clock repair

[Kevin Kennedy]

If anyone has a clock that chatters and does not run I think that I have figured out how to fix it. In the pic there is a shaft with some gears, ratchet and winding mechanism. This shaft comes a little loose and drops down a little bit so that the ratchet ( green arrow ) does not line up with it's corresponding gear like it should and sometimes will not engage the teeth on the winding gear to wind the clock and will thus make the contacts chatter. To fix the problem you will need a 12 volt power source that can be used in your house or workshop and a .028 x 1/2 hair pin clip that you can get at any hardware store. Take the clip and spread the tines apart to enlarge the hole in the middle of the pin and stick a object of a little bit bigger than the original hole into the hole and rebend the tines back to where they were originally. Take a pair of needle nose pliers gripping from the round end and push the clip tines first around the shaft end until the hole in the center of the clip is around the shaft ( red arrow ). Do not let the clip touch the shaft or the clock will not run. Hook up the 12 volt power source to the clock and see if it is working if it is let it run for awhile to make sure that it stays running. If the clock does not start, move the clip around until it does you may have to remove the clip and sand it down a little at a time until the clock works. Make sure to lube the area where you put the clip. My clock has been running for over 8 hours with no problems. Hope this helps and if you have questions contact me. Also did the hands on the clock ever glow in the dark?

[Tony and Ginny 429]

My clock never stopped running for 36 years ,then it did stop
That fact just made my wife and I amazed for years ,and somehow added to our feeling of the high quality of the components put into these year Cadillacs
Do be aware ,the clock will be running --.all the time-- ,and will drain your battery ,if the car sits for long periods of time
I found a broken winding in the wiring of my clock, in my case
A little bit of solder work ,and my original clock is back in the car working again which i do love ( original )
There are two brands of clocks used ,Westclock and Borg ,i think ,its been a while
Ones workings are superior to the other in my opinion , i think it is the Borg
Determined by the quaily of the workings
I had the good luck to have the better one
I put an on off switch in my glove box ,so i could shut my clock off when I like
Turn the clock on at shows Etc ,to blow a few minds ,when the time is correct in a 50 year old car
That prevents the battery fromm drainning constantly ( shortens battery life a lot ) and keeps the clock new as well
A win ,win as i see it
That my clock story and i am sticking to it
ENJOY

[Tony and Ginny 429]

The clock is illuminated ,so it really does not glow in the dark ,but easy to see