. I see the 3-chain lock is slightly thicker, and doesn't seem to fit in. And as for rotating the engine at TDC, is it TDC for cyl 4-6 or TDC for 1-3? Also, since I've got the 5-chain version with the double row bearing, do all the chain tensioners need to be loosened/removed? LN documents just the IMS and cyl 4-6(closest to flywheel) removal. I seem to recall that with the 5 chains, two of the tensioners could be loosened to their last thread and don't have to be removed, the one in the back, behind the drivers seat can be left alone. I remember that some of the initial warnings when these bearings came into place was to 'not' remove the chain tensioners at all, otherwise bad things would happen to the timing...Am I dreaming, or did the rules change? With all the debates back and forth on all the boards, it leaves me wondering...on top of that, using the din screws as suggested by Wayne Dempsy leaves me wondering why would you rotate the engine after locking down the camshafts and achieving TDC?(I know it is to hold the shaft in place....but the way it is spoken about leaves open to "when" (or if) it should be done. Is the Green stuff on bolts like the ones that mate the engine and tranny together an anti-corrosive? I don't know if it's my dexlexia but I thought it was a different color. There was Blue matter on the flywheel bolts, any thoughts what the two different substances are? Side note: Cyl 4 spark plug was very slightly oil wet other spark plugs were dry. Cyl 4 (right behind the driver seat) is near where I had the leak over from the 'positive crankcase ventilation valve'. There was also some grimy buildup in the intake manifold on the side of the resonance tube, so I'm thinking that's the cause. Looking down into the bores from where the Intake Manifold would be shows all three to be in decent shape in a cursory visual inspection compared to other pics I've seen in the internet wilds. But I should get a compression tester, any suggestions on getting an inexpensive checker for that? Other side note: Yeah it's taking me longer than I thought to finish. I blame caution, lots of reading and old bones. 2001 Boxster S 6-speed Manual

Hi everyone, this is my first post. Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted a Porsche. 911 is out of my price range and although I think Boxster's are cool, I've never been a convertible guy. So, that leaves the Cayman. I love the look of it and I test drove one yesterday and had a blast driving it. However, I'm very concerned about the IMS / oil starvation issues I've been reading about. The car has 48K miles on it and is listed at $23,999 (the price is somewhat negotiable). It would be my primary vehicle (I also have an 84 Toyota Landcruiser FJ60). However, I work from home mostly and only make one trip to my office weekly which is a round trip of about 90 miles. So, I'll be putting around 6K miles per year on the car. I read somewhere that the odds of actually having a failure in a 2006-2008 was something like 1 in 100, but I've read conflicting information on that. I can afford the payments and to pay more for maintenance than I have on my other cars in the past (Ford, Nissan, VW, etc.), but a total engine failure would be devastating and I don't have that kind of cash lying around (without dipping into retirement savings or something crazy like that). So, does anyone know the real likelihood of failure and if there is anyway to easily determine if the DOF solution has already been installed? Also, anyone have an estimate on what it would cost to install the DOF? There also doesn't seem to be any clear info on rebuilt engines out there. I just see a wide range of estimates from $10K - $20K. 10K might not be TOO bad, but 20K...yikes... If I can't feel confident in the 2007, I guess I'll just have to wait and maybe find a good deal on a 2009+. Thanks :)

