Thank you RENNTECH for saving me from an IMS nightmare!

[AZPPS]

I just joined today and I wanted to post and say THANK YOU for saving me from a bad 996.  My '98 Boxster died recently and I've decided to upgrade to a 996.  I thought I found the perfect car...a 2004 silver cab with 65K.  It looked perfect so I bought it an auction.  During Post Sale Inspection an oil leak was found.  Did a search and ran across an old RENNTECH thread that had pictures of an '02 996 with a bad RMS/IMS.  The thread had pictures and lots of comments.  The pictures were an exact match to the car I just purchased.  I was able to get out of the deal and I am very grateful to all of you for saving me from a huge mistake.

 

Time to start shopping again!  I know the right car is out there somewhere!

[JFP in PA]

I just joined today and I wanted to post and say THANK YOU for saving me from a bad 996.  My '98 Boxster died recently and I've decided to upgrade to a 996.  I thought I found the perfect car...a 2004 silver cab with 65K.  It looked perfect so I bought it an auction.  During Post Sale Inspection an oil leak was found.  Did a search and ran across an old RENNTECH thread that had pictures of an '02 996 with a bad RMS/IMS.  The thread had pictures and lots of comments.  The pictures were an exact match to the car I just purchased.  I was able to get out of the deal and I am very grateful to all of you for saving me from a huge mistake.

 

Time to start shopping again!  I know the right car is out there somewhere!

 

Welcome to RennTech :welcome:

Glad we were able to help you on your quest to find a Porsche.  Now might be a good time to consider becoming a contributing member, which would give you even more access the our library of technical information.

[White987S]

Azpps, you got very lucky (getting out of the deal). Next time do a Pre Purchase Inspection.

[britdave]

I just joined today and I wanted to post and say THANK YOU for saving me from a bad 996.  My '98 Boxster died recently and I've decided to upgrade to a 996.  I thought I found the perfect car...a 2004 silver cab with 65K.  It looked perfect so I bought it an auction.  During Post Sale Inspection an oil leak was found.  Did a search and ran across an old RENNTECH thread that had pictures of an '02 996 with a bad RMS/IMS.  The thread had pictures and lots of comments.  The pictures were an exact match to the car I just purchased.  I was able to get out of the deal and I am very grateful to all of you for saving me from a huge mistake.

 

Time to start shopping again!  I know the right car is out there somewhere!

I've got a 2002 996, only 26 K miles. It has a small oil leak, probably from the rms, but it's been trouble free for 8 years. From what i have read over the years on this forum, a small amount on the floor is no big deal, I understand this happens a lot. Any opinions on this ? BTW, I check my oil frequently, is there any need to worry about a tiny amount ? 

[JasonStern]

 

I just joined today and I wanted to post and say THANK YOU for saving me from a bad 996.  My '98 Boxster died recently and I've decided to upgrade to a 996.  I thought I found the perfect car...a 2004 silver cab with 65K.  It looked perfect so I bought it an auction.  During Post Sale Inspection an oil leak was found.  Did a search and ran across an old RENNTECH thread that had pictures of an '02 996 with a bad RMS/IMS.  The thread had pictures and lots of comments.  The pictures were an exact match to the car I just purchased.  I was able to get out of the deal and I am very grateful to all of you for saving me from a huge mistake.

 

Time to start shopping again!  I know the right car is out there somewhere!

I've got a 2002 996, only 26 K miles. It has a small oil leak, probably from the rms, but it's been trouble free for 8 years. From what i have read over the years on this forum, a small amount on the floor is no big deal, I understand this happens a lot. Any opinions on this ? BTW, I check my oil frequently, is there any need to worry about a tiny amount ? 

 

 

The car isn't a 1980s Honda where you can ignore maintenance, nor is it an (insert any year) Jaguar where the engine's life blood leaking out is acceptable - it's a Porsche. If you have had 8 trouble free years, bite the bullet and have the oil leak addressed. Outside of the RMS, which would have likely leaked prior to now, the M96 doesn't normally leak oil. But that is also a good thing as it means wherever the leak is coming from can hopefully be easily addressed.

 

If the engine does have to be dropped to fix the leak, consider replacing the air/oil separator and, if it hasn't been done (recently), the IMS bearing with an LN engineering bearing, and also the clutch. No sense in paying the labor in dropping the engine twice.

[JFP in PA]

 

I just joined today and I wanted to post and say THANK YOU for saving me from a bad 996.  My '98 Boxster died recently and I've decided to upgrade to a 996.  I thought I found the perfect car...a 2004 silver cab with 65K.  It looked perfect so I bought it an auction.  During Post Sale Inspection an oil leak was found.  Did a search and ran across an old RENNTECH thread that had pictures of an '02 996 with a bad RMS/IMS.  The thread had pictures and lots of comments.  The pictures were an exact match to the car I just purchased.  I was able to get out of the deal and I am very grateful to all of you for saving me from a huge mistake.

