I busted a nipple off my turbo precontrol solenoid valve, the one under the UIM. It's the top nipple and it was sort of easy to reach. I've got a 240 mile trip home tomorrow and of course couldn't get a new solenoid today, so I bought a small vacuum elbow at Autozone and trimmed it down to fit in the hole, slobbered on a pile of epoxy, and jammed it in the hole. Anybody tried this? Do you think it'll get me home, and will the car run if it doesn't?

 

It might get you home. You will be ok if it somehow doesn't work, you just won't get full boost, you will only get 5~7lbs. How long is your trip home? I would reccomend getting a new one. Try the used section the single turbo guys have them laying around probably waiting for someone that needs one

 

Garfinkle has done this with plastic base epoxy with no problem. He will not do it for a customer unless it is a temporary fix . Get home and replace it if you do not trust the fix . He also has some small brass nipples that will screw in to the broken hole that work well .

 

It's a great temporary fix, but if the nipple broke because of age and heat crack, then a fix will only be a bandage. The thing is prolly on it's last leg anyways.

 

Thanks for the encouragement; I'm going to drive it home and replace it. Who's this Garfinkle and how do I get one of those brass nipple things?

 

If it breaks clean super glue will get you through the trip.

I repaired my precontrol solenoid by cutting off both plastic nipples and epoxying aluminum tubes into the holes after I slightly enlarged them with a drill. Be careful if you do this as if you drill too far you ruin the seat of the valve inside and it will no longer seal. It has proven to be a permanent solution.

 

Yep, okay as a temporary fix. In doing my vacuum hose replacement, I saw a solenoid nipple that was repaired with epoxy by the previous owner. It was there for at least 2 years. Of course, as soon as I tried to get the hose off, it broke again. Replaced with new solenoid.

Mark

 

Temporarily, it should be fine. I broke a nipple, sanded both ends down, and superglued them. It held fine until I could get a real replacement.