Porsche Cayman S Engine - Gen 1 987.1 M97 vs Gen 2 987.2 MA1 (9A1) Why is the Gen 2 so much better??

[@andrewradford1334]

I didn't realise that the engines were so different between the generations - I always thought it was just the management of oil being pumped "better" and the IMS bearing was redesigned!! Great, informative video. Nicely done chap.

[@512TXSDIY]

Your white Cayman looks great!

[@jongib6096]

The 987.2 definitely carries a premium over the 987.1 but I sleep easier at night ;) Great video sir, thank you!

[@NewArt1]

Having done many mods on the m96 engine followed by a couple of teardowns of the same blown up ones, I skipped the m97 series and went straight to the 987.2 3.4 DFI engine (which I haven't touched!). Thanks for this clear and well illustrated comparison! 😎

[@pl1068]

How’s the carbon build up on the inlet valves?

[@sanjinuravic856]

In your review you should have pointed out that updated M97 engine has very improved IMS bearings. I'm the first owner of 2007 Cayman S (90 000 km) and I didn't have IMS failure or any other serious issues but at this moment my car is at service and I'm waiting for the following parts to be replaced: AOS, alternator, belt, belt pulleys and tensioners, water pump, coil plugs, spark plugs, rear brakes (1st time change). This is the biggest maintenance so far but after 90 000 km and 14 years it's to be expected.

[@theawakenment1361]

I have a 2006 987.1 and it has the stronger ims bearing fitted as (factory) standard. The weaker ims bearing was discontinued in 2005. Saying all gen 1’s have the weaker ims bearing isn’t true.

[@The-Other-F-Word-Finances]

@Life Is Good Just turned 86k miles, only issues I've has with her was an AOS replacement, water pump was done at 40k miles before i bought it with 43k miles on her, other than that, been very strong mechanically other than normal wear and tear. Shes my daily driver and make most sure that I keep up on oil changes every 5k miles, and just drive her as she was meant to be.

[@alkoenig8519]

@Life Is Good 65k here, no worries, IMS area is bone dry!

[@savariaxa]

I have a 987.1 base Cayman from 2008 and 160.000 km on it no issues at all drive it every day also in winter these 2.7 engines can run easily 300.000 km no IMS issues whatsoever these 2.7 engines are the best ! No bore scoring at the 2.7 engines never !

[@ginotremblay739]

2006 cayman S 90 000 milles, no ims bearing problem, bore scoring maybe.

[@mattroseland1790]

No issues with my IMS bearing. Worst thing has been the water pump at 40k and now a drooping headliner.

[@del1984fly]

Decent review , nice to hear about the engine's rather than the usual Cayman reviews 🤙

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

Thanks! 👍

[@kevinsamuels5868]

Great video ! Just over the moon I have the gen 2 Cayman 2.9 six speed box. Without doubt the best car I will ever own ❤️

[@HellaRandomVideos]

Can you please make a video regarding carbon buildup on the DFI engines? Thank you 🙏

[@MrRusleeping]

2008 CS..no issues here. Tuned and having a blast. Steal under 20k...good hunting

[@ollination]

For over three years I have been getting conflicting reports mainly from my techs re any IMS issues with my 07 987 Cayman S. Having gone down that slippery apex with my 02 Boxster S and paying out a large sum to update the bearing what you stated is the best news.

[@jonathanland2218]

I have a Gen 2 Boxster - no IMS Bearing to worry about; more power and lower emissions = lower Road tax! Happy.

[@markdavids1605]

Love the details and the diagrams. Always wanted to know more about the MA1 and Auto Journalist never get into details like you have here. Great video! Great topic. (I've had my MA1 for 9 years and love every minute behind the wheel!)

[@DAPPERDANMEMEO]

Amazing info. I keep learning more and more about the differences between the gen1 & gen2 cars. I owned an 08, & now a 2011. Thx for the video

[@N911GT2]

Great info man. I'm looking into buying a 987.2 great stuff!