 

Time to start shopping again!  I know the right car is out there somewhere!

I've got a 2002 996, only 26 K miles. It has a small oil leak, probably from the rms, but it's been trouble free for 8 years. From what i have read over the years on this forum, a small amount on the floor is no big deal, I understand this happens a lot. Any opinions on this ? BTW, I check my oil frequently, is there any need to worry about a tiny amount ? 

 

 

No oil leaks are good news, and some are definitely worse than others.  An oil leak from say a cam cover could be tolerated for a period of time without major consequences (we often have to point them out to otherwise oblivious customers), an oil leak in the bell housing area is an entirely different subject.  Two things can leak in the bell housing:  Your RMS and your IMS.  Neither will get better with time, and both are potentially shortening the life of your clutch and dual mass flywheel.  Add in that an IMS leak could be an early sign of its pending demise, particularly if the leak is from the center bolt rather than the flange seals.  With a clutch disc and pressure plate retailing for around $500, and the flywheel nearly $1K, a leaking $20 RMS seal can get very expensive, particularly if you have to add in shop labor to replace them.

[britdave]

 

 

I just joined today and I wanted to post and say THANK YOU for saving me from a bad 996.  My '98 Boxster died recently and I've decided to upgrade to a 996.  I thought I found the perfect car...a 2004 silver cab with 65K.  It looked perfect so I bought it an auction.  During Post Sale Inspection an oil leak was found.  Did a search and ran across an old RENNTECH thread that had pictures of an '02 996 with a bad RMS/IMS.  The thread had pictures and lots of comments.  The pictures were an exact match to the car I just purchased.  I was able to get out of the deal and I am very grateful to all of you for saving me from a huge mistake.

 

Time to start shopping again!  I know the right car is out there somewhere!

I've got a 2002 996, only 26 K miles. It has a small oil leak, probably from the rms, but it's been trouble free for 8 years. From what i have read over the years on this forum, a small amount on the floor is no big deal, I understand this happens a lot. Any opinions on this ? BTW, I check my oil frequently, is there any need to worry about a tiny amount ? 

 

 

The car isn't a 1980s Honda where you can ignore maintenance, nor is it an (insert any year) Jaguar where the engine's life blood leaking out is acceptable - it's a Porsche. If you have had 8 trouble free years, bite the bullet and have the oil leak addressed. Outside of the RMS, which would have likely leaked prior to now, the M96 doesn't normally leak oil. But that is also a good thing as it means wherever the leak is coming from can hopefully be easily addressed.

 

If the engine does have to be dropped to fix the leak, consider replacing the air/oil separator and, if it hasn't been done (recently), the IMS bearing with an LN engineering bearing, and also the clutch. No sense in paying the labor in dropping the engine twice.

 

Ok thanks, now when I say a bit, I mean a just bit of oil, ( about the size of a quarter, and just now and then)  after running it all day, and a day later, after it sits.

 

The car still has only 26,205 miles on it now. When it had 14,551 miles, 9 years ago,  it was leaking then, and under warranty, so I took it in to where I bought it, Orlando Porsche (anyone got comments on them ? ) 

 

The invoice from them ( 9 years ago, at 14,551 miles ) says, and I quote :

 

 "Verified problem, 34351900  Transmission removed &reinstalled.  194 WP  .   999-217-150-09  3 hex head screws 6 X 20 .  996-105-024-01 shaft housing.  6 qts 0/40 mobil 1.    15211950 Bearing cov F Intermed shaft removed & rein.  194  wp . ???

 

Then it says at the bottom of the invoice :

 

 " 14553 R&R trans found oil leak from Inter. Shaft Flan removed chain tensioners to rear chain, replace flange and bolts, added oil ck. ok "  Unquote.

 

That's it, can anyone decipher this ?  Is this the rms problem ? I'm not that much of a tech guy, just oil changes, filters, and drive belts, so can anyone tell me if this could still be the issue, and how about those other quotes below about a little oil is to be expected with a 911 ? See below

 

Yes, when I mentioned this a few years ago, several 996 owners on this site, said not to worry, and so did the service manager at Orlando Porsche !

He said , and I quote : Hey it's a Porsche, they all drop a bit of oil now and then, don't worry about it "  Unquote.

    And other owners on here also said , a small amount is nothing ?  So I'm really confused now :cursing: 

 I'll get it checked out, and I do maintain it well, but should I worry that much based on what others on here, and what the Orlando Porsche dealer said ? Thanks guys  :thankyou:

[JFP in PA]

 

 

 

I just joined today and I wanted to post and say THANK YOU for saving me from a bad 996.  My '98 Boxster died recently and I've decided to upgrade to a 996.  I thought I found the perfect car...a 2004 silver cab with 65K.  It looked perfect so I bought it an auction.  During Post Sale Inspection an oil leak was found.  Did a search and ran across an old RENNTECH thread that had pictures of an '02 996 with a bad RMS/IMS.  The thread had pictures and lots of comments.  The pictures were an exact match to the car I just purchased.  I was able to get out of the deal and I am very grateful to all of you for saving me from a huge mistake.

