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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Clock Repair

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Clock Repair     trjford8 05-07-2014 @ 4:13 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 4218 Joined: Oct 2009 Well my '40 Ford clock needs some TLC. Anyone have any recommendations as to where to send it? My local watch repair shop quoted me a ridiculous price and would not give a date when I could expect to pick it up. It was obvious he didn't want to fool with it. fsacht 05-07-2014 @ 5:58 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 71 Joined: Oct 2009 I've repaired three cloks now by removing the clock from the instrument panel and removing the clock back casing. This exposes the mechanism. I gently blow electonic contact cleaner onto the gears and their bearing areas. I blow the mechanism to clear the cleaner and anything else with my own breath. Was concerned about excess air pressure blowing something out of place. A soft paint brush also helps clear debris from the mechanism. On one of the three I shot a bit of WD40 on it after cleaning and blew the residue of with my breath. All three work well and keep time. Below 40 degrees F. two of them quit until they get warm. None of them required cleaning the contacts. Like the V8 news says, worked for me. supereal 05-07-2014 @ 6:28 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 The repair depends on the type of clock, of course. If it is an electric wind, contact cleaner usually does it if the magnet coil is intact. Those wires are very thin. If it is a springwound, it is a job for a pro. We send them to Bob's Speedometer in Michigan. They have a website. You will get an estmate before agreeing to the repair. Drbrown 05-07-2014 @ 7:16 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 570 Joined: Nov 2013 Here are two repair companies: http://www.clockwks.com/The_Clock_Worx.html http://www.classicautoelectric.com/clock-tender2.html Like fsacht, I did my own (electric). My experience was that the three small rubber insulating grommets in the back cover were dried-out and fell apart during the "take-apart". The back cover must be insulated from the mechanizium. Be careful with chemicals around the electric coil wiring. I could not find anyone who makes those tiny grommets so I got inventive with tubing and tiny rubber O-rings - it worked. Any questions about doing this, I'd be glad to get on the phone with you. PM me if so. This message was edited by Drbrown on 5-7-14 @ 7:19 PM cliftford 05-07-2014 @ 8:46 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 2014 If you are not worried about judging, you might consider a quartz clock conversion. There are those who do this who adveritse in Hemmings. TomO 05-08-2014 @ 7:04 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7256 Joined: Oct 2009 Tom, I used tuner cleaner and lubricant available at Radio Shack. It cleans the dirt out of the pivots and leaves a fine oil residue. Don't spray directly on the balance wheel or the hair spring as you can damage them. Also keep the can at least 12" away when spraying. I did the clock on my Mercury in 2000 and it still keeps time. I did Lenny's 39 in 2005 and when he remembers to wind it, it works fine. Tom trjford8 05-08-2014 @ 7:51 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 4218 Joined: Oct 2009 My 40 clock is the wind up type by Westclox. I think someone wound it too tight, so it may be beyond the stage where I can just clean it. The quartz conversion sounds interesting so I will explore that option. Thanks for all the suggestions. On the web I did find a couple of repair shops. Does anyone know anything about Williamson's Instruments in Arkansas or Bill's Speedometer in Ohio? This message was edited by trjford8 on 5-8-14 @ 7:52 AM deluxe40 05-08-2014 @ 9:35 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 413 Joined: Oct 2009 I have had success with several '40 clocks and a few others just by cleaning and oiling. When they are wound too tight I can sometimes get them going again by spinning the escapement wheel by hand (gently). They only run for a few seconds at first, but I leave them on my workbench and spin them every time they stop for a day or so. They typically run longer each time until they will run all day. I used brake cleaner before I discovered the Radio Shack cleaners and a special ammonia-based clock cleaner given to me by another V8er. At his recommendation I have been using Mobil 1 to oil them (lightly). I have clocks that are still running five to seven years after this process. This message was edited by deluxe40 on 5-8-14 @ 7:15 PM Drbrown 05-09-2014 @ 9:22 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 570 Joined: Nov 2013 TomO .... Question: looking at my '47 clock works, if I spray cleaner in there, how would I keep it off the balance wheel or hair spring ? Dan This message was edited by Drbrown on 5-9-14 @ 9:23 PM TomO 05-12-2014 @ 6:44 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7256 Joined: Oct 2009 Spraying directly on the balance wheel can knock the balance wheel off of its pivot. You do not need to keep the cleaner and lubricant off of the balance wheel, you just have to remember that the pivot for the wheel and the spring can both be damaged by the force of the spray. Tom

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