[@reilley7734]

thanks for the video, i like that you explained what those differences mean

[@I999-g2s]

I had understood the the .2 engine was essentially bullet proof. But, went to check out a 2016 Cayman 2.7 for a friend. For sale at a local Porsche dealer, with 30k miles and huge gap in servicing (no oil change for 2 years and 20k miles). Rattled on idle quite badly. So I took an audio recording and sent it to a 911 engine specialist - he was certain that it was due to bore scoring and advised that we walk away. I was very surprised. Now considering a 2015 S which sounds ‘night and day’ different.

[@robertmaddock1813]

Really informative video, my 2007 987.1 had a water pump / head gasket failure at around 75000 miles. Head skim, new water pump and a £3k hole in my wallet but she's run well since touch wood... now at 97000 miles. Love the handling and noise...

[@allthingsaudio3840]

omg head gasket??? Is this a common issue? design flaw?

[@500res]

​@@allthingsaudio3840no it's definitely not It's only bore scoring And IMS issues which are also quite rare , head gasket can happen to any car man

[@profnano1525]

Great video! Since you asked ... how about a deep dive on all the differences between the 4.0L NA engine in the 982 GT4 and the 9A2 EVO engine on which it is based? Differences between the former and the 3.8L NA in the 981 GT4 would also be interesting. Thanks!

[@2000viperrt]

Nice video very useful information. I own a base 987.2 Cayman love it.

[@yoyoman9747]

Absolutely brilliant video, thank you

[@1530swimmer]

Great video! Please can you do a video on the differences between the 987.1 2.7 engine and the 987.1 3.4?

[@Blackthump]

Very well explained, makes my decision easy which generation I'll be picking.

[@lifutian811]

thank u very much ,love from china boy. wish i own a 987.2 in 2025

[@sg4682]

Excellent videos, I love the way you present the info so needed by Porsche owners. Keep it up. Please tell me; is the 2.9 engine (in the 987.2 base Cayman ) more prone to problems than the 3.4 (987.2) in the Cayman S.

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

@@sg4682 hey, thanks for the comment, from my understanding I don’t believe it’s anymore prone to problems, if anything slightly better as it has indirect injection so doesn’t get as much carbon buildup.

[@sg4682]

@@GarageTechAutomotive Great thanks, am I correct saying that the 2.9 engines have the exact same engine improvements applicable to the 3.4 apart from DFI and the new piston head design to accommodate the DFI system?

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

@@sg4682 yes correct 👍🏼

[@russellking546]

Great info thanks GarageTech. I knew about the IMS and seal which is why I steered clear of the 987.1 but good to know of all the upgrades and re-engineering that went on. I adore my 2011 987.2 Cayman S which I've owned for 3 years now and plan to have for many more.

[@ampark09]

A lot of people prefer the .1 cars. They are rawer and many would say the non-DFI engines sound better. If you have an 06 or later car you're not really going to need to worry about the IMS. And the .1s are much better value.

[@allthingsaudio3840]

What did they improve in the 06 for the IMS?

[@bhopindermahal6481]

The main advantage of the gen 2 the engines is the elimination of the issue of bore scoring which was particularly prevalent in the 987.1 4.4 Cayman S engines. The base 2.7 engines didn’t suffer anywhere near as much as the 3.4. IMS issues were more of an issue with the 986 and 996 engines.

[@MowSow]

This is such an amazing video !! Good job .. that is some epic knowledge and detailed explanation

[@madihismail802]

I have a 2007 cayman s 987.1 with 92 000 miles with the original ims bearing, i drove it for 7 years no problem at all. I live in Morocco there is no possibility to get the ims bearing changed...

[@weed46]

You car has in the improved IMS bearing.

[@richfixescars]

Thanks great video, makes me pleased I have a 2.9 Cayman.

[@HellaRandomVideos]

The new engine design is far superior.

