Anti-Stall Solenoid Cure
By Doug Sogolow
Does your SL with automatic transmission sometimes want to stall when you put it in gear or come to a stop? After ruling out an adjustment or electrical problem you can be assured that the problem is a sticking plunger in the solenoid, which can't be cured by shooting penetrant on the shaft, due to the physical design of the solenoid. To solve this problem you first need to remove the solenoid from the car. You will then see 3 small screws, which hold the innards to the housing. These are peened in place at the factory, so center punch them and drill them out. Next make an index mark on both the body and the endplate so that when you re-install the solenoid later, the wire connections will face up. Next you need to go to the bench grinder and grind the crimp off the body (where it meets the endplate) at about a 45 degree angle. I used a lathe for this, but you can do a neat job of this with a little patience. You now have the innards in one hand and the body in the other. You will no doubt see a powdery, dry film of rust that prevents the plunger from sliding properly in its' bore. Clean this out and apply a thin film of whatever you think will work best. I used a synthetic bearing grease, light in weight. To reassemble, press the pieces back together, observing the index marks. If you didn't grind the body too much during disassembly, it should be a tight fit. I put 3 tiny tack welds approximately 120 degrees apart to hold the assembly together.
CAUTION - Excess heat created during this step may damage the electrical coil inside. Reinstall the solenoid, adjust, and you are done. No more stalling problems and you just saved the cost of a new solenoid, which is exorbitant.
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