Been reading through my shop-manual, which gave some thoughts. The book states fun facts as dynaflow leakage under 1 qt per 1500 miles is normal Not sure how it is in the US, but it drives everybody nuts over here.

How much oil use should one expect in the shock absorbers?
I seem to be using approx. an ounce every 1000 miles and theres no sign of leaking.

How much powersteering oil use should one expect?
I seem to be using approx. 3 ounces every 1000 miles and theres very slight sign of leaking.

Does anyone have a more updated list for oils, lubricants and intervals?

We're spoiled by modern cars where even a few drops of any kind of fluid on the garage floor means trouble. I used to fret and gnash my teeth about my 50's cars leaking this, that, and everything. I've finally come to accept that it's just the nature of the beast.........Bob

Erik,
I have to agree with Bob completely about this. I have three Buicks in my garage and all of them leak something from somewhere. I have two giant drip pans under each car. My 55 rarely leaks anything mostly because it has been completely "sealed" when I restored it, but it still lets loose a few drips now and then. My 63 has never had the transmission worked on by me, but it will occasionally leak one pint if it sits too long. My friends 62 Special (Buick number 3) is hit and miss as far as leakage goes, but there are definitely trans leakage issues. I have set up a five gallon bucket with a funnel at the side of my garage so I can just empty the drip pans directly into the recycling bucket.
My 55 has the lever action shocks and I had to add maybe a tablespoon of fluid since they were rebuilt. I did see a leak but it seems to have fixed itself.

Mike

I think a key thing might be "where" on the assemblies the drips are coming from . . . and why. Plus if the correct fluids are being used?

If the leaks are from a lip seal, it could be that either the seal has worn or there is a "wear ring" on the shaft being sealed. In the former situation, an additive to make the seals "swell" slightly might cure that, but if the wear ring is deep enough on the shaft, it would take either a new shaft or a new seal which would move the lip seal to a slightly different location so it can get a non-worn area of the shaft to seal against.

Valvoline sells a quart of ATF with seal swelling additives already in it (although normal ATF is supposed to have additives to keep the seals soft-which is a different situation than the "seal sweller" additive) or you might find a pint of GM Automatic Transmission Conditioner.

If it's a cork gasket situation, then a new cork gasket would be in order (personally, I'd put a thin layer of silicone sealer on all sides of the gasket--to make it easier to remove, if and when, plus seal the cork so it won't "wick" fluid though it). Once a cork gasket starts to wick fluid through it, there's no stopping the flow by tightening the screws.

I believe the earlier power steering units took "Type A" transmission fluid. You might try using a later GM Power Steering Fluid and see if that leak might stop.

Not sure about the shock oil.

I realize you're in Europe and we're over here, but I suspect that European GM dealers will have similar fluids/additives as we have over here.

Hope this might help . . .

NTX5467

Thanks for you input.
In the times of politically correctness any american car here in Europe is suspect - even a 55 year old one. They are gas-guzlers and pollute. Even a Porshe Cayenne is more politically correct allthough most US cars have a better milage - even the old ones from '52
Dropping oils must be limited by all cost, if it can be done.
But back to the subject

For the dynaflow I'm using a pink ATF.

For shocks and powersteering the local pro-shop has recommended a yellow "powersteering" oil because of the lack of additives. It's an oldfassion type with modern lub-qualities

Motoroil is a standard 10/40w mineral or semi-synthetic.
changed about every 2000 - 3000 miles or at least once a year.

Lubrication with modern grease (same for bearings) about twice a year.

Aircleaner gets a mixture or motor oil and 90w gear oil

Steeringgear gets topped up with 90w gear oil.

My major leaks seem to consist of motor oil/powersteering oil (hard to tell from the puddle) and ATF.

From your answers it seems to be possible to reduce or even remove the puddles.

Does cork normally wick? After how many years?

Oils ARE different here because of the lack of decent cars but does this seem reasonable to you guys?

Sounds to me like your "correct" friends are just jelous of your vintage cars. A case of janteloven perhaps?. Your Buick has a fibre rope rear seal that is prone to leakage. The Dynaflow trans is a known leaker, it's just it's nature. The power steering is probably leaking from the pitman arm seal.
These cars are ANTIQUES and that's just the way it is. I'm about the same age and there's things falling off and leaking out of me too. Enjoy your car with out fretting about it. As far as the environment goes any one of your friends pours more pollutents into the environment with one drive to the beer garden for a liter of Carlsberg or Tuborg than you will leak out of your Buick in a year.........Bob.

I have four older Buicks that I have owned for 45 years and they all leak motor or tranny fluids. Older Buicks leak period. And, sometimes it's cheaper just to add oil than to spend the time and money for a permanent fix.

I have both GM and Chrysler cars of the 50s and both brands seem to leak oil from the automatic trannies over the Winter. Drip pans are my solution as some of these trannies have been rebuilt in the last 10-15 years.
My 30s cars with standard transmissions seem to do better in and the engines seem to leak about as much as the 50s cars.
Se la vie.
Marty Lum

I have been told that the torque converters on the automatic transmissions slowly drain their fluid down into the transmission pan and then these overfull pans are prone to leak. As soon as you start the car and pump the fluid back into the TC, the level goes down in the pan.

I found going around on the transmission pan bolts with a ratchet and GENTLY snugging them up stopped all drips from my Dynaflow when parked for a few weeks. YMMV.

I use pans and large sheets of cardboard (old large boxes) under all my old cars.

Jim makes a good point about the torque converter "draining" internally. Some trans designs are worse about this than others. This is why, if you start the car in "Park" and then want to drive off, after it's sat for a good while, it's a little slow on the take-off, but is not slipping.

If you start it in "Neutral" rather than "Park", the fill rate of the converter is faster than it is in "Park", so that's one way to make things act more normally after the car's been sitting for a while.

Many "newer" (for back then) transmissions had "Converter Drain Back Valves" in them, but some didn't seem to, also.

Just some thoughts,
NTX5467