JFP in PA

I do not really know, but I assume so as there are core charges when replacing existing units with replacements. That said, there are many OEM systems that carry core charges where only the factory can rebuild the component. The PDK transmission is a good example.

I would stick with Loren's advice. When a manufacturer replaces a part with a superseded number (read higher), it is typically because they have found a defect or problem with the earlier unit. Quite often, these updated units carry multiple upgrades that have accumulated since the original release (updated pressure settings, orifice sizes, etc.) to correct faults or failures. It is also not unusual for electronic systems in the car to need to be recoded to optimize the updated mechanical system's performance. Going backwards can create difficult problems, some of which are insurmountable. As for the Bosch numbers, they can easily represent the housing, and not the contents, as updated components are often visually exactly the same, but work differently. If you cannot source the newer updated unit, get yours rebuilt.

Anytime, that is why we are here, and always caution against letting air get into this system. Without the diagnostic equipment, you can get into expensive difficulties.

Once the reservoir goes dry, you have air in the control network as it is just below the master cylinder, and no, you may not get an immediate PSM fault MIL.

Problem is that once air is introduced into the system control network, this is the only way to get it out.

What will need to be done is rebleed the system with the ABS/PSM pump activated, which will require a Porsche specific diagnostic too

Before doing that, I would load test the battery and alternator on the car, and check the voltage drop across the primary battery cables. These cars are prone to throw ABS and PSM faults when the battery and/or alternator act up, or when the resistance in the cables gets too high, and testing is much cheaper than jumping for some very expensive and possibly unneeded parts.

Guys, I am not really sure what you are trying to get at, but the reality of the situation is that all of the M96/97 engines came with fairly well documented issue, namely the IMS bearing. Risk level varies according to which version the car has and is well documented. Porsche has never acknowledged the issue other than within the bounds of the class action, which did not cover all cars. The aftermarket recognized the opportunity to step up and offer a fix, which multiple companies have done; albeit some very good fixes, others not so much. But choices are readily available, and at varying price points. From direct experience, PCA is by far more a social organization rather than a lobbying arm or enforcement agency for car owners. While they may choose to communicate member's concerns to Porsche, they obviously do not see their role as interceding for the car owners. If they had, there probably would not have been a class action in the first place. So were does leave current or potential owners? You have choices: You can buy the car, knowing the issue exists, and factoring in the expense of doing a retrofit, or move on to something else. Current owners can access where they see themselves going, and either doing the retrofit or accepting the potential risks. We do PPI's on these cars just about every day, and cars with documented quality retrofits are doing just fine in the resale arena. As for warranty, like most things in life, these cars and their replacment parts have limited warranties. LN only offers a 30 day on their ceramic hybrid replacement bearings, and recommends replacement every 75K miles. This is not out of line for automotive replacement components. If you want a better warranty, they also offer their IMS Solution, which comes with a 5 year part warranty when installed by an approved installer. The Solution is also the only known permanent (read life of the engine) retrofit system, so there is no recommended replacement window, but it costs more money. And as with their ceramic hybrid retrofits, cars carrying the Solution command a significant premium at resale. So there are choices, you can choose to own one of the cars or not. If you do choose to own one, you have choices of whether to retrofit or not. If you choose to retrofit, again you have choices. But PCA is not going to fight a battle with PCNA over this issue. It is not why they exist.

Suggest you contact Sunset Porsche in OR. The bay harness has been changed a couple of times, and they should be able to tell you what harness you need from your VIN. It is imperative that you get the right one as these harnesses are anything but cheap, and often non returnable.

The pump should be beneath the cowl on the left side of the engine bay.

Welcome to RennTech. The car should have fans on both sides, so one fan may not be working. Using a Porsche diagnostic scanner, you can test activate the fans to check them..

Check the condition of your crank position sensor, they are well known for causing a hot engine to refuse to start.

I think it is time to get the car scanned with a Porsche specific diagnostic tool.

