The Real Reason Porsche IMS Bearings Fail—And How to Stop It

The Real Reason Porsche IMS Bearings Fail—And How to Stop It

Is the Porsche 996 or early 997 a radioactive ticking time bomb, or is the internet completely blowing the IMS bearing issue out of proportion? Today, we're cutting through the forum noise and going straight to the horse's mouth. I sit down with my friend Charles Navarro, the founder of LN Engineering—the company synonymous with fixing the infamous water-cooled Porsche intermediate shaft issues since the early 2000s. We break down the actual engineering decisions behind the M96 and M97 engines, the brutal financial reality that nearly bankrupted Porsche in the '90s, and the real mathematical difference between a 1% and an 8% failure rate. Charles shares actionable advice for buyers and owners, explaining why garage queens are at the highest risk, how to properly update a non-serviceable bearing, and why he’d personally rather own an early water-cooled car over anything built post-2017. If you've been too paralyzed by analysis paralysis to buy your dream 911, Boxster, or Cayman, this episode is exactly what you need to hear. Stop waiting for life to begin. Get out and drive. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ► CONNECT WITH CHARLES & LN ENGINEERING * LN Engineering Website: https://lnengineering.com/ [https://lnengineering.com/] * IMS Solution Info: https://imssolution.com/ [https://imssolution.com/] * Follow LN Engineering on Instagram: @lnengineering ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ► SUBSCRIBE & CONNECT WITH ELEVENAFTERNINE * Subscribe to the Podcast Channel: @ElevenAfterNinePodcast * Follow on Instagram: @theelevenafternine * Official Website, Consulting, & Gear: www.elevenafternine.com [https://www.elevenafternine.com/] * Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: Eleven After Nine | A Porsche Culture Podcast ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ► CHAPTERS 0:00 – Meet Charles Navarro of LN Engineering 02:21 – How a Russian Repair Shop Trained the Guru 04:43 – The Birth of the M96 Fixes 07:37 – Are These Engines Actually Junk? 10:33 – Why Porsche Switched to Water-Cooled (Emissions vs. Cash) 12:18 – The Accountants' Fingerprints: Designing the IMS 14:51 – Porsche Kindergarten: What an Intermediate Shaft Actually Does 17:05 – The 1% vs 8% Failure Rate: The Dual-Row to Single-Row Shift 22:21 – The Redesigned "Non-Replaceable" Bearing (06-08 Cars) 26:31 – Wives' Tales: Do High-Mile Cars Dodge the Bullet? 28:55 – Why Sitting is the Absolute Enemy of a Porsche 31:13 – The LN Ceramic Hybrid Solution Explained 34:47 – The Ultimate "One-and-Done" Pressure-Fed Fix 40:14 – What to Do If You Have a 997.1 Engine 43:19 – The Rear Main Seal (RMS) Myth & Factory Errors 48:29 – Can You Actually Hear An IMS Failing? 49:36 – The Real Costs: Parts, Labor, and the "While You're In There" List 54:26 – Oil Analysis: Blackstone vs. Speed Diagnostics 56:22 – Don't Run Away: Why the M96/M97 is Still Worth It 59:44 – The Nightmare of Modern Porsche Upkeep (Post-2017) #Porsche #Porsche911 #Porsche996 #Porsche997 #IMSbearing #LNengineering #ElevenAfterNine #PorscheMaintenance #CarBuyingAdvice ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Why You Can’t Pull the Trigger on a Used Porsche