I'm looking for advice in maintaining my well kept 2000 Boxster. In 2003, I bought a 2000 base Boxster with 14,000 miles (manufactured 11/99, 2.7L, MT) from a Porsche dealer in Massachusetts, where I primarily reside. The car now has just under 40,000 miles. So I've only driven it 26,000 miles in 13 years, and I have had no major problems. I had maintenance done by the dealer initially for about 5 years, but then switched to a more local independent mechanic with a good reputation, as the dealer was over an hour's drive each way. Last year I bought a condo in Naples, FL, and decided to drive the car down and leave it there. My mechanic replaced the engine drive belt as a preventive measure before the drive south, and the car was excellent for the long ride. Other than that, over the years, I've mostly only had routine and timely oil changes, plugs, and filters. I replaced the top and the tires a couple of years ago. The CEL did come on at times about a year ago, but it could not be reliably diagnosed. The mechanic suspected an O2 sensor. But the light since went off and all seems well since. Sometimes I can get a puff of smoke when I start it, especially after it was sitting for an extended period, but this resolves when the car is driven more regularly. I believe I have a good storage protocol for the times the car is idle. In recent years, the AC has been declining. The mechanic added refrigerant periodically, which worked for perhaps a year at a time. I am due for that at least, if not more at this point, as there is no cold at all now. In Massachusetts, this was less of an issue, but now I want to get that more correctly resolved. The AC seems more noisy than it was previously (up front?), so I imagine there's a leak or other issue. Outside of the AC problem, the car is operating perfectly as far as I can tell. I drive it about 5 weeks a year while in Florida. It is in excellent cosmetic condition, barely a scratch, and always garaged. I'd like to continue to operate the car in this manner indefinitely for the next several years, and hope to spend increasingly more time (winter) in Florida as time passes. Does anyone have any advice for me as to how I should proceed with this car? It looks and drives like new. I'm not a mechanic. I hear and read about the IMS bearing, the AOS, and other issues. I've not had the brakes or clutch done, but they seem fine. Even the battery is from 2003 and the car starts right up. So I appreciate any advice moving forward. Should I have some of these things dealt with preemptively, instead of waiting for a more expensive failure? I'd like to bring the car in for maintenance and hope I can find a conscientious and competent mechanic to assist me. Does anyone have any recommendations for a local mechanic and/or the dealer in Naples? Would anyone recommend going to an "AC specialist" type place for that one particular issue over a mechanic or the dealer? Thanks, Paul.

Anyone else tried this? "The GT3 Motorsport seal (not a Porsche standard part) is the same bore size as the 996/997 seal but has two protective flanges at the rear. If fitted in reverse the inner flange forces itself to flip backwards and touch the outer flange which is already forced onto the crank with a spring. This prevents any oil from possibly leaking even if the bore is out of tolerance."

Hi all, I'm new to the board and have been methodically going through hundreds of pages of your posts every day. I'm located in NY state on the Canadian border and the closest foreign repair facility is Autotec Mechanical in Long Sault Ontario, just across the border. I want to have my IMS looked at and have a service done as well. Do you guys have any experience with them? thanks in advance for your advice. http://autotecmechanical.ca/ 2001 996 C2 85k miles

While researching another problem with my Boxster, I noticed a company is advertising an oil fed intermediate shaft bearing kit, which seems to use a modified cover and a hose to feed oil to the intermediate shaft bearing.. the kit is here.. http://tunersmotorsports.com/?page_id=103 Has anyone installed it or know if it is any good? My old 986 Boxster had an upgraded IMS bearing installed when I bought the car, and I thought it was a worthwhile thing to do.. But was told the 987 needed an engine teardown to replace the bearing.. This kit seems to just feed engine oil into the bearing, which from what I have read would solve the problems with failure.. But really.. should this kit do the trick?

This is an alternative IMS bearing solution that I have just come across:- http://www.design911.co.uk/fu/pt856_1748_-cma81-cmo110/Porsche/996--911--1997-05/Intermediate-shaft/ The website also provides links to the installation procedure.

This happened just few days ago with my 2005 997 C2S which has been well serviced with only 44,000km mileage. While I was driving in town at speed of about 34-40km/hr, after I turned at the corner, there was traffic in front, so I slowed down and just before the car stopped, all the lights on the dash came on and the car stalled, then I tried to start again which it did but immediately stalled again and from there it felt like the battery was flat as I could only hear click sound and starter motor was not turning. I then called the tow truck company (lucky nearby), from there the horrible thing that I saw from the back of the car really scared me, the road was full of engine oil from the back of the car. The car was then towed back to my mechanic and over the last few days, they have taken out the engine and realized that the IMS bearing has been completely broken into pieces BUT quite luckily according to my mechanic I was driving slow, otherwise the engine could have been completely damage without much he can do. My concern is according to various forum posts, IMS bearing failure usually have signs such as engine oil dripping in carpark which it didn’t occur in my case. The car was running well without any unusual noise. Has this kind of things been happened to anyone before? Now, my mechanic said as the rebuild cost will be very high, he suggest me to just replace the bearing, take off the oil sump to make sure no broken metal being left in the engine, I can avoid an expensive bill. Further to my case, I do suggest to have your IMS bearing check specially while you have your gearbox off the car. Thank you