 

Time to start shopping again!  I know the right car is out there somewhere!

I've got a 2002 996, only 26 K miles. It has a small oil leak, probably from the rms, but it's been trouble free for 8 years. From what i have read over the years on this forum, a small amount on the floor is no big deal, I understand this happens a lot. Any opinions on this ? BTW, I check my oil frequently, is there any need to worry about a tiny amount ? 

 

 

The car isn't a 1980s Honda where you can ignore maintenance, nor is it an (insert any year) Jaguar where the engine's life blood leaking out is acceptable - it's a Porsche. If you have had 8 trouble free years, bite the bullet and have the oil leak addressed. Outside of the RMS, which would have likely leaked prior to now, the M96 doesn't normally leak oil. But that is also a good thing as it means wherever the leak is coming from can hopefully be easily addressed.

 

If the engine does have to be dropped to fix the leak, consider replacing the air/oil separator and, if it hasn't been done (recently), the IMS bearing with an LN engineering bearing, and also the clutch. No sense in paying the labor in dropping the engine twice.

 

Ok thanks, now when I say a bit, I mean a just bit of oil, ( about the size of a quarter, and just now and then)  after running it all day, and a day later, after it sits.

 

The car still has only 26,205 miles on it now. When it had 14,551 miles, 9 years ago,  it was leaking then, and under warranty, so I took it in to where I bought it, Orlando Porsche (anyone got comments on them ? ) 

 

The invoice from them ( 9 years ago, at 14,551 miles ) says, and I quote :

 

 "Verified problem, 34351900  Transmission removed &reinstalled.  194 WP  .   999-217-150-09  3 hex head screws 6 X 20 .  996-105-024-01 shaft housing.  6 qts 0/40 mobil 1.    15211950 Bearing cov F Intermed shaft removed & rein.  194  wp . ???

 

Then it says at the bottom of the invoice :

 

 " 14553 R&R trans found oil leak from Inter. Shaft Flan removed chain tensioners to rear chain, replace flange and bolts, added oil ck. ok "  Unquote.

 

That's it, can anyone decipher this ?  Is this the rms problem ? I'm not that much of a tech guy, just oil changes, filters, and drive belts, so can anyone tell me if this could still be the issue, and how about those other quotes below about a little oil is to be expected with a 911 ? See below

 

Yes, when I mentioned this a few years ago, several 996 owners on this site, said not to worry, and so did the service manager at Orlando Porsche !

He said , and I quote : Hey it's a Porsche, they all drop a bit of oil now and then, don't worry about it "  Unquote.

    And other owners on here also said , a small amount is nothing ?  So I'm really confused now :cursing:

 I'll get it checked out, and I do maintain it well, but should I worry that much based on what others on here, and what the Orlando Porsche dealer said ? Thanks guys  :thankyou:

 

 

Your car has the IMS flange seal update during that service. When they do this, they do not replace the IMS bearing, only the flange for the bearing that bolts to the rear of the engine case:

 

 

This was a fairly common practice at the time to address leaking oil.

 

As I know nothing about the dealer, I cannot comment on them.

 

While many owners are content to drive cars that leak oil, I for one am not.  Very little oil in the wrong place, like on the clutch disc or the dual mass flywheel elastomer, and you are in for major headaches.  Oil leaks also tend to grow with time, which does not help.  Even if the car is driving well, we consider oil leak in the bell housing area a major "deduct" item when doing a PPI for a prospective buyer, so it can also impact resale values as well.

 

We see cars like yours daily, and even with a lot of miles on them, many are bone dry underneath.  The car should not be leaking, but it is not going to be cheap to fix either.

[britdave]

Thank you  JFP in PA, I'll get that sorted asap, "about" how much am I looking at spending $$$$ ? I have a great independent tech around here, but "about " what would a dealer charge to perform this service,  to get an idea of the cost  ?   

[JFP in PA]

Thank you  JFP in PA, I'll get that sorted asap, "about" how much am I looking at spending $$$$ ? I have a great independent tech around here, but "about " what would a dealer charge to perform this service,  to get an idea of the cost  ?   

 

You should do a clutch job, assuming the flywheel is in good shape, you are going to spend in the $500-600 for a new disc, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, and pilot bearing.  If the flywheel fails the "twist test", add another $1K for parts.  All of the clutch and flywheel bolts need to be replaced (they are single use), so add in another $35-50.  RMS is going to set you back around $25.  Throw in labor at 4-6 hours at your indies rate.

 

Now comes the "big one"; this is the ideal time to replace the IMS, which also may be leaking again.  LN's single row pro IMS bearing kit will set you back $800 and add 1-2 hours on the labor.  All in (clutch, no flywheel, RMS IMS) you should be out the door in the $2-3K range.  One thing to check with your Indy on:  Does he have the "faultless" IMS tool?  It is absolutely necessary to do the IMS Pro dual row replacement for the OEM single row IMS.