Buying a Porsche is the ultimate enthusiast dream, but let’s be honest: when it comes down to actually signing the paperwork on a 10, 15, or 20-year-old German sports car, absolute panic sets in. In this episode, we address a brilliant question from viewer Twingo Ease that hits right at the heart of the enthusiast struggle: How do you justify spending $50k to $80k on an older Porsche when that exact same money can buy you a brand-new, highly reliable sports car with a factory warranty? Before you run down to the dealership to buy a new BMW M2 or Toyota Supra, we need to talk about the brutal financial reality of absolute dollars, depreciation curves, and what happens after a car drops off the depreciation cliff. We’re breaking down the data, looking at the hard numbers, and giving you the honest truth about what you're actually paying for. Stop waiting for life to begin. Get out and drive. TIMESTAMPS CHAPTERS 0:00 The question I could not stop thinking about 1:30 By the way, I have two YouTube channels 3:00 Why this is a completely rational question to ask 5:00 The honest part, the M2 and Supra hold their value 7:00 Where BMW really bleeds, the M3 and the M5 9:00 Why absolute dollars still favor a used Porsche 11:00 Free miles and why I stopped fearing the odometer 13:00 But Derek, a new car comes with a warranty 14:30 CPO, the best of both worlds 16:00 Reliability is really a maintenance history question 18:00 The part a spreadsheet cannot measure 20:00 Bertie, my 1972 911, and why she is still my favorite 22:00 The manual problem nobody wants to talk about 23:30 I drove my brother's 2026 M3 26:00 Just get off the bench and drive - CONNECT WITH ELEVENAFTERNINE * Main YouTube Channel: ElevenAfterNine Main Channel [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBOyej1Bd3ml_yEY1DlPuQQ/videos] * Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElevenAfterNinePodcast * Instagram: @theelevenafternine [https://www.instagram.com/theelevenafternine] * Official Website & Consulting: www.elevenafternine.com [https://www.elevenafternine.com] * - JOIN THE CONVERSATION Are you sitting on the fence trying to decide between a brand-new driver's car and an older Porsche? Do you agree with the data on the absolute dollar depreciation, or does the safety net of a warranty still win you over? Drop a comment below—I read and try to respond to every single one! #Porsche #Porsche911 #BMW #ToyotaSupra #CarBuyingAdvice #ElevenAfterNine #GetOutAndDrive ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Porsche's $300 Suspension Cheat Code

We are back with Joe Finkel from FCP Euro! In this episode, we tackle a brilliant factory suspension "cheat code" for water-cooled Porsches, bring you boots-on-the-ground stories from Porsche Parade, and discuss the absolute baller move of street-parking a $2M Porsche 959 in a rainstorm. But first... Derek has to confess his sins. After preaching the gospel of DIY wrenching, a nightmare of rusted exhaust manifold hardware and a crazy schedule forced him to do the unthinkable: he outsourced his Fister exhaust install and DT40 oil change. Once the guilt is cleared, Joe breaks down how Porsche silently updated older lower control arm blueprints to mirror modern 718 geometry—and how you can score this massive handling upgrade on a budget. We also debate the "500-HP cap" for usable street performance and name the #1 diagnostic tool every owner needs in their garage. 🛠️ WEBSITES & RESOURCES MENTIONED: * Lemon Manuals (Free OEM Service Manuals): https://lemon-manuals.la [https://lemon-manuals.la] * 914-6 Infonet (Classic Air-Cooled Workshop Manuals): http://p914-6info.net/Manuals.htm [http://p914-6info.net/Manuals.htm] * FCP Euro DIY Guides: Check out @FCPEuro on YouTube for step-by-step Porsche maintenance. ⏱️ CHAPTERS: * 00:00 – Catching up with Joe Finkel & FCP Euro Summer Rush * 01:25 – Confessions of a Porsche Poser: The Fister Exhaust Drama * 03:15 – The Oil Change Absolution (Driven DT40 Oil) * 05:05 – Wrenching vs. Time Management: Balancing Life & Projects * 06:37 – What Makes the Fister 997 Exhaust So Special? * 09:22 – Triple Zero "Rare Shades" Event: A Masterclass in PTS Colors * 13:48 – The $300 Suspension Cheat Code: 718 Control Arms on Older Porsches * 20:13 – Free Workshop Manual Hacks: Lemon Manuals & 914-6 Infonet * 26:30 – Left Turn: Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR Motorcycle Adventures) * 29:35 – Inside Porsche Parade at Lake Placid: Summer Camp for Adults * 32:41 – Baller Status: The Rain-Driven, Street-Parked Porsche 959 * 34:00 – The Great Concours Debate: Art Pieces vs. Dirty Drivers * 44:30 – First Looks: The New Electric Cayenne & Macan Tech Specs * 46:39 – The 500-HP Cap: How Much Horsepower is Actually Usable? * 51:23 – GT3 vs. GT3 RS: Is the Aero Worth the Jump? * 53:16 – The #1 Specialized Porsche Tool Every Owner Needs in Their Garage * 1:03:30 – Outro & See You Next Tuesday! 🎙️ CONNECT WITH ELEVENAFTERNINE: * Podcast: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms. * YouTube: @ElevenAfterNine * Instagram: @theElevenAfterNine * Contact: www.ElevenAfterNine.com 🏁 GUEST & PARTNER LINKS: * Joe Finkel & FCP Euro: https://www.fcpeuro.com [https://www.fcpeuro.com] * Fister Exhaust Systems: https://fdmotorsports.net/fister-sport-exhaust/ / Darren Fister * Vintage Sports Restoration: Bedford, NH (Thanks, Chris!) * Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR): https://ridebdr.com [https://ridebdr.com] (Thanks Tim!) * Make sure to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE! Tell us in the comments: Are you a fastidious Concours cleaner, or are your Porsches wonderfully dirty from daily driving? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Stop Calling These Restomods | Zack Klapman (The Smoking Tire)

