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1930 packard 745 super 8

How do you adjust shock absorbers?
What type of oil do you use?
How much?

Any suggestions appreciated!

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On the top of the shock there are two nuts, the smaller one is the fill and should have a copper crush washer under it. I would undo this one first and fill the unit with motorcycle fork oil. Do this with the shock free from the car because you want to get all of the bubbles out. Do this by filling it a bit and slowly moving the arm up and down to push air bubbles out. Once bubbles are out you can check the dampening setting by loosening the large locknut next to the filler. In the center of the large nut is the adjustment for rebound. Turn it CW until it stops, then back it off one and a half turns CCW for the Packard factory setting. Retighten the locknut to lock down this setting.

If you want to make adjustments to this setting at a later date then turning the adjuster screw CW will give you a tiffer ride and turning it CCW will give you a smoother ride. I would caution though that any adjustment should be very small, no more than 1/8 turn. It's a sensitive little valve.

I just went through this on my 733 and all my copper crush washers were ruined and leaking. There are more crush washer in the valve itself. Since you already have your shock off the car I would double check these before sticking it back on the car. I bought replacements through Mcmaster-Carr. Some of the info above is in the 1930 Packard owners manual which you can download elsewhere on this great website.

Just an add-on to tfee's excellent write-up above. No need to restrict yourself to motorcycle fork oil; commercial hydraulic oils like Mobil DTE-24 (SAE 10) or DTE 25 (SAE 20) or regular hydraulic jack oil are also good choices.

It's nice that you have the correct shocks. Most 1930 Packards I see seem to have retrofitted with the 1931 shock absorber.

If you have the shocks off the car, its a good idea to remove both bolts and flush them out with kerosene first.

You can tell if they are worn or not if there is play in the movement of the arm. ie. loose before it "catches" on the oil.

When filling the unit, initially have both bolts removed. Pour the oil into both holes and gently move the arm back and forth to expel the air. If you try to do it with the adjuster bolt still in, it takes longer and the oil is prone to squirting out of the hole.

Also, be aware that the lever must be fitted in exactly the right position. If you look carefully on the rear of the lever, there is a small mark which needs to line up with another mark on the spindle surround. This is important so that the movement is maximised about a centre point.