[britdave]

 

Thank you  JFP in PA, I'll get that sorted asap, "about" how much am I looking at spending $$$$ ? I have a great independent tech around here, but "about " what would a dealer charge to perform this service,  to get an idea of the cost  ?   

 

You should do a clutch job, assuming the flywheel is in good shape, you are going to spend in the $500-600 for a new disc, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, and pilot bearing.  If the flywheel fails the "twist test", add another $1K for parts.  All of the clutch and flywheel bolts need to be replaced (they are single use), so add in another $35-50.  RMS is going to set you back around $25.  Throw in labor at 4-6 hours at your indies rate.

 

Now comes the "big one"; this is the ideal time to replace the IMS, which also may be leaking again.  LN's single row pro IMS bearing kit will set you back $800 and add 1-2 hours on the labor.  All in (clutch, no flywheel, RMS IMS) you should be out the door in the $2-3K range.  One thing to check with your Indy on:  Does he have the "faultless" IMS tool?  It is absolutely necessary to do the IMS Pro dual row replacement for the OEM single row IMS.

 

Great thanks for all the advice, looking forward to having this all checked out and done correctly. After my old electrical issues, I was getting ready to trade this old 996 in for a new 911, but it has only 26K on the clock, hence I'll spend a bit, and enjoy it more without worry, and a big car payment ! Thank you 

[hd21]

Hey guys!

 

I'm new to this forum. I recently sold my '09 Cayman and bought a '04 C4S, and I absolutely love the car.

 

I read up on the IMS/RMS issues on a couple of forums, including this one.

The previous owner of this car was a PCA member, used to track the car occasionally and was aware of the IMS issue.

 

The car was always maintained at a Porsche dealer (Howard Cooper, Ann Arbor, MI & Porsche of Motor City). Also, the owner always said yes to everything recommended by the dealership.

There are records supporting most of the maintenance. 

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 1

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%202%208.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 2

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%203%202.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (Under warranty - May, 2015)

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%201%208.jpg

[hd21]

P.S.: The car has 493xxx miles and currently has no leaks or funny noises.

 

Attaching images of receipts again-

 

 

[/url]">http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%202%208jpg.html][/url]

 

IMS &  [/url]">http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%203%202jpg.html][/url]

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (Under warranty - May, 2015)

[/url]">http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%201%208jpg.html][/url]

[JFP in PA]

Hey guys!

 

I'm new to this forum. I recently sold my '09 Cayman and bought a '04 C4S, and I absolutely love the car.

 

I read up on the IMS/RMS issues on a couple of forums, including this one.

The previous owner of this car was a PCA member, used to track the car occasionally and was aware of the IMS issue.

 

The car was always maintained at a Porsche dealer (Howard Cooper, Ann Arbor, MI & Porsche of Motor City). Also, the owner always said yes to everything recommended by the dealership.

There are records supporting most of the maintenance. 

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 1

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%202%208.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 2

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%203%202.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (Under warranty - May, 2015)

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%201%208.jpg

 

First, you need to know that we cannot see the files you attached.

 

Second, while the dealers have been replacing both the RMS and IMS flange seals due to leaks for many years, it is still the official position of Porsche NA that you cannot change the IMS bearing on the early cars without taking the engine apart.  As the direct result, many dealers simply change the flange cover and RMS seals and leave it at that.

 

Repeated RMS failures is an potentially large problem.  Porsche had a run of engine cases where the opening the RMS sits in is not concentric; they even developed a tool and procedure to test a leaking engine before installing a new RMS.  The reason this is an issue is that if your engine is one of those (and there were quite a few) with non concentric RMS cavities, the only remedy is a replacement engine. 

[hd21]

 

Hey guys!

 

I'm new to this forum. I recently sold my '09 Cayman and bought a '04 C4S, and I absolutely love the car.

 

I read up on the IMS/RMS issues on a couple of forums, including this one.

The previous owner of this car was a PCA member, used to track the car occasionally and was aware of the IMS issue.

 

The car was always maintained at a Porsche dealer (Howard Cooper, Ann Arbor, MI & Porsche of Motor City). Also, the owner always said yes to everything recommended by the dealership.

There are records supporting most of the maintenance. 

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 1

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%202%208.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 2

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%203%202.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (Under warranty - May, 2015)

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%201%208.jpg

 

First, you need to know that we cannot see the files you attached.

 

Second, while the dealers have been replacing both the RMS and IMS flange seals due to leaks for many years, it is still the official position of Porsche NA that you cannot change the IMS bearing on the early cars without taking the engine apart.  As the direct result, many dealers simply change the flange cover and RMS seals and leave it at that.

 

Repeated RMS failures is an potentially large problem.  Porsche had a run of engine cases where the opening the RMS sits in is not concentric; they even developed a tool and procedure to test a leaking engine before installing a new RMS.  The reason this is an issue is that if your engine is one of those (and there were quite a few) with non concentric RMS cavities, the only remedy is a replacement engine. 

