woodrow Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 I have to say I'm full of questions since joining the forum but I also have to say that all of my questions are answered generously. That's what makes this forum awesome; the willingness to help. So I have ascertained that because I have a Special Deluxe that is the reason why there is a clock in the dash. After 71 years of resistance the radio in my car suprisingly still works, but not so lucky with the clock. I'm never satisfied, it seems, to leave well enough alone. That, coupled with the fact that I am always looking to perfect what I can, leaves me wanting to make that little clock tick. I want so bad to take it out of the dash and have a go at it but I've realized by now that somebody on this forum has most likely been there: done that. So can anyone tell me; is there anything that I should look for in particular in order to fix the clock or is it just one of those things whereby it could be just about anything wrong with it. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 usually you need to just clean and lube the movement, clean the contacts and ensure you got a good fuse....if you at all familiar with working clock...walk in the park...if you do not know any of this..not hard to learn but if you have no confidence...remove it and hand it off to someone who can do the work and protect everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51_Meadowbrook Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 (edited) Unfortunately my Meadowbrook does not have a clock but my Cadillac 75 has 2 of them. It was explained to me that when the clock winds down the metal tab attached to the winding mechanism comes into contact with the body of the clock. This creates a short which throws the mechanism back up and keeps it wound. When the car sits for a long time without being run the battery wears down. Even though the battery has voltage the amperage becomes too low to throw the clock mechanism. So it heats up and either fuses the 2 pieces together or creates oxidation (correct me if I’m wrong on that last part) that causes the contact to be unable to throw the mechanism when a new battery is put on. In my case, I took the back cover off of the clock, sprayed it with an electrical cleaner, gently cleaned the contact points where the winding mechanism meets the housing and then gently moved the rocking piece that spins back and forth. I don’t know the technical term for that piece. I hooked a wire to the hot stud and the positive terminal of the battery at my work bench and another wire to one of the outer studs on the clock and the negative terminal. It stopped a couple time so I had to keep moving that spinning piece but soon enough it ran nonstop and once the winding got down to the housing it clicked it back up and kept going. Edited March 19, 2019 by 51_Meadowbrook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper50 Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 I had the clock in my 47 Dodge professionally fixed. It will run for over 24 hours on a bench hooked to a battery. As soon as I put it in the car it lasts maybe 20 minutes and quits. Even if just sitting. I have a good ground and good amps/volts to the clock. I don't understand it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 Quartz conversion.......I never looked back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 I clean the contacts in both my 46 and 48 Chryslers years ago and they still work just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonaldSmith Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 My clock had an open solder joint. I re-soldered it. Clock runs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodrow Posted March 10, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 Thanks for all of the info! I believe I might take it out for a simple inspection. and check for corrosion on contacts as well as check for breaks in soldering. I'll update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busycoupe Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 10 hours ago, casper50 said: I had the clock in my 47 Dodge professionally fixed. It will run for over 24 hours on a bench hooked to a battery. As soon as I put it in the car it lasts maybe 20 minutes and quits. Even if just sitting. I have a good ground and good amps/volts to the clock. I don't understand it. it may be the position it sits. It may be something rubbing ... one of the hands, or the escapement wheel, or part of the winding mech. sitting on the bench may allow whatever is rubbing to move slightly thereby removing the rub. I would start by carefully examining the position of the hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper50 Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 I set it in the same position on the bench as it sits in the car but I'll take a look at the hands. Tks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 20 minutes ago, casper50 said: I set it in the same position on the bench as it sits in the car but I'll take a look at the hands. Tks Maybe your spring is weak....hooked straight to the battery it gets enough juice to run, wired through the car there maybe enough voltage drop so that it doesn't get enough juice to function properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper50 Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 Like I said I had a professional redo it and he had it twice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted March 10, 2019 Report Share Posted March 10, 2019 (edited) Gotta love the click of the clock... points close....clock rewinds....the sounds of old cars. Edited March 10, 2019 by Dodgeb4ya 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS48plm Posted March 11, 2019 Report Share Posted March 11, 2019 I soldered a diode across the points of my P-15 clock to prevent arcing. It ran well for years and was still running when I sold it. I saw the diode trick in an article in the P-15 Driver newsletter that was available years ago. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodrow Posted March 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 I took the clock out today to have a look. I didn't see anything there that I could possibly or conceivably alter that would result in an operational unit. I couldn't even get into the area where the gears were. I was surprised tho that of the 2 wires coming from the unit that one of them was simply for a bulb. I did put some power to the other wire and grounded the body of the clock just to see if perhaps a little jolt might produce some results but to no avail. I may in fact just do as somebody mentioned; switch to a quartz mechanism. or just leave it one altogether. I have it back together now and somehow forgot to get one picture of the damn thing! I usually take pictures constantly when I am working on something on one of my cars but totally forgot this time. oh well, on to the next item. thx for all the replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 (edited) Deleted Edited March 16, 2019 by Dodgeb4ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dale Posted March 16, 2019 Report Share Posted March 16, 2019 At my age Id like a clock that runs backwards... Do they run backward when you change to negative ground ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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