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Rebuild Your '63-'81 Corvette's Electric-Movement Clock

We Called Our Friends At Eckler's And Placed An Order For A New Repair Kit
By Tom Rounds
Photography by Mark Takacs
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Clock repair kit for ’63-’81... 
   
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Clock repair kit for ’63-’81 Corvettes.
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After we removed the clock... 
   
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After we removed the clock from the Corvette’s center console, we started the rebuilding process. With the clock dial side up on our workbench, we used a small screwdriver and needle-nose pliers to bend the metal tabs holding the back housing in place.
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The clock was carefully removed... 
   
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The clock was carefully removed from the housing.
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Remove the second, minute,... 
   
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Remove the second, minute, and hour hands and put them aside for reinstalling after the rebuilding is completed.
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Once the hands are removed,... 
   
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Once the hands are removed, the facing plate will separate from the movement assembly.
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Now that the movement assembly... 
   
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Now that the movement assembly is accessible, start by removing the hour-wheel washer.
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Next, remove the hour-wheel... 
   
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Next, remove the hour-wheel assembly...
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then the motion wheel...... 
   
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then the motion wheel...
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...and finally, the minute-wheel... 
   
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...and finally, the minute-wheel assembly. Remove these gears carefully because they’ll be used on the new movement assembly.
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With the movement assembly... 
   
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With the movement assembly removed, we cleaned the backside of the facing plate and checked it for wear. One small grain of sand can prevent the clock from operating properly, so we used a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove all dirt from the gears.
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Checking the gears on the... 
   
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Checking the gears on the backside of the facing plate can be done with a small screwdriver. Spin the gears to make sure they move freely. Also check the center of each gear by rocking them back and forth, and if any movement is observed, the clock will need to be replaced or sent back to the factory for repair.
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Use small needle-nose pliers... 
   
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Use small needle-nose pliers to remove the three rubber mounting grommets from the dial-plate assembly.
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Install the three new rubber-mounting... 
   
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Install the three new rubber-mounting grommets by twisting them into place.
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Before reinstalling the minute... 
   
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Before reinstalling the minute wheel, it’s important to check the slip clutch. To do this, take the wheel by the shaft and spin the gear. If the gear is hard-moving, add a little penetrating oil between the small gear and the large gear, and try turning again. If it’s still hard-moving, the slip clutch needs adjusting.
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With a small, flat-blade... 
   
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With a small, flat-blade screwdriver, lightly pry open the area between the slip clutch and the large gear. Do this while you rotate the gear to keep the space even. Do this until the large gear rotates easily while you’re holding the shaft.
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Once the minute wheel is adjusted... 
   
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Once the minute wheel is adjusted properly, reinstall it into the new movement assembly.
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Make sure it engages (pointing... 
   
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Make sure it engages (pointing screwdriver) with the small drive gear on the movement assembly.
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Reinstall the motion wheel... 
   
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Reinstall the motion wheel on the short post that extends from the movement assembly. The small gear on the motion wheel should be facing the dial plate.
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The large gear must engage... 
   
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The large gear must engage (pointer) with the small gear on the minute wheel.
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Next, the hour wheel gets... 
   
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Next, the hour wheel gets reinstalled onto the shaft of the minute-wheel assembly.
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The large gear (pointer) of... 
   
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The large gear (pointer) of the hour wheel must engage on the small gear of the motion wheel.
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Slide the hour-wheel washer... 
   
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Slide the hour-wheel washer on the hour-wheel assembly, concave side facing the dial plate.
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Install the three metal grommet... 
   
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Install the three metal grommet washers, concave side facing the dial plate, on the three posts of the movement assembly.
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With all of the gear assemblies... 
   
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With all of the gear assemblies back in place, the movement assembly can now be put back together with the dial plate. The movement assembly will fit only one way, but you need to walk it while sliding it side to side so the idler pinion engages with the gears on the facing plate.
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Press the dial plate nuts... 
   
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Press the dial plate nuts onto the shaft coming through the rubber grommets to secure the movement assembly to the dial plate.
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At this point, the clock’s... 
   
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At this point, the clock’s hands can be reinstalled and the movement can be inserted back into the clock housing. Don’t forget to bend the metal tabs over to secure the two pieces together.
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To prevent unnecessary work,... 
   
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To prevent unnecessary work, and before reinstalling the clock back into your Corvette’s center console, you should do a simple bench test. Using small jumper-type cables, connect the clock to a 12-volt power supply.

The clock in your '63-'81 Corvette no longer works, and you have no idea what time it is. That can mean only one thing--it's time to fix that clock. We called our friends at Eckler's and placed an order for a new repair kit ('63-'70E PN 32086, and '70L-'81 PN 32631), and started to fix time. Follow along with us as we turn our timeless clock into a timekeeper.

Eckler’s
Titusville
FL  32783

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