1954 olds knee shocks

[Guest]

does anyone know the correct way to check the oil level in knee shocks

do you jack the front end up? is there some kind of level indicator?

any help would be appreciated

thanks

Fred 1954

[Guest]

just fill it up to the top with hydrolic jack oil.

[6219_Rules]

Dang...Tommy beat me to it!!!

Most of these kinds of inplace shocks, like on my '47, are simply scheduled to be refilled every 1000 miles or so. I do not think there is a viewer bubble or way to touch test it.

[Guest]

My 53 Buick had the same style shocks. A well meaning (I think) friend said you could make the ride stiffer if you filled it and bounced the car up and down and then filled it again. He also said you could make it stiffer still if you disconnected the arm from the link and put a long bar on it an kept adding fluid and pumping the shock up. It worked real well, took away some of the floating feeling but when I hit a pot hole it blew the end right out of the resoivoir. Ah well I lived, I learned and I found better friends.

[Guest JT]

Fred,

Be sure and clean any dirt and grime away from filler plug before removing.

Not sure on the 54's but on earlier model cars Delco recommended removing shocks from car every 10k, flushing with fluid and then refilling. To drain you have to remove end cap and hold inlet valve open with shock upside down. When refilling you need to pump arm up and down so air will be removed from all the passages.

[Guest JT]

Tinindian, it is the correct procedure to disconnect shock arm and pump up and down as you fill although you shouldn't need any additional leverage attached to arm. I suspect your problem were the old seals in the shock rather than the amount of fluid.