Those darn dash clocks! I've never seen one work. I've never heard of one working. I'm convinced they came from the factory broken. Because of this, I have have made it my personal vendetta to fix the on in my '67. Does anyone know the secret? I'm new to restoration, and even mechancics altogether (please type slow so I'll understand), so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Clocks really aren't my bag, radios are, but I've taken apart an original '70 Chevelle Malibu clock and a '65 Ford Galaxie clock and misc. and worked on them.

The units were "all" made by General Time Corp. The outside case may say "BORG" or something else, but I believe all were made by General Time.

Not a really good design... http://www.chevelles.com/forum/frown.gif But what do expect for 30+ years ago.

The #1 thing I see is fryed coils.
#2 thing I see is jammed main springs.

#3 is corrosion.

All problems are sort of related in a way.

Here's how they work (rather how they are suppose to work http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif )


The mainspring just like in the 'ol days in the old wristwatches you had to wind, were wound up tight. They'd slowly unwind causing the gearing to turn with ran the clock.

There's a little "escape" wheel that controls the rate of release and causes it to "tick" at regular intervals.

So what happens when the mainspring unravels all the way. Well duh, no one's there to wind it! Except for 12 Volts!

There's a little contact mounted on a pivot on the same rod the mainspring is wound around. When it unwinds, the contact slowly reaches a post with another contact.

Zzzzzap! the 2 contacts complete an electrical connection that sends 12 volts to the coils that electromagnetically "kick" a tiny lever that sends the mainspring winding back with fury. And the whole thing starts all over again. (happens about every 2-3minutes)...

Here's the bad...

These units were dust magnets, they also had very little lubrication. Things froze-up especially the mainspring assembly.

But before that happens the contacts get very pitted, with electicity arcing between them all the time (makes a bad connection).

Why do you think you have to change points in a distributor!

But the killer is the fryed coils. Why do they frey you say?

Well if a car is not used for a long time, the batter slowly depletes, or if someone gives someone else a jumpstart it can send a surge or drain in the system.

When a battery slowly dies the voltage goes down, but the capacity is still strong.

For example when the contacts close in the clock, the 5 volts in the dead battery is not enough to "kick" the works, so it stays connected to electricity, but the battery still has energy to frey the clock coils. Slowly cooks them. Jumpstarting can have a similar effect.

Steve S. has a great idea after rebuilding the vintage clocks. Install a diode across the contacts to prevent electrical arcing.

Steve-please fill us in again http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

Here's my tip that I read quite a while ago.

Install a 1 or 2 amp quick blow fuse in line with the clock wire that goes to the battery. If there is a surge or a draw, the fuse will hopefully blow and save the precious coil windings.


Hope this helps.

Joe
(creator of Team Chevelle's Radio pages coming soon)

What the hell am I doing still answering clock questions? http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif Just kidding.

Someday I'll post pics on the 'net what the insides look like of a Chevelle clock.

Sent my clock to Instrument Service in Roscoe, IL 800-558-2674 two years ago, they installed quartz movement kit and it keeps perfect time. I haven't touched the clock in over two years! Costs around $85 if memory serves right.

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Team Chevelle Gold #33
ACES Member #02913
Chevelle Club of Michigan
Livonia, Michigan

OR, you could use my solution, install some kind of digital radio, DIN or knob style, then you get a nice digital clock and you can say to hell with the crappy dash clock, AND you get some tunes.

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Chris Dagenais
CST Kelsey
'71 Malibu soon to be 454!
http://member.xoom.com/Gandalf80/Chris'sPage

Excellent reply Joe.

IMHO the best way to handle clock problems is to send it to a clock repair shop. Have a quartz movement installed. Or some repair shops will sell you a quartz movement kit you can install. Greater accuracy, less hassle.

Elree Colby
Chandler, AZ

Coppertop is correct, most of the clocks that I have had, stopped because of bad contacts. Try filing the contacts and see if it works again. This will fix 90% of the problems .

Don

My 70 Malibu came without a clock and I found an NOS clock, with wire pigtail, right here in the want ad section for $50, which I feel was a great buy for an NOS clock. When I installed it, I connected the +wire to an Ignition terminal on the fuse block rather than a Battery terminal. This way the clock is only on when the key is on. Yes, I have to reset the clock every time I get into the car (which isn't very often) but it saves the clock. Your next option is to pull the clock and see if it is repairable, as mentioned above, or, get a quartz conversion which is the best cure.

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Tom Parsons

I fixed my clock in my 64. It would work for a few seconds if I tapped on the face of it, and if I did this enough, I would eventually hear the spring rewind as the points touched, so I new it functioned but was dirty. I removed the clock and cleaned the gears with brake kleen and gentle blew it dry. I got some fine machine oil from a hobby shop. It came in a sort of hypodermic needle dispenser. I carefully oiled every gear and it has been working great for over a year now.

I guess I am a rare exception but my clock still works after 30 years!I pull the fuse to save the battery when its in storage.

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Dean Ciampi(Spring Hill,FL)
Autumn Gold 1970 LS6 Chevelle
Team Chevelle Gold #52 Aces #3094

I pulled the console clock in the 67 and found my problem was the contacts. i went to file them down and one was so bad it broke to a millon pieces and vanished into thin air. so i guess i pay the 100 bucks to get it changed over to cortz or let it just not work. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE PAID TO GET THEM CHANGED OVER.

Thanks

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Hot66ss
Los Angeles,CA

66 Super Sport
67 Malibu
Aces Member 2380
Team Chevelle member #262
members.aol.com/chvellss (http://members.aol.com/chvellss)

Well, I pulled my clock, and sent it to "Corvette Clocks by Roger" who put in a quartz unit. - That was 20 years ago, and it
keeps better time than my wife. (She's not around, she's always running late.) Anyway, Roger will do original clock parts or quartz parts. There is a difference between General Time, Borg, or Stewart-Warner. Roger said there were 3 manufacturers, and they are different. I think it costs about $100 for the quartz unit.

>>>Rod<<<

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>>>Rod<<<
A.C.E.S. # 2894
Team Chevelle #115

Original Parts Group (1 800 Chevelle)sells a replacement quartz movement do it yourself kit for 64 to 72. 57 bucks, sounds like the way to go.

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Chevy1999

The Original Parts Group only works on Borg. Of course, when I found a clock for my dash, it had to be a General Time. I sent it to Instrument Services and they did a dandy conversion. I set it a few months ago, and it is till on.

Someone mentioned a digital stereo set up. When I bought my car, it was set up this way. I found the analog clock and an AM radio. We love it. My kids had never seen mechanical tuning buttons.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Elree Colby:
Excellent reply Joe.

IMHO the best way to handle clock problems is to send it to a clock repair shop. Have a quartz movement installed. Or some repair shops will sell you a quartz movement kit you can install. Greater accuracy, less hassle.

Where can you get the Quartz kits for my 68 SS? Thanks Steve

Elree Colby
Chandler, AZ<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>