orig dash clock

[geraldchainsaw]

have to add because i wasn't thinking,    i bought a clock from one of the guys on our forum,  and the clocks great,  but,  i didn't think,  if u don't run the car for a couple of weeks,  its enought to drain the battery,  live and learn,   are there any ways to get around that?,  besides disconnect the battery?,  thanks   jerry

[rmk57]

  Convert it over to quartz movement.

[ragtop]

add a battery tender and plug it in

[geraldchainsaw]

how about i just add a in line off and on switch?

[gasman826]

If the clock runs your battery down in a couple of weeks, get a better battery!  Clock shouldn't run a battery down for months.

[geraldchainsaw]

gasman,  your probly right,  did notice that the radio in my glovebox was on,    dosen't matter now,  i put a off & on switch in

[ragtop]

I have battery tenders in all my old cars battery is ready all the time even after winter have one on my Harley also keeps battery up all year and the clock running

[djfordmanjack]

Gerald is right, these old clocks will drain a battery ! I have the same issue over winter. these old movements have an electric solenoid installed (ie electric spring winder for a manual spring operated movement), and it draws quite a lot of current. the older these movements get, the more grease inside dries up and there is much more friction in all the bushings. while a well greased good og movement will last 2 or 3 minutes on one electric impulse, an old dried up movement will rewind as quick as every 15 seconds or even less ( you can here the 'clunk' noise ).
Please do not replace a working og US made clock movement with a 1 ct quality far east quartz item. it is a good way to fix a broken og clock though.
I disconnect the battery, if car is not used in a week or 2.
I love the original ticking and winding 'clunks'. it is part of these cars. Maybe this is just me.

[oldave57]

I have replaced the original clock with a "rebuilt" original clock in the past, only to have the new clock fail after a few months (probably because the rebuilt clock was not as good as a new clock).  In any case, I tried a different approach that has worked very well now for several years.  I reworked my first clock by replacing the workings with a cheap (Walmart) electric wall clock (powered by an AA battery).  I had to cut down the hands of the wall clock to fit the size of the clock face and paint them to match the original clock hands, but the battery clock workings fit very well within the space of the original clock (had to cut open the back to have access to the battery and to change the time you have to reach under the dash to feel the time setting "wheel" but it is very "doable".)  I remove the battery during winter storage and then put it in again in the spring.  It keeps very good time (as those wall clocks seem to do).  In any case, it seems to work very well, has a little "tick" not quite like the original, but it is a cheap and reliable clock.  I still have the second "original" clock but probably will keep it in a box in my garage.
Dave

[Marc]

I love the original ticking and winding 'clunks'. it is part of these cars. Maybe this is just me.

agreed! It's just not the same without that clunk every so often.

[geraldchainsaw]

to old dave57,  i did the same thing,  but went a step further,  i soldered 2 leads from from new wall clock to a battery hook up in glove box so it was easier to change battery,  an to set rime i waited until the correct time showed up to set clock,  or u could go under dash either way

[Swank]

Howdy, ...if anyone is going to replace their clock with quartz or something, ...i might be interested in the coil part of the OG guts.  When i opened mine, the little 90degree arm fell out of the housing, pretty sure thats supposed to be attached to something.  i also found the wire was broke off the center post. 

[oldave57]

Gerald,

Adding an extension location for the battery within the glove box is a very good idea.  I already have an extra device in my glove box (a USB drive for the new style AM/FM/USB radio that I installed) so my glove box is a little "busy" but it would still have room for a battery mount.
Thanks,
Dave

[djfordmanjack]

Eugene, that little L arm is broken off the solenoid anchor. look closely and you will see where it belongs. It works like this: the spring pushes the movement and winds down until a contact pair closes ( see the point on the broken arm ?). the solenoid gets electric power from this pair of closing points and  as a reaction pulls the anchor, which then throws the spring winding lever ( the other electrical contact point) to wind the mechanical clock spring. now the spring force again drives the movement, before the pair of points close again and , another 'CLUNK' for us oldfashioned purists.....haha..... . if you could replace that riveted arm with a piece of solid steel and rivet the point to it, you could very well repair your own clock. good luck !

Howdy, ...if anyone is going to replace their clock with quartz or something, ...i might be interested in the coil part of the OG guts.  When i opened mine, the little 90degree arm fell out of the housing, pretty sure thats supposed to be attached to something.  i also found the wire was broke off the center post.

[John Palmer]

The proper fix for the "OG clunking clock sound", is to install headers, Magnaflow mufflers, and build a 2 1/2" exhaust system. 

Drown it out, and go faster. 

After my 72 years, I can't hear anything, "according to my wife".  (I just call it selective hearing)