Expert: Michael Radi - 8/11/2009

Question
hi, in 1992 i bought a cuckoo clock in Germany. e. schmeckenbacher
gm 1549000   1674939    1704078    1705294   regula    no jewels
unadjusted,  8 day. 1 1/2 yrs ago it just stopped running so i had it fixed, $125.  it just stopped again, same thing. no bumps, knocks drops nothing. i only paid $200 for it new. do you know where i can find a schematic so i can try to fix it myself??? i would rather get a new one than put another $100 + into it again.
thanks
Jeff

Answer
The factory used to print parts schematics on their movements but I doubt if you will find one anymore. I also don't think it would be of much use and it just shows where all the parts go and nothing about troubleshooting or repair.
8 day cuckoo clocks are prone to trouble because they have an extra gear in the drive train and extra weight to run them. If your clock repair person did a good job of rebuilding the clock your solution may be simple. If you can still contact the repair person who worked on it I would call and ask what he or she did to get it going.
In general, cuckoo clocks are novelty clocks and are not as well made as most other mechanical clocks.
If you want to learn about in inner workings of cuckoo clocks and repairing them I suggest you get a book on the subject.
There is a really good clock repair book that includes cuckoo clock repair. It is the Clock Repair First Reader. You can get information on it or order it at:
http://www.norkro.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=74&products_i...