Clock Mechanism Cleaning (Do-it-yourself)

Q: Clock Mechanism Cleaning (Do-it-yourself)

How did you disassemble it? Mine is from a 69. The contacts are black and no current can get through…. Can’t get the time adjustment out of the front. Was just about to send mine out to be converted but would LOVE to have the original tick-tick back. Where did you actually lube the mechanism?

A: I just took mine apart and yes there are points in there! I was able to take the adjustment knob off by just unscrewing it CCW. The clock mechanism comes off by taking the nut that holds the +12 tab in place. This is all done after removing the two side screws that hold the “cup” in place, of course.

Now I need to get something small enough to clean the points. Maybe I can cut an emery board thin enough to fit through the little access hole.

Not sure where to actually lube the mechanism. I know that normally clocks don’t like oils and goop since dirt and stuff will build up quicker and muck them up.

A: I dressed the points on mine by removing the works from the “can” and physically taking the back of the clockworks off. There are three screws that hold it on to three stanchions. Be careful, the winder mechanism (a white-colored spring that has half of the points on it) is spring-loaded, and came unwound on me.

The “Plus 12V” side of the coil was broken off. I unwrapped one wrap of the coil to get enough to solder to.

I dressed the points with a points file; an emery board will work, too.

I lubed all the bearing points (wherever a gear shaft touched a plate). I used the straw from a WD40 can and dipped it in a little pool of WD40. Just enough wicked up into the straw that I could place a dot of it right where I wanted it.

I rewound the spring (took three wraps) and put the back on again.

Since my last post, I sanded and painted the inside of the “can” that holds the works. I used VW baby blue from Plastikote. I sprayed the housing with black eggshell finish lacquer. All I need now is the base — I’m working on it.

Checked on it this morning before work — it’s still ticking!

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