Battery Guy

I tuned in early, and the previous episode was a Toyota MR-2 that had turbo and head gasket issues. Ant pulled the engine and while it was out changed the timing belt and lots of other stuff. He was careful to point out TDC and how to get there, along with lots of other things that he does to ensure that the motor goes back together OK. Maybe they ran out of time on the 996? Still enjoyed the show, but agreed it would have been a little more interesting to see some more detail in the IMS solution installation. Also I find it hard to believe that the top did not need some adjustments (like mine needs right now LOL). Overall seemed like a decent episode.

Scott at Team Harco

Any time given to Ant, to show more steps to do the job, is going to take time away from the fat guy. We can't have that.

exthree

Ant should have shown in detail the condition of the IMSB he removed, then also discussed the shaft runout as the reason for the few, early failures. /X3

parris

Totally agree.

I liked the show yesterday. At least, they clearly showed some appreciation for the 996 gen and his value.

However, what I dont like (and nobody has mentioned) is the "pricing" they show. If you see the prices they showed in the MR2 parts... are just "hilarious". And the same with the 996 parts.

buzzbar

I liked the episode a lot. If you compare this show to 99% of all the other "car" shows, this is the King's English of detail, when it comes to actually showing how things are repaired. I believe it's a huge nit-pick if one complains about the lack of "TDC", and "explain the runout". Come on, Ant explained the overall process of the IMS bearing replacement, and I especially like the schematics that he draws on the work bench. He also explained how to fabricate a pulling tool, so you can save $500 on buying the tool. Give him a break.

Mike is cheeky, but that's his schtick. Sometimes it's a bit over the top, but overall, he makes it enjoyable, and not boring. I like how he points out the various sub-trades that DO the repair work, rather than just throw things away. It's actually a huge industry, that many people don't even know about.

I'll pass along the positivity, and enjoy the show!

parris

Agree... It is a TV show, not a technical master class. And they give more detail about the mechanical stuff than other car's shows though.

AndyK

I enjoyed seeing my same year and color 996 on the show! Same interior (but mine is full leather) too!

Is it me, or did the TV 996 sound bad - like someone put in an aftermarket set of mufflers? Buzzy and raspy. My car sounds way better!

Scott at Team Harco

Yes! I forgot to mention that. It sounded really bad, unless taken from directly behind the car.

dkraige

Everybody is bitching about skipping steps on the IMS install but steps were also skipped on the rear wheel bearing job! No mention of how to take apart the drum-in-disc parking brake mechanism without screwing it up, and/or why he'd spend time making an on-the-car bearing puller when he has a hydraulic press at his disposal for later in the job. And it was "job done" once he had the new bearing installed on the old hub; no mention of how he's going to press that into the bearing carrier on the car? I'm confused since normally you'd do the opposite; press the bearing into the housing while pushing only on the outer race, and then press the hub into the bearing while pushing only on the inner race. With the hub and bearing pressed together, I'm not sure how he's then going to press that on the car without damaging the new bearing? The little bearing retainer and 4 screws holding that on are not going to be strong enough to draw the bearing into the housing, are they?

More annoying to me than skipped steps in the IMS process was just the premise that they ALL fail. "It's broken", to quote Mike. No discussion of what percentages of them have failed, how to weigh the risks vs. reward of different preventive options. Just a flat statement that they're all going to require ~$2300 worth of tools and hardware plus a ton of man-hours of labor, or else they're guaranteed to break.

Bonus points to them for never once mentioning the headlights though

Agreed on the sound, it didn't sound right to me. Weird microphone placement maybe.

MattBurns

He pressed the hub out of the bearing, but they didn't show him removing the inner race from the hub, I caught that slight of hand and it made me smile as that can be a total pain in the *** sometimes. They could have spent an hour showing him swearing and miserable trying to get the AOS out as well I am sure.

With the amount of time they had, I thought they did a good job representing the 996. 99% of people don't care about the fine details like us owners do, just the overall picture. Again, I was really impressed with how the console came out, mostly because I never would have dreamed it would have changed the feel of the entire interior like it did.

Pulx30

I thought it sounded like aftermarket exhaust. It also had a sump protection plate and transmission mount inserts. Whoever had it before the PO did some mods.

Flat6 Innovations

At the end of the day, we all know that this is just about entertainment. I do hope for the buyer’s sake that they at least installed the spiral lock to retain the IMS Solution bushing, since the last frame of their footage didn’t show it in place, nor did it show the bushing inserted completely.

If we end up with our first ever IMS SOlution failure, this will probably be the car. At least it will be a documented “botched install”, so it might not hurt so bad.

Last time I checked it cost ME several hundred dollars per month to have the privilege to come to this forum, and make a single post. Nothing like having to pay money to help people with free information, based on critical experience that took years, and hundreds of thousands of dollars to gain. What’s even better is having to pay to be criticized for simply existing.

R324U

Just wondering if they pulled out the IMS and it turned out to be totally fine if they would have mentioned it or what direction the show would have went in since the main premise was the IMS needed replacement.

User 63031

You made some otherwise good points about the install, but i really don’t think you can play the victim card here - i’m quite sure the exposure and brand-awareness you gained though this very platform is responsible for the majority of your 996-related business. Those hundreds of dollars are absolute peanuts comparatively, every successful business invests in ads and mouth-to-mouth on forums is one of the best forms out there.

Especially since you’re a vendor, your words will be more carefully scrutinized than the average Joe. Your intentions will always be weighed carefully - even on the free information you provide - since at the end of the day you’re here to make money with your inventions. Frankly, since you’re a professional, I think your skin should be thicker than the average Joe as a result too.

NuttyProfessor

Boxman, really? Where have you been for the last decade? He's addressed this over and over and over on many forums. He doesn't make money or receive royalties from the sales of the IMS Solution or any other IMS product he developed and patented. He spent more than 10 years of his life in R&D and over quarter of a million $$$ in blown engines and fabrication to bring the IMS Solution to the market. Once it was completed and patented, he turned over all of the rights and data to Charles Navarro at LN Engineering for manufacturing.