Took a can opener to the car in the garage weekend ...?

A lot of owners and knowledge here re Porsche; don't these cars suffer intermediate shaft bearing failure?

DANG! that was a problem affecting the early series of the 3,4 litres 996s, my own Carrera 4 that is. Sadly, some early 996 were fitted with the dreaded, frail single-row IMS while other cars, before and after that series, were fitted either with stronger single-row or double-row bearings that had no problem whatsoever. The trouble is that even checking with Porsche AG (I have written several books about Porsche so I'm in good terms with them) nobody exactly knows what bearing was fitted to what car....my thought is that being my 996 20 years old and having done 40,000 miles if it had to break, it have broken for sure by now! Fingers crossed.... The Turbo had a different engine and didn't have this problem.
Stefano
 
A lot of owners and knowledge here re Porsche; don't these cars suffer intermediate shaft bearing failure?
On the standard 996 motor yes rear main seal and as mentioned also the ims (a repair mod now available ) and which is not always common knowledge bore scoring has been another issue I’ve always advised bore scope inspection ..costly yes but advisable..boxer and cayman again issues ..the air cooled didn’t have same issues ..I have some 30 plus books on Porsche I even had a Porsche junior tractor some years ago ..(library pic below)
Same as the one I had below 14 bhp 822cc .. I lost a library of digital photos gutted as the computer held a big part of our lives ..☹️
292C1C63-445B-4C98-924F-6D6E17F48402.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Its going to take quite a jump in either battery development or hydrogen power cells before fossil fuels will be phased out...…...what will happen is that private car ownership will be taxed beyond most peoples pockets and public transport will become the norm...in some ways it shows how our fore fathers were years ahead of their time...….its only now we can see the folly of Dr Beaching and the loss of the smaller railway lines, how many could use them now for commuting, freight etc...
How many cities have brought back trams years after they were ripped up, if only someone had looked to the future and put public funds into a good transport infrastructure.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but foresight even better.......
Dr Beeching was only carrying out the government's policy. Beeching was appointed by one Ernest Marples, who was involved with a road construction business, Marples Ridgway. No conflict of interest of course!


RAB
 
DANG! that was a problem affecting the early series of the 3,4 litres 996s, my own Carrera 4 that is. Sadly, some early 996 were fitted with the dreaded, frail single-row IMS while other cars, before and after that series, were fitted either with stronger single-row or double-row bearings that had no problem whatsoever. The trouble is that even checking with Porsche AG (I have written several books about Porsche so I'm in good terms with them) nobody exactly knows what bearing was fitted to what car....my thought is that being my 996 20 years old and having done 40,000 miles if it had to break, it have broken for sure by now! Fingers crossed.... The Turbo had a different engine and didn't have this problem.
Stefano
I have 2.7 Boxster 987, I don’t drive it much because of the lack reliable info on IMS failure. As far As I can work out it has double row IMS bearings and is largely immune from the bore scoring issue greywolfhound mentions in the next post.
Prepping at the moment to use this summer.
 
On the standard 996 motor yes rear main seal and as mentioned also the ims (a repair mod now available ) and which is not always common knowledge bore scoring has been another issue I’ve always advised bore scope inspection ..costly yes but advisable..boxer and cayman again issues ..the air cooled didn’t have same issues ..I have some 30 plus books on Porsche I even had a Porsche junior tractor some years ago ..
Same as the one I had below 14 bhp 822cc .. I lost a library of digital photos gutted as the computer held a big part of our lives ..☹View attachment 61348
I have a Porsche too ?:
1581592938007.jpeg
 
Last edited:
I have 2.7 Boxster 987, I don’t drive it much because of the lack reliable info on IMS failure. As far As I can work out it has double row IMS bearings and is largely immune from the bore scoring issue greywolfhound mentions in the next post.
Prepping at the moment to use this summer.
I think the 2.7's are a fairly safe bet, it was more the 3.4S that had problems!

All 996 except the Gt2/3 and turbo can have problems and early 997's suffer with engine failure/bore scoring etc, stay well clear, but the 997 gen 2 seems to have all those problems resolved ?....but are a premium over the gen 1 997!
 
Well, as I wrote before, after 20 years, 40,000 miles and full Porsche dealer service history, if the dreaded IMS had to break, it would have already broken, so I'm quite happy with my early 996 (pic attached during a short holiday in Villa d'Este). Engine pulls strongly, doesn't use a gram of oil and it's great fun. My only problem is no using it very much, I'm enjoying now my A2s and my full-electrics (just ordered a e-208 to change my Citroen C-Zero). To be honest, my FSI gave me much more problems than all he Porsches in my life, but that was my fault in buying the wrong car.
@greywolfhound: nice tractor indeed!
Best
Stefano
 

Attachments

  • 2108_04_996-47.jpg
    2108_04_996-47.jpg
    200.3 KB · Views: 199
Great thread, new to the A2OC, on the look out for a well kept low miler A2 to add to the family, meantime this sits in the garage, it’s stock but those turbo and brake upgrades of greywolfhound’s are getting me thinking.....
 

