Welcome!

Welcome to the forum for collectors, restorers and fans of flip clocks. Please Sign Up if you would like to take part.

By the way, signing up is free..

Sign Up Now

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Clock Motor Doesn't Spin on Plug In

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
    #1

    Clock Motor Doesn't Spin on Plug In

    Hello Flipclock fans!

    I have two flip clocks ( Sony 8fc-100w and a Craig 1606) that both require a helping hand to get the motors to spin upon plug in. On both clocks, I have sank them in alcohol various times and even used WD40 (which I know isn't really recommended anymore) to try and see if I could free them up. Usually if I want to use one of the clocks, I have to take it apart turn the motor by hand and then it starts spinning. After that, the clock keeps time well. But, if I unplug the clock for more than a few seconds, the motors on both clocks struggle to spin on their own. Has anyone had this issue even after cleaning the motors? Any solutions?

    Thanks!
    Tags: None
    #2
    I have a Sony 8fc-100e with the same issue. When it has stopped a quick flick forward or backward of the whole clock held in both hands sometimes gets it started again. When disassembled it is a bit hesitant but after a few seconds it starts by itself. I'm also puzzled why this happens.

    And also (probably a different issue) since a few days it starts to loose time, a few minutes per day. That is really strange for a synchronous motor. could be the last gear slipping on its axle or the first gear is nearly worn out and now and then skips a teeth. In both cases I would expect it to deteriorate quickly and completely stop.

    Comment

      #3
      I would expect to indeed see a gear with at least one stripped tooth when you disassemble the motor. I have had one or two motors in the past which were notoriously being stuck with dried up lubricant and/or goo (from the factory?) and even after cleaning and lubricating twice with clock oil, they would not start up themselves. Once manually started, they would run fine.

      Comment

        #4
        Yes, it does sound like it could be intermittent rotation of a stripped gear. There is sometimes enough lateral play to allow it to engage the worn teeth and then it'll slowly move a few tenths of a mm and then the drive gear can't engage any longer...then it repeats on...off...on...off...

        I just had an RC-6002 doing the same thing. The first reduction gear had worn teeth.

        As for the slow startup of the stator wheel, it is almost always bad lubrication. The factory used a light grease, as we know, and over time it gets hardened. Sometimes a bit of DeOxit will break up the old grease and get it going again, but it should be followed up with proper lubricant.

        Comment

        • flipoclock
          #4.1
          flipoclock commented
          March 24, 2022, 02:34 PM
          Editing a comment
          Deoxit is a good one, will try that next time, thanks!
        #5
        To follow up on Engineer. Once you get a proper lubricant on it, let it run for a few hours.
        ~ Mackey Site Administrator
        If you have any questions/comments Contact Me
        If you're not a member, you should consider joining!
        • Likes 1

        Comment

          #6
          Oh man, I totally forgot to check back on this post!

          Thanks everyone for the commentary!

          What would be a proper lubricant to use? Is WD40 still recommended? I saw someone mention 5w-30 motor oil as well.

          Comment

            #7
            NO WD40, unless you're on a deserted island and there's nothing else to be found... WD40 will dry up and eventually cause more issues in the future. 5W30 will work as well I suppose, I have not tried it. I usually buy designated clock oil online (ebay/etsy), it comes in a small tube with an injector needle, to be able to reach those small places in between gears.
            • Likes 1

            Comment

              #8
              I ended up flooding it with WD40, I let that sink in for about a day and also let it spin with the WD40 before I gave it an alcohol bath. After the bath I let it dry for 24 hours and gave it some fresh oil and let it spin for a few days. It is now unplugged and I will replug it after about a week to see whether it will spin up without help. If it does that, I declare it fixed... Fingers crossed

              Comment

                #9
                I thought I'd update this thread since it discusses a common issue. This evening, I took apart the same two radios (Sony and Craig) which suffered from no spin on plug-in. I found that CRC Contact Cleaner did wonders for freeing up the motors. What's also great about it is that it evaporates quickly (like rubbing alcohol) and leaves no grease or grime. After a few sprays, the improvement was amazing! I also added a bit of silicone spray lubricant and it seemed like too much of that wouldn't allow the motors to spin as freely. So, I mostly sprayed contact cleaner and both clocks instantly spin on plug-in. I'd say contact cleaner is worth a try for anyone with a similar issue.
                • Likes 1

                Comment

                  #10
                  Originally posted by VintageEcollector View Post
                  I thought I'd update this thread since it discusses a common issue. This evening, I took apart the same two radios (Sony and Craig) which suffered from no spin on plug-in. I found that CRC Contact Cleaner did wonders for freeing up the motors. What's also great about it is that it evaporates quickly (like rubbing alcohol) and leaves no grease or grime. After a few sprays, the improvement was amazing! I also added a bit of silicone spray lubricant and it seemed like too much of that wouldn't allow the motors to spin as freely. So, I mostly sprayed contact cleaner and both clocks instantly spin on plug-in. I'd say contact cleaner is worth a try for anyone with a similar issue.
                  I need to try that on my Panasonic RC-7469. Clock oil alone is not getting it going.
                  • Likes 1

                  Comment

                  • VintageEcollector
                    #10.1
                    VintageEcollector commented
                    December 10, 2023, 08:06 PM
                    Editing a comment
                    Try it and let us know if it works!
                  #11
                  Originally posted by Matt Miller View Post

                  I need to try that on my Panasonic RC-7469. Clock oil alone is not getting it going.
                  Wow! Pretty much an instant fix for my gummed up motor here and the spray nozzle on the can makes it really easy to get in there.
                  Thanks!

                  Comment

                    #12
                    Sweet! Glad to hear that worked for you.

                    Comment

                    Previous template Next
                    Working...
                    X