clock

[RobertH]

how difficult is it to remove the clock in a 1970 240Z? Does any one recommend a reliable place to send the old clock for repair?

thanks

RobertH

Lakeland, Florida

[MikeW]

You can either remove the heater control panel or the glove box to get to the clock. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. You can search old discussions here for the details.

As I recall, there's a guy on the net who repairs clocks and/or sells repaired clocks. I don't have the link right now but I'll look for it ...

[26th-Z]

http://members.aol.com/zclock4u/wp.html

[peterc]

Removing the clock is not impossible, just damn near.

Once you get it out, and before you send it off anywhere or replace it, try a few drops of sewing machine oil, (there's an oil hole at the back). After 30+ years these electric motors tend to dry out or get gummed up from dust. Sometimes a little oiling is all they need.

Cheers,

Peter

[EScanlon]

Peter:

What oil hole?

The only hole in the back of the clock housing is for the speed adjustment screw, other than the mnounting screws and light bulb opening.

If you drip oil in through that hole, you will not get to the root of the problem that the old clocks have.

I've taken a few apart, fixed them and put them back in service. Every single one has been because the motor is what needs oil, and you can't get the oil to the motor without disassembling the clock from it's housing.

Enrique

[peterc]

Enrique,

Oops, now that you mention it I vaguely remember removing the back cover in order to service the clock. I'll just blame this little brain cramp on inhaling too much carbon monoxcide over the years .

Nonetheless, it's still an easy fix. Most times the clocks just need a little oil, and disassembly/reassembly is a breeze.

Cheers,

Peter

[EScanlon]

As our Aussie friends might say, if we believe the Crocodile Dundee hype, "No Worries, Mate!".

You're right in that it's a quick and easy fix to get it running again. Probably the hardest thing is how to pull the Female Bullet connector with it's Protector tube thru the housing.

Two other items that need mentioning.

There is a pair of screws which adjust the pivot points for the main pendulum gear. That is the gear that you can observe rotating in one direction then stopping and rotating in the opposite direction. If you adjust these screws you need to be extremely careful as they house little "jewel" pivot mounts. Tighten too much and you can either bend the ends of the pendulum axle or crush the jewel points. Loosen them too much and then the pendulum will wobble and possibly fall out.

If you want to "prove" that you fixed the recalcitrant motor, you can remove it from the housing. The motor runs intermittently, BUT it never achieves high rpm's. This is important as the function of the motor is to MAINTAIN the main spring in the clock in a perpetually loaded state as opposed to allowing it to unspring before being tightened. As a result, when operating well, the motor operation will seem almost non-existent. Look closely however and you will note that the gear that it drives is in fact moving. The main warning here is to NOT let the motor spin unchecked, as this heats up the motor, the bearings and the armature, all BAD for this little motor.

Hope this helps someone.

Enrique

[Zedrally]

Originally posted by EScanlon

Tighten too much and you can either bend the ends of the pendulum axle or crush the jewel points. Loosen them too much and then the pendulum will wobble and possibly fall out.

Enrique

For the watchmakers out there. The "pendulum" is called a Balance Wheel and the axle is the Balance Staff.

[EScanlon]

Thanks Mike!

Sorry about not knowing the correct names, I just opened it up, figured out how it works and fixed it. Unfortunately, I also had problems with another one that is how I found out what NOT to do.

Enrique

[tanny]

My clock was dead after 20 years of no movement while in storage. I used some spray electrical contact cleaner to clean off the gears and pivot points(tested a bit on the plastic first to make sure I wasn't going to dissolve the housing) without complete disassembly, then used some fine machine oil on tip of a pin to oil all pivot points. Keeps quite accurate time now and has worked for over a year so far. I "like" the heater control panel method better than the glove box. Doesn't really take that long , just have to put up with a little contortionist action to get at the cable ends. If this old arthritic bag of bones can do it, anyone can. Victor.

[Zedrally]

Originally posted by EScanlon

Thanks Mike!

Sorry about not knowing the correct names, I just opened it up, figured out how it works and fixed it. Unfortunately, I also had problems with another one that is how I found out what NOT to do.

Enrique

Hey, don't be sorry, it's only that my late father was a watchmaker, so you got to learn the trade names.

Whilst discussing these clocks, I remember back in '76 my clock in my fist zed decided to spit the dummy. I pulled it out [heater control method, which incidently is in the FSM]. Proudly presented it to my father for repair who had one look at it, pronounced it a useless piece of Japanese engineering, quite rightly as there where some immaculate watch movements coming out of Japan at the time, he proded and poked at it for a few minutes, then pronouced it dead. Burnt coil! No parts available. So just by chance you decide to clean it and it still doesn't work then the coil will be burnt out.

The best practical fix would be to re-engineer a quartz movement into the housing. I believe someone already written an article on this somewhere on this site.

[EScanlon]

One of the "upgrades" available is to insert an inexpensive batttery operated mechanism, the type most commonly found on wall clocks. Then they extend the battery leads so that the battery is placed below and behind the radio.

It works, can be an answer to someone who just wants the clock to work and doesn't care about the clock mechanism itself. Heck you can even find them with a second hand.

Some of us, however, prefer to repair or replace the mechanism with an original part.

It becomes a matter of choice. To me, the challenge of getting a part that is notorious for not working, to work, is half the fun.

2¢

Enrique