Clock repair

[Kalvin]

Does anybody know and understand the inner workings of the 356C dash clock. I though that I'd repaired the one on the car that I am currently restoring but it has stopped again.

I think I know what is 'not hapening' but am not sure why, don't really know what to try next and just haven't got the time now to play with it as I'm trying to finish the project.

Advise would be good, or somebody that I can just send it to for inspection and repair would be a lot better. I could happily explain what the problem is in detail if anybody thinks they can help.

I've already tried shouting at it.

[Helen]

its right twice a day so whats the problem ?


don't think any of the clocks in my cars really work properly. thats what i've got a watch for.

[Paul_Revere]

Does anybody know and understand the inner workings of the 356C dash clock. I though that I'd repaired the one on the car that I am currently restoring but it has stopped again.

I think I know what is 'not hapening' but am not sure why, don't really know what to try next and just haven't got the time now to play with it as I'm trying to finish the project.

Advise would be good, or somebody that I can just send it to for inspection and repair would be a lot better. I could happily explain what the problem is in detail if anybody thinks they can help.

I've already tried shouting at it.

Have you thought about North Hollywood Speedometer- I have seen some great work by these guys- specialise in VDO, Motometer etc, so they know what they are doing-

there is some examples of there work in here; http://www.restowagenuk.com/forums.html

Look for 55 RHD Cabriolet, The next chapter- I think they are about page 16

Good luck,

Seth

[MartinP]

Does anybody know and understand the inner workings of the 356C dash clock. I though that I'd repaired the one on the car that I am currently restoring but it has stopped again.

I think I know what is 'not hapening' but am not sure why, don't really know what to try next and just haven't got the time now to play with it as I'm trying to finish the project.

Advise would be good, or somebody that I can just send it to for inspection and repair would be a lot better. I could happily explain what the problem is in detail if anybody thinks they can help.

I've already tried shouting at it.

What's the problem with it? I successfully repaired the one in my 912 but I'm not sure if the internals are the same? By the way, are you in Newbury Berkshire? If so, them I'm just up the road in Thatcham.

[Kalvin]

Hi Martin, yes I'm in Newbury.

Brief synopsis. The coil spring that energises the mechanism is attached to a circular weight which has an electrical contact on it (6 volt). When it runs down, the contact touches another contact that is on the end of a metal "reed". When this happens, the reed flexes and pushes the weight (and spring) back, putting energy into it. The reed then dissengages by magic) and sits waiting for the spring to return the contact to it. Then it all happens again. Phew!

The problem is that every few times of operation, the "reed" does not seem to flex enough to push against the spring hard enough to energise the spring. All that happens is that the contacts sit there buzzing and crackling away to itself.

So should I try to buy a new "reed" mechanism, or a new spring, should I try to adjust it, or should I just shove a screwdriver in there and bend something.

The car will be finished soon (should have been finished two weeks ago) and the problem is Helen, that this will prevent me from being able to stand back and say "I got it absolutely right, everything is the way I want it". For the sake of making a clock work, that would drive me mad.

[Dakota]

Hi
may I firstly congratulate you on your description of how the clock works and secondly have you tried cleaning the contacts as they get a carbon build up on them and don't conduct the current required, so try some electrical contact cleaner, I buy it from Wurt, and them a blow out with some compressed air, don't go nuts with it, failing that try gently scraping them with the tip of a tiny screwdriver or similar.
yours Bill.

[Mike Smith]

Bill’s suggestions are a very good first step - after that I cannot suggest anything but it is simple stuff and someone out there must be able to repair them properly

You have already hi-lited the problem - The trouble with all this diddly-s----t stuff is the time that it takes, we cannot charge out what it really costs

I know very little about North Hollywood’s ability with these clocks we always use Palo Alto for Instruments

However, Palo will recommend that you have a quartz guts put in it - just does not seem right but your choice

[Kalvin]

I had another poke around inside the clock this afternoon and have managed to fix it!

Turns out there were 2 seperate faults. Firstly, there was a "dry" solder joint where the 6v input conects to the windings. Also, somebody has 'been there' in the past and had obviously tried to fix the first fault by bending the reed in so that the contact met at a slight angle. Once I spotted this, I simply bent the reed back a bit and VOILA it immediately fired the spring back to full loading. I needed to use a torch, a magnifying glass, a dentists pick and my brothers glasses but I got there.

The moral is the same for any aspect of car restoration.... If at first you don't succeed, waste a ridiculous amount of time that you could have used to actually make some money.

Anyway, thanks for your comments, they renewed my motivation.

[Mike Smith]

Nice one Kalvin

I have 4 that need fixing - let me have your address

[Kalvin]

I decided to “tweek” the speed of the clock today. So I took it out of the dash and whilst gazing lovingly at it, tripped over a gearbox and hurled it across the workshop. Now it’s completely seized and I’m completely hacked off!

So Mike, erm, uh, I don’t suppose you would be interested in selling me one of your clocks would you? Maybe I could make one good one out of the two.

And I assumed that you were only joking about wanting my address....... Or were you!

[Mike Smith]

OK Kalvin,

I have 4 x Clocks - I have no idea whether any of them work but I will check them out tomorrow and report

I am sure that we can work out a deal

[Kalvin]

Thanks,

I won't kill myself until after I've heard from you then. I've kept the 6v system in the car by the way.

[roy mawbey]

Honestly Kalvin it wasn't me that tried to mend the clock when I owned your car in the 70's! I cannot actually even remember if it ever worked. Since your first mail I have tried to but no joy!

I do remember though the day I sold the car to a guy who said he would never sell it !!, mentioning there was no wheel wrench. I knew it had one but couldn't figure out where it was. So I ended up giving him my original chrome 356A one a "Hazet" I guess. I thought there was something wrong with it because the handle moved lengthways. I found out 20 years later the end of the wrench has a pin on it to remove the hub caps. ( I had made a tool for that myself.)

And of course went and found the grey plastic handled wheel wrench from your 356C about 5 minutes after he left. I reckon this one (which I still have) is a VW one?

Sorry you threw the clock across the shop, bet it sort of miffed you. I reckon Mike will help. Hope the car looks nice!!!

Roy

[Rustbucket]

The moral is the same for any aspect of car restoration.... If at first you don't succeed, waste a ridiculous amount of time that you could have used to actually make some money.

This is probably the best thing I have ever read on a forum!

[Kalvin]

Gosh Roy, I didn’t for one second think you did anything poor during your tenure and I never concern myself with who did what and why to cars that I restore. It’s a classic car community, not a blame culture! Also, the jack and wrench combo work well and look good under the hood.

I haven’t done much to it over the last couple of weeks ‘cus I’ve been working on a 1959 Humber Super Snipe (hell of a car) but I’m on it again now and it is nearly completed. I’m hoping to get it on the road for proper testing this weekend if the roads are dry. Yes, it does look stunning in Light Ivory. I’m really pleased with it.

As I’ve said before, any DDK member that happens to be passing Newbury would be most welcome to pop in for a coffee and take a glance around the car (and compare notes) any time during office hours, and if they happen to have a VDO clock in their pocket….