MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Don't breathe...my clocks working!!!

After playing with the clock last summer (cleaning, bending the 'cat whisker', casting bones, etc.) and watching it work in my hand, I was disappointed when it wouldn't work installed...I unhooked the power line, wrapped it in tape and tucked it up under the dash. Yesterday I hooked it up and remembered Dave posting that perhaps tightening it warped things and jammed them up...I backed off the two mounting screws and turned them finger tight...didn't seem to help. This morning I set it again and low and behold...it has been keeping perfect time for the last two hours...anyway... everyone just hold their collective breath!!!!!
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Gordon:
Did the exact same thing with my TF clock and has been running since last October, albeit losing about an hour every few days. One of these days I'll get behind the dash to adjust the +-.
SEAMUS
F. HEALY

Every once in a while I have to give mine a little "kick-start" by re-setting the clock!
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

Gordon,
Yesterday, I was looking at the clock but can not find a wire to it. I think I see a hookup point, though.

How can I get power to the darned thing???

Best regards,

DaveL
dave lackey

Should be a single wire running from the 'out' side of the amp gauge(?) and connecting to the single post on the clock. Ground is through the clock itself (and many wonder if the cause for it to stop working).
gordon lawson

Great news on the clock - just be careful about a constant drain on the battery. I have no idea what the pull is on that - but you never know.

Best,

Jeff
J Delk

The current draw of the clockis about 0.025 amps when it is stopped, with the contacts closed. This is sufficient to draw a battery down in about a year. If the clock is running, the average current draw would be about half or less of the constant, contact closed, draw, so there is very little chance of the battery being discharged by the clock. I sent my clock to Hal Kramer (halandjoan@aol.com) for him to work his magic on it (this after many failed attempts on my own to get the clock to run correctly). It has been several years since Hal work onthe clock and it runs faultlesly now, gaining perhaps an hour a week and that is only because I have been too lazy to pull it out and make the speed adjustment on it. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Ok...when I set the clock, it was 2 minutes slow...now that it is running, i'm afraid to change it again...Somehow I could ignore a broken clock, but am having a real problem with that 2 minutes....sigh!!!!!
gordon lawson

Thats good to hear on the current draw. I wonder why so many are disconnected.

Ours hasn't moved since 1962!

JD
J Delk

OK Gordon,
Let's make some suggestions on what you could do in those magical 2 minutes. No rude replies!!

Down a pint of Best Bitter?

Regards
Graham (Honorary Dave)
TD/C 7822
G.D. Smith

Hmmm... answer "Its a TD, yes, a real one"....clean the bugs out of my teeth when i have the windshield down....polish the glass in my gauges...etc, etc.
gordon lawson

Well, it was fun while it lasted...stopped about an hour ago.....!!!!
gordon lawson

Gordon,

You inspired me to try my clock again. I was in on the warping discusion last year. Even with the clock mounting screws loose, my clock was still stopping. I have a cut off switch on my clock and usually forget to turn the clock on to test it. Last fall, I remembered to turn it on and it ran for a full 2 hour drive. I turned the switch off after the drive and forgot about it until you posted.

I started the clock at 3:55pm today. I'll see how long it goes.

I'm not going to hold my breath....

Evan
Evan Ford - TD 27621

We have our clock wired directly, bypassing the battery cut off.. So went on vacation for 2 weeks, battery is cut off... looked at the clock and it was just a little under 1/2 hour out. loosing about 1.5 minutes a day..