Hi Everyone, My name is Andy, based in Swansea, South Wales, UK. Having just bought my first Porsche (an '02 C4S) with 70K on the clock - I have been googling my little socks off looking at all things 996! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this car - never owned anything that goes round corners like it... the downside is, it keeps me lying awake worrying about it - but I think that's the usual new car paranoia, which will settle down! Having found loads and loads of excellent posts written on this forum I decided to sign up, say hi and hopefully pick a few brains! Currently, I am making myself extremely paranoid about the whole IMS issue! The reason for this is there is a little bit of oil at the base of the engine (eg the normal IMS / RMS leaky bit - according to images on the web). The leak is VERY, VERY slow (more just damp) and is not dripping or anything (have wiped, driven and nothing much more coming back down). The question I have is this. There seems to be some discrepancy in information regarding leaks in this area. Some people seem to be suggesting that leaks in this area are NOT related to internal (eg potentially catastrophic) IMS issues as the "problem" bearing is actually sealed inside the engine behind the outer seal and therefore leaks from the outer seal are not relevant, they are just that, leaks from the outer seal and cause no damage, just irritation - and possibly the owner paying a bit more attention to oil levels! Others seem to suggest that vibration caused by wear to the internal bearing cause the outer seal to leak, and therefore one SHOULD be worried. Can anyone provide any clarification on this, should I panic / stop driving / do an oil change and check for metal / jump out the window / drive it like I stole it? In short, I don't want to waste a load of money if not necessary - are there any rules of thumb? Incidentally, I'm not worried if it's just a very slow oil-leak from a seal I can deal with that in due course! I'm sure this topic has been gone-over ad nauseum, so apologies, but can't seem to find definitive answers! (maybe because they don't exist!) Best regards, all - and thanks! Andy

Guys, I am seeking for some help on my 997.1 C2S (2005). 2 months ago, when I was driving my car in the city (low speed), after turning round the corner suddently all dash lights came on and followed by engine cut off. As there was no particular weir noise beforehand, so normal response I turned the key and the engine started but only for 2 seconds before it cut off again. From there, I realized that the rear floor was full of engine oil. The car of course ended up at my mechanic with engine off the car noticing that the IMS bearing was broken inside the housing but no visual damage seem to appear on the IMS itself. Anyway, to cut short I had the ims bearing replaced with taking the whole engine apart. After the repair I took the car for test drive, it seems running fine but when engine is cold, everytime I accelerate from zero, the throttle response feels a bit shakey and doesnt want to accelerate. However once the car has been warmed up, it is back to normal. Can someone please advise me what might be wrong with my car? Will it be sensor issue? It has only done 45,000km. Thanks

Car in question: 1999 C4, M96.02, 41k miles (had it since 20k miles), original/stock IMS bearing Alright, so I stumbled on some posts regarding durametric readouts for camshaft deviation to check into the health of the IMS. I remembered I logged a bunch of real-time parameters back in 2012 just to establish a baseline with my new Durametric tool at the time. I finally found my old hard drive with the data and to my surprise, my camshaft position 1 deviation read -8.97 cold at idle and varied down to -9.53 when driving around. Camshaft deviation, position 2 is solidly at -3.19 regardless of engine speed. On another post, I read that the durametric software may have had issues logging this parameter at the time. No CELs, no logged errors, been running fine for the last three years, and yes, I drive the snot out of it. When I cut the oil filter I find the random tiny shards brown plastic from the variocam guides. I have a magnetic drain plug and have only seen a light amount of the typical fine metal on it. The previous owner kept meticulous records of all work done at the dealer, and no major engine work was ever done other than oil changes. I found a post about a potentially bent sensor plate on the cam where the engine is correctly timed but the sensor is reading the parameter incorrectly?? My thought at the moment is to not drive the car, pop the green plugs and check timing as well as pulling the sump pan for inspection. I also plan to log the camshaft deviations this week with the newer version of the software and see what I get. Assuming I get the same numbers, I have some questions: 1. Since the position 1 is moving around a little bit between running and idle (~0.78 degrees), should I start having my heart attack now? 2. If the timing is off by this amount, is it a simple re-timing of bank 1 if all else looks OK? 3. Dumb question also is how much timing adjustment can be made since the sprocket appears to have large slots for adjustment? 4. Another dumb question is if bank 1 skipped a tooth, would I know it already? 5. Should I just open up the bank 1 valve cover to inspect/replace the variocam pads? (trying to do the least invasive first) 6. Anything else to check/do? Thanks for reading.