See Loren's diagram above, you need to pull the cluster to get at them.

Not particularly. Because the OBD II system is a federally mandated item, OEM's do not go out of their way to make them robust. Having said that, we have seen OBD II connection issues on several makes besides Porsche.

No. Porsche only sold the bulbs and the complete light assemblies, no other components. If you cannot repair your lights, you may need to buy a used but serviceable replacement either off someone of from a breaker's yard.

You can still find the parts, either new or used from a bone yard. Once you get all the part and have them installed, you need to have the system activated with a diagnostic computer.

As checking the shaft for trueness requires fixtures, you need a decent machine shop that knows what you are looking for. I would refer you to LN as they also offer shaft chain gear pinnning services as well, which needs to be done at the same time. LN also has the adaptor you are looking for, which I think is part of their supplemental IMS tools kit. Ask Charles, he would know. As for oil feeds, in addition to the heat and dirt issues, you need to also consider that feeding pressurized oil into the shaft creates yet another problem: oil starvation. The shaft holds around 3/4 of a quart of oil when full, pulling precious volume away from the rest of the oiling system. This is particularly critical in track only cars as these engines already have significant oiling issues, even on the street. So systems like the DOF or the roller bearing systems that flood the tube from the oil pump end are actually exacerbating these oiling issues. On shafts that are not concentric, flooding the shaft with oil increases the load force exerted on the IMS bearing as well. Oiling the bearing from the flange end would allow you to plug the rest of the shaft behind the IMS bearing to stop oil entry, but this exact idea is part of the IMS Soloution patent, preventing others from using it as the idea is protected intellectual property. If you read the link to Ashai's rebuild thread I shared with you, you would clearly see the problem.

Sorry Grant, but I cannot agree with your assessment of the DOF. The cylinder heads are both the hottest, and one of the dirtiest parts of the oiling system, which is one of the reasons so many people end up having lifter problems. On rebuilds of these engines, if you were to take the lifters out and heat them in a pan of something like Marvel Mystery oil, they start to purge themselves of tons of black crud that has accumulated. Ultra sonic cleaning of the heads during a rebuild shows even more crap coming out of every oil passage as well. So while diagrams may look cute, the reality is a totally different story, which is a major short coming with the DOF. As for your IMS bearing, are you absolutely sure it is an LN bearing? We have taken apart engines that were supposed to have LN bearings in them, only to find all steel bearings. As you are taking your engine apart, I would also have your shaft tested by a good machine shop for concentricity while you are having the chain gears pinned or welded in place to prevent slippage (another well known problem). We have also seen a lot of IMS shafts that do not rotate about their true center lines, resulting in constant wobble and the shaft literally beating the Hell out of the IMS bearing. No bearing can survive that.

Welcome to RennTech Not sure what you are trying to get at, but the ignition switch is a simple DC voltage system, with the exception of the immobilizer system, which is digital data from an RFID system.

They are not necessarily "burn marks" but often dirty Cosmoline like coatings common to these cars.

With enough money, welding equipment, and time, any engine swap is possible. The larger question is "is the view worth the climb?" In this case it is obvious that the engine will fit, but you will also need a lot of the GTS vehicles electronics, exhaust system, cooling system, etc. to make this work. In the end, the transplant could end up costing you vastly more than the car would ever be worth, and as a "Frankenstein" vehicle, it would have a reduced resale value. You need to step back and do an unemotional review of what is necessary before diving into what could be a financial black hole...........

Two comments: First, you need to get the actual codes when the car trips the MIL light. Without the actual codes, you are guessing at what to check out and/or replace. Secondly, your mechanic's comments are very telling, as they sound like someone who just wants to replace everything rather than do some diagnostics. Unfortunately, too many shops like to throw your wallet at a problem rather than take the time to do it correctly. You decidedly can test each component in a system, and quite often replacing or repair one item will fix the problem.

I'd have to second Loren's comments; for a car of that age, it actually looks better than most.