Hi guys and gals: Got one that is driving me nuts. Working on a friend's Seth Thomas time-only clock (nice old piece). It keeps over banking, no matter how I adjust the pallet fork. Then I ran into an identical movement. Started comparing piece for piece and noticed that the teeth on the escape wheel on my friend's movement was significantly worn down compared to the one I picked up. So I exchanged escape wheels. When I give the balance wheel a good spin, it operates fine but slows down and stops. The action of the balance is greatly improved with the new escape wheel, but it still won't run. I did put in some new bushings, cleaning, and polished pivots. Any suggestions? Thanks

GREETINGS MARK, IF OVERBANKING IS THE PROBLEM SHOULDN'T YOU ADJUST THE POSITION OF THE BALANCE SPRING SO YOU HAVE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF OSCILLATION EITHER SIDE OF CENTER, YOU MENTIONED ADJUSTING THE FORK DID YOU RETURN IT TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AFTER YOU PUT THE NEW ESCAPE WHEEL IN? LAST BUT NOT LEAST ARE YOUR BUSHINGS TO SNUG? YOU COULD POSSIABLY TOP THE ORIGINAL ESCAPE WHEEL A VERY SMALL AMOUNT. EDDIE

Eddie: Yes, I did play around with the balance spring but it did't make a difference (or I couldn't find the right spot). The bushings are not snug. I have about a 5 degree tilt. When I put in the new escape wheel (the escape wheel from the other movement), the overbanking stopped, but it still won't run. Now (correct me if I am wrong) but the escape wheel pushes the pallet fork from side to side, subsuquently pushing the balance wheel from side to side. Since it runs down after giving the balance wheel a good spin, does it mean no push is coming from the escape wheel (or from the upstream gear train) or the pallet fork is not allowing itself to be pushed? And how do you find out which is which? Thanks

GREETINGS MARK, HAVE YOU CHECKED THE NEW BUSHINGS YOU INSTALLED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO BURRS ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE BUSHING, YOU CAN LIGHTLY CHAMFER THE BACK SIDE BY ROTATING A LARGE BUSHING REAMER BY ROLLING BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS. ALSO CHECK THE END PLAY BY MOVEING THE WHEELS BACK AND FORTH IF IT MOVES FREELY IT SHOULD BE GOOD HOWEVER WHEN YOU DO THIS AND YOU HEAR A SNAP YOU CAN DEPEND IT IS EITHER A TAPERED PIVOT OR A PIVOT WITH A STEP IN IT. WHEN YOU TOOK THE MOVEMENT APART IT IS VERY HARD TO RETURN THE SPRING TO IT'S ORIGINAL POSITION BECAUSE IT IS HELD ONLY BY A PIN CONSEQUENTLY IF THE SPRING WAS PULLED TO TIGHT THE ESCAPEMENT WOULD NOT BEHAVE CORRECTLY. ALSO DONOT PUT OIL ON THE PALLET FACES. HAVE YOU CHECKED THE ENDS OF YOUR BALANCE STAFF FOR WEAR? IS YOUR ENDPLAY ADJUSTMENT CORRECT IN THE BALANCE WHEEL? DID YOU RESURFACE THE VERGE IMPULSE FACES? THE ESCAPE WHEEL BEING HIGH IN THE TRAIN DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF TORQUE CONSEQUENTLY IT RELIES ON A GOOD BALANCE OF MOTION IN THE LEVER AND BALANCE WHEEL. THE VERGE DOES NOTHING BUT ALLOW THE ESCAPE WHEEL TO MOVE 1 TOOTH AT A TIME. I TRIED TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS HOPEFULLY I DIDN'T RAMBLE TO MUCH. TAKE CARE. EDDIE