Expert: Martin Meyer - 3/29/2008

Question
We recently inherited a Emperor Grandfather clock I.D.# 451-050H. We got it working but it won't chime. You can hear a click every 15 mins but no chime. Is there anything I could do to try and fix this?

Answer
Hi Roxanne,
    There are many possible causes of chime malfunctions. The "click" sound means that the chime mechanism levers are working, but the chime gears are not turning to make the clock chime. This can be due to either jamming, where a part is impeding the gears from turning, or stalling, where the chime gears do not move due to friction in the gear train.
    First, open the side or back panels so that you can see the movement. You will see the chime hammers in a row on the right side (from your perspective looking at the clock from the front). If any of the hammer shafts are tangled together, untangle them into a straight row, with no hammer touching any other. If one hammer is lifted as if preparing to strike, lift the whole row row of hammers at the same time. This may release the jam and the clock may start chiming. Also check that the chime selector lever is "clicked" into position for one of the chimes, and not between "chime" and "silent".
    If none of the above helps, the chime train is probably stalled. This can be due to the heaviest weight not being on the right-side chain, the clock needing lubrication, or wear in the bearings of the movement, which will require replacing the movement with a new one.