Hello community!
I wanna try to get the digital clock back working again.



I can hear a clicking noise but the wheels with the digits on it won’t move. The little stick on the right (for setting the clock?) doesn’t work neither. Maybe it’s just stuck and needs some cleaning!?
Or any other ideas? Is there a way to take out just the clock (through glovebox maybe) without taking the whole dashboard out?

 

Walle, I imagine you can remove the clock by first removing the glovebox. I installed new speakers in the dash of my 71 98 and I had to remove the glovebox to access the speaker on the passenger's side. It also gave me clear access to remove the clock. A project for another day since it doesn't work.

 

Thank you Olds64!
I will try that.
Hopefully I grab get it out and back working after a good clean.

 

There should be an access hole in glovebox under the clock.

Try pushing the clock toward the windshield. Most 74-76 88/98 and 74-78 Toronado use ribbed studs to mount the clock and if car has these you should be able to push it off those studs and remove it thru the access hole.

If not, and the clock is mounted with screws or nuts, it's simple to remove the glovebox door and liner for better access.

As far as servicing the digital rollover clock, don't know where you'd find someone to do that. But as many Olds, Cadillac and Chrysler products as came with them someone is probably doing them. The plastic mechanisms are what fail on these so finding replacement parts is an issue.

 

I have a '78 Toronado, and I replaced the clock with an NOS Toro clock I bought on Ebay. Removing it is easy. As rocketraider says, just push in on it. It comes out through the top of the glovebox. You don't have to remove the glovebox or anything.

There is no "top" to the glovebox on that side. If you open the glovebox and look "up" at the location of the clock, you'll see the clock. Removing it is very easy.

 

Here's what the clock looks like when it's out. Those three mounting holes just press-fit over knurled studs. There are no nuts to thread on or anything.

 

Getting the clock out is easy. Getting at the innards maybe not so much. The first thing you have to do is remove the adjustment ****. That shaft turns both ways, so unless the **** is easy to loosen, you could have a problem. On my original clock, the **** is rusted to the shaft, so it is impossible to turn the **** to loosen it without turning the shaft. The shaft pulls out about 1/8" when you want to adjust the clock, and you might be able to get the ends of a very narrow pair of needlenose pliers on it. I tried that with mine, and it's difficult to get a solid grip on the shaft while also grabbing the **** with another pair of pliers to try to turn it. In any event, assuming you can get the **** off, I think the clock just pries out of the case. You can see crimps in the metal housing all around the edges.

I did notice that there is a circuit board inside the clock as you can see part of through one of the case openings. I'm not sure how user-serviceable the clock is even if you do get it apart. If you do, take some photos of the disassembled clock and post them.

 

Thanks for the real good advice!
That helped me out a lot taking it out real easy.
I managed to take it apart too. Actually easy as well.
Took some pictures in case anybody wants to do the same.
The problem was dirt why it didn’t run. The „seconds“ wheel was kinda stuck to the axle and couldn’t turn freely as it should. The „minutes“ wheel is the only one supposed to be fixed on the axle in order to be able to adjust the time through that stick on the outside.
The „10 minute“ and the „hour“ wheel get turned by the small see through plastic gearwheels on top of the digit wheels.
I took everything apart and cleaned it. Everything moves freely again but unfortunately due to the jam some plastic teeth are broken and one gearwheel cut into the „seconds wheel“.
That means TIME OVER, can’t be fixed and I need a new clock.

I found one on eBay but it’s a 75 without the „seconds“ and I really want the original one.

If anybody has one for sale or knows where to get one, I would be more than happy if you let me know.


Unscrew pin

Carefully pry open on all the dents.



You can see the white dust. It’s where the gearwheel kept cutting in the digit wheel due to the jam.

The time adjusting mechanism

Take out metal plates on both sides to take axle and wheels out

Carefully bend open

 

Good work! Thanks for the photos.

 

By any chance do you still have the old one you replaced? Maybe I could use just the two wheels to replace on mine!?

If not maybe somebody else has a broken one sitting around?

 

I certainly do still have it, and I'm more than happy to send it to you. I can't promise that the inner workings are in good shape as I have not tried to take it apart. You may get it apart and discover that it's no better than what you have. But it's probably worth a try.

Let me know your shipping address (send it by PM if you like). I have a daughter and son-in-law living in Germany for a few years, and I've discovered that it can take a long time (a month) for something we send them to arrive. I don't know what your customs or mail-inspection people will do with old electronics.

We will be doing some traveling on and off over the next week, so I might not be able to actually put this in the mail until November 30. But I will send it if you want. I won't charge you for the clock itself, but I will let you pay for shipping. I checked just now on the US post office website, and to ship this clock to Germany (package weighs 1 lb, 6 oz--about 620 grams) cost $24.50 for "First Class Package International Service." That's the lowest-cost shipping method they have.

 

That would be really great!
Maybe we can get one working one out of the two broken ones and preserve at least one of those nostalgic timepieces.
I will send you an PM!
Thanks a lot in advance!!!