This week I sat down with Zack Klapman, co-host of The Smoking Tire and the man behind the Hilarious car-nerd game show Driver's Test, to map the whole restomod world for anyone who's new to it. We get into what these cars actually are, what they cost, and whether a one and a half million dollar Porsche can possibly be worth the money. From there we wander, the way these talks do, into the Lexus LFA, the Audi R8, hydraulic versus electric steering, why modern engines keep grenading, and the most useful thing Zack said all night: power gets boring, and the base model is usually the smarter buy. If you've heard me preach that on this channel, you'll like where this one goes. Zack has driven the stuff most of us only get to read about, and he talks about it like a normal person, which is the whole point of this show. Also: Check out The Smoking Tire Live Show with the amazing Christian Hand!!! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-smoking-tire-podcast-christian-james-hand-tickets-1991203255539 Chapters 0:00 Meet Zack Klapman 1:13 Why restomods, and who this episode is for 2:19 What a restomod actually is 4:36 Why a Singer or Gunther Werks isn't really a restomod 5:40 Singer's ethos vs Gunther Werks' ethos 7:34 What these cars actually cost 8:14 Is a 1.5 million dollar Porsche worth it 11:00 Driving a Singer, and the Lexus LFA comparison 14:40 The supercar the market never understood 16:46 The LC500, the R8, and great cars that stayed cheap 22:14 Hydraulic vs EPAS, and why "old is always better" is lazy 25:12 Porsche curmudgeon culture 28:08 Why modern engines keep breaking 32:00 The walnut blasting BMW story 35:01 What it's like to drive a million dollar car 37:20 Getting jaded, and Jay Leno's rule 39:49 The perfect horsepower number 42:18 Why the base model is usually the smart buy 45:49 The one Porsche Zack would actually buy 49:36 Is the Porsche market finally softening 51:00 Go watch Driver's Test Find Zack: Driver's Test: https://www.youtube.com/@ZackKlapmansDriversTest The Smoking Tire: youtube.com/thesmokingtire Instagram: instagram.com/therealzackklapman ElevenAfterNine: Main Channel: youtube.com/@ElevenAfterNine Instagram: instagram.com/TheElevenAfterNine Web: www.ElevenAfterNine.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

I Waited 15 Years For My Porsche. Now I'm Scared To Drive It | Listener Q&A

Buying a used Porsche sight unseen, talking a cagey seller into a PPI, or finally landing the 996 you waited 15 years for and being too scared to drive it. This week on ElevenAfterNine it's a full listener Q&A: the nerves, the second-guessing, and the search fatigue that come with buying and owning one of these cars. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, drop a star rating and a few words in a review. Believe it or not, that goes a long way toward bringing the show to new people. Chapters: 0:00 Why this Q&A 2:30 How fast do you move on a clean Cayman? 8:30 Is buying sight unseen actually crazy? 15:30 The seller won't let you PPI it 22:00 I finally bought my 996 and I'm miserable 28:00 Just drive the car More ElevenAfterNine: Website: www.ElevenAfterNine.com Instagram: @TheElevenAfterNine Main channel: ElevenAfterNine on YouTube #Porsche #996 #PorscheCayman #UsedPorsche #PorscheBuyersGuide #PPI #911 ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.