Hello there, my car is an early 2004 996 C4 Cab, 3.6L, 85k miles. Good stuff on my DropBox folder: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/p62gwxshg2zath4/0wYS9yrgfv Engine has not been started for 4 months. Actually it has been on a huge container for 2+ months and just few weeks ago I got the time to start working with my car again. Just before taking these pictures, note that I did wash my engine and transmission while they were still connected to each other, that might explain the glossy oil spots near my IMS (or not). Four months ago, underneath the car it looked that I get a tiny amount of oil after I drive around 500 miles, sometimes even a drop of oil to my garage floor if I drive a lot more. The drop comes right to the spot which usually indicates RMS/IMS leak. Then again, my AOS has been spitting lots of oil out from the connectors and the drop might originate from there too, impossible to say as front left side of the engine near AOS was so full of oil and gunk. I've changed my oil now twice, both the oil and filter ripped open has looked really really clean but this is based solely on human eye :-) I'd like to get a few second opinions to my questions, hopefully this thread is usefull to others too. 1) How does my RMS / IMS look in general? I'd say the leak is reasonably small, most gunk originates from clutch, would you feel the same? 2) Would you change my RMS or just leave it be? It has already been changed once at some point. 3) What exactly seems to be leaking here? To me it seems to be the IMS, but strangely enough the bottom part right below the IMS cover was completely clean (just zoom the images and remember that I washed my tranny and engine just before separating them). 4) Which bolts would you change while doing the IMS? Looking at the pictures, many change bolt numbers 4, 5, 6 and 7, how about you? 5) Curiosity question, what parts are not original? My RMS must be new as the part number is 997.101.212.00. IMS looks old, part number K.99602401 (?). Also would you also feel that many of these bolts have been changed as they look past year 2004 bolts, right? PS. I have a new RMS, LN bearing + tools waiting for the installation.. Big Kudos to everyone who got this far, hope you'll inspect my DropBox picture folder too!

Just a word to the wise; I have a 2000 Boxster S USA that started leaking oil a few months ago. I finally got around to taking it in to have it looked at and it turned out that my IMS bearing was failing. I didn't have "chunks" of metal in the oil, but there was what appeared to be glitter in the oil filter. It doesn't appear that the motor is ruined--yet. But you never know. I opted to go ahead with the LN Retrofit and my mechanic ran the car and drained the oil 3 times (until no metal was evident) and I'm going to drain it again this weekend and check it (he also installed a magnetic drain plug). The bearing was still together albeit a bit wobbly. I wouldn't have gone much further before my car became a boat anchor. Bottom line, don't screw around with an oil drip hoping it's just the Rear Main Seal; I gambled (or screwed around) and nearly lost. This was a dual row bearing, which may have saved my car, but they they fail, too. I have attached a picture of the bearing, on which can be seen a paste of metallic bits. Also shown is the IMS tube, which escaped damage as the bearing had not completely failed. My mechanic and I felt the risk of repair was worth taking (although I signed a waiver acknowledging that I knew the new LN bearing could also fail due to the metal in the oil system), because $3800 beats paying God-knows-what for a new motor for a 15 year old car. (The price included a new clutch and rear CV joint rebuild among other things.) Be proactive, and if you're looking to buy an M96-97 motored vehicle, just add $3000 to the purchase price. Devin

Boxster-mates, I did end up with a decent size oil leak, this morning. At the shop, when inspected underneath, it does seem to come from near where the transmission connects the motor. Per my mechanic, there were no metal pieces in the filter when the oil was changed at 130K miles - and it may be unlikely that the IMS may be going bad by the current mileage of 134.5K. While I don't experience slippage when shifting, does it make sense to bite the bullet and get the clutch, upgraded IMS, RMS and all of the required components replaced at this point. My mechanic recommended that I drive it for another 3k miles and see how the oil spill continues before scheduling for the replacements along with the oil change. Would I be risking the motor in any way by doing so? Also how much should the total cost come to, if done at an Indy shop? Thanks for your thoughts, V

2000 Boxster, 2.7 liter, 5 speed. I'm the sole owner and no work has been done that would ever necessitate an engine change. The engine number off a Porsche issued Certificate of Authenicity (CA) is 65Y06546 and the boss at the right rear of the engine likely agrees with that. I say likely becuase I can't make out one digit but all the others agree and are the same sequence. Build date, again based on the CA is 12/13/1999. At the LN Engineering the IMS bearing retrofit site states engines up to M65112851 are likely dual row IMS bearing and after that single row. That number, at least to me seems to be a totally different format. Anyone have any insight what type bearing I have. I'm thinking of doing the LN/IMS mod in the near future and would like to order the proper kit in advance.. John from PA

