Read up on Porsche 996, 997 and Boxster engines and you’ll soon be scared silly by stories of IMS (intermediate shaft) failure. Actually, it’s the bearing at the end of the shaft that can fail and, thankfully, it’s a rare occurrence. If the bearing does break up, though, bits of metal will get pumped around with the oil and will soon destroy the engine.
As I said, it rarely happens but if it does, you don’t get any warning until it’s too later. And having that worry at the back of your mind can spoil your Porsche driving experience.
Now, though, there’s a solution that gives peace of mind.
The IMS Guardian was developed by my all-American cousin Jake Raby (actually, we don’t think we are related but it’s cool to think we are, and we have the same taste in cars!). Jake’s a clever engineer who runs Flat6 Innovations. The IMS Guardian is simple but very effective. IMS Guardian consists of a magnetic sump plug with two terminals. Steel swarf is attracted to the plug and, when it shorts the terminals, an alarm sounds in the cockpit. A discrete switch on the dash blends in with the existing switchgear.
If the alarm should sound, you need to stop the engine as quickly as possible and get the car to your local Porsche specialist, where they will be able to investigate further. If the IMS bearing has broken up, it’s a largish job to replace the bearing and to clean out the oilways, but much cheaper than a new engine!
The great new is, I’m a UK stockist of the IMS Guardian and offer a fitting service for southern England, at our Chichester workshop. Click here for more details.
Check out this video to find out more. Gotta love that accent! 🙂