[@flat6croc]

Water pump on the M96/7 is not on the timing chain. It's on the belt, just like the 9A1.

[@TDS981]

Nice one, looking forward to the 981 episode 👍

[@y0ungj0m]

Thank you so much for the wealth of knowledge! Been considering one and knew about no IMS on the gen2 cars, but not all the other things you've mentioned!

[@szymonstamonsta]

great info thank you for sharing it!

[@Driftuner]

Would love such a video comparing the 2.7 to the 2.9

[@xkitejunkie]

Super interesting and helpful thanks!!

[@Sank1982]

I have a 897.1 had it 3.5 years with no problems. IMS is not a problem on Caymans they have the larger bearings. Regarding bore scoring I had mine scoped at purchase which was total clean from bore scoring, I have regular oil changes and services. Mine as been super reliable. Also Gen 2 are also showing bore scoring now so not a bulletproof as people thing. The only reason Gen 2 are holding the price better is because their newer.

[@s4ms0n1t3]

Gen 2 base seems to be the sweet spot of reliability and performance

[@kennethjensen730]

Very informative, thanks.

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

Thank you 🙏🏽

[@alanw5812]

my car have noise ,so I give it to Porsche to see they can find the problem, when they testing and acc the engine high rpm,the engine suddenly big bend and lock up, they said the IMS just gone, want me to pay A$30000 to repair. I did it myself, but it still cost me A$10000.

[@HellaRandomVideos]

Yes! 3.4 vs 3.8 please! Thank you

[@Val-lv1hy]

Very informative. Thank you so much, loved it !

[@niallanugent]

2006 987.1 Boxster with 110k kilometers. Small wiggle movement on tach at all engine speeds and bit of smoke on startup. Isolating the AOS solves the issue (appears to be failure inside AOS). Part purchased and ready to be replaced. No oil leaks. Bit of water inside cabin solved by replacing inner door skins which come pre installed with gaskets. Otherwise car is mint and drives great.

[@steverichardson6920]

I thought the primary reason for having the IMS on the earlier motors was because Porsche saved money by using the same heads for left and right banks which meant the cam wheels were on different ends requiring the IMS to drive the cams at either end of the engine……..

[@1ROCKY89]

I bought a 987.1 and I’m glad I did it’s awesome. 35k miles and no IMS work. My question is what will happen if the IMS fails? Does that mean I need to purchase a new engine for $10k or so? Is that the worst case scenario? Or am I just wishful thinking because I enjoy driving this car so much lol thanks in advance for any reply see you out there Porsche brothers..

[@thedudeabides1443]

The likelihood of the IMS failing is exceedingly low but yes, if it does happen, your engine is toast and will need to be replaced.

[@1ROCKY89]

Great, I’m not gonna worry about it at all, what a car for driving anywhere with turns, this is my 4th Porsche.

[@cayman9815]

thank you sir good info question: what about the Cayman 981 engine, is that same ?

[@juancarloscassina5204]

Great review! Thanks for all the info Where can I get all those MA121 diagrams? Tnaks again

[@pjay3028]

The reality is that a 997.1 Carrera S has a totally reliable IMS bearing and if you can get a car with Nikasil coated cylinder liners such as fitted by Hartech in the UK, you have a completely reliable engine that will not get IMS or bore scoring problems. This has the further advantage that the M97 has more of the traditional noise and characteristics of a 911 which unfortunately the MA1 lost. I would argue that a Hartech rebuilt M97 3.8 S engine is pretty much the best NA engine you can get in a Carrera. Buy one while you can!

[@michaeledwards5241]

The only problem is that the cost for the 3.8 engine is £11,000. A revised IMS bearing, new liners and pistons is £ 9,000 from Hartech. You will end up with a fantastic car if went down either of the modifications/ repairs but cost wise, a gen2 is the safer bet.

[@pjay3028]

@@michaeledwards5241 that's why you find one for sale that's already been upgraded. For some reason they're not much more expensive than standard cars... At the moment! Surely that's going to change?

