Expert: Martin Meyer - 5/21/2008

Question
I have an electric Imperial Chime manufactured by C.J. Hug, Highland, Illinois, USA.  It has been cleaned and oiled and, at some point in the recent past, the motor has been replaced, but it is running slow (approx. 30 seconds a day).  Do you have any suggestions as to what the problem might be?  Thanks.

Answer
Hi Steve,

It's very difficult to narrow down the possibilities for this problem.

First, the replacement motor must be the correct part, with the correct number of pinion teeth on its shaft. Synchronous motors will always run with great accuracy if the home power supply is 60 cycles. The wiring of the motor is very straightforward and there should be no problem there if the motor is running.

This leaves mechanical problems. The bearings for the gears, which are simple holes in the brass movement plates, may be worn, and either causing excess friction in the gear train, or slipping teeth occasionally. By rotating the gears manually, you should be able to see the tip of the shaft (pivot) moving back and forth in an elongated, egg-shaped bearing hole. This is a sure sign of bearing wear. The remedy for this is a complete overhaul of the movement, replacing worn bearings with brass bushings.

Finally, observe the hands. Look for the hands touching each other, the dial, or the glass at any point in their revolution. The second hand is especially likely to touch the glass. Also look at the hands at their center, where they attach to the hand shafts. There should be some clearance between the hand centers and between the hour hand and the dial. If necessary, remove the glass and adjust the hands so they are not hitting at any of these points.