1968 clock circuitry…

[joshieburger]

hello all, i am new, and i know what comes with new posts usually, …old questions.

I did search through the forums and i didnt find the answer, so hoping i can get a good response here.

I am doing a project for a fellow B Body fan’s birthday. I am making him a desktop clock with charger emblem, etc so he can have the ACTUAL ‘68 clock as a functional clock. I purchased a used clock for the project. I understand it is a 12v system, and the body is the ground. However, when i apply 12v, the clock spins like crazy (about 12 hrs in 30-45 seconds). I guess my question is is this an internal clock issue and i can chock this up to a loss? Or does the circuit board on the cluster provide any sort of voltage regulation or relay in the clock circuit? Anyone else thats tested a clock with straight 12v out of the dash would have the answer if my clock is bad i guess.

(For fun i also applied 6v hoping that maybe there is just a step down to 6 somewhere along the line, but it did the same thing, which made me think there is some sort of relay, or my clock is bad)

Thanks for the help.

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

Most original Mopar clocks were/are clock spring based mechanical clocks that used a 12-volt solenoid to keep the clock spring wound every few minutes. Contact points that engaged the solenoid would burn in fairly short order. Sounds like you may not have an original clock movement.

 

[joshieburger]

Most original Mopar clocks were/are clock spring based mechanical clocks that used a 12-volt solenoid to keep the clock spring wound every few minutes. Contact points that engaged the solenoid would burn in fairly short order. Sounds like you may not an original clock movement.

It is definitely an original clock, i can feel the proper movement when moving the second hand without power applied. But you’re right, it wouldnt make sense for 12 volts to spin the clock if it is mechanical. Would it be possible then if maybe a gear was siezed to the solenoid? And instead of winding, its spinning the gear?

Talking out of my butt here probably

 

[RJRENTON]

It is definitely an original clock, i can feel the proper movement when moving the second hand without power applied. But you’re right, it wouldnt make sense for 12 volts to spin the clock if it is mechanical. Would it be possible then if maybe a gear was siezed to the solenoid? And instead of winding, its spinning the gear?

Talking out of my butt here probably

IMO.....I agree with #2s response.....the clock is a mechanical clock whose spring is wound every 5 minutes or so. The other consumer of power is the illuminating bulb. UNLESS the time keeping mechanism has/was replaced with a QUARTZ conversion movement....which would still require 12v power the mechanism. Perhaps a malfunction with the quartz conversation components has caused the display hands to rotate faster as you described. The mechanical clock mechanism has an ESCAPE MECHANISM (a oscillating balance wheel) GEARED to the display hands. I'm betting it's a Quartz movement.......
BOB RENTON

 

[jimbosride]

Sounds like all the hands are running off the min shaft? My coronet clock just needed oiling and ran fine on the bench for 2 weeks while I calibrated the time. ( use watch oil or singer oil} I'm with BOB .... find out what you got ..... Picture?

 

[Nacho-RT74]

a side note:

On All clocks I have tested the solenoid/points system wounds the springs every minute or so.

I have made to fix some clock too. Points get burnt with time making get stuck and blown the coil wire to the point contact, but points can be sanded to clean, link the wire and get it back to life.

in relation to the OP… no, as mentioned, the power actually doesn’t move the clock being a mechanical system

 

[joshieburger]

Ok. Must be a quartz conversion. I think some members underestimate the term “fast”. This thing’s second hand is spinning off the rails, again causing the clock to lapse roughly 12 hrs in LESS than 30 seconds. All hands move respectively and proportionately. Ive seen other posts describing fast moving clocks and member replies think they mean “my clock is running fast” as in maybe minutes ahead per hour. But no. This thing is like hours ahead per second haha. I did have to use some wd-40 to free everything up a bit, so maybe it’s possible something is shorting in the quartz electronics then? Not sure how quartz works either…

 

[eldubb440]

I've seen on Star Trek where accelerating toward the sun will slow down a clock, even to the point where they spin backwards and you go back in time.......might be worth a shot

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Billccm]

Are the hands always locked at the same angles as it spins? The hands couple through a tube that could have ceased.

Many quartz clocks discharge a paw across the second hand wheel teeth once per second. There is no "sweep" of the second hand like a electric motor clock.

As far as I know the quartz conversion clocks are reliable and virtually never fail.

Triflow is a great product to flush out a clock movement.

 

[joshieburger]

Are the hands always locked at the same angles as it spins? The hands couple through a tube that could have ceased.

Many quartz clocks discharge a paw across the second hand wheel teeth once per second. There is no "sweep" of the second hand like a electric motor clock.

As far as I know the quartz conversion clocks are reliable and virtually never fail.

Triflow is a great product to flush out a clock movement.

Nope, they are all moving the way they should (on their own respective part of the “shaft” ill call it)

 

[Demonic]

Post a video. As others said, an original factory clock is an escapement design, with jewels, no less. There would have to be multiple mechanical failures for that to occur, if even possible, with an unaltered factory clock.

 

[joshieburger]

 

[joshieburger]

Sorry for the bad quality. I didnt have a good area prepared. And no tripod or anything for my phone

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Definitelly has been converted.

the original clock will keep working still with power disconnected until points get closed… as mentioned for a minute or so

 

[RJRENTON]

It would have better with some illumination and narration...really too dark to see any detail, especially of the clock mechanism exposed. Initially, upon connection to 12v, a ratcheting noise can be heard, but CANNOT see the clock mechanism exposed. IMO....it still looks like a quartz conversation .....what about the second hole seen on the back side of the assembly? From original clock mechanism?.....just asking....
BOB RENTON

 

[Billccm]

Maybe it is designed to operate off 3V? Perhaps a regulation device is missing?

 

[joshieburger]

Ok, partial solution found i think. I was able to pry the housing back a little to remove the whole mechanism. Im not clockmaker, but from what i can tell, one of the gears looks like it is supposed to have a small spring attached to it (see center silver gear in pic) which (if so) looks to have sheared off. So that small gear is not engaging. From what i can tell in playing around with the movement, that gear probably uses that springs resistance to slow the mechanism down.

Since the mechanism is not governed, all the winding force from the solenoid is released, spinning the clock. And the solenoid contacts keep coming back to the “wind” position which is why it sounds like a ratchet. It is costantly rewinding itself because it is unwinding as fast as it winds.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

very interesting!!!