[@vladbog3920]

Great video, like always ! Does the 987.2 2.9l still have the IMS issues ?

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

No IMS on the gen 2 2.9 👍🏼

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

No IMS on the gen2 2.9lt 👍🏼

[@White1404]

Hi, I enjoyed the vid v much. I have one question. Can a Gen 2 987 Caymen, with no Limted Slip Diff be retrofitted with an LSD? How difficult or easy is the job?

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

Hey, yes they can, will need the gearbox removing and a new Diff/LSD fitting. Not a job to do at home unless you have room and also some of the measurement tools to ensure correct fitment.

[@TonyVee89]

Really an interesting video!!!! Thank you

[@whateverrrrrr123]

Love your vid, can I take that the 2.9 is the same?

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

Thanks Uncle Sam, the 2.9 is very similar, only it doesn’t have direct fuel injection

[@brutallyhonest9140]

The Gen 2 is almost double the price of a Gen 1. The failer rate of a Gen 1 does not justify paying double the price. Only a person who has money to waste would think that paying double the price for something that never really happens is a good investment.

[@Dholi1]

That's what people say until it's you that has to face the bore scoring, IMS, or oiling issues. A low chance of failure doesn't mean it never happens.

[@whateverrrrrr123]

could you do the comparison between the 2.7 vs 2.9 and 2.0t (all the base model)?

[@laapulsford]

I think you will find there is much more to bore scoring that you explain in this video. The move away from Nikasil coating to a much cheaper coating is the pivitol reason. Bottom line, there is a very high probability all MK1 car will suffer from this complaint.

[@stephenauty2402]

It's not "so much better" it's slightly more reliable I suppose but the Gen1 is fantastic and failure rates are very very very low. Also you can buy a Gen1 for about 30% less (like for like)

[@Dholi1]

It's much better if the second generation doesn't experience IMS, bore scoring, and oiling issues. Those are 3 major issues. There are KZbinrs with the 987.1 S that can't even track their cars because of oiling issues, even after spending thousands on a deep sump.

[@andywu593]

Great video! I've been thinking about picking up a 987.2 base cayman. Not much information on the engine is online but i heard that all porsche 6 cylinders share the 9A1 basic architecture. Does this mean with modifications I could convert my port injected 2.7 in the base cayman to the direct injected 3.2 in the s cayman? Or eve (theroretically speaking) the same engine as the 911 GT3Rs??

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

Hey, without looking into all the technicalities, I’d say it would be easier to do a straight engine swap. I’d suspect the cylinder heads will be different, plus you have a high pressure fuel pump etc. different ecu, wiring. I did a video on the difference between the 3.4 , 3.6 & 3.8 . They are more similar than the base and a S

[@DAPPERDANMEMEO]

Two years after my first comment, I have now owned 3 Cayman S's. All manual cuz, duh... An 08,11,06 in that order. I prefer the looks & sound of the first Cayman. Even the designer Pinky Lai says there is only ONE Cayman. I was also fortunate to own a 997S & Cayman S at the same time and I can say unequivocally that comparing the Cayman & 911 is extremely foolish as they are completely different but equally brilliant & I can guarantee you will giggle with joy driving either car. If the 3.4 ever blows up in the Cayman, I will absolutely replace with a 3.6 or 3.8. If I could try & put it into words, I'd say that 911 is the best example of a true sports car, & the Cayman is a brilliant, but underpowered, race car. BTW, the chicks don't know the difference----in the words of the great Dave Chapelle----GOTCHA BITCH!!! PS A young man pulled up next to me at a light in a BMW. He yelled "Hey man, I love your car!" to which I replied, 'Thanks man!' He then said 'All us guys driving beamers want a Porsche' I smiled and replied "All us guys driving a Porsche want another!' Keep the shiny side up!

