[lance-w]

Hello,
Let's start out by saying I'm not an electrical wizard... I do ok but this one is beyond me and I need some inpuit from someone smarter at this than I am
We are rebuilding Jill's Instrument panel and dash stuff this week and I'm trying to get this clock to work. I filed the points in it and then hooked up the terminals and frame to 12 volts and the coils(?) start smoking. Does this mean that they're no good or that there's just a short somewhere or ??? Can I fix this easily or should I just scrap the clock?

Lance

 

[John_Muha]

Coils look burnt. There are places that repair clocks but might want to consider a quartz replacement clock.

 

[lance-w]

Replacement quartz clocks are like $150 plus. If we can't fix this one we'll go without. At least for now....

 

[John D]

It looks like the coils suffered (common) "collateral" damage, due to the contacts arcing and getting stuck. Those coils are meant for only momentary energy to trip the "motor" mechanism in the clock. When the "points" fry and weld, the coils are then constantly energized, overheat, and burn up.

Unless you can find a new set, re-wind them yourself (ouch), get it rebuilt at a clock/speedo shop, or go to a conversion you're pretty much skarooed.

 

[Coppertop]

Sorry, but I disagree, this is quite save-able. I've seen worse and they still can be revived. Lance, you pulled the #1 clock rebuilding and testing no-no

you gave it power...Without BADLY NEEDED AFTER 30+ years -LUBRICATION-. That IS the #1 fault. The lube dried out aprox. 29 years ago. Your coil smoked as the points are together and no kick-back resulted because of the lack of lube on the rewind mechanism, it was stuck, so them coils a-sizzled.

I use Radio Shack's precision Pen-lube oiler. You need to completely take that thing apart and clean, (with rubbing alcohol, 90% stuff) and then carefully lube and reassemble. If you aren't "into" that stuff, don't try it, you'll have 1000 tiny pieces on the floor in no time.

Now, the other issue is reliability. The clock will work (unless you let the coils cook to the point where they are nearly a dead short from the delamination of windings).But, the "points" will soon where out. My favorite trick is to rewire the internals so the "points" fire the ground signal to a transistor or FET, this will in turn turn on the coil. The clock will last forever with only a tiny base or gate current flowing thru the points.

I'm sure John has the time to step you thru it, but I got to get going tonite.



Joe

 

[John_Muha]

John sorta disagrees with you Joe. Had the coils not burnt you would have a point. All is repairable but at what price?