Clock repair?
Printed From: TheAMCForum.com
Category: The Garage
Forum Name: Electrical - non engine
Forum Description: Charging systems, lights, non-ignition system, it goes here.
URL: https://theamcforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=108050
Printed Date: Mar/28/2024 at 8:37pm Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Clock repair?
Posted By: GAclassic65
Subject: Clock repair?
Date Posted: Nov/01/2020 at 3:39pm
Anyone know about the AMC clocks? I took
mine out to repair and 2 of the tiny screws that keep the guts intact
were off, and so it fell apart a bit as I took it out of the housing. I managed to get it all back together, but I had to rewind the metal coil that keeps tension on the moving point. Both the moving point and the stationary point were dirty/fried ... and flat/concave. When they make contact the clock stops ...I can pull back the tension point and it will move again back towards the stationary point. I figure when power is applied the points will fly apart when they meet, but when I tested it w/ power nothing happened when the points met. What am I missing? My clock is from a '65
Rambler classic
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Replies:
Posted By: ramblinrev
Date Posted: Nov/01/2020 at 5:09pm
The coil could be burned out.
------------- 74 Hornet Hatchback X twins (since 1977) 62 American Convertible (still worth the $50 I spent in 1973!) AMCRC #513, AMO #384 70 AMX 360 4-speed (since 1981)
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Posted By: mmaher94087
Date Posted: Nov/01/2020 at 6:25pm
Is it grounded?
------------- Mike
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Posted By: ramblinrev
Date Posted: Nov/01/2020 at 6:59pm
Good point! Always look for the simplest cause first!
------------- 74 Hornet Hatchback X twins (since 1977) 62 American Convertible (still worth the $50 I spent in 1973!) AMCRC #513, AMO #384 70 AMX 360 4-speed (since 1981)
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Posted By: dltowers
Date Posted: Nov/01/2020 at 7:05pm
Ryan, FYI....(Clock Quartz Conversion and Guage Repairs) Instrument Services, Inc.
11765 Main
St, Roscoe, IL 61073 (817) 623-2993/800-558-2674
http://www.clocksandguages.com/" rel="nofollow - www.clocksandguages.com mailto:sales@clocksandguages.com" rel="nofollow - sales@clocksandguages.com
------------- Original Owner, 1974 Javelin: 360ci,2v,727TC. Motorola Multiplex with 8-Track. G4 Plum exterior with 421Q Black Uganda Interior. Purchased on July 16, 1974 from Hooker AMC, Sherman, TX for $4500.20
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Posted By: JGRANTAMX
Date Posted: Nov/01/2020 at 7:14pm
I sent my clock to Kennedy AMC had it converted to quartz.
J
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Posted By: ramblinrev
Date Posted: Nov/01/2020 at 7:44pm
If you want it restored, reasonably, to factory: http://www.theclockwks.com" rel="nofollow - www.theclockwks.com
------------- 74 Hornet Hatchback X twins (since 1977) 62 American Convertible (still worth the $50 I spent in 1973!) AMCRC #513, AMO #384 70 AMX 360 4-speed (since 1981)
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Posted By: tomj
Date Posted: Nov/01/2020 at 8:50pm
They're horrible things. The windup mechanism is a crap design, the spring when new runs it for what, a minute? THe contact closes and CRRRRKKK a big spark sprays a small mist of aerosolized metal throughout the clock housing. Just great. The spring is short, it fatigues in a few years. ALso the solenoid draws 10 - 20 amps in a brief pulse (average power is very low) so the solenoid heats internally and it does require a solid ground.
They're comically bad designs.
I had a working one in a 62 Ambassador 400. I did my first cross country road trip (Mass. to Bremerton WA, round trip) in it in 1974 when I was 19. I slept in the car. I still remember the tick tick tick tick... get quieter and quieter then.. CLACK TICK TICK TICK tick tick ... as the winder wore down.
------------- 1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto 1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com
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Posted By: S Curry
Date Posted: Nov/02/2020 at 8:23am
My brother does clock repair. I gave him my clock for my 70 AMX. He just did some cleaning and uses a wall wart 12 VDC power supply to run it. It has been running on his bench for 3 months now. Gains about 2 minutes a week. Can't get it to slow any further without major overhaul. I'm good with that. Like he said, they are made to last about 7-8 years...about the normal lifespan of a car out of the '70's. NO, he is not available for repair of car clocks. He is about 18 months out with what is in his shop right now.
------------- SC
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Posted By: bigbad69
Date Posted: Nov/02/2020 at 8:26am
Unless you want the car 100% dead nutz stock, the quartz conversion is the way to go.
------------- 69 Javelin SST BBO 390 T10
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Posted By: george w
Date Posted: Nov/02/2020 at 2:32pm
I second the idea of the quartz conversion. Just the case, face and hands are kept so no worries about any lost or worn original parts.
------------- Long time AMC fan. Ambassador 343, AMX 390, Hornet 360, Spirit 304 and Javelin 390. All but javelin bought new.
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Posted By: RandyB
Date Posted: Nov/02/2020 at 4:01pm
Going to convert my clock, thanks for the link.
------------- Randy B 68 Javelin SST 343 73 Charger Rallye 340 triple Blk
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Posted By: tomj
Date Posted: Nov/02/2020 at 10:44pm
bigbad69 wrote:
Unless you want the car 100% dead nutz stock, the quartz conversion is the way to go.
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It would be cool to add a sound module that made the right sounds, and also a switch to make it run fast two minutes a week, you know, to get that OEM feeelz going.
(Technology-wise, it would be easy to do!)
