Platinum shock rebuilds

[sgirouard]

I have a full set of platinum shocks. I'm going to make a runner with them, but I'd like to rebuild them. Does anyone have any hints or tricks on rebuild kits?

[RichieRich]

Just be careful with the o-rings. They use a couple of non-standard sizes and I've rarely seen replacements.

[Jirka]

The same tip from me too, be careful with O-rings, especially D (2*very small) and J (the biggest O-ring). Those were already very fragile as brand new.

Jirka

[Hcp22]

Cod this be to any help …

[sgirouard]

Thanks for the help everyone. Very helpful. Now I just have to find the o-rings or at least the size of them.

[Coelacanth]

Do they need new o-rings? If they're holding oil well enough, it may not be necessary...fresh, clean oil and air bubble removal might be all that you need to do. Unless all the oil had leaked out of the shocks over the years, the o-rings would still be soft and pliable. My Golden Oldies work just as good today as they did 24-ish years ago, all I needed to do was freshen the oil.

[DW911]

Do they need new o-rings? If they're holding oil well enough, it may not be necessary...fresh, clean oil and air bubble removal might be all that you need to do. Unless all the oil had leaked out of the shocks over the years, the o-rings would still be soft and pliable. My Golden Oldies work just as good today as they did 24-ish years ago, all I needed to do was freshen the oil.

Thats very true, I'm just going through boxes of stuff that has not been opened for at least that long and so far all the rubber parts are good to go.

[sgirouard]

That's what I have to test. I have some golds that are the same as yours. Never did a rebuild since I got the car in 1987 and still going strong. I just got the platinum fronts and the baggy had oil residue on the inside, so I'm expecting the worst. That's all.

[Coelacanth]

One thing to pay attention to when you unscrew the cap is to look at the diaphrams (a.k.a. "rubber caps" in the image linked above). With the set I'm currently rebuilding, one of the diaphrams was installed incorrectly and was pinched, which resulted in most of the oil leaking out of that shock. It had unfortunately remained in its pinched shape after removal due to being that way for who knows how many years and probably drying out, to boot.

[walfre]

Vtg Kyoshoshop has everything for your rebuilds. O-rings etc.
http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Kyoshoshop/Shock-Parts-Gold-Platinum-/_i.html?_fsub=171095819&_sid=374299629&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322