2000 Boxster, 2.7 liter, 5 speed. I'm the sole owner and no work has been done that would ever necessitate an engine change. The engine number off a Porsche issued Certificate of Authenicity (CA) is 65Y06546 and the boss at the right rear of the engine likely agrees with that. I say likely becuase I can't make out one digit but all the others agree and are the same sequence. Build date, again based on the CA is 12/13/1999. At the LN Engineering the IMS bearing retrofit site states engines up to M65112851 are likely dual row IMS bearing and after that single row. That number, at least to me seems to be a totally different format. Anyone have any insight what type bearing I have. I'm thinking of doing the LN/IMS mod in the near future and would like to order the proper kit in advance.. John from PA

Hello I am contemplating replacement of my IMS bearing (presumably double row but I'll check first). From some sources it appears that this can be done with the LNE kit without removal & disassembly. However on the Raby Engine Development website it says the following "If at this point it is determined that your IMS has a double-row bearing, you are out of luck, as these bearings are non-serviceable by the retro-fit kit. A complete disassembly is required to upgrade the double row IMS." Does anyone know which it is? There also seems to be something called IMS Solution - a retrofit using a pressure lubricated plain bearing, but I don't think its DIY. Anybody know more? Other options could be the Pelican kit or Casper Labs - but if they are inferior I don't want to go that way My plan is to replace the following: Clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing & maybe the release lever IMS bearing RMS AOS Any comments/ recommendations on these points would be appreciated Thanks PS car has 60,000 mi

Well, it happened to me. What I was most concerned about and why I almost did not buy a Porsche. The IMS went and completely trashed the engine. As everyone here probably knows, 17k + labor for replacement from Porsche. I purchased a power warranty from Interstate National Dealer Services and after inspection they said because the external bolt that leads to the IMS bearing was broken off, that that was the problem and they do not cover it because it was not an internally lubricated part. I have the best Porsche mechanic in Southwest Virginia who has worked on well over 1000 Porsche engines and has over 40 years experience telling them otherwise. I sense I will have to get a lawyer involved. I write this only to let everyone know that all these aftermarket insurance companies are weasels and to avoid this one at all costs. But my question lies in my search for a less expensive alternative to a new Porsche engine. I am trying to do research on my own before I approach my mechanic. Are all of the engines from 2005 - 2008 interchangeable? In other words, can I take a 2008 Cayman S engine and drop it in without any issues in my 2005? I found several places on the web that sells engines and has various years available from 2005 - 2008 and they say they will fit unmodified. Obviously, if I can search fro 4 years of engines instead of 1, I will have a better chance of finding one. I also know the later the year the better chance of another engine failure happening because of the same IMS problem. Thanks so much in advance for your reply. I really appreciate it! A very sad Porsche owner at the moment, Charlie

Hi, I have been performing the IMS bearing upgrade with the kit from Pelican Parts. I got the old bearing out with no issues. I cannot get the new bearing to fit all the way in though. It is still protruding about 5 mm or less. I removed a double-row bearing style, so the new one will be recessed into the shaft. I guess my question is what kind of beating can this bearing take while getting it in? It was frozen cold initially but has since warmed up. I read that the other end of the shaft pushes on the oil pump. I have stopped where I am because I am afraid I may damage something if I keep beating on it. The engine is locked at TDC, and I have marked the relative positions of the camshafts and the INtermediate shaft. Nothing has budged at all from its original position. What kind of beating can the bearing take? I don't want to compromise the new one. Is there anyway to make sure it is not "popped" or "scored" after it is installed? What do I need to be aware of on the other side of the shaft? Can I damage the oil pump? The shaft has not moved back from the crankcase either. I feel compelled to pull the oil pump off to make sure I have not damaged it already.... If the seal is not damaged after installation, does that mean the bearing is okay? The last thing I want to do is replace an IMS bearing that turned out looking fine and compromise the new one and have it prematurely fail....!!! Thank you for any advice!!! This is my primary vehicle so I need to get this put back together as soon as I can but primarily I want to do it right.