Grandfather Clock Chiming Slow After Oiling...

[J.S.H.]

Hello All,

Did a little maintenance on a Howard Miller grandfather clock today that was chiming slow. Thought maybe a little oiling and cleaning would do the trick as it had not been serviced for 4 years or more. It is still chiming slowly, any ideas or sugestions would be much appreciated.

Serial Number: 6864350323
MS008
116 cm
354-435

Thank you.

 

[J.S.H.]

Hello All,

Did a little maintenance on a Howard Miller grandfather clock today that was chiming slow. Thought maybe a little oiling and cleaning would do the trick as it had not been serviced for 4 years or more. It is still chiming slowly, any ideas or sugestions would be much appreciated.

Serial Number: 6864350323
MS008
116 cm
354-435

Thank you.

 

[Scottie-TX]

Very probably needs dismantled and cleaned thoroughly. THEN the oil. That stuff the factory uses, gels and makes a gooey mess that further oiling won't release. The goo needs removed first.

 

[Paul Faf]

The shell weighs are different Heavy weight goes on right- correct. Not tryin to insult. Some just don't know if they don't know.

 

[J.S.H.]

Hi Scottie,

It really didn't seem that bad when I worked on it, but your sugestion is a good one and makes sense. I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

 

[J.S.H.]

Aloha Paul,

You needn't worry about insulting. Often times we do tend to overlook the simple things. However. The clock is only three years old and the weights were clearly marked so there was no mistaking where they needed to go. I do suppose though that they could have been mislabeled. Maybe I should add a digital scale to my toolbox. Thanks for your input.

Originally posted by Paul Faf:
The shell weighs are different Heavy weight goes on right- correct. Not tryin to insult. Some just don't know if they don't know.

 

[harold bain]

J.S.H., after only 3 years I wouldn't expect to see any wear on bushings. A digital scale is essential to eliminate possible mixups on weights, and to make sure that they were right from the factory. If this is a cable model, check cable drum for any overwrap of cable (happens when customer decides to assist weight when winding clock).
Harold

 

[Paul Faf]

Good tip Harold. J.S.H. as long as the chime is running. Run the chimes until the weight hits the bottom of the case or a little further if possible. The drum that the cable winds on has a plastic cover that will slow down or stop motion if over lapped as Harold mentioned. Always wind with weight hanging. Howard Miller has a Service Centers if you still get hung up. It sounds like your just off guarentee.

 

[J.S.H.]

What I don't understand is that the weights were not over lapped at all. The movement looked reasonably clean too. The chimes are still playing slow. I suppose the next steps might be to check the weights and then give the movement an ultrasonic wash. Thanks for your input.

 

[J.S.H.]

The bushings looked good. And yes, it was a cable model. There was no overwrap of cable. Im sure there is a simple answer to this. Thanks for your help.

 

[LaBounty]

Hey John-

Are you sure this clock is only three years old? The serial number should start with MF003... if it was made in 2003. Age really makes a difference when dealing with these Keininger movements. Not to be picky, but your first post mentioned it hadn't been serviced in the last four years.

The plating will start to flake after about 7 years and become imbedded in the walls of the pivot holes. No amount of ultrasonic cleaning will remove the particles and in fact, it will make it worse. You must disassemble the movement, peg out the holes, and bush any severely worn pivot holes.

That's been my experience anyway...

 

[J.S.H.]

Hi David,

What I should have said was that the people who purchased it did so three years ago from Bailey's furniture store and it has not been serviced since. The only information I have on it is this.
Serial Number: 6864350323
MS008
116 cm
354-435

Originally posted by LaBounty:
Hey John-

Are you sure this clock is only three years old? The serial number should start with MF003... if it was made in 2003. Age really makes a difference when dealing with these Keininger movements. Not to be picky, but your first post mentioned it hadn't been serviced in the last four years.

The plating will start to flake after about 7 years and become imbedded in the walls of the pivot holes. No amount of ultrasonic cleaning will remove the particles and in fact, it will make it worse. You must disassemble the movement, peg out the holes, and bush any severely worn pivot holes.

That's been my experience anyway...

 

[J.S.H.]

Just contacted Butterworth's and it is their opinion that the movement is 3 years old according to the serial number. The saga continues....

 

[alskogen]

I had a problem like this and asked for help It was suggested that I polish the pivots on the chime train and check for a bent pivot I polished the pivots and it took care of the problem Al

 

[J.S.H.]

I'll give it a go. Thanks much for your help.

 

[LaBounty]

Hey John-

I'm glad Mark was able to help you.

You must have given us the serial number on the movement, which is why I didn't recognize it as a recent Howard Miller serial number. Howard Miller service reps will look at the clock's serial number, rather than the movement's, since it is much easier to read and HM requires this number for warranty purposes. But you are wise to date the movement as well since older clocks could have a newer movement.

Good luck with it and let us know how it goes! I'm sure Scottie and Al's suggestions will get your chimes going.

 

[J.S.H.]

Thanks David. I'll keep you all posted.

 

[Kevin W.]

Maybe i am just picky, but plating that flakes off.Does not sound to good to me.Withthe price these clocks sell at, i would expect better.Are the pivots in these clocks lightly plated with nickel or some metal?If so you have to be aware of this also.

 

[medina clock owner]

Thanks David. I'll keep you all posted.

Really old post but this is a "timeless" problem...
Please excuse the pun but this is happening to my older Howard Miller standup grandfather too. Any updates on what fixes the problem would be appreciated.

PS clock SN 280145, 33 year old clock
complete overhaul of mechanism w/new brass bushings two years ago
JUST started, everything else seems to be running just fine

 

[harold bain]

Hi, MCO, welcome to the message board. You probably would have been better off two years ago with a new movement. Perhaps the repairman who overhauled your clock might consider covering your current problem under warranty. Re-oiling the movement might help.

 

[shutterbug]

The internal parts are plated, which was a preventative measure to block rust during shipping overseas. When the plating breaks down it has to be completely removed, or it becomes a 'saw' to ruin plate holes or bushings. Some here recommend re-pivoting, some say remove all the plating from the pivots and re-polish, some say use ButterBearings (a recent innovation) and some say just buy a new movement. It seems that any of those options has merit. I also would check with the repairman. If it were me, I'd make it right. Two years is not a good run time for a repaired movement.

 

[Jay Fortner]

The chromium plating is not so much as a protective coating but to give to soft pivots a hardened surface plus there is a lower friction coefficient with chrome and brass. Some aircraft crankshaft journals are chrome plated for the same reason and unfortunately suffer from the same deterioration.

 

[shutterbug]

The chromium plating is not so much as a protective coating but to give to soft pivots a hardened surface plus there is a lower friction coefficient with chrome and brass. Some aircraft crankshaft journals are chrome plated for the same reason and unfortunately suffer from the same deterioration.

Some recent threads indicate that the pivots are not soft, and can be polished and used after removing the plating. I haven't tried it yet myself.

 

[Jay Fortner]

Some recent threads indicate that the pivots are not soft, and can be polished and used after removing the plating. I haven't tried it yet myself.

This is true,they're not butter soft but not as hard as pivot wire. I have turned the plating off,burnished and polished and so far it has been working. Some of those clock will be coming in this year for their two year oiling so I'll get to see how well they're holding up.

 

[shutterbug]

This is true,they're not butter soft but not as hard as pivot wire. I have turned the plating off,burnished and polished and so far it has been working. Some of those clock will be coming in this year for their two year oiling so I'll get to see how well they're holding up.

Great! Please report your findings here!