PWB Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Any opinions on NOS Pleasurizer shocks? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 What a relief when I saw this was a post about shocks ? 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 13 minutes ago, MrEarl said: What a relief when I saw this was a post about shocks ? Seriously I had to read the title 4 times before I clicked. I thought it was preasurizer, then realized my misinterpretation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 43 minutes ago, MrEarl said: What a relief when I saw this was a post about shocks ? Out of the gutter, Lamar. Me too Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Good shocks, there were Delco's better shocks. I think they still are unless they changed the name. I have been using gas shocks in recent years, although I put Delco Severe Duty ones on the '94 Impala last time. Some time ago I ran into problems finding early '60's Buick full size front shocks. I found some later Chrysler Products used the same dimensions but smaller lower bolts. 5/16" on the Chryslers and 3/8" on the Buicks, or something like that. Couldn't get the Buick; filed the ears on the Chrysler. Worked fine. Pleasurize is derived from a slight condition of blindness experienced by teen aged boys. It is temporary in most instances, but advertising studies show the term, in bold letters, can get you off to a good start. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave39MD Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 As Bernie said they were excellent shocks. They even had a Genetron "sp" gas bag inside that expanded when hot... They went with the Big D in about 76 and many other brands after that. The Pleasurizer was the best and much better than the Monroe or Gabriel of the period. I would not be afraid to use them but the Genetron may not expand like it use to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 The purpose of the "gas capsule" was to help decrease the evil "oil foaming" of the shock fluid, for better control in more intense situations. The pre-cursor of our low pressure "gas charged" shocks, except this was about 1967 and about 9 years later. They were HD shocks, as I recall, with the requisite 1.375' piston bore, as other HD shocks of that time. Larger than the 1.0" bore of "standard" duty and many OEM shocks. As long as you've got them for the desired application, Go Fot It. There might be some issues with longevity of the aged seals inside (although they are all NOS). For the record, I knew exactly what the poster was mentioning. Not sure about y'all others out there! NTX5467 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) 9 hours ago, NTX5467 said: "The purpose of the "gas capsule" was to help decrease the evil "oil foaming" of the shock fluid, for better control in more intense situations. The pre-cursor of our low pressure "gas charged" shocks, except this was about 1967 and about 9 years later. They were HD shocks, as I recall, with the requisite 1.375' piston bore, as other HD shocks of that time. Larger than the 1.0" bore of "standard" duty and many OEM shocks." Indeed. That's my main concern. Any out gassing over such a span of time. Might be a gamble. But then I've had "new" shocks fail within 2 years. Pretty nifty shocks. My first tech school was in hydraulics/pneumatics so I'm very curious. Wish I had an internal diagram. Thanks for the detailed lesson everyone. (I just knew that title would get ya ) Paul Edited February 14, 2017 by PWB (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 ALSO, in the 1967 time frame, Delco also had a "shock kit". This consisted of two shocks with a "given" set of valves in them. The different thing about these shocks is that they could be disassembled, change the valving, re-oil, and reassemble. In that time, it was common for drag racers to use "worn" front shocks for improved starting line weight distribution. The "drag racing" specific front shocks were just being offered, so this Delco set allowed the customers to customize the shocks for road use, drag racing, or road racing uses. It was a neat idea, I thought, but was very short-lived. There were some print ads of this kit, usually with a drag strip lane in the background, I believe. Even if the gas capsule might degrade, the basic function for most users would not really be affected. Those who normally drive on undulating roadways or similar MIGHT be the only ones to notice the "loss of control" from aerated fluid, I suspect. NTX5467 NTX5467 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Like Paul I wonder about the shelf life. Seems like in the old days you needed to turn the shock upside down, cycle it a couple of time, dance on one foot and pray that they would work like new. I have a supply of NOS shocks but keep them stored in an upright position....don't know if it really makes a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 3 hours ago, PWB said: Might be a gamble. That's not much of a gamble. Two bolts on the rear and three on the fronts. Risk management, it is not always easy. