eyedocs96

How do you remove the lens from the clock bezel? I see 6 small rivits that I assume need the head ground off of them. I want to try and polish the lens and paint the bezel. Any recommendations on a polish to try on the lens?
thanks

LB66383

I can relate to what you're saying. I wasn't brave enough to try to take it apart. I used a small paint brush to repaint the piece that's behind the lens. I used a Mequiars plastic cleaner, followed by a Meguiars plastic polish to clean up the lens. It came out very well.

66jack

Those are not rivets....they are part of the bezel when it was cast...so you grind them off and you will have to drill and tap them to put it all back together...the lense is available from most parts suppliers


jack

eyedocs96

Is that the proper procedure to grind off the tabs then drill and tap a hole for a screw?
thanks

JOliver

Yes drill and tap with a screw or buy a new bezel and repeen them.
You can also hold the bezel and take a small flat head screwdriver and insert it on those rivets and give them a good whack and it will cut them off flush...I know that sounds bad but it works great and its better than over drilling those holes.

66jack

Yes you can grind them off with a dremel tool...BUT when you drill them out DO NOT DRILL STRAIGHT DOWN because of the taper of the bezel...you need to drill at the angle of the bezel so when you tap the hole you will not break out the side...BE CAREFUL....also those are not rivets...they are part of the bezel....you can break them off but take it easy they are hard..

jack

eyedocs96

Thank you all for your comments and recommendations. I will give it a try and see how I do.

mikey

is this procedure the same for '64 clocks? i got a quartz diy kit, bezel and lens for christmas.. took the clock out of the dash last weekend, but haven't figured out how to take it apart.. looks like maybe prying bent tabs back to straight would get part of it apart and the front on mine seems like maybe it is press fit? there are some slots where it looks like maybe i could insert a flat blade screwdriver and pry the front off?

0Willcox Corvette

Mikey, yes the bezel is the same only 63-64 is frost color and not black. It is the same exact part!

You don’t have to drill them off if you are careful.

The rivet is made in the casting of the clock bezel, however you can take a small screw drive and wedge it between the lens retainer and the bezel and pry off the retainer. When you to this it will pull the retainer off the bezel and allow you to remove the lens.

Once you have replaced the lens you can simply re-steak the rivets and you are good to go!

You may break off a rivet or two if you are impatient and if you do the bezel will still stay in place. If you break two in the same area you will then need to drill and tap these as described above.

I’ve rebuilt this clock for years and it’s really rare to break two of the rivets in the same area when you replace the lens. Drilling and tapping them is only done when you break them in multiple places. Drilling is a good way to fix a bezel that is missing more than two rivets and please do not try to epoxy the bezel, it is rare that this will work and we have seen this before. The bezel will fall off while the clock remains in the car.

IMHO,

Willcox Inc.