Timex Movement Assembly Tip

[AlamedaMike]

Not sure how many Timex people there are on this board, but I'll post this here in hopes that this may help.

There are two plates in many Timex movements: 1) the dial plate, 2) the movement plate.  If you find yourself separating the plates, all the gearing falls out.  Fun!  At some point you hopefully decide to try putting things back together.  If you find yourself in this predicament, put the dial side down and insert all parts into the dial side first.  Doing this helps keep all the pins lined up vertically, so that when you attempt the put the movement plate on its just a little less of a PITA.  Picture attached.

Thanks, Mike

 

 

Edited October 20, 2018 by AlamedaMike

[watchweasol]

Been there ! it is a PITA manouvering all the wheels in but can be done. According to timex the movements were designed ti be machine cleaned without dismantling, having done one or two that is the case never had a problem.

[AlamedaMike]

Yes, most of the time I clean them as specified by the service manual.  But sometimes you need to replace parts.  On this one, one of the pallet fork pins broke off, so I put in a properly functioning pallet fork.

[JerseyMo]

did you remove the mainspring barrel as well?

[AlamedaMike]

On 10/27/2018 at 5:28 AM, JerseyMo said:

did you remove the mainspring barrel as well?

Yep, I had it out at one point.

[JerseyMo]

I find the most difficult task is to keep the pallet fork still while trying to place the top plate back into place.

Do you have any trick for this?

[AlamedaMike]

6 hours ago, JerseyMo said:

I find the most difficult task is to keep the pallet fork still while trying to place the top plate back into place.

Do you have any trick for this?

Me experience exactly!  Nope, I have no trick.  We need to come up with one.  

[JerseyMo]

I keep going back to the factory must have had some type of jig setup.  My last one I found that if I screw out the brass cap it allows the balance to stay put.  Now I just have to figure out the dam pallet fork.

 

 

[JerseyMo]

well, this post inspired me to take another approach at a full Timex tear down and rebuild. " Oh right they are riveted together"

anyway.... I found that leaving in the temporary stem was a big help.  Also when I was about to place the back plate back on I turned the movement as you see in the pic.  This allowed me to drop in in at a 45 degree angle with ease.   WIth just a slight lift of the pallet fork with that tool front right, the plate slipped right on. 

BTW, the reason I took this one apart was to replace the mainspring.  so far she is running happy. 

[AlamedaMike]

14 hours ago, JerseyMo said:

well, this post inspired me to take another approach at a full Timex tear down and rebuild. " Oh right they are riveted together"

anyway.... I found that leaving in the temporary stem was a big help.  Also when I was about to place the back plate back on I turned the movement as you see in the pic.  This allowed me to drop in in at a 45 degree angle with ease.   WIth just a slight lift of the pallet fork with that tool front right, the plate slipped right on. 

BTW, the reason I took this one apart was to replace the mainspring.  so far she is running happy. 

Very nice.  Yep, leaving the stem in does help as it keeps the winding cog and its two plates in place.  Just have to be careful not to handle the stem too much, else it can pull out.

[gescott]

On 10/29/2018 at 7:58 PM, JerseyMo said:

I keep going back to the factory must have had some type of jig setup.  My last one I found that if I screw out the brass cap it allows the balance to stay put.  Now I just have to figure out the dam pallet fork.

 

 

I thought about some easily dissolvable thick oil or grease on the pallet fork that once assembled could be run through cleaning fluid to remove the temp grease used to hold the assembly together.  Just a thought but haven't tried it yet.