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

Great comments 😊👍🏼 thank you

[@petraltmy822]

How many kW does the 2nd variant engine have in the Cayman S.? How do I know as a layman engine variant 2. MA1 ?? Thank you

[@Mark-mj9nw]

Great video, I always wondered if I had to replace my 2008 987.1 engine, would the newer 987.2 M engine fit in its place?

[@MrSlowestD16]

Yea I kinda wish I got the gen 2. I don't really care too much about the IMS since it was absurdly low failure rate even on the 987.1's, but the bore scoring has me worried. The car has been rock solid reliable to me but I've only had it for about 1.5yrs. Def. worried about the bore scoring though. Especially so since I have the "S."

[@newpatchincoming6574]

Nice to have a update, how is the car

[@MrSlowestD16]

@@newpatchincoming6574 Eh, well no signs of bore scoring yet, but I've also put maybe 500 or 1000 miles on the car since that post. I have like 5 cars & a few motorcycles, and that + work from home due to COVID means I barely put any miles on anything the past few years. Probably like 6k/yr total. I still have the same opinion, the car is worth like 20k, it's hard to justify 12k or so for an engine if it fails, but a 10k loss also sucks, so it's a pretty big weak point. The internet probably makes it seem more common than it is - you don't hear about the many instances that don't have bore scoring, but it's something I'd rather not deal with. I'm going to sell it soon, but I think even if the bore scoring issue didn't exist I'd be selling it soon, rest of my stuff is newer & faster and it's an extra mouth to feed in terms of reg, insurance, oil changes, etc. if it's not being driven much.

[@newpatchincoming6574]

@@MrSlowestD16 thanks for the response brother, hope you get a quick sale. It's a brilliant car

[@MrSlowestD16]

@@newpatchincoming6574 Agreed that it's a great car, and I don't regret owning it at all. I will definitely buy another Porsche some day because of that car. I have a Supra though which pretty much fills the role of that car exactly (2 seater, it's faster, '21, better in the twisties, still under warranty, etc.), so it's hard to justify keeping it specifically because of that car. I've been saying I'm going to sell it for a year though, so talk is cheap, lmao. We'll see when I actually sell it.

[@MrComvalRacing]

I have an engine failure on my 987.1 cayman s. Considering swapping the complete drive train to a 987.2. Do you see any major issues with this? Thanks

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

Must of been done before, I’m sure it’s possible. Wiring loom, ECU and things like fuel pipes etc may be different in the engine bay

[@pl1068]

Direct injection, a ticking time bomb 😬

[@Aeneas137]

oh wow dude I was number 987 thumbs up LOL

[@Vass881234]

What engine is in a 3.4 boxster S 2006 (56 plate) 987.1 ?

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

M97, gen 2’s came in from 2009

[@Vass881234]

@@GarageTechAutomotive yep 👍

[@marktemple3976]

WTF is that 'thing' you do with your hands in the first 2 seconds???? Drop that! LMAO. Otherwise a really good video.

[@GarageTechAutomotive]

😂

[@005AGIMA]

FACT: You have more chance of dying of COVID19 than having an IMS failure, but I bet you still go to the shops to stock up on bog roll ;)

[@lexusls]

The 5 people that have given this video a thumbs down (as of November 2020) are all .1 owners that are mad they didn’t do their research before buying their gen 1s and are just butt hurt they bought a less reliable engine lol

[@nickh1933]

Wrong, I have 2 Caymans a 987.1 CS and a 981 CS. There is nothing to worry about with the 987.1 if you are smart and know what your doing. The 987.2 also have reports of the same “issues” by the way. I spend a lot of time around Porsches and these issues are blown way out of proportion, especially by people who never own them. Every Porsche model has its “things to beware of” If I listened to experts on the internet I never would have bought my 993, 997TT or my R8. The 987.1 and .2 are still one of the most fun cars to drive. Bore scoring affects less than 5 percent of 987.1 and IMS less than 1%

[@jerrymoorhouse6429]

Very informative, thank you