 

 

That's umm.. quite scary, to say the least.

 

Can Porsche NA help me with the VIN's of the defected casings?

Any idea how I can find the root cause of the RMS leak?

The IMS is a different story all together..

[Loren]

How to attach images

 

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[JFP in PA]

 

 

Hey guys!

 

I'm new to this forum. I recently sold my '09 Cayman and bought a '04 C4S, and I absolutely love the car.

 

I read up on the IMS/RMS issues on a couple of forums, including this one.

The previous owner of this car was a PCA member, used to track the car occasionally and was aware of the IMS issue.

 

The car was always maintained at a Porsche dealer (Howard Cooper, Ann Arbor, MI & Porsche of Motor City). Also, the owner always said yes to everything recommended by the dealership.

There are records supporting most of the maintenance. 

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 1

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%202%208.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 2

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%203%202.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (Under warranty - May, 2015)

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%201%208.jpg

 

First, you need to know that we cannot see the files you attached.

 

Second, while the dealers have been replacing both the RMS and IMS flange seals due to leaks for many years, it is still the official position of Porsche NA that you cannot change the IMS bearing on the early cars without taking the engine apart.  As the direct result, many dealers simply change the flange cover and RMS seals and leave it at that.

 

Repeated RMS failures is an potentially large problem.  Porsche had a run of engine cases where the opening the RMS sits in is not concentric; they even developed a tool and procedure to test a leaking engine before installing a new RMS.  The reason this is an issue is that if your engine is one of those (and there were quite a few) with non concentric RMS cavities, the only remedy is a replacement engine. 

 

 

That's umm.. quite scary, to say the least.

 

Can Porsche NA help me with the VIN's of the defected casings?

Any idea how I can find the root cause of the RMS leak?

The IMS is a different story all together..

 

 

To my knowledge, there is no way of knowing which cars are affected until the leak occurs and the engine case is checked with the special tool.  What happens with the case opening is not concentric is that the seal is offset to one side and the rear of the crankshaft basically beats the seal to death in a relatively short time frame.  When this first started happening, Porsche switched the seal materials to PTFE from Viton, and changed the correct seal installation depth, which seemed to help in many situations, but not all of these replacements worked, resulting in continuing leaking problems.  That is when they developed the "go/no go" tool that checks the RMS seal opening in the case for concentricity. If the opening is not round, there is nothing that can be done with the engine still assembled, so they began to replace these engines, many of which were still under warranty at the time.  This was all written up in a very extensive article on the subject in Excellence magazine several years ago.

[hd21]

 

 

 

Hey guys!

 

I'm new to this forum. I recently sold my '09 Cayman and bought a '04 C4S, and I absolutely love the car.

 

I read up on the IMS/RMS issues on a couple of forums, including this one.

The previous owner of this car was a PCA member, used to track the car occasionally and was aware of the IMS issue.

 

The car was always maintained at a Porsche dealer (Howard Cooper, Ann Arbor, MI & Porsche of Motor City). Also, the owner always said yes to everything recommended by the dealership.

There are records supporting most of the maintenance. 

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 1

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%202%208.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 2

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%203%202.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (Under warranty - May, 2015)

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%201%208.jpg

 

First, you need to know that we cannot see the files you attached.

 

Second, while the dealers have been replacing both the RMS and IMS flange seals due to leaks for many years, it is still the official position of Porsche NA that you cannot change the IMS bearing on the early cars without taking the engine apart.  As the direct result, many dealers simply change the flange cover and RMS seals and leave it at that.

 

Repeated RMS failures is an potentially large problem.  Porsche had a run of engine cases where the opening the RMS sits in is not concentric; they even developed a tool and procedure to test a leaking engine before installing a new RMS.  The reason this is an issue is that if your engine is one of those (and there were quite a few) with non concentric RMS cavities, the only remedy is a replacement engine. 

 

 

That's umm.. quite scary, to say the least.

 

Can Porsche NA help me with the VIN's of the defected casings?

Any idea how I can find the root cause of the RMS leak?

The IMS is a different story all together..

 

 

To my knowledge, there is no way of knowing which cars are affected until the leak occurs and the engine case is checked with the special tool.  What happens with the case opening is not concentric is that the seal is offset to one side and the rear of the crankshaft basically beats the seal to death in a relatively short time frame.  When this first started happening, Porsche switched the seal materials to PTFE from Viton, and changed the correct seal installation depth, which seemed to help in many situations, but not all of these replacements worked, resulting in continuing leaking problems.  That is when they developed the "go/no go" tool that checks the RMS seal opening in the case for concentricity. If the opening is not round, there is nothing that can be done with the engine still assembled, so they began to replace these engines, many of which were still under warranty at the time.  This was all written up in a very extensive article on the subject in Excellence magazine several years ago.

 

 

 

Thank you, JFP.

