Construction - Transit - Level - problem?

My transit is about 75 years old also and was manufactured by Keuffel and Esser in New Jersey I believe. I have the original user booklet with the instructions on how to set up, adjust and test the "architect's level" as it was called because there is no elevation axis (only the 360 degree azimuth rotation). It works fine for me and I've used it many times. I have the original tripod support that the base of the transit screws onto.

The ultimate precision of my transit is referenced to the rigid metal bar that holds the telescope optics tube and rotates on the upright "spindle" shaft and bearing. When new from the factory, the only tripod setup adjustments required are the 4 hard rubber pads with knurled knobs located every 90 degrees around the transit baseplate that screws to the top of the tripod. Once the tripod is approximately level with a plumb-bob dangling down from the center of the transit to a reference pin location in the ground, you start adjusting the 4 hard rubber pads with the knurled knobs by aligning the telescope tube alternately over two opposing rubber pad adjustors. Gradually, you can get the leveling bubble to stay in the center of the leveling tube no matter what bearing you rotate the transit and point the telescope tube to. The instruction book notes that a factory calibration is done to make sure that the level bubble tube is exactly parallel to the rigid bar which rotates on the spindle described above. Also it notes that the telescope optics tube itself, of course, has to be parallel with the same rigid bar and the level bubble tube. You can imagine how sensitive all these adjustments are when you start to use the instrument at longer distances, because only a very slight mechanical movement sends the cross hairs far afield. My only regret is that my transit doesn't have an elevation axis!

Transit Level

Ok, when you level it you need to turn it 90 degrees from the first position you level it at and do that a few times till it's level both ways. If i remember right and it has 4 screws on a transit you need to line it up with two of the screws then turn it to line it up with the other two screws to relevel it, do this back and forth several times and it should eliminate the problem with it being out of level.

Make sure if you use it for something you shoot the angle several times and average the angle.

Edit: It could be the other way that you have to put it inbetween the screws, try it both ways and see what works. Just make sure that when you are adjusting it only turn the screws that are diagonal from each other and not the ones that are on the same side of the square made by the four adjustment screws. Adjust one set then adjust the other. Those old transits are a pain to set up.

To level it, you level in one direction with the viewing tube aligned with two of the four adjusting screws. Then rotate 90 degrees to the other two adjusting screws and level again. Repeat several times between the two sets of screws until is stays level in both directions.

It sounds like one or more knobs or screws need tightening.

it has a problem because it is too old too use because its not new tecchnology