1946 lever shocks

[RussK]

I'm trying to refill the oil in my lever shocks, I have found two plugs that are close together on the front edge of LF, cant get a pic until Monday (wife out of town with camera)
can any body tell me how to fill them, any help would be nice
thanks Russ

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

What you do is take the plug out, fill it, then use your tummy to bounce up and down on the fender till the fluid sinks down into the casing. Then you do it again, and again, and again...till it's full.

[Richardonly]

That is true!!!

[Richardonly]

Go to general discussions, open article on "The 49ers", open the site.

On the March, 2002 edition, they write about the lever shocks.

This may bring you directly to the page needed, BUT not sure.  The original shock fluid is no longer available, but they recomend a substitute...................http://www.1949cadillac.com/2002/03/

Regards, Richard

[Steve Passmore]

What Barry said is the correct way but I've never found this satisfactory, its awkward and time consuming. I have found the best way is to bite the bullet and remove the unit, I then remove one of the large cylinder end caps and directly fill the cylinder, replace the cap, turn it over and do the same to the other side. Even with this method you have to work the levers back and forth and refill several times but until you have total resistance they are just not full and you will have a small position in the arms action which has no resistance, this is usually right in the middle of normal driving level, just where you don't want it 90% of the time.  Either way not a pleasant job.

[Raymond919]

Russ,
I have a '49 and I assume that filling the shocks is the same for your '47. What I did was buy the oil. It seems that it has to be a non-foaming type oil. Motorcycle 'fork oil' seems to be an acceptable substitute and easy to find.
You have to lift the front end weight off the ground and remove the small fill plug on top of the shock housing. Getting the oil into the small opening can be messy but what I did was put the oil into a clean oil can which has a long thin metal spout and a pump thumb-plunger. You can get the oil exactly into the opening without making a mess.
Once it's filled to the top, replace the plug and lower the front end so the car's weight is resting on the suspension. Bounce the car up and down a couple times then raise it again and remove the plug again. If necessary, add more oil and repeat the process until it's still full when removing the plug. At that point, you're finished.
Hope this helps,
Ray
#26141

[RussK]

I got two smaller plugs on the side, I think the upper one is the one I need.
thanks for all your help

[Jay Friedman]

The position of the plug depends on whether it's a front or rear shock.  The front shock plug is on the top of the shock; the rear shock plug is on the side.  The bouncing up and down is to purge (bleed) air out of the shock and make it rise to the top.  As the air comes to the top, the fluid level falls.

Kanter in Boonton NJ used to sell the shock fluid, as did a guy in Indiana, Donald McKinnsey, who used to advertise in Hemmings.

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

Hydraulic jack oil works very well in these shocks and is readily available.