<VV> Clock: Tick-Tock & Clunk

[NicolCS at aol.com]

As others have stated, the clunk is the normal function of the winding 
mechanism.  I've never thought of it as an "annoying" noise, but rather the rythmn 
of a healthy car.  The part that hasn't been mentioned yet is that there's a 
design flaw in all of the clocks that causes those points to fry. Every time the 
clock winds, when the points open, the uncontrolled collapse of the solenoid 
coil's magnetic field causes a healthy spark across the points.  It doesn't 
take long for the points to fry.  Follow the instructions in the tech guide and 
install a diode or capacitor across the points to supress the spark.  You can 
do it now (for about 25 cents) or you can wait until the points are fried and 
do it for about $100.
Craig Nicol