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Knee action shocks on 39. oil or brake fluid?

Started by Quentin Hall, February 29, 2016, 06:30:20 PM

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Quentin Hall

I have 3 shocks that appear to be working and one rear that I have removed that has no pressure. Freed the two screws and the remaining fluid appears to be brake fluid. Is this right? Should I purge and refill with hydraulic oil? Never played with one of these.
53 Eldo #319
53 Eldo #412.
53 Eldo #433
57 Biarritz
53 series 62 conv
39 Sixty Special Custom
57 Biarritz

Jon S

#1
Never heard of brake fluid ever being used in any type of shock - knee action or otherwise.

I would think hydralic jack oil.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Quentin Hall

Yes that is what I thought Jon. Whatever is dribbling out is water thin and hardly viscous.  Who knows what happened over 75 years. I'll purge and fill with oil me thinks.
53 Eldo #319
53 Eldo #412.
53 Eldo #433
57 Biarritz
53 series 62 conv
39 Sixty Special Custom
57 Biarritz

Bobby B

#3
Quentin,
  It's specific fluid made for lever shocks. It has different additives and dampening factor than other fluids.                 P.S. It's made in your own Country!  ;)
                                                                                                                          Bobby
Example…


https://www.penriteoil.com.au/products.php?id_categ=14&id_subcateg=73&id_products=86
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1968 Mustang Convertible
1973 Mustang Convertible
1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1971 Datsun 240Z
1979 H-D FLH

Jay Friedman

I think Kanter's in Boonton NJ sells the correct shock fluid.
1949 Cadillac 6107 Club Coupe
1932 Ford V8 Phaeton (restored, not a rod).  Sold
Decatur, Georgia
CLC # 3210, since 1984
"If it won't work, get a bigger hammer."

Jon S

Here's what you need - the real stuff:
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

harry s

You can also use motorcycle shock oil which comes in different viscosity. Jon , that can looks like a real collector item.   Harry 
Harry Scott 4195
1941 6733
1948 6267X
2011 DTS Platinum

Bobby B

Quote from: Jay Friedman on February 29, 2016, 07:15:32 PM
I think Kanter's in Boonton NJ sells the correct shock fluid.

Jay,
They do, but think of the shipping to the Land Down Under…….. :o
                                                                                      Bobby
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1968 Mustang Convertible
1973 Mustang Convertible
1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1971 Datsun 240Z
1979 H-D FLH

Jay Friedman

And, of course, the can (I think they say "tin" there) would arrive upside down.
1949 Cadillac 6107 Club Coupe
1932 Ford V8 Phaeton (restored, not a rod).  Sold
Decatur, Georgia
CLC # 3210, since 1984
"If it won't work, get a bigger hammer."

Steve Passmore

Quentin, its easy to confuse the correct oil with brake fluid as its very thin. Search Google for Lever Shock Oil.  Penrite does it.

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/pis_pdfs/Shocker%20Oils.pdf

Beware though. when low on fluid it means its leaked out the seals usually because of wear on the shafts and bush's. It will probably leak out again.

Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

Gene Beaird

Quote from: Bobby B on February 29, 2016, 08:17:29 PM
Jay,
They do, but think of the shipping to the Land Down Under…….. :o
                                                                                      Bobby

Shipping is really not that bad between the US and Oz.  We have a 2012 Caprice ex-cop car.  It's manufactured by Holden, so many upgrade parts are from other Holden models.  There's a guy who works for a Holden dealership in Western Australia I order parts from.  It seems to be about a $20 premium over regular shipping in the US for boxes of parts you can pick up and carry. 

And funny, I've actually received parts that started in Western Australia get pushed out the back of the Big Brown Truck before parts I order on the same day in the US arrive. 
Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873

Cadillac Jack 82


I heard that you can use hydraulic fluid for the knee action shocks.  My old 1954 Buick had the same type of shocks and that's what other 54 owners recommended to me
Tim

CLC Member #30850

1959 Cadillac CDV "Shelley"
1964 Cadillac SDV "Rosalie"
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado "Sienna"

Past Cars

1937 LaSalle Cpe
1940 Chevrolet Cpe
1941 Ford 11Y
1954 Buick 48D
1955 Cadillac CDV
1955 Packard Clipper
1957 Cadillac Series 62
1962 VW Bug
1962 Dodge 880
1966 Mercury Montclair
1967 Buick Wildcat Convertible
1968 Chevy Chevelle SS
1968 Plymouth Barracuda
1977 Lincoln MKV

Quentin Hall

Thanks to one and all. To Gene, I sing the Johnny Cash song " One piece at a time . . . and it didn't cost me a dime. . . . excluding outrageous international postage due to poor exchange rate, 10% GST and insurance and  broker fees . . . "
53 Eldo #319
53 Eldo #412.
53 Eldo #433
57 Biarritz
53 series 62 conv
39 Sixty Special Custom
57 Biarritz