Description
SKU: 106-08.60
WHICH FACTORY BEARING DOES MY ENGINE HAVE?
1997-1999: This engine had an IMS with two rows of bearings.
2000-2001: These motors came from the factory with either double row or single row IMS bearings. A single row flange is 19,27 mm deep and a double row flange is 13,34 mm deep.
2002-2005: This engine had a single row IMS bearing. Some late production 2005 models have a non-serviceable IMS.
2006-2008: These engines are fitted with a larger bearing, easily identified by the 22mm center nut, which cannot be repaired without a complete disassembly of the engine. Removing the IMS bearing grease seal ensures proper lubrication of the original bearing.
If the engine in your car was replaced, it will have the IMS bearing that was in production for that model year of manufacture for the replacement engine.
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT MY NON-SERVICEABLE MY06-08 IMS BEARING?
The occurrence of failures with a 96-97 M2006 or M2008 engine, as found in the Boxster, Cayman, and 911 with the larger (but non-serviceable) IMS, is highly unlikely. The best estimate is about a 1% failure rate.
The IMS can be replaced, but complete disassembly of the motor is required to safely remove and replace the IMS bearing during an engine overhaul. This kit ages the bore of the IMS housing to accept our single row IMS solution, allowing for future maintenance without disassembling the motor.
However, there is some preventative maintenance you can do. When you have your clutch replaced, it is best to have the grease seal removed from the original bearing so that the engine oil can lubricate it better. At that point you can reseal the IMS flange and also have the rear main seal replaced.
There is a black plastic seal on the front of the bearing - you would use a toothpick or similar to pry the seal out of its groove. Just be careful not to lose it in the engine when you remove it. We don't have a how-to for this, but I found a short video on YouTube showing how to remove the seal from a ball bearing.
The larger bearing in MY06-08 motors has the same load capacity as the early double row, which have proven to be the most reliable of the factory bearings. I wouldn't worry too much about it after you remove the grease seal. No direct oil supply or forced oil is required for the factory ims bearing as the bearing is submerged in engine oil once you have removed the grease seal.
Under no circumstances do we recommend or advise drilling out your engine block to allow extraction and replacement of the larger, non-serviceable IMS bearing due to foreign objects being generated and endangering the engine, leading to premature bearings and engine failure.
