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Who here has experience with clockwork/fixing old analog clocks? In my truck, ever since I’ve had it, the clock never held time. The thing ticks, and it always has power. The second hand moves, as do the other two but it will always fall waaaay behind the actual time. Based on what I knew about these clocks already: they used a crystal of sorts and some small gears and required a power source. That is the extent of my clock knowledge. I just gave up setting the time on it because it won’t hold, but I would like it to function properly.
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I summoned the google wizard with the words automotive clock repair. There’s some stuff on youtube and plenty of businesses out there that can sell you repair services. I’m banking it’s going to be tough to find somebody in the ETCG forums that can offer more direct help. I did get one thing out of a website and it mentioned oiling stuff. That sounds like a reasonable place to start.
Depending how old the clock is I will say this, many of those old clocks never did keep very good time even when the got to be a year or so old. I remember one variety that used magnet contacts to force an arm which would move back to provide winding power for the clock. I myself have used the lubrication trick (lube the gears with spray lube) with marginal results…. but that was decades ago…
Good luck..
-Karl
In 1978 GM was still using tick tock clocks. The one I had in my ’78 GM vehicle was pretty slick, every time I adjusted the clock with it’s only knob, it also adjusted the mechanism to run faster or slower depending on which way I moved the hands. It kept good time for 10 years. In 1979 GM went with crystal controlled clocks. They still wear out but they keep better time.
In my opinion, the only true fix here is to use one of the internet automotive clock repair people. They replace the entire mechanism with new.
Anyway, it is cool seeing an older vehicle with a working clock that keeps time.
[quote=”barneyb” post=131957]In 1978 GM was still using tick tock clocks. The one I had in my ’78 GM vehicle was pretty slick, every time I adjusted the clock with it’s only knob, it also adjusted the mechanism to run faster or slower depending on which way I moved the hands. It kept good time for 10 years. In 1979 GM went with crystal controlled clocks. They still wear out but they keep better time.
In my opinion, the only true fix here is to use one of the internet automotive clock repair people. They replace the entire mechanism with new.
Anyway, it is cool seeing an older vehicle with a working clock that keeps time.[/quote] Here we go, thank you barneyb, I wasn’t going to pull it apart without getting an opinion from someone with experience with them. Ya, the clock is original to the truck. So in 41 years I’m sure that the clock has seen it’s better days, I’m amazed the thing still moves and ticks(everytime I sit in the truck with the engine off, the ticking taunts me because I know it doesn’t keep time). I’ll have to look into the automotive clock repair people. I’m sure I could do it myself, I was just curious on literally what makes it tick to know what to expect. So the clock is not crystal controlled? So that means that its just gears and a mechanism. By the sound of it, it’s adjusted off of tension?
By the sound of the other contributors to the thread(thank you TK and nocommon sense) lubing the gears is not the way to go. I’ll see what I can find for automotive clock repair online. Thanks for the input guys! Even the pros need help sometimes right?
What you will get back is a clock with a mechanism no different than the battery operated clock you have on the wall. The tick tock will be gone but the thing will keep time. Call to find out how many parts they need you to send in.
[quote=”barneyb” post=131965]What you will get back is a clock with a mechanism no different than the battery operated clock you have on the wall. The tick tock will be gone but the thing will keep time. Call to find out how many parts they need you to send in.[/quote] I don’t know how I feel about that barneyb. That would be a departure from the 70s charm. I like the tick tock. I’ll have to see what I can find.
[quote=”andrewbutton442″ post=131968]There is a guy here in Denver who rebuilds them cheap. Pm if you want the info.[/quote] He rebuilds them? I assume with original components or at least to stock specs?
[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=132001][quote=”barneyb” post=131965]What you will get back is a clock with a mechanism no different than the battery operated clock you have on the wall. The tick tock will be gone but the thing will keep time. Call to find out how many parts they need you to send in.[/quote] I don’t know how I feel about that barneyb. That would be a departure from the 70s charm. I like the tick tock. I’ll have to see what I can find.[/quote]
I hear you. On the other hand you are wanting to fix something built to a GM price point. It shouldn’t be running at all after forty years.
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