Intermediate Shaft (IMS) Upgrade &
Retrofit Kits

What can be done to prevent an IMS failure?

There is no quick or easy fix. Like with many aircooled engines, many get torn down and rebuild BEFORE an engine failure so that engines can get upgraded. Short of a pre-emptive rebuild, the best preventative measures that can be taken are to be religious with your maintenance schedule. But keep reading, there's more that you can do.

What can be done is to change your oil more often. We recommend oil changes for the M96 and later engines (as we do for air-cooled engines) every 5,000 miles or 6 months. If you track your car, you should change the oil after every race weekend or every other event at the bare minimum and should also consider used oil analysis to monitor the health of your engine.

Use a higher viscosity motor oil. There are several Porsche approved oils that are 5w40, rather than Mobil 1 0w40. Use of an oil that isn't API SM-rated with more Zn and P or an oil with moly extreme pressure anti-wear additives may improve engine life. Castrol Syntec 5w40 is an API SL rated oil that carries Porsche approval and is an excellent choice, and easy to get locally. Motul 8100 5w40 is another excellent Porsche approved lubricant. By no means should you use any oil thinner than a 0w40 - do not use 0w30, 5w30, or 10w30 viscosities!