Added fluid to front lever shocks after 10+ years

So, as the title suggests, I had never added fluid to my lever shocks. Didn't know they even existed till a couple of years ago. Since the car never ran well, I never fixed / resolved this.

Anyway, figured for certain I would need new lever shocks which I see on eBay for a very fair price from a common guy on the boards who machines them out installing some bearing which the OE ones lack as they are strictly machine fit (my understanding).

Well, before shelling out the cash for the new ones, I figured what the heck, why don't I add fluid to my current ones to see how badly they leak. I added a fairly large amount of hydraulic jack oil to the opening on the front of the lever shock near the top. Once full, I put the bolt back in, installed the tire, and bounced the front of the car. It is still very bouncy.

Considering I believe the OE lever shocks are machine fit, I expected to see fluid on at least some part of the suspension, if not immediately on the ground. Can anyone confirm this for me? If they will not leak onto the ground (or other component), how can I be certain they have failed?

Perhaps I need to drive the car and continue to fill in the even there is air in the line? I filled them while the suspension was completely relaxed on each side, not under pressure. Is this the correct procedure?

After some spirited driving, the level will drop as the air pockets are filled with fluid. Re-fill them, if needed and drive the car some more and compare how the car handles before the addition of fluid and after. Odds are, however, that the shafts are worn and you will loose a fair amount of fluid since the shocks have been running almost dry for a long time. Peter Caldwell rebuilds them to better than new specs and even adds a seal that the factory didn't think was necessary. RAY

Can you tell me where I should inspect for the leak?.. or will it be *that obvious*? I will fill them again after a few drives and inspect for fluid prior to buying new ones.

Peter Caldwell is who I was thinking of when I mentioned the "common guy". Just couldn't remember his name.

Jeff,

Here you go, if you don't want to go the ebay route.(tu)

http://www.nosimport.com/

On my 72 B it was leaking by the lever arm on the side. Replace it with one from Peter. It was a quick repair because two months before I had complete a front end rebuild and the nasty top bolt had been replaced.
Mike