“…We must do something about the clock!”
by Andrew Marsden
I purchased “Gently” in 1997, and was never troubled by the excessive noise of the ticking clock fitted to the glove box door at any speed… because it didn’t work. I have been meaning to take it out and get it fixed, but other priorities have intervened.
At last it has been fixed, and runs beautifully, keeping perfect time.
The back of the clock has a cover held by two grub screws on either side of the base. There are three other screws holding the whole clock into the wooden aperture of the glove box lid. There are three wires supplying the clock, two of which run the clock— a black and a light mauve wire— going severally to two simple screw posts. There was a separate green wire to the top of the clock to power the light. This latter wire just pops off easily.
Between the two power wire posts is a swivelling graduated lever, with “+” at one end and “-” at the other. This is the accuracy adjuster lever. I took the clock out and gave it to “Yan” Ostoja, who is a very proficient watch and clock repairer. He has a small shop hidden at Shop 7 4 Old Great Northern Highway, Midland. (Tel. 9250 3710). He is a self-taught Polish clock repairer, who is very reasonable, and knew all about this type of clock (and the one on my P4 Rover), and is very good with ancient Grandfather clocks. My clock was back in 10 days, and has run brilliantly ever since.
Refitting was easy, and I have not had to adjust the timing rate, because he ran it for several days, connected to a 12-volt battery in his garage “for the same temperature reasons” … Attention to detail.
And now as the old Mk VI B344LJ purrs along the highway, all you can hear in the cabin is the ticking of the clock. Oh, and the ticking of the little gearbox driving the speedometer. Perhaps I should look at that next. (That will be an oily job, perhaps best left a while.)
Rolls-Royce Owners' Club of Australia (WA Branch Inc) 