question on filling rear shock....[armstrong]

[richardJr]

I am almost ashamed to admit my ignorance here but I have a question on filling the shocks with oil. I have cleaned throughly, dried and replaced the valves, gaskets and now ready to place back on the car. The oil that did come out scared the neighbior cat away and the lingering smell I will never forget. My question being: do I simply fill them up and crank a few times and top off? In trade for advice I can share my trick on filling the gear box with your son's or daughters cheap drink bottle straw, a piece of duct tape and a gasket made of an old paper shop towell along with a normal funnel. Gotta laugh huh?...it worked and not a drop anywhere! I wish you all a happy day... Richard, 71 mgbgt

 

[BradHollister]

No need to be ashamed - I know not a damned thing about the good old lever shock, other than when its not working right.

If you have a trick for getting that pesky fill/check plug back in the transmission after filling, I'd be willing to learn about shocks. LOL (got lucky today - only took 5 minutes to fill 'er up)

Brad Hollister

'62 Midget

 

[Keoke]

Hi Richard,Yes you just fill it up with the proper shock oil and work the arm until resistance felt in both directions is the same, then top up if required and install the filer cap. Note; keep the shock in the vertical position after this and refit to the car.--Fwiw---Keoke

 

[MGTF1250Dave]

Aloha Richard,

Remember to allow a small air gap at the bottom of the filler hole. This is to allow room for the oil to expand as it heats up during operation. This is fairly easy to see with the shock off the car, but can be very difficult with the shock on the car. I have modified a plastic glue applicator (looks like a hypodermic needle and available in most home improvement stores) by cutting the "needle" length to be just below the bottom of the filler hole. I can use it to add oil to the shock, then suction any excess out.

Safety Fast,
Dave