Not bad,
R & A Budd

My clock is right on... twice a day.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

I guess it might be my lack of oxygen, or just old age but I remember (sorta) that back in the '50's/'60's when all my daily transport was in TD's that ther was a sequence you had to go thru if you were going to disconnect the battery (to work on vehicle). Now what I think I remeber is that when you were ready to reconnect the battery you didn't just flop the cable on the terminal an tighten and go, because of the clock you were supposed to touch the cable to the terminal momentarily so as to 'activate' the clock, wait 60 seconds and then connect the cable.
I must admit that I have not tried this sequence on TD11547 because I just thought of it from reading all these posts. Tommorow I will investigate.
Greg & Grimm
G.J. Cenzer

Just reset it and it is working again...I suppose until I get it rebuilt, i will live with it doing what it is doing...at least it stays running for a day or so....Won't use it for important meetings/funerals/wedding using wedding cars sevenoakss/etc.
gordon lawson - TD 27667

I'm at 5 hours and counting!

I'm headed out of town in the morning and won't be back until Thursday night. I need to decide whether or not to cut the switch.

I might just let it run.....
Evan Ford - TD 27621

Here's the non-purist comment again: I was in my local department store yesterday getting a watch battery, and a sign below the watch counter said, "Do you have a gold watch, a memento, or an old mechanical watch that's not working? Let us rebuild your watch with its original face and casing and a quartz movement!"

Now you wouldn't want to do this with an old Omega. And this would mean, I guess, getting under the dash to fish the clock out in order to change the battery every year or 18 months, but it would provide a working clock with no muss no fuss.

Anybody succumbed to this? I know - quartz clocks don't exactly go with Lucas and Prince of Darkness jokes, but it would solve one frustration that we all seem to have.

Best,
Dave J.
Dave Jorgensen

Tempting isn't it??? I'm going to try 'Hal" first, then search for a watch that might just work...would have to have those hands on it however...(and couldn't have 'Quartz' written anywhere). I suppose one could photograph the face and make a decal/label that would fit over a watch face...hmmmm.

Hal Kramer: HalandJoan@aol.com
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Just received an email from Hal...:
The basic cost to clean, oil and regulate is $45. Transistor modification is $20. Return shipping and insurance is $5. A total cost of $70. I warranty my work for 90 days. If any other work is required (which is unlikely), I'll e-mail an estimate to you before I proceed to do the work.
My address is:
Hal Kramer
99 Bellmore Drive
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Phone: 413-442-0651

Am going to send it off next week!
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Hal said he would be at the G. O. F. in Smugglers Notch.As i am frugal, i will save the shipping, one way & give my clock to him there. Anyone going MUST see his TD. Also a must, read is his article on heads, & c/r in a older TSO.
Len Fanelli

Got home tonight and the clock is still running. Now at 2 days 4+ hours and the time is right on the money. I think I'll leave it running.

My opinion on putting a watch inside your clock is, DON'T DO IT! $70 for Hal's modification is a cheap way to preserve a small piece of your car. However, it's your car and only my opinion.

Heck, I still feel guilty for installing a pertronix in my distributor!

If/when my clock dies, I will send it off to Hal.
Evan Ford - TD 27621

There is magnitized material in the movement an it has worn off and I don't know how to replace it. Without those magnets, it won't work. Anyone know how to restore the magnetic material??
WFH Hartwig

This may or may not help, but just thought I’ll let you know how I got my clock to work.

I cleaned the contact tip, cleaned and oiled the movement, tested it on the bench, powered by the battery charger, ran fine for days. Put in the car, Nothing! back on the bench ran fine.

I supposed that it was a voltage drop problem, I changed the feed wire to a larger diameter and placed star washers under the two clock fixing screws and the speedometer earth wire.

It has been running now for 4 years.


John

52 TD
John Scragg

Gordon, I find my clocks work great. The secret is to reset them by rotating the hands which starts the motor.
Barc 53TD
Barc Cunningham

I finally crawled down on the floor with a mirror and very small jewelers screwdriver and set the clock all the way over to +. After 24 hours it is running 'spot on' after having lost 1 hr. per week for the last year or so. I am convinced these clocks will run if clean and adjusted properly.
SEAMUS - TF1260
F. HEALY

This thread was discussed between 07/08/2006 and 12/08/2006

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.