 

I spoke with the seller last night -- He mentioned that he never really notice any dripping (in 9 year of ownership - 43k miles), but the dealer said "there was sweat around that area" during a routine maintenance, so, they performed the replacement.

 

Also, could you/anyone help with my other IMS-related questions please?

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

[fpb111]

Hey guys!

 

I'm new to this forum. I recently sold my '09 Cayman and bought a '04 C4S, and I absolutely love the car.

 

I read up on the IMS/RMS issues on a couple of forums, including this one.

The previous owner of this car was a PCA member, used to track the car occasionally and was aware of the IMS issue.

 

The car was always maintained at a Porsche dealer (Howard Cooper, Ann Arbor, MI & Porsche of Motor City). Also, the owner always said yes to everything recommended by the dealership.

There are records supporting most of the maintenance. 

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

Porsche official position is that the IMSB cannot be replaced with the engine in the car.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

Sort of, The outer seal can be removed, and left off for better lubrication, then one could see if there are chips/ debree/degradation.

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

No, Porsche official position is the bearing can not be replaced with the engine in the car. They will remove the engine and split the cases, requires complete disassembly of the engine, and replace the IMS shaft + bearing Assy.

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

They should have.

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

My 1st replacement leaked worse then the original the 2nd replacement worked fine.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 1

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%202%208.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 2

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%203%202.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (Under warranty - May, 2015)

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%201%208.jpg

 

First, you need to know that we cannot see the files you attached.

 

Second, while the dealers have been replacing both the RMS and IMS flange seals due to leaks for many years, it is still the official position of Porsche NA that you cannot change the IMS bearing on the early cars without taking the engine apart.  As the direct result, many dealers simply change the flange cover and RMS seals and leave it at that.

 

Repeated RMS failures is an potentially large problem.  Porsche had a run of engine cases where the opening the RMS sits in is not concentric; they even developed a tool and procedure to test a leaking engine before installing a new RMS.  The reason this is an issue is that if your engine is one of those (and there were quite a few) with non concentric RMS cavities, the only remedy is a replacement engine.

 

That's umm.. quite scary, to say the least.

 

Can Porsche NA help me with the VIN's of the defected casings?

Any idea how I can find the root cause of the RMS leak?

The IMS is a different story all together..

 

To my knowledge, there is no way of knowing which cars are affected until the leak occurs and the engine case is checked with the special tool.  What happens with the case opening is not concentric is that the seal is offset to one side and the rear of the crankshaft basically beats the seal to death in a relatively short time frame.  When this first started happening, Porsche switched the seal materials to PTFE from Viton, and changed the correct seal installation depth, which seemed to help in many situations, but not all of these replacements worked, resulting in continuing leaking problems.  That is when they developed the "go/no go" tool that checks the RMS seal opening in the case for concentricity. If the opening is not round, there is nothing that can be done with the engine still assembled, so they began to replace these engines, many of which were still under warranty at the time.  This was all written up in a very extensive article on the subject in Excellence magazine several years ago.

 

 

Thank you, JFP.

 

I spoke with the seller last night -- He mentioned that he never really notice any dripping (in 9 year of ownership - 43k miles), but the dealer said "there was sweat around that area" during a routine maintenance, so, they performed the replacement.

 

Also, could you/anyone help with my other IMS-related questions please?

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

[JFP in PA]

 

 

 

 

Hey guys!

 

I'm new to this forum. I recently sold my '09 Cayman and bought a '04 C4S, and I absolutely love the car.

 

I read up on the IMS/RMS issues on a couple of forums, including this one.

The previous owner of this car was a PCA member, used to track the car occasionally and was aware of the IMS issue.

 

The car was always maintained at a Porsche dealer (Howard Cooper, Ann Arbor, MI & Porsche of Motor City). Also, the owner always said yes to everything recommended by the dealership.

There are records supporting most of the maintenance. 

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 1

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%202%208.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 2

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%203%202.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (Under warranty - May, 2015)

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%201%208.jpg

 

First, you need to know that we cannot see the files you attached.

 

Second, while the dealers have been replacing both the RMS and IMS flange seals due to leaks for many years, it is still the official position of Porsche NA that you cannot change the IMS bearing on the early cars without taking the engine apart.  As the direct result, many dealers simply change the flange cover and RMS seals and leave it at that.

 

Repeated RMS failures is an potentially large problem.  Porsche had a run of engine cases where the opening the RMS sits in is not concentric; they even developed a tool and procedure to test a leaking engine before installing a new RMS.  The reason this is an issue is that if your engine is one of those (and there were quite a few) with non concentric RMS cavities, the only remedy is a replacement engine. 

 

 

That's umm.. quite scary, to say the least.

 

Can Porsche NA help me with the VIN's of the defected casings?

Any idea how I can find the root cause of the RMS leak?

The IMS is a different story all together..

