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Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:42 am

Hi All,
I recently purchased a bay window clock (the early on with the grey centre to the face) for a 71 bay. Unfortunately it is not working. I have searched the net for help with taking it apart and have got thus far...

Plastic casing removed, front glass removed, screws removed from face so it is loose.

On aircooledtech I found an article describing how to take the clock apart but it seems to gloss over a couple of bits. The problem I am having at the moment is I cannot figure out how to remove the hands so I can get the face off to enable me to remove the triangular clips holding the mechanism in place.

I need to strip it down as the mechanism isn't working at the moment and I was going to swop it for a T3 mechanism that I have.

The mechanism has got the solder fuse blown (which I can replace) but when I wind it by hand the mechanism doesn't keep running. I guess it needs lubing and cleaning but I was thinking of taking it to a watch shop to do that.

So I need to know how to remove the hands from the clock to enable me to take the face off. Any ideas anyone?
Cheers,
Neil

Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:48 am

I'm a little confused... What do you mean by winding?

My Kienzle clock had the fuseable link blown and would only run for 2 or 3 seconds when I spun the escape wheel. After soldering a wire in place the clock runs great and keeps acurate time. Try replacing the blown link before you strip it down completely

Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:05 pm

Hi,
What I mean by winding is this...

The clock works by a set of points closing and causing a large flywheel type disc to rotate so winding the clock. This should trigger the small wheel that ticks away the seconds to start. The flywheel then gradually returns to close the points over a couple of minutes. Then when the points are closed the wheel moves away again and so on...

If you drag the flywheel back by hand it winds the clock. This should trigger the seconds wheel to start but on my clock it ticks intermittently - probably due to dirt etc.

Does that clear up what I meant?

Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:40 pm

Yep

You are right. Too much drag. Dissasemble and clean. I sprayed the mechanism with contact cleaner and then used a very light silicone lube, but I only payed $4.25 for the clock so I had little to lose.

I never attempted to remove the hands so I can't help there.

Maybe someone else will chime in.

Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:13 pm

How did you manage to remove the mechanism to disassemble without removing the hands? :?:

Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:45 pm

I didn't disassemble. I simply sprayed and lubed what I could see.

Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:53 am

In the uk....

I use www.jdo1.com

:D

Thu Apr 03, 2008 6:41 am

i have never taken the face off, just the back. i make a new solder fuse out of - wow - solder! put it thru the holes and squeeze it with pliers.

i would clean it with contact cleaner, careful about the plastic, or just a can of computer air.

i would just fix the fuse and see if it ran. the plastic cup cover is pretty good about keeping the dirt out.

Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:17 pm

Clembus wrote: In the uk....

I use www.jdo1.com

:D

Cheers for the heads up.... :D

but £35 seems a tad steep... :(

may try and find a local jeweller.... [-o<

Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:43 pm

Rather than starting a new thread I thought I would add some photos and information here on clock repair. I just got my clock going. This works for the earlier electro-mechanical clocks, not the quartz motorized versions:

1. Remove the white plastic case from the back of the clock by removing the 3 small nuts. One is hidden inside the round plastic tamper device. You will need to break the tabs on this little guy to unscrew the nut.

2. Flip the clock face up and spray the gears liberally with contact cleaner. I held mine above a white paper towel and loads of crap came off the mechanism although the mechanism looked pretty clean. At this point you should be able to test the function of the clock by manually advancing the winding mechanism (the gizmo with the points attached to it and the tall silver spring). The winder only rotates about 90 degrees. The clock should run for about a minute or two when wound.

3. Re-solder the fuse-link with low temp solder as described on the label on the clock. (Or do as KenManiac suggests above and squeeze a chunk of solder in the copper contacts. The contacts have a hole in each of them filled with solder in the photo.) The arrow in this photo shows the two copper contacts sprung apart. If the clock is overloaded the solder will melt and the contacts spring apart breaking the circuit. The top tab should overlap the bottom tab. The top tab is sprung up in this photo. You may have enough left over solder that you can simply heat the joint and re-fuse it.

