Stock FL350 Shocks

[Factory 45]

Just got bored and tore down a known worn rear FL350 shock. Not a drop of oil in it...this does not look like a gas charged shock. No internal floating piston or separate gas chamber at all. It is possible to try to rebuild this shock...if it is a fluid only shock. Has anyone tried this before...finding a seal head...and a good fluid capacity and type? Honda manual obviously has nothing about rebuilding shocks on the 350.

[Factory 45]

I have never ridden an ody with stock shocks...what is the major issue with them? Too harsh/stiff or too soft? Are they a shock that packs up over chop and then delivers a smash at the bottom over something that would make them bottom out? Or are they like a pogo stick that causes the machine to be too loose in the back? Just curious...I have a seal kit Im gonna try from Honda on order. Its a part number for an 80's CR80 rear showa shock. Dimensions look to be the same for the dust and oil seals. Gonna see what I get...its an 8 dollar kit still available from Honda...the next thing will be what qty. and type of oil to put in. If nobody has any fill spec this could be time consuming.

[odypilots]

My 350 was like a hard tail, no compression to speak of. I'm not sure if they were froze up or not.

[b s]

they actually ride  a whole lot better with no oil in the shock at all

Some people just rip the seals out of them and drain out all the oil and there a softer ride that way

[Factory 45]

No way would I ever drain a hydro shock...and let the insides just get destroyed. Not very good advise BS...thanks for chiming in...but that just sounds like something Hoser would tell you to do. I spent some time fiddling with the worst shock I have. (pitted shaft and dented cap missing bottom out rubber cushion) Used a seal kit from a CR80...and tried first adding SS-8 (10w) oil. At about 4.5 oz it was just about full above the shim stack...but when you compress it...you only get 1 1/2-2 1/2 inches of travel on the shaft. It gets progressively stiff until it wont compress anymore by hand. (figured that was too stiff) So then I drained the 10w and added 4.5oz of SS-7 (5w) oil. That's the ticket...shaft travels all the way to the bumper by hand...but gets progressively stiff just before contacting it.

This is how I'm going to try a set of shocks on one of my Ody's...but much snow on the ground here already...