 

 

To my knowledge, there is no way of knowing which cars are affected until the leak occurs and the engine case is checked with the special tool.  What happens with the case opening is not concentric is that the seal is offset to one side and the rear of the crankshaft basically beats the seal to death in a relatively short time frame.  When this first started happening, Porsche switched the seal materials to PTFE from Viton, and changed the correct seal installation depth, which seemed to help in many situations, but not all of these replacements worked, resulting in continuing leaking problems.  That is when they developed the "go/no go" tool that checks the RMS seal opening in the case for concentricity. If the opening is not round, there is nothing that can be done with the engine still assembled, so they began to replace these engines, many of which were still under warranty at the time.  This was all written up in a very extensive article on the subject in Excellence magazine several years ago.

 

 

 

Thank you, JFP.

 

I spoke with the seller last night -- He mentioned that he never really notice any dripping (in 9 year of ownership - 43k miles), but the dealer said "there was sweat around that area" during a routine maintenance, so, they performed the replacement.

 

Also, could you/anyone help with my other IMS-related questions please?

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

 

Again, Porsche Cars NA's official position is that the IMS bearing cannot be changed without disassembling the engine, so I seriously doubt they would recommend its replacement, much less upgrading it with aftermarket parts.

 

When the flange is off, you can see the rear bearing seal and perhaps move the center bolt to see if it is very loose, but neither would tell you very much.

 

They may have inspected the clutch, but if they did not note it in the paperwork, there is no way of knowing.

 

Yes, I have seen repeated RMS leaks, usually as the result of the PTFE seal not being installed properly, but in my case they were not done by a dealer.  Both the dealers and I use the factory RMS installation tool and recommended procedure's as this installation is very specific and has to be done correctly or they will leak:

 

 

I have also personally seen two cars with non concentric RMS case openings; in both situations, because the car's were out of warranty, the owner's chose to have a new seal installed and then either sold or traded the car in.

[hd21]

 

 

 

 

 

Hey guys!

 

I'm new to this forum. I recently sold my '09 Cayman and bought a '04 C4S, and I absolutely love the car.

 

I read up on the IMS/RMS issues on a couple of forums, including this one.

The previous owner of this car was a PCA member, used to track the car occasionally and was aware of the IMS issue.

 

The car was always maintained at a Porsche dealer (Howard Cooper, Ann Arbor, MI & Porsche of Motor City). Also, the owner always said yes to everything recommended by the dealership.

There are records supporting most of the maintenance. 

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 1

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%202%208.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 2

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%203%202.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (Under warranty - May, 2015)

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%201%208.jpg

 

First, you need to know that we cannot see the files you attached.

 

Second, while the dealers have been replacing both the RMS and IMS flange seals due to leaks for many years, it is still the official position of Porsche NA that you cannot change the IMS bearing on the early cars without taking the engine apart.  As the direct result, many dealers simply change the flange cover and RMS seals and leave it at that.

 

Repeated RMS failures is an potentially large problem.  Porsche had a run of engine cases where the opening the RMS sits in is not concentric; they even developed a tool and procedure to test a leaking engine before installing a new RMS.  The reason this is an issue is that if your engine is one of those (and there were quite a few) with non concentric RMS cavities, the only remedy is a replacement engine. 

 

 

That's umm.. quite scary, to say the least.

 

Can Porsche NA help me with the VIN's of the defected casings?

Any idea how I can find the root cause of the RMS leak?

The IMS is a different story all together..

 

 

To my knowledge, there is no way of knowing which cars are affected until the leak occurs and the engine case is checked with the special tool.  What happens with the case opening is not concentric is that the seal is offset to one side and the rear of the crankshaft basically beats the seal to death in a relatively short time frame.  When this first started happening, Porsche switched the seal materials to PTFE from Viton, and changed the correct seal installation depth, which seemed to help in many situations, but not all of these replacements worked, resulting in continuing leaking problems.  That is when they developed the "go/no go" tool that checks the RMS seal opening in the case for concentricity. If the opening is not round, there is nothing that can be done with the engine still assembled, so they began to replace these engines, many of which were still under warranty at the time.  This was all written up in a very extensive article on the subject in Excellence magazine several years ago.

 

 

 

Thank you, JFP.

 

I spoke with the seller last night -- He mentioned that he never really notice any dripping (in 9 year of ownership - 43k miles), but the dealer said "there was sweat around that area" during a routine maintenance, so, they performed the replacement.

 

Also, could you/anyone help with my other IMS-related questions please?

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

 

Again, Porsche Cars NA's official position is that the IMS bearing cannot be changed without disassembling the engine, so I seriously doubt they would recommend its replacement, much less upgrading it with aftermarket parts.

 

When the flange is off, you can see the rear bearing seal and perhaps move the center bolt to see if it is very loose, but neither would tell you very much.

 

They may have inspected the clutch, but if they did not note it in the paperwork, there is no way of knowing.

