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Maint. Tip: Filling Lever Action Shocks


TomE_1953

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Saw a recent posting giving advice to a guy who needed to check and fill his "Lever Action Shocks".<P>I knew my '53 was due for this routine maintenance so I filled mine this past weekend. I found a little trick that I wanted to share with my fellow "lever-action" owners to help you out.<P>TIP #1<BR>Buy one of those plastic ketchup bottles with the pointed top. Fill it with shock fluid leaving about 2-3" from the top (gives you room to tip the bottle while under the car). Attach a small rubber hose (12") over the tip of the bottle you might want to duct tape it to hold it on). Insert the rubber hose into the top of the lever action shock and tip the bottle to fill the shock. You want to make sure you keep the hose just inside the filler hole so you know you get the shock filled to the top. One of those very small funnels could also help in place of the bottle/hose.<BR>Once the shock is filled you can push on the bumper to get the air out.<BR>--NOTE:-- You want to leave some 'expansion' space for the fluid to expand and avoid shock leakage.<P>TIP #2: Get a small mirror to hold up over the lever-action shock to see the filler hole from under the car. Coming from a guy in the "Show-Me-State (MO) I have to 'see' the fill hole and want to make sure it's topped off with fluid. Worked pretty slick and I was done in no time flat (without a single swear word).<P>Hope this tip helps somebody out.<BR> grin.gif" border="0<p>[ 06-26-2002: Message edited by: GR8 53 Roadmaster ]

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These are all good tips but you should leave a little airspace at the top of the shock , this is to allow for expansion of the fluid when it gets hot. but if your shock absorbers leak like mine do you'll soon have your ready made airspace. <BR> Thanks for sharing your tips with us.<BR>Willie

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The "official" Buick special tool (made to fill lever shocks)has a tip that readily goes into the lever shocks.The tip is 1 inch long to pull off excess fluid. If you fill lever shocks completely,you force leakage.

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  • 20 years later...
2 hours ago, TexRiv_63 said:

This works the best of everything I have tried, and leave the smallest puddle on the floor!

20200515_155349.jpg

As long as we are reviving a 20 year old thread. . .

 

I use the same thing. I have a label on mine stating it is fluid for the shocks so if I just grab an oil squirt can I don’t accidentally grab that one.

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I have serviced cars with rear lever shocks, a few Cadillacs. I like to disconnect the shock arm link and work the arm by hand as I fill them. That gets the air out and you can feel the resistance as they begin to work.

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