Expert: Martin Meyer - 1/17/2010

Question
I am finally getting around to replacing my strike cable per the instructions you provided back in 2008.  However I am having a problem finding the "click" (ratchet pawl) on the cable drum.  You suggested pulling the click away from the ratchet wheel and manually turning the cable drum clockwise until the stopworks stops it from turning farther.  You indicated that if the stopworks is properly set up, I should see the slot in the cable drum which holds the end of the cable, at about an 11:00 to 12:00 position on the drum.  At present the screw locking the plastic guard is backed out slighly to allow the guard to move freely.  The slot in the cable drum is at about a 3:00 to 4:00 position.  Thank you  

Answer
Hi Jim,

The click can be hard to find if you aren't familiar with what it looks like; you're only seeing it edgewise. It may be easier to look for the clickspring and follow it to its ending at the click. The drum may also be turned so that the click is facing away from you and so hidden from your view.

The slot in the drum should be at the 11-12:00 position so that when the clock runs and the drum turns (clockwise in a Kieninger movement) the cable will wind up, not move into a bottom position where it might become detached and fall out. If the slot is that low, the drum is probably not fully unwound. I would not recommend trying to change the setup of the stopworks, which can get you into considerable trouble.