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Barney, as you "stroke" the shocks to "get the air out", you'll feel the resistance increase markedly until all you hear (when stroking) is the hydraulic fluid being forced through the valving. After than, install and enjoy! There were some stories (from the 1960s) when a car sitting on the lot for an extended period of time would need to be driven a while to get the air out of the shocks so it'd ride as it should. Or at least bounce the bumper several times. NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) 37 minutes ago, NTX5467 said: Barney, as you "stroke" the shocks to "get the air out", you'll feel the resistance increase markedly until all you hear (when stroking) is the hydraulic fluid being forced through the valving. After than, install and enjoy! There were some stories (from the 1960s) when a car sitting on the lot for an extended period of time would need to be driven a while to get the air out of the shocks so it'd ride as it should. Or at least bounce the bumper several times. NTX5467 Fascinating, this "Genetron" secret gas: Edited February 15, 2017 by PWB (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Thanks for that print ad! I Googled and found more in car magazines, dated from 1967-70, but couldn't download just that page in the magazine (in Google Books). I searched and found "Genetron" to be a product of Honeywell. It appears it is a refrigerant gas as R-134a and the prior R-12, plus others. Now, to find how performance is affected by using R-1234yf in an R-134a system. MORE research! NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) Sooooo, the bag helped keep the shock cooler? Or at least maintain a more ambient temp. band thru a (drive) duty cycle? That capsule couldn't last forever.... Edit: away from electrical, meaning duty cycle as duty factor being a fixed repetitive load pattern over a given period of time. -apologies given Edited February 15, 2017 by PWB (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thriller Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Ramrod toughness in a Pleasurizer? Hmmm.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Don't overlook the "low friction action"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Interesting observation, now that many refrigerants have been outlawed or taxed into disuse, it is common to hear people say "cool". In the 1960's when volatile gases and refrigerants were more common, "fascinating" was the term. I am shocked it is so interesting. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobileparts Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 In its day, the Delco Pleasurizer was the very best shock in the aftermarket world.... it was also (circa 1973 or 1974) the first shock that ever sold for over $20 --when the rest of the world of shocks sold for from $9.95 (the sign on the window in the front of our store) through $19.95........... People would ask for the best... you'd give 'em Delco Pleasurizers @ $21.95 each = 43.90 plus tax -- and they'd say "Whoa, your sign says $9.95." We would reply , "Yes, we have them -- but you asked for the best...* Most of the time, they would respond, "But you have Heavy Dutys for $9.95 each -- I'll take them." Only the real hard core (or the opulent) would buy the Delco Pleasurizers..... Now with the world having gone pretty much to gas shocks (gas shocks "implode" , Hydraulic shocks "collapse" -- their value is not as great as they were...) That being said, they still can be sold -- especially if sold at the right price..... Which brings me to my next question -- why are you asking for "opinion" -- are these shocks for sale??? Do you have an inventory??? There is a market for them -- price is important, as we have just discussed -- and I can help you "move" them... Call me -- Craig -- 516 - 485 - 1935.......New York. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscheib Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Yes, The original photos seem to indicate a sizable inventory. Should be easy to remarket, based on the conversations here. I would consider a set for the '68 Riv, if the proper size and price. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 On 2/15/2017 at 2:40 PM, mobileparts said: "Which brings me to my next question -- why are you asking for "opinion" -- are these shocks for sale??? Do you have an inventory??? There is a market for them -- price is important, as we have just discussed -- and I can help you "move" them..." I see a huge lot on EBAY. I wanted to be educated on their design/performance and would consider installing. I appreciate everyone's posts. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 On 2/15/2017 at 6:56 AM, EmTee said: Don't overlook the "low friction action"! Gold shocks for a golden car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 1 hour ago, PWB said: Gold shocks for a golden car! Aye - but 40+ year-old rubber still scares me. Great for a trailer queen, but I like to drive 'em! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 A LOT of how well they might work can relate to getting the correct listing for the correct car from an ORIGINAL Delco parts book! To me, THAT is KEY! In many modern listings for older vehicles, there have been some "rumblings" (over they years, from different places) that many of the more modern listings are "combined applications" of sorts. This can make them a little weak in some applications and stiff in others. Same internal valving but different outside cases. Some GM carlines might have played that game too. We never knew if the same guts for a LeSabre shock were the same as a Delta 88 shock. They were different part numbers as they had different mounting methods for the respective car lines. The aftermarket could combine things toward the stiffer side of valving for both Buick and Olds vehicles, or one that would make BOTH work better, but we never knew it as the outside cans were different. At least with a Pleasurizer of the correct Delco part number for an application, you should KNOW you're getting something for that specific vehicle as Delco intended. Not something with "combined" applications from years later. NOW . . . durability is still in question, but I'd suspect that even if the gas bag degraded, it might not ever be known, but in normal use, it might not have made nearly as much difference as the advertising might imply. Again, key words are "normal use" (which a coveted, cherished vehicle might now be subjected to). I have a feeling the price might be a little too high for what they are. Just a gut suspicion. Just some thoughts, NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 (edited) So, I was getting Goldie ready for a run today and I figured I had better check the air pressure in the rear shocks