4. Inspect your points. Mine were pitted and corroded a bit. I filed them clean and flat. I had to remove the arm to get to the one contact on the arm. When you reassemble the arm, make sure that it aligns nicely so the contacts touch cleanly and centered. You have some adjustment in the slop of the mounting screw. The arrow indicates the point on the winding mechanism.

5. Lube the mechanisms. I used a light sewing machine oil. I tried to stay away from the one plastic gear that I saw.

6. Test with power. I hooked up some power leads to run off my silver socket in the dash. The clock sprung into action and winds itself every 2 minutes or so.

Note: Be careful that that knob to set the hands is not engaged when the clock is running. Mine has a sticky spring so it can stay engaged after setting. This would bind up the works.

Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:47 am

A couple after thoughts and tips I got through PM:

You can use a 9V battery to test the clock on your bench. Wrap a wire around the negative terminal of the battery and hook it to the ground on the clock and then touch the positive post of the battery to the positive terminal of the clock. I tried it and it works.

Be sure to clean out any dust or other junk from inside the plastic case before it is reinstalled. Cover the holes in the plastic case with small bits of scotch tape to keep dirt from getting inside.

Clean and lube the clock once a year.

Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:22 am

Great thread for us clock owners! One question, where does one buy the "solder fuse" from? I've looked for it in the past and haven't been able to find it. I'd love to get my clock working this week.

Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:24 pm

djdh68dlux wrote: Great thread for us clock owners! One question, where does one buy the "solder fuse" from? I've looked for it in the past and haven't been able to find it. I'd love to get my clock working this week.

Here is the closest I found to the designated melting temp. It is called TIX solder.:

http://www.amazon.com/Solder-Grains-Sticks-030m-Di...amp;sr=8-1

Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:53 pm

Anchovy wrote: djdh68dlux wrote: Great thread for us clock owners! One question, where does one buy the "solder fuse" from? I've looked for it in the past and haven't been able to find it. I'd love to get my clock working this week.

Here is the closest I found to the designated melting temp. It is called TIX solder.:

http://www.amazon.com/Solder-Grains-Sticks-030m-Di...amp;sr=8-1

Figures it would be on amazon. They carry just about everything these days. Thanks for the tip. Now I can't wait to get home and pull that clock out of the dash!

Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:47 pm

More information than you care to know.

I dug through a box of old clocks that I have found scrounging through junk yards. Two of the clocks have the exact same mechanism as the 68 to 71 bus clock. One clock was out of a type three and the other was not VW...I think it came from an early Volvo. The clock has a black face with red hands and is rectangular. It is rectangular, similar to a split but clock in shape.

In any case, spare parts can be found by salvaging the parts from other cars with VDO clocks of the same era.

Also, an old German clock guy I know says not to use anything other that watch or clock oil on the clocks. Apparently standard oils can get thick and gum up the clock over time with heat. He claims that clock oil has moly and other additives that keep it from breaking down in the heat.

Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:10 pm

Hi

Ho do you take the complete clock face out of the housing

Cheers

b

Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:42 pm

Put inline fuse between clock and power.

Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:46 am

butthefuko wrote: Hi

Ho do you take the complete clock face out of the housing

Cheers

b

Can anybody advice?

I want to the dismantle the clock face without breaking it. I taken the glass out but I want to take the rest of the clock out to give a good overall and the surface rust?

I have managed to dismantle the clock mechanism as detailed above with no issues.

Sat Jul 17, 2010 11:34 am

no disrespect meant. Take it to a clock shop. 99.999999 of us lack the talents and equipment to work with clocks. The slightest tweak or scratch in the wrong place and it will be junk. On top of it you are dealing with 40 year old plastic that has been heated and subjected to the sun. It will break sometimes if you blow on it.

Sat Jul 17, 2010 4:20 pm

Anchovy wrote:

Also, an old German clock guy I know says not to use anything other that watch or clock oil on the clocks. Apparently standard oils can get thick and gum up the clock over time with heat. He claims that clock oil has moly and other additives that keep it from breaking down in the heat.

I repaired my two type 3 clocks following Anchovy's direction. One clock I used household light machine oil and it is working at this moment.
I wonder where can I get lubricant for the clock? How do you call it? I'd like to use for my other clock.