------------- 1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto 1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com
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Posted By: First_Gear
Date Posted: Nov/17/2020 at 5:32pm
I was able to successfully repair my little clock. I replaced the points with some contacts salvaged from an old pinball game. The coil is good though it looks a little dark and I might rewind it.. I carefully cut the salvage relay leaf and popped the contact out. I drilled the old one out of the clock and carefully dremmeled the new one until it popped into the old hole then I swaged it over with a punch. I think I'll add a snubber capacitor to keep the spark down.
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Posted By: tomj
Date Posted: Nov/17/2020 at 9:58pm
First_Gear wrote:
I was able to successfully repair my little clock. |
I hope it stays running!
------------- 1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto 1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com
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Posted By: S Curry
Date Posted: Nov/18/2020 at 9:48am
Mine is still running on my brothers bench. Still gains about a minute a week.. due to him and his family getting Covid I haven't been able to pick it up....
------------- SC
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Posted By: motorhead_1
Date Posted: Nov/18/2020 at 2:04pm
i used redline gauge works for speedo and clock conversions they can convert your stock speedo to GPS as well
------------- 69 SC/Rambler tribute 401/th400, 68 Rebel SST LSA, 66 F100 460/c6, 88 Merkur Xr4Ti, 71 Jaguar XJ6 LS1, 08 Supercharged Tundra
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Posted By: bikerfox
Date Posted: Nov/19/2020 at 12:50am
Bought a clock from Galvin's and it intermittently worked. Found a clock resto shop nearby and the guy lightly oiled it and bent back a couple of metal areas that shouldn't have been bent. Instead of letting it run 24/7, I installed a battery cut-off switch and when the car's in the garage, the clock doesn't run, thereby extending its longevity. Works for me!
------------- 1969 Rebel SST (1970-1987) 1968 AMX (2005-2011) 1969 SC/Rambler (2011-2019) 1970 Javelin (2019 to ?)"Jane"
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Posted By: ramblinrev
Date Posted: Nov/19/2020 at 10:23am
Thanks, Matt! I like the sound of a ticking, re-setting clock, too!
I had my AMX clock restored 35 years ago....put a 1 amp fuse in the line, as the rebuilder suggested (to prevent coil from burning out if points stuck), and it still works fine!
AMC used Borg for a long time: All the 68-70 AMX/Javelin clocks and 61-63 American clocks, that I know best, are Borg.
I had two 68-70 clocks restored this summer for a reasonable fee. One is going to be my brother's retirement gift (he'll have "time" on his hands to enjoy his '69 AMX). The other is my back up clock. Then I have an NOS Hornet clock to put in my '74 California Hatchback X. (My 'forever' 74 has a factory tach, so no room for the clock!)
Stay well!
Paul
------------- 74 Hornet Hatchback X twins (since 1977) 62 American Convertible (still worth the $50 I spent in 1973!) AMCRC #513, AMO #384 70 AMX 360 4-speed (since 1981)
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Posted By: bigbad69
Date Posted: Nov/19/2020 at 3:45pm
FSJ's post was excellent! Can it be made a sticky somewhere? I would hate to see it lost in the bowels of the forum database.
Does he know a moderator who could do this?
------------- 69 Javelin SST BBO 390 T10
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Posted By: ramblinrev
Date Posted: Nov/19/2020 at 6:52pm
FSJ's post about how to actually renovate one of these clocks is now in the Restoration Stickies area.
------------- 74 Hornet Hatchback X twins (since 1977) 62 American Convertible (still worth the $50 I spent in 1973!) AMCRC #513, AMO #384 70 AMX 360 4-speed (since 1981)
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Posted By: FSJunkie
Date Posted: Nov/22/2020 at 1:32am
ramblinrev wrote:
Thanks, Matt! I like the sound of a ticking, re-setting clock, too!
I had my AMX clock restored 35 years ago....put a 1 amp fuse in the line, as the rebuilder suggested (to prevent coil from burning out if points stuck), and it still works fine!
| You probably sent that clock to my former professor who taught me that trick in the first place. He restores old car clocks and radios on the side as a hobby. He is a truly remarkable man. He was an engineer at North American Aviation in the 1960's and played a pretty significant role in developing the Apollo spacecraft command module. Many students tried to get on his good side by buying him a bottle of Glenfiddich.
You are all welcome. Happy to help.
------------- 1955 Packard 1966 Marlin 1972 Wagoneer 1973 Ambassador 1977 Hornet 1982 Concord D/L 1984 Eagle Limited
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Posted By: RandyB
Date Posted: Dec/03/2020 at 8:26am
Sent mine to Instrument Services Inc and they told me 6-8 wks for the conversion to quartz. Will let you know how it turns out.
------------- Randy B 68 Javelin SST 343 73 Charger Rallye 340 triple Blk
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Posted By: mbwicz
Date Posted: Dec/03/2020 at 9:52am
I converted mine myself. Bought the kit from Instrument Services and took a few hours to disassemble, install, and test. I also learned that an orange paint pen is remarkably close to the original color of the hands on my clock.
------------- 1970 AMX, one step forward, one step back. Both steps cost time and money.
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Posted By: RandyB
Date Posted: Dec/03/2020 at 10:53am
mbwicz wrote:
I converted mine myself. Bought the kit from Instrument Services and took a few hours to disassemble, install, and test. I also learned that an orange paint pen is remarkably close to the original color of the hands on my clock. |
My eyes are bad, so I would not trust myself.
------------- Randy B 68 Javelin SST 343 73 Charger Rallye 340 triple Blk
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