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1999-2005 Porsche 911 (996) IMS bearing retrofit

wrenchpitMaster TechAug 14, 2026

TIME

10h

DIFFICULTY

9/10 · Expert — press, alignment or programming

Tools

3/8 inch drive ratchet with metric socket set (8mm through 22mm)
1/2 inch drive breaker bar and long metric sockets
Torque wrench that covers 5 to 25 ft lbs (60 to 300 in lbs range preferred)
Torque wrench that covers 25 to 100 ft lbs
Two-post lift or four jack stands rated 3 tons each plus a floor jack
Transmission jack
LN Engineering IMS Solution or IMS Retrofit tool kit (includes puller, install driver, cam locking tools)
Porsche crankshaft locking pin (Sir Tools SIR2107 or equivalent)
Camshaft locking bars for M96 engine (Sir Tools SIR2109 or equivalent)
Flywheel locking tool
Clutch alignment tool for 240mm disc
Feeler gauges
12 point triple-square (XZN) bit set for pressure plate bolts
Torx socket set (T25 through T70)
Snap ring pliers, internal and external
Bearing puller with slide hammer
Nitrile gloves, brake cleaner, shop rags, magnetic pickup tool

Parts

LN Engineering IMS Solution kit (single-row and dual-row variants, verify by drop tube inspection)
Rear main seal — Porsche 99610197901 (Elring 026.780 acceptable)
Clutch kit 240mm — Porsche 99611691500 (Sachs KF299-01, LuK 03-057 acceptable)
Flywheel (dual-mass) — Porsche 99610223154 or resurface if within spec
Transmission oil — Porsche part 00004320526 (Motul Gear 300 75W-90 or Redline MT-90 acceptable), 3.0 US quarts
New pressure plate bolts (do not reuse) — Porsche 90007360502
IMS flange O-ring — supplied in retrofit kit
Engine oil and filter for post-install service — Mobil 1 0W-40, 9.0 US quarts, Mahle OX177/1D filter

Steps

01Identify the bearing variant before ordering parts

The 996 uses three different IMS bearings across the production run. Dual-row bearings ship on 1999 through mid-2000 cars, single-row bearings ship on late 2000 through 2005 cars, and the non-serviceable large-bore bearing appears on 2006+ M97 engines and cannot be retrofitted in-car. Confirm the variant by pulling the drop tube inspection plug at the bottom of the IMS flange and probing with a magnet, or by cross-referencing the engine serial number against the LN Engineering variant guide. Ordering the wrong kit costs a full day of disassembly.

02Support the vehicle and drop the exhaust

Lift the car to full working height. Remove the rear undertray, then unbolt the muffler assembly and secondary catalysts. Support each cat with a jack stand before releasing the flanges. The rear O2 sensor harnesses will snap if the exhaust drops on them. Unclip the harnesses at the bracket on the transmission bell housing before lowering the exhaust.

03Remove the transmission

Disconnect the reverse light switch, back-up sensors, and the shifter cables at the transmission end. Support the transmission with a transmission jack. Remove the driveshaft, then the transmission mount bolts on both sides. Loosen the twelve bell housing bolts in a crossing pattern. Slide the transmission straight back until the input shaft clears the pressure plate, then lower and set aside.

04Remove the clutch and flywheel

Fit the flywheel locking tool. Remove the six XZN pressure plate bolts a quarter turn at a time in a crossing pattern to avoid warping the pressure plate cover. Lift the pressure plate and disc off the flywheel dowels. Remove the flywheel bolts (torque-to-yield; replace with new hardware). The dual-mass flywheel is heavy; support it with both hands as the last bolt comes out.

05Lock the engine at TDC on cylinder 1

Rotate the crank clockwise using the crank pulley bolt until the TDC mark aligns and the camshafts sit at the base-circle positions for cylinder 1. Insert the crankshaft locking pin through the flywheel access hole into the block. Fit the camshaft locking bars across both bank cam ends through the access covers on top of the engine. Do not rotate the crankshaft with the locking pin engaged; it will shear.

06Remove the IMS flange

Unbolt the three (or six, depending on variant) IMS flange bolts. Pull the flange straight out. The original bearing may or may not stay with the flange. If the bearing race stays in the IMS shaft, use the LN puller with slide hammer to extract it. Inspect the recovered pieces closely for spalling, missing rollers, cage fragments, and metallic residue. Any missing balls or a fragmented cage means the engine has already ingested debris and requires oil pan removal for inspection before proceeding.

07Install the IMS Solution or new bearing

For the IMS Solution (plain bearing conversion), pack the new bearing with the supplied grease, fit a new O-ring, and press the assembly into the IMS shaft using the install driver until fully seated. For the retrofit bearing kit, follow the identical procedure with the ceramic hybrid bearing. Torque the IMS flange bolts to 8 ft lbs (10 Nm) in three passes using a crossing pattern. Verify against your service manual. Install the oil feed line if the Solution kit includes one.

08Reinstall flywheel and clutch

Fit the new (or resurfaced within spec) flywheel with new torque-to-yield bolts. Torque the flywheel bolts to 22 ft lbs (30 Nm) plus 120 degrees, or per the exact spec included in the kit. Verify against your service manual. Fit the new clutch disc using the alignment tool, then the new pressure plate. Torque the pressure plate bolts to 17 ft lbs (23 Nm) in a crossing pattern. Verify against your service manual.

09Reinstall the transmission and exhaust

Guide the transmission input shaft into the pilot bearing without twisting or forcing. Once the bell housing seats flush, install and torque the bell housing bolts to 48 ft lbs (65 Nm). Verify against your service manual. Refill transmission fluid, reconnect shifter cables and harnesses. Reinstall the exhaust with new gaskets.

10Prime and start

Refill the engine with fresh oil and a new filter. Crank the engine with the coil packs unplugged until oil pressure registers. Reconnect coils and start. Let the engine idle for ten minutes while watching for leaks at the IMS flange, RMS, and transmission bell housing seam.

Notes

Reference guide. A general procedure compiled by Wrenchpit, not a first-hand write-up from one owner's vehicle. Torque figures, capacities and part numbers vary by model year, engine and trim — check them against your service manual and the labels on your old parts before you rely on them.

Applies to roughly 1999-2005 model years. Filed under 2002 because a guide carries a single model year.

The IMS (intermediate shaft) bearing failure on the M96 and early M97 engines is the single most searched Porsche repair topic on the internet. When the sealed factory bearing fails, hardened steel fragments enter the oiling system and destroy the engine. The LN Engineering IMS Solution replaces the ball bearing entirely with a plain oil-fed bearing that cannot suffer the same failure mode. The retrofit ceramic hybrid bearing is a less permanent fix but is cheaper and re-serviceable at future clutch intervals. Neither retrofit can be performed on the 2006 and newer large-bore M97 bearing; those engines require crank removal to service. Always change the RMS while the transmission is out; the seal is a five-dollar part and the labor to reach it is otherwise identical. Verify the flywheel runout before reinstalling: dual-mass flywheels develop free play as they age, and a worn DMF will cause clutch shudder that gets blamed on the fresh clutch install. Cross-reference part numbers against Porsche PET and the current LN Engineering catalog before ordering; Porsche has superseded several M96 parts across the years and the wrong bearing race will not fit the recess machined into the flange.

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