There is no wire to it. I don't understand how they work. Do we just replace them. I see kits available don't want to try that.
Clock does not work 78
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 22
From: Crystal Lake IL
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
dont go the quartz path unless you have to. i bought a quartz last summer and it would stop working on its own. on a hunch, my buddy decided to clean the orig clock. it went back in my car and has been working since. i was charged a 15% re-stocking fee.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,435
Likes: 9
From: Kalamazoo Mi
rebuild it yourself, its easy, mine worked no problem. Basically you just blow the crud out of it and put some light oil on it, clean the contacts and your good to go!, search on the forum there is a VERY handy guide.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,417
Likes: 336
From: Texas
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
Likes: 471
From: Glen Allen, VA
I disagree with the post of not going with the quartz conversion if you rebuild yours. I put a quartz conversion on mine a little over a year ago, and mine hasn't missed a beat since then, and has kept perfect time ever since.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,397
Likes: 649
From: Saskatoon Saskatchewan
I've owned aprox 40 cars in my time, I've never seen a non-quartz clock that kept time and never seen a quartz one that didn't.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 98
From: Ontario
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,229
Likes: 656
From: Thunder Bay
I installed the quartz conversion in mine shortly after I got my '79 in 1993. Its been keeping perfect time ever since. Watch - now that I've said that it wont be working next time I use the car 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 22
From: Crystal Lake IL
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
maybe it was my car that wasn't happy with the quartz not being NCRS. after I returned it, the vendor bench tested it and it was perfect. But the week it was on my car...it was a piece of junk. Surprised me, considering how much it cost.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 70
Likes: 1
From: Adelaide South Australia
I would agree with those on the quartz conversion side. I have had a 68 Camaro with Mechanical clock, - fried the electrics and not worth rebuilding at the time. Put an Autometer clock in the same place and it works fine, good timekeeping, low power drain, no hassle.
I bought a 70 Mustang. The mechanical clock I was able to get working with a clean and oil, and the electrics worked, but it kept bad time.
All mechanical clocks need some care and calibration to keep them timing right, and in old cars they get very dirty and prone to failure. You can fix anything, of course.
I just changed the movement out in my 78 Corvette last week, from mechanical to quartz. it is working fine now. Looks original. No maintenance. Easy problem fixed. If you follow the instructions that come in the box it is a snap.
You could spend dollars on a rebuild for your mechanical and it may not keep time, and the electrics can fry or stop.
There has to be a reason that nearly EVERY C3 clock is not working, right? Maybe it was bad quality contacts or weak motor, or bad movements, but they all seem to be bad. I would not bother with fixing something that is most likely to fail again.
I bought a 70 Mustang. The mechanical clock I was able to get working with a clean and oil, and the electrics worked, but it kept bad time.
All mechanical clocks need some care and calibration to keep them timing right, and in old cars they get very dirty and prone to failure. You can fix anything, of course.
I just changed the movement out in my 78 Corvette last week, from mechanical to quartz. it is working fine now. Looks original. No maintenance. Easy problem fixed. If you follow the instructions that come in the box it is a snap.
You could spend dollars on a rebuild for your mechanical and it may not keep time, and the electrics can fry or stop.
There has to be a reason that nearly EVERY C3 clock is not working, right? Maybe it was bad quality contacts or weak motor, or bad movements, but they all seem to be bad. I would not bother with fixing something that is most likely to fail again.
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Not sure if its the same clock as the one on my 77, if it is, fix it yourself. There is a great post here on this form - here is the link:
http://pcfred.com/Vettetip/FixC3Clock.htm
If its anything like the 77, the mechanism is very rudimentary and quite honestly a ****** design, but nothing beats fixing it.
Basically, when the contacts meet, it creates a spark that throw the contact arm out, which in turn winds the spring. The arm slowly moves back until it the circuit closes again and repeats, that's why you hear a click every 30 seconds or so.
I cleaned the contacts with sand paper, sprayed the hell out of the inside with QD Electronic cleaner, oiled the movement with WD40. There is also a coil on the inside, mine was completely shot. Went down to radio shack, brought the same coil wire, rewound the coil and soldered the end back to the body. The clock has been working ever since, does not keep great time however
, but hell, its original.
Good luck!
http://pcfred.com/Vettetip/FixC3Clock.htm
If its anything like the 77, the mechanism is very rudimentary and quite honestly a ****** design, but nothing beats fixing it.
Basically, when the contacts meet, it creates a spark that throw the contact arm out, which in turn winds the spring. The arm slowly moves back until it the circuit closes again and repeats, that's why you hear a click every 30 seconds or so.
I cleaned the contacts with sand paper, sprayed the hell out of the inside with QD Electronic cleaner, oiled the movement with WD40. There is also a coil on the inside, mine was completely shot. Went down to radio shack, brought the same coil wire, rewound the coil and soldered the end back to the body. The clock has been working ever since, does not keep great time however
, but hell, its original.Good luck!
