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Checked most of my 69's fluid levels today. I only have the Haynes guide to go off of. So I was hoping you guys could help me with tips. Can you take a look at the pics below and give your analysis on the quality of fluid, level of fluid, and which brand/type I need for refilling?
Radiator Fluid. Seems low, going off the guide. Couple inches under the brim.
Engine oil. When refilling the engine oil, I DON'T go through the dipstick tube, right? It's the cap on the rocker arm cover that I put the oil in, right?
Brake fluid, seems low. Does the quality look good?
Power steering fluid. Extremely low, I think. Cool to touch.
it all looks good. As long as you top off with recommended fluids there should be no problem with brands. Its pretty difficuly to flush all fluids out completely and replace with a particualr brand anyway.
there is a procedure for bleeding air out of the cooling system but if youre not having overheating problems you can just top it off after the car warms up. your coolant looks fresh and nice level, there are cheap coolant testers to see the concentration quality of coolant.
the power steering is a bit low. but you dont want to overfill or the pump pressure will blow it out. I think the cap has a vent on it to blow out pressure so maybe thats why the engine is so dirty. but a lot of the time its worn seals on the pump/case, and leaky hose ends. So maybe replacing hoses pump and cylinder in future.
brake reservior level will vary slightly and drop as brake surface wear
Looks like ethylene glycol for coolant in the radiator. Any good brand will do. 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze (unless you decide to buy the ready-mixed stuff.) You need to get brake fluid into that master cylinder. [especially the rear section] Can't tell by looking what DOT No. it is....probably DOT 3. But, some of the other types are incompatible with DOT 3, so you need to be sure.
Put power steering fluid in your P/S pump. Folks put ATF in it, but that's not best for it. If the fluid in the P/S pump is red, it's ATF. If you need to change it, I'd suggest you take the car to an oil change place. They can do a complete drain and swap over to P/S fluid (clear).
ATF level is checked with engine warm and running, and after shifter has cycled thru all of the gears. Any decent brand of ATF will do.
Coolant will typically be about 2" below the neck when cold if you don't have an overflow tank. If you fill it to the top, it will just burp it out on the driveway when hot until it's at the correct level. Looks to be your typical Prestone variety.
Engine oil gets re-filled via the cap on the valve cover.
Brake fluid needs to be topped off.
If it hasn't been flushed in a number of years, you may want to consider it as brake fluid will absorb water which will eventually corrode the system from the inside out.
PS Fluid can be filled carefully.
If it's red, use Dexron ATF, if yellow or clear, use PS fluid.
GM used Dexron for PS fluid for a number of years so it's not 'bad' for the system and I wouldn't flush it for that reason alone.
Trans fluid needs to be checked when the trans fluid is hot. Engine temp is irrelevant-
Trans oil expands with heat so the trans fluid needs to be hot to get an accurate reading so you don't overfill.
Typically some spirited driving for a few miles will do the trick.
Car should be on level ground and the engine needs to be running (trans in park) to check.
If you mix your own antifreeze, be sure to use distilled water or deionized water (you can get it at the supermarket), NOT mineral water or even tap water. The minerals in well water in particular and tap water in general can promote corrosion. Mix it 50-50 with whatever antifreeze concentrate you choose.
I use a long funnel to reach the power steering pump, but I have to fill it often until I replace/rebuild the pump. Don't go past the cold line if filling cold.
Last edited by Bikespace; Jun 19, 2018 at 03:11 PM.
Thanks so much for all the help. I got all the fluids I needed, and brought the PS, Coolant, and Brake Fluids to appropriate levels. I think that the ATF is fine, so I held off for now.
Couple more questions. Is it okay to keep all these fluids in a shed outside (I live in CA, so it is usually between 60-80 degrees)? Or do they need to be kept in the house where it's room temp?
Also, I am gonna change the oil soon. Any tips for someone who can't jack his car up? Is it as simple as unscrewing the oil plug, letting the old oil drain into a pan, and then pouring in the new?
Do you keep your car inside the house? All of the fluids that go IN the car should be fine from well below freezing to Death Valley. Fluids that go ON the car may have a much narrow range, so keep paint and your expensive car cleaners inside. In southern California, you're probably fine either way.
I use 56" two-piece Race Ramps to change oil. They make shorter and longer ones, too, but this size fits my 80 with a low front spoiler. I doubt you'd be able to get under the car without ramps or jackstands, unless you dug a trench and drove over it. Stacked 2x12s, perhaps? You need to change the oil filter at the same time as the oil, so have a plan for that. It's not hard, though.
Use distilled water from a grocery store.
But I get your super-detailed point.
Basic Fluid Tips