since the car has air shocks. Now I had always assumed someone had added them at some point in the car's past. Then, I noticed this decal: It appears that the car was ordered this way from the factory; or these were installed by the dealer. Really kinda amazing that these 50 year old PLEASUR-LIFT shocks continue to function well. They do seem to lose air when the car sits idle, but they stayed where I set them all of last summer. The best part is I was able to kick this thread back to the top! Edited April 9, 2017 by EmTee adjust layout (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 Delco air shocks/Pleasur-Lift were standard on the Chevy intermediate El Caminos from about '64 (or so) until the later 1960s? Not sure of the exact years, but I recall this was part of the varied-use nature of the El Camino. Lasted until it was probably determined to be "not needed" in the 1968 platform update? I don't recall other carlines having them as standard equipment, though, as at that time, "hauling" was not really a marketable item other than "car/trucks" or station wagons. Having factory air shocks could have been a good marketing tool in that area. Still, a neat factory option where it was available. Ford had air shocks as a part of one of their trailering option packages in the early 1970s, but they were plumbed individually, as I recall, rather than from the same fill line. Then here came Gabriel with an added shield over the bag for protection from road debris. Later Hurst had some which put the bag internal in the shock's housing. I bought a car that had "load levelers" on the back, but the rear leaf springs still sagged (from trailer towing by the previous owner, best I could determine). I put Gabriels on the back and used the air pressure to level the car nicely. One thing I noticed was that it seemed to corner a little better, as if it had a rear sway bar. With the air pressure in the bags constant, that pressure could keep both rear wheels better planted and resist lean. Pretty neat, I though! Even as one side tried to be compressed, it would put more pressure on the other rear wheel to keep it better planted in corners, too. Some neat things and not quite the "one trick pony" some suspected they were. Then, as shock companies sought to use "load leveling devices" as their next show of technology, Gabriel came out with some shocks that would use ride motions to hydraulically move the rear suspension back to "ride height" with a load. That product never really "happened" and nothing seemed to replace the basic air shock itself, in spite of the issues with bag durability or exposure to possible road debris. In later years, factory "load leveling suspensions" became an upscale (i.e., luxury option) and still used the basic exposed-bag air shock with a mechanism to vary air pressure to the rear shocks as needed. Those lasted until struts tended to replace shock absorbers and suspensions typically became "firmer" in calibration. By then, too, buyers who needed hauling capabilities had begun to shift toward HD2500 trucks or larger SUVs for those activities, rather than station wagons. NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 I'm guessing that the original owner added them because there are signs (such as a hole down low in the center of the rear bumper) that a trailer hitch was once on the car. As has been seen numerous times in vintage photos posted on this forum, people apparently liked to tow their boats, race cars, or whatever, with their Riviera. With 475-lb.ft. of torque and a Super Turbine 400, why not? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 My 63 came with the same shocks and sticker. 401 nailhead and a Dynaflow. No piddly boat behind mine; a full sized Airstream. No holes in the bumper either. A full hitch reliever welded to the frame, electric trailer brakes, and a tyranny cooler. PO stepped up to a 3.91 rear gear. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 Y'all do know that there are Performance and Modified forums that all these posts would probably be more appreciated in, right? http://forums.aaca.org/forum/13-buick-modified/ http://forums.aaca.org/forum/144-buick-performance-group/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Conley Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 He started it!! Use your magic wand, Mr. Earl and prune this thread. If I had the wand, I would. Thank you for your patience. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 I thought about it but my head started hurting thinking about what to call it. maybe I'll revisit my thinking 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrytravler Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 (edited) 15 hours ago, Brad Conley said: He started it!! Use your magic wand, Mr. Earl and prune this thread. If I had the wand, I would. Thank you for your patience. No, he did not. I did. At least give me credit. LOL, Where else are you going to get educated? These posts are not followed 100%. If it was, you would have 3/4 blank spaces. Nuff said. I can even show you where Mr.Earl went off track. HAHA. He went and deleted it all. Just making you all laugh:) BY Edited June 20, 2017 by countrytravler (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Conley Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 LOL! At least we can all laugh about it! And Dave, I was meaning you as to starting it all..LOL!! Have a good day, my friends. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 22 minutes ago, Brad Conley said: LOL! At least we can all laugh about it! Enough finger pointing. In fact the real rascal who may be the one who really started it hasn't even been mentioned yet. And while it might be up for debate as to who started it, I can tell you who be stoppin it. All in jest fellers, was a fun ride while it lasted but please carry on here 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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