Well, the time has come to get the clutch replaced.

And after reading most of the posts here and rennlist, the choice is coming down to having the work done at my local dealer or an independent shop. The costs are about the same, so price is not an issue.

the car is a 2002 with 86k mi on it. the clutch and rms were replaced at 42k mi in 2005. there is a bit of oil weeping from the rms and the clutch is very hard to depress, hence the work needed.

the dealer has been very helpful and has worked with me since i got the car. however, they have never used an LN engineering IMS bearing, so this would be the first time they tried it. when these cars were under warranty, they would do an engine swap. His work would include a 2 yr warranty.

the independent shop is very experienced with the LN bearing but his work would only have a 1 yr warranty, and may be more difficult to claim. After all, it is a small, highly regarded, single man shop - no deep pockets there or heavy load of warranty work to write off his charges.

both have looked at the car and said until the tranny is out, there is no way to know if the bearing is bad. A Blackstone oil analysis suggests the bearings are fine - no tell take trace metals are in the oil.

any thoughts would be appreciated.

JB

 

Yes a conundrum. A GOOD dealer trumps a good indie, esp if the cost is equal and the warranty is longer. On the other hand if you are expecting to keep the car another 50K miles you probably want the ln bearing for peace of mind. Do you have any reason to think the dealer can't do the installation? Warranty is an issue. Are you sure that the indie is warrantying the engine if the ims fails or the bearing. Sounds like a stupid question but I have heard of warranties that cover only the failed part. My fave here: have the dealer install the bearing (a porsche tech should be more than competent enough) and make sure his warranty covers the motor.

 

+1....go with the Dealer

 

Go with someone experienced in the bearing replacement....

 

The bearing replacement is easy once the tranny is out. Really no different than oem bearing. The puller from LN makes it simple.

 

I can't believe the dealer is going to warranty the engine based on the use of an aftermarket bearing.

 

We shall see. I am going to talk to him later this week.

JB

 

My clutch also needs to be replaced.... I am going with Bernard at German Motoring in Miami. Along with the clutch I am having him check the Rms and IMS. He is also going to do all the fluids , check the front end links and powder coat the calipers. Since I really don't have a baseline on the last service I am going to start from scratch.


Warranty 2 years sounds good to me especially if the pricing is competitive.

 

I would go with the independant, unless you can really get a 2 year warranty.

With the independant, you know who is actually going to work on your car, and you know that person is actually experienced (with the bearing kit or, just as important, with these cars in general). In your case, you also know that person is actually good, and has a good reputation they will try VERY hard to keep.

I don't think you can say any of that with a dealer. Sometimes the guy who ACTUALLY works on the car is not the guy you think or the guy they tell you worked on it (or a guy who you would want to touch it).

Just my 2 cents.

b-man

 

b-man: Good advice. I went over to my dealer and spoke to the guy who has worked and will work on my car. He has not heard of LN Engineering nor their after market bearing. When he gets a car like this, 1. do nothing, 2. if the bearing failed, he will replace the engine, or if he has to, 3. he will split the engine and fix (#2 is usually cheaper).

But, he has done a lot of RMS seals and clutches and he is very knowledgeable about those fixes. He has been working at this dealer only on Porsches since the 80s.

his recommendation is that with the oil analysis showing no bearing trace metals (shout out to Blackstone Labs) and no noise from the bearing, and that the car has been consistently driven since it was sold, the likelihood that the IMS is degraded is very low. In fact, of the 100s of 996s and Boxsters that sold, he said maybe 10 cars came back.

Continuing a discussion with the foreman, he said that when he replaces the RMS with the Porsche part from his part department, it is fully warrantied for 24 months. So, if in the (un)likely event that 23m, 29d, 23hr from now, I bring the car back and there is oil leaking from the trans-engine joint, he will tear it down and replace everything for $0 to me; including a loaner.

I have asked the Indy guy what warranty he and LN will provide. No word back.

The clutch kit came in Thursday. And today. So I might have an extra kit to get rid of.

ANY advice is welcomed.

JB

 

Fwiw, there is a theory that the seal on the oem bearing is the problem. Some shops apparently use an oem bearing w/o the seal as a replacement and argue that the bearing is now splash lubricated. I would not expect dealer to do this but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

 

From what I've read on this and other forums, Porsche's stance is that the IMS is not something that can be changed. I would be surprised to hear that a dealer is willing to do an upgrade.

The RMS is a $20 part. Don't have them inspect it, have them replace it.

I had the LNE upgrade done on my 2000 Tip C2 as the primary fix - in other words, 100% of the labor was due to this upgrade. You, on the other hand, are already paying for most of the labor due to the clutch job. That gives you a significant discount on the IMS install.

Previous usage does not guarantee the lifespan of an IMS. It may never go or it could go tomorrow.

Personally, I would have the indy do the RMS and LNE IMS. To me it's a no-brainer.

Just my 2 cents.

 

Well, I am coming back to a decision. I will take it to the dealer.

The choice is based on the 2 yr, full warranty. and the probability that the IMS seal is OK. there is no indication now that it is leaking.

I will find out soon. And post it.

JB

 

Basing your decision on the two year warranty might not be your best choice. I'm assuming the 2 year warranty covers only the clutch and the RMS. If they last a year, they are unlikely to fail within the following 12 months, so the extra time is pretty much meaningless. You have to decide if spending another $800 to prevent a possible $25,000 failure is worth it. And it might actually be less than another $800 because I'm guessing that the indy will charge a lower hourly rate than the dealer.

 

thanks. i will re-think

JB