 

Yes, I have seen repeated RMS leaks, usually as the result of the PTFE seal not being installed properly, but in my case they were not done by a dealer.  Both the dealers and I use the factory RMS installation tool and recommended procedure's as this installation is very specific and has to be done correctly or they will leak:

 

 

I have also personally seen two cars with non concentric RMS case openings; in both situations, because the car's were out of warranty, the owner's chose to have a new seal installed and then either sold or traded the car in.

 

 

 

Thanks again!

 

I'm wondering, if I had the defective casing, would I be able to see some oil in a matter of days or months?

 

Seals were replaced in May, 2015 and after 6000 miles, there's no leakage.

[JFP in PA]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey guys!

 

I'm new to this forum. I recently sold my '09 Cayman and bought a '04 C4S, and I absolutely love the car.

 

I read up on the IMS/RMS issues on a couple of forums, including this one.

The previous owner of this car was a PCA member, used to track the car occasionally and was aware of the IMS issue.

 

The car was always maintained at a Porsche dealer (Howard Cooper, Ann Arbor, MI & Porsche of Motor City). Also, the owner always said yes to everything recommended by the dealership.

There are records supporting most of the maintenance. 

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 1

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%202%208.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (May, 2013) - Page 2

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%203%202.jpg

 

 

IMS & RMS Seal Replacement Receipt (Under warranty - May, 2015)

http://www.renntech.org/forums/uploads/downloadedimages/photo%201%208.jpg

 

First, you need to know that we cannot see the files you attached.

 

Second, while the dealers have been replacing both the RMS and IMS flange seals due to leaks for many years, it is still the official position of Porsche NA that you cannot change the IMS bearing on the early cars without taking the engine apart.  As the direct result, many dealers simply change the flange cover and RMS seals and leave it at that.

 

Repeated RMS failures is an potentially large problem.  Porsche had a run of engine cases where the opening the RMS sits in is not concentric; they even developed a tool and procedure to test a leaking engine before installing a new RMS.  The reason this is an issue is that if your engine is one of those (and there were quite a few) with non concentric RMS cavities, the only remedy is a replacement engine. 

 

 

That's umm.. quite scary, to say the least.

 

Can Porsche NA help me with the VIN's of the defected casings?

Any idea how I can find the root cause of the RMS leak?

The IMS is a different story all together..

 

 

To my knowledge, there is no way of knowing which cars are affected until the leak occurs and the engine case is checked with the special tool.  What happens with the case opening is not concentric is that the seal is offset to one side and the rear of the crankshaft basically beats the seal to death in a relatively short time frame.  When this first started happening, Porsche switched the seal materials to PTFE from Viton, and changed the correct seal installation depth, which seemed to help in many situations, but not all of these replacements worked, resulting in continuing leaking problems.  That is when they developed the "go/no go" tool that checks the RMS seal opening in the case for concentricity. If the opening is not round, there is nothing that can be done with the engine still assembled, so they began to replace these engines, many of which were still under warranty at the time.  This was all written up in a very extensive article on the subject in Excellence magazine several years ago.

 

 

 

Thank you, JFP.

 

I spoke with the seller last night -- He mentioned that he never really notice any dripping (in 9 year of ownership - 43k miles), but the dealer said "there was sweat around that area" during a routine maintenance, so, they performed the replacement.

 

Also, could you/anyone help with my other IMS-related questions please?

 

Porsche of Motor city replaced the RMS and IMS seals in May 2013 (with 2 year warranty), as the owner noticed oil leak -- see attachment.

The RMS and IMS was replaced again in May of 2015 under the above warranty -- see attachment.

 

What I don't understand is, why didn't the dealership recommend an IMS bearing upgrade, since they were already in there.

- Can the bearing be inspected during the replacement of IMS seal? Maybe they didn't deem the upgrade necessary?

- Are dealers instructed to recommend the IMS upgrade when they're servicing anything else in that area?

- Should I assume they have inspected the clutch and flywheel when they replaced the seals?

- Have you guys experienced repeated leakage from the RMS?

 

 

Again, Porsche Cars NA's official position is that the IMS bearing cannot be changed without disassembling the engine, so I seriously doubt they would recommend its replacement, much less upgrading it with aftermarket parts.

 

When the flange is off, you can see the rear bearing seal and perhaps move the center bolt to see if it is very loose, but neither would tell you very much.

 

They may have inspected the clutch, but if they did not note it in the paperwork, there is no way of knowing.

 

Yes, I have seen repeated RMS leaks, usually as the result of the PTFE seal not being installed properly, but in my case they were not done by a dealer.  Both the dealers and I use the factory RMS installation tool and recommended procedure's as this installation is very specific and has to be done correctly or they will leak:

 

 

I have also personally seen two cars with non concentric RMS case openings; in both situations, because the car's were out of warranty, the owner's chose to have a new seal installed and then either sold or traded the car in.

 

 

 

Thanks again!

 

I'm wondering, if I had the defective casing, would I be able to see some oil in a matter of days or months?

 

Seals were replaced in May, 2015 and after 6000 miles, there's no leakage.

 

 

They don't always leak right away, sometimes it takes miles and months to start again.