If your car starts jumping around over bumps or skating across
the road, then it is time!
If you have to repeat the fill up routine too often, or if the pool of oil
around the shocks is too much for you, then replace rather than refill.
Here is a brief summary of what I do:
Remove shock from car.
Remove the big bolt from the back (non-lever side) of the shock,
taking car to carefully remove the valve, spring and spacers.
Make sure you keep them in order.
Remove the bolt on the side of the knob at the front top of the shock.
Work the lever a bit to make sure all the grungy, pasty oil comes out.
It will contain lots of tiny metal grindings/filings.
Put some kerosene (Paraffin for the UK) in the shocks and work the
lever some more. This is just to flush out the old stuff.
After draining the kerosene, use some Auto Transmission Fluid
(ATF) to flush out the kero and drain this ATF.
Now the proper refill. This has to be done slowly and carefully.
I replace the knob bolt and with the shock tilted down, slowly add
Motorcycle Fork Oil (I use 30wt but you can also use the original
weight - 20wt, or ATF - apparently this is a little lighter but I haven't
noticed the difference on the road). Work the lever *slowly* add
the fluid until you don't have bubbles coming out the top orifice
(you'll know what I mean). Level the shock, replace the bolt, valve
etc. Have a rag wrapped round the body to catch all the overflow oil.
Next tip the shock back slightly, remove the knob bolt and add
fluid until it dribbles out the bolt hole. You'll have to do this slowly
too.
replace the knob bolt then replace the shock.
BTW, you can add oil through the knob bolt while the shock is in
the car. It often helps for a little while but it is no substitute for the
proper job.
Of course, after all this, you may despair at the leaking oil and
decide to replace them anyhow! :-)
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Lancer7676@aol.com <Lancer7676@aol.com>
To: dewood@sentex.net <dewood@sentex.net>; spridgets@autox.team.net
<spridgets@autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, December 17, 1998 3:38 AM
Subject: Re: Mine scares me, it likes the speed
>While we are on the subject of shocks--I assume everyone is talking about
>lever shocks--How do you know when your shocks need to be filled rather
than
>replaced? Do you stiffen the action of the shocks by filling them? Where
do
>you fill them and how do you know when you have enough oil? Is it a top-up
>thing? Thanks for any replies as I havent been there yet.
>
|