Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 5/14/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have an oxford regulator with an 8 hammer, cable driven, westminster chime kieninger movement,which I have oiled myself every few years. The clock has stopped running after oiling, after running for anywhere from half hour to several hours. I cleaned the movement with naptha, and re-oiled everything. It ran for several weeks, and now stops again, at various points on the dial, not just before the chime is set to go off. I've noticed that, when I swing the pendulum to start the movement, there is no tick-tock, unless I move the minute hand slightly forward or backward. The suspension spring is not bent and swings freely, and nothing like the hands or such are binding. There is a forward and rear hole on the suspension spring pillar..I wasn't sure which hole originally was used, so I have been using the forward one; don't know if that matters at all. Any ideas? Thanks so much for your help.
Dave Benjamin

ANSWER: just happen to have one in the shop now - had that problem -- turned out to need a bushing installed in the second wheel time arbor due to wear in the plate. A job for a pro as the movement needs to be completly taken apart to repair it. ($$$)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ken:
Thanks for your quick reply. Can you give me an estimate if I were to ship it to you for repair? It was built in 1984 and assembled in 1985. Would that bushing wear out that soon?
Thanks, Dave


Answer
after 20 years these German movements are on borrowed time and are going to need repair. There was no bushing that wore out - a bushing is installed as a repair to the wear in the original brass plate.

I do not take work in through All-Experts, sorry. This one I am finishing will be $250 and I undercharged!