10 replies to this topic

[grahama]

Hi all,

I got one of these off fleabay

http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1439.l2649

but can't seem to get it going. There is only 1 terminal on the reverse which I assume is for power and it earths through the body. Now I took a punt on this as I really like this style and the seller said it wasn't tested so fair enough.

I know there are repairers out there but it's not worth the £60ish to repair it so does anyone have any pointers of where to start in repairing it??

or

are there any movement alternatives I can replace the mechanical insides with??

Graham

[Tamworthbay]

I have a similar one as standard in my MGB GT, it works but doesn't keep time. It counts about 20 hours in any day! They are notorious for it. Not sure if your type is similar but I would wary of paying out on it. I swapped my clocks internals with ones from a Volvo 240 I had abouts. It works great.

[grahama]

That's the sort of thing I was thinking of to be honest, but finding one is the hard bit at a reasonable price.

[Tamworthbay]

This is the one I used:

http://www.ebay.co.u...7f8771df&_uhb=1

I might have a spare one if you are desperate, let me know and I will have a dig around.

[grahama]

That looks the right size, but how did you adapt the clock you had to a centre adjusment??

[surfblue63]

Being that old it maybe for a postive earthed electric system. Have you tried revesing the connections. Obviously you will need to insulate the outer from your cars earth to do this.

[Tamworthbay]

That looks the right size, but how did you adapt the clock you had to a centre adjusment??

I removed the back and emptied it, the only bit that is smiths is the front, even the glass is Volvo.

[dklawson]

Old car clocks are something I have not repaired. However, I have come across three types over the years.

The earliest type were an intersting electro mechanical version of a wind-up clock. A set of points inside the clock would "close" as the clock ran down. When the points closed a solenoid inside would be powered and "snap" the winding spring tight by one stroke of the solenoid's core. This would also open the points again. The clock would run like this by continously cycling the solenoid every few minutes to wind the clock. They were not very accurate and sometimes the points would stick closed causing the clock to "burn up".

Sometime in the early 1970s they started using clocks with more traditional electric motors but they were not around for very long. Once quartz movements became available the clocks became cheap, reliable, and accurate. The Volvo clock is such a quartz instrument.

The Volvo clock is a nice unit made by VDO. I have one in my GT6 and a regular VDO clock in my Mini. If you do as Tamworthbay did and transplant a VDO movement along with its glass you will have a working and accurate clock. However, you will want to paint the hands of the VDO clock to be white like the original Smiths ones. I doubt many people would ever notice the winding stem through the center of the glass. Only you would be the wiser and you would also be "on time" since the clock will be more accurate. If you cannot find the Volvo clock, just troll eBay and other sites for "VDO Clock". Very similar gauges were used in almost every VW produced in the 1980s. They were also used in Porsches. Since you will not be using the VDO face, there are also different VDO clocks for marine/boat use. Those are easily identified by details like light-blue printing on their faces.

[Marlin]

I just bought that exact same clock. Someone broke the little tabs off that hold the bezel on so I cant get it to stay on. Not sure if it works either. Might end up being junk.

[dklawson]

It is never junk. Old car parts are always be good to someone.

[grahama]

It is indeed positive earth, connected earth to the terminal and live to the knurled nuts and off ot went after a tap on the side, for 10 minutes. Think an inside replacement is required.