Attachments

  • 67E338D2-CEE3-4761-8165-DC5F1CF868E6.jpeg
    67E338D2-CEE3-4761-8165-DC5F1CF868E6.jpeg
    1.1 MB · Views: 218
Great thread, new to the A2OC, on the look out for a well kept low miler A2 to add to the family, meantime this sits in the garage, it’s stock but those turbo and brake upgrades of greywolfhound’s are getting me thinking.....

She looks lovely is that polar silver as well ? I looked for a long time to find my one ..please post interior picture looks very unusual with that magenta? Leather ...mine did have the H&R springs on nice lower stance but you Had to plan your route as it wouldn’t go over any sleeping policeman /speed bumps I painted front splitter twice inc a new one ..also on normal country roads too harsh a ride for me I bit the bullet last year and put all brand-new Porsche standard turbo suspension back on inc springs ..if your gunning it through the fast sweepers it can be a little twitchy were as before it sat flat ..it’s a trade off ..but as we get older comfort is more important ?..I kept the hr in case I changed my mind ..
 

Attachments

  • 7B1AE6CB-D4D0-490E-9237-3E903777E904.jpeg
    7B1AE6CB-D4D0-490E-9237-3E903777E904.jpeg
    171.7 KB · Views: 188
Last edited:
Hey, thanks, yes, polar silver and colour to sample interior, it’s sort of a dark cherry red. Here’s a couple of pics, it was what swung it for me when I bought the car, had it five years, think it might have been a dealer demo in Cheshire back in the day. Interesting what you say about the suspension, love the stance of the GT3 and GT2, really tempted by that look for the turbo but up here in Edinburgh the council seemed to stop spending money on tarmac around the same time the Bay City Rollers split up, I literally grit my teeth and clench the cheeks for the first 5 miles on any drive out into country. ?. Sorry, this is an A2 forum, right?
 

Attachments

  • D86F15DE-A60C-4488-9341-1B9B82CE8357.jpeg
    D86F15DE-A60C-4488-9341-1B9B82CE8357.jpeg
    530 KB · Views: 196
  • 2A1FF7E8-1666-4866-9215-789AEE641733.jpeg
    2A1FF7E8-1666-4866-9215-789AEE641733.jpeg
    703.1 KB · Views: 203
Under this section car park you can talk about what you like on your motors ..sometimes it’s refreshing and several of us a2 owners also have Porsche..yours looks like a well kept example and certainly an unusual colour interior..theres some nice silver & blue a2s with the red leather interior ...we have had a similar amount of time I’m 6 years on this one ..as for roads out in the sticks they just seem to patch around here (bodge it and scarper) false economy better to do it once properly ..

Everyone who loves Porsche should watch this old video you can see google it ..yellowbird a 1987 ruf Porsche around the Nurburgring this was a460 bhp rear wheel drive monster at the time .....my old 930 Porsche turbo was worked on by ruf a German manufacturing / tuning company .. I beg you to watch the full 20 mins as the helicopter shots of the car control by stefan roser beggars belief around this track I’ve done it and if your not scared your not trying hard enough ..8 mins 5 seconds ..back then and anyone having known how hard to keep control of an old 911 on the limit it brings hackles up on my neck every time I watch it ?...they just loved to swap ends ..
 

Attachments

  • 0BEFE4FA-6B2E-4410-A60B-4CF6495BA82A.jpeg
    0BEFE4FA-6B2E-4410-A60B-4CF6495BA82A.jpeg
    656.4 KB · Views: 189
Last edited:
Good to hear, sounds a friendly community here. Wife had an A2 1.4SE with OSS from new back in 2001, loved it, sold it on after four years and 15k miles, do remember it struggled a bit for performance loaded up, that roof and a few other options seemed to make a difference. Thinking maybe the FSI could be the answer if I can find a good one for keeps this time, think it’s still a design icon.

Your 996 looks a really nice example, I like the black/alu/carbon interior, would have been quite happy with this myself. As you say, v unusual for a 996 turbo engine lunching itself, good that Porsche warranty covered it, mates who’ve been with the brand a while tell me they’re nothing like as generous as they used to be. Good to chat, I’ll get back to lurking..... ?
 
Everyone who loves Porsche should watch this old video you can see google it ..yellowbird a 1987 ruf Porsche around the Nurburgring this was a460 bhp rear wheel drive monster at the time .....my old 930 Porsche turbo was worked on by ruf a German manufacturing / tuning company .. I beg you to watch the full 20 mins as the helicopter shots of the car control by stefan roser beggars belief around this track I’ve done it and if your not scared your not trying hard enough ..8 mins 5 seconds ..back then and anyone having known how hard to keep control of a 911 on the limit it brings hackles up on my neck every time I watch it ?...


awesome, wrestling match
 
Full geometry set up is critical on any 911 ..and it’s quite normal to have firm brake pedal pressing hard on mine and the performance friction discs really bite (they last a lot longer than Porsche’s own and much cheaper than ceramic ..

In the early 911 world, there's only one place you go and I have no doubt he'd be perfection on later cars also: Chris at CentreGravity. Super careful, discusses what you want to do with the car, takes it out with the owner before / after work to ensure it has the qualities you were hoping for. No connection, just keep hearing this from 911 owners time and again.

Always nice to hear about good work.
 
Singer do some extraordinarily good conversions ..very retro /mod oh and hugely expensive ?...I have a picture of one in my garage..(man cave ) dog house ?..
 
Last edited:
Back
Top