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Westclox Clock Diagram?

Started by hawkfan, September 05, 2021, 09:08:37 PM

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hawkfan

I removed my clock to see if I could get it running again.  Now I have zero experience with clock movement.  I removed it and I cleaned the gearing/movement with a good contact cleaner.  I connected some DC current to the clock and I do get some movement from a little lever that makes contact with a point on this wheel that appears to move a portion of the gear drive.  This action is rather fast, loud and sounds like a machine gun. The motion never makes it to the the second hand.  I noticed this little strip of copper on one of the gear shafts just free wheeling and not connected to any of the gears and I believe where the issue is.  Thats where I believe the disconnect is and I dont know what to connect this copper strip to or what ts purpose is.
Would any one have a diagram or any literature on these clocks?

Thanks
Brian


Brian

Lexi

#1
Brian I have a large collection of mid-'50's Cadillac papers from GM, and don't believe I have ever seen a schematic or a set of comprehensive service instructions on clock repair. If someone has one, it would be nice for them to share. Even the Cadillac Serviceman & Shop Manual were almost silent on this. The Cadillac Suggested Flat Rate Schedule, for 1954 - 1956 Cadillac cars, also only lists clock removal and replace as well as clock glass removal and install and/or replace. No mention of time charge for an overhaul of the clock movement or other work. A General Service Letter noted the use of the Borg Clock as well as Westclox, in Cadillac cars for 1956. Attached to this Letter were 2 pages of Authorized Service Stations for Borg clocks. That tells me that at least for Borg, Cadillac servicemen were not encouraged to do clock repairs. I would imagine the same applied for Westclox, especially as bolstered by the absence of such in the Flat Rate Schedule. Therefore, I suggest an internet search for vintage Westclox schematics would be a good place to start as such does not appear to be an item found in the GM canon. Below is an article on old car clocks and some issues that one may encounter in the repair of them. Clay/Lexi

https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/classic-cars/a30514090/does-anyone-bother-to-fix-their-classic-cars-clock/

Edit: There are lots of books on the repair of vintage clocks from a hobbyists perspective, so a search of such literature may also prove helpful. Many of these do not detail the repair of automotive clocks (or even electric), so you will have to narrow your search.

PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192

In my very limited experience of these clocks I have found that the actual clock mechanism is fine, it is the electric "winding" mechanism that gives up. On my 54 and my wife's old 51 the clocks were wound by a mechanism that involved two contacts (like a set of points) coming together as the clock unwound, when they came into contact they jumped apart and sent the arm back to the fully wound position. I just couldn't get that to work properly again. There are a couple of companies that repair them and/or do quartz conversions (just not the same). Phil

hawkfan


fishnjim

There's some good Utube on this.   Apparently, when the battery draws down, the points burn out and they recommend to put on a smaller fuse circuit.
I didn't find anything in the '50s Westclock repair manual to help.   It's for regular clocks, but it's available on line too.

V63

Clean those points, and lubricate the mechanism with a light lubrication spray. WD is ok but something with more substance better.  Not A grease.
and yes it's low battery that kills them,  so I put a toggle switch on them when vehicle is stored only reactivate with full battery power.

Lexi

Hawkfan and fellow '56er. The proper way to clean the movement is to disassemble & check all for wear and operational use, (electric) as well as the pivot holes and bearings for wear, on the mechanical side. I assume these old Cadillac clocks are designed to be taken apart, (never done one myself). Any "ovaled" or even slightly worn pivot points can drastically reduce impulse power and stop the clock from operating. Install replacement bushings if necessary. Understandable if you don't want to tackle this.

The short cut way is to take a fine toothpick and using a strong light with a headset magnifier, scrape around each pivot point with the tooth pick to sort of clean out any gunk that may be there. then using the other end of the tooth pick touch each wear point with a dab of clock oil so some transfers. You don't need a lot. The toothpick also should not damage the metal as it is made of wood. Check online for acceptable clock oil as even the "experts" keep changing their mind as to what product to use. Wear in old clocks often manifest in the escapement which is the "heart" of the clock. Easily damaged parts here, so treat with extreme care.

If you can identify the main transfer wheel, you may be able to apply thumb pressure to it and cause the clock's motion work to move accordingly. You would then be doing the job of the mainspring by providing the power to the movement. In so doing, you may also be able to identify other problems such as a loose pivot. Watch for undue movement when applying pressure. A proper fix is to ream the hole out and fit a new bushing. The quick down and dirty way is to use a proper hole punch and gently tap to "close" the hole by spreading the metal. Not the recommended way to repair but it can work, especially if you do not have to spread the metal too much. Some 20th century clocks are made from very thin plates and don't accept this form of repair as the hole punch can bend the entire plate-thus causing new problems at other pivot points to occur. Probably best to sit down with a pot of tea, and examine manually as described to see how it all works. Good luck. Clay/Lexi

hawkfan

See attached pics.  Im using a red color straw to point things out.
In pic Clock 1, when I put 12v power to the clock these to points will separate but always will finish in the closed position.  Not sure if that is the way it is supposed to be.  the separation and rejoining of these points is extremely quick and make a loud repetitive clacking noise.
In Clock 2 pic, there is this very thin copper colored strip of metal that is just floating there.  It looks like at one time it may have been banded around something that may have worn away over time?  My thought is that that copper strip is the missing link  to complete the drive action.

Thanks
Brian