Hello,

I replaced the 4 MDS solenoids with OEM parts and noticed a LOT of oil leaking afterward. The solenoids are installed correctly, but I took them out again and noticed I damaged the well(s) when removing the old solenoids. Party foul.

What are potential fixes for this? Is there a tool I can use to bore/smooth the wells back out? Seems a job for a machine shop. Is there any substance I can put in there to smooth out the damaged areas?

 

Hi Liam:
How did the damage occur? Were you prying on the solenoids to remove them? I believe the recommended procedure is to gently tap on them, which is supposed to loosen them up for easier removal.
Not sure how you are going to make this repair. Google is your friend.

Don

 

I ended up using a fine sander tip on my Drenel tool and sanded down the burrs. Then I mixed up some JB Weld and put a thin layer to fill the gouges and will again sand that down smooth so the gaps are filed. I’m hoping after that they get a good seal and will report back.

Yes, the damage originally occurred due to my prying on them to get them out. What happens is the tops rust and pop off when you first try to get them out. Lots of videos online to show how to remove the remaining stuck stems. I damaged the sides of the wells before I learned I could use a threader tool to screw down into them and pull them out. Plus the wells were more fragile than expected. Lesson learned!

 

Hi, Don,

I tried the method I listed above - using a dremel to smooth the burrs and then JBweld to fill them, and then sanding the jb weld smooth. I still have a horrible leak. Forgive my ignorance, but what part of the engine do the solenoids go into, and can that part be replaced or does the whole engine have to be replaced? I thought about taking that part/engine to a machine shop to have the wells re-machined. Hoping I don’t need to replace the whole engine.