Timer reconditioning

I haven't done this to a washer timer, but I have to an old Benrus clock radio of my mom's and I will try it on an appliance timer, when I need to. If you can get to the inter workings of a timer that sounds noisy or is turning hard, you might be able to save it. You might want to have a second timer on hand, in case things go wrong. I didn't have extra clock guts when I worked on that clock, but it was noisy and I knew if something wasn't done, it would die any way.
The outside case of the clock is a brushed gold color and the dial background is blue with gold colored hands and numbers and a beveled glass front.The clock's movements(gears, switches, motor)were all exposed once the back cover was removed. I took out the movement and went to work.
I used compressed air, tested the pressure on my hand, and then blew dirt out of the works. Then I used Blue Shower II spray cleaner and degreaser made by Techspray. You can't find it everywhere. I ordered mine from somewhere in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, I think. The motor was an open synchronous type, with bushings on each of the motor, to hold the ends of the stator shaft in the center of the laminate field. If the laminate field is rusted, you might be able to use a small light weight wire brush to remove the rust, then vacuum the rust off of the laminate. If there is rust on the laminate, remove it first, before blowing the dirt out of the timer or the devise you're working on. You don't want rust particles, metal particles, or wire brush pieces blown into the part. If the rust on the laminate is severe, you might not be able to save it. You can try removing as much as you can and then painting it, but if it's badly rusted, you might not be able to save it or it might not last long. Don't paint it heavily. The laminate dissipates heat and if you put a heavy coat of paint on it, it won't be able to do it as well. You can use a rust eliminating paint on the laminate to help stop or slow down the rust. If the motor on your timer is enclosed in a metal shell, you might not want to spray any cleaners or lubricants into it unless you can get the metal shell off. If the motor is making noise and you want to risk it, you can try and spray some WD-40 or other light weight, electrically safe lube into the motor and then blow out the excess with air. If the motor will come off of the timer, you could take it off and oil the gear end with a needle end precision oiler. Put Zoom Spout oil into the precision oiler and put a tiny drop or two on the shaft behind the gear that drives the timer. By the way, don't turn the timer while the timer motor is off of the timer. I have soaked small electric motors with a light weight electrically safe oil, blown out the excess and let the motor set for awhile and had the motor run very well for years. The basic idea is to get some non-varnishing lube to the shaft bearings and hopefully not ruin the motor in the process. Of course, if the motor is already burned out, nothing will help.

As far as the timer goes, cleaning the inside of it, lubricating the moving parts in it, and cleaning the electrical contacts and lubricating them with a lubricant that enhances the electrical connections and transmissions between them is the goal. It should move freely and transmit electrical signals well. If you think you can open the timer without it's works falling out or something spring loaded flying out(which is usually a disaster), that is the best way to work on a timer. Blow it out or spray it out with the cleaner then use a spray electrical lube on it. If you can see the electric contacts, look for burning or etching that is caused by arcing. If they are burned or etched, and you can get to them, use a very fine emery paper, possibly wrapped around a small stick or other stiff tool that will help polish the etching off of the contact. There's probably a special tool for doing this job, but I've never seen one. There may be a dremel tool attachment that would work well for this project, but select carefully and go slowly. The idea is to get the contact as smooth and shiny as possible without grinding it down too much. Another thing that will work, if there is room, is to put a stiff piece of emery between the contacts and pushing them together and pulling(and pushing, if possible)the emery between the contacts. This will assure a positive connection between the contacts by making a smooth surface on each contact. There is a special grease that can be applied to contacts and relays to help prevent arching, but I'm not sure who makes it or where it can be had. You will probably need some magnifying glasses, to see the intricacies of your work. Some contacts are rounded up in a convex manor, having small contact area, while others are flat with a larger contact area. Try to make the contact points like the others in the timer or like the points in a corresponding or adjacent area of the timer, so they make positive contact equally across the surface. Sometimes arcing can be caused by other things. Do an internet search on arcing, if there continues to be problems, remember, severe arcing can only occur for limited lengths of time. Each arc melts, vaporizes, and breaks down metal. An arcing point will eventually fail. Another remedy may need to be found, but sometimes these efforts will greatly increase the life of a timer.

Caig Laboratories makes several different types of electrical lubricants. They are usually made for mixing boards or volume controls to make them work smoother or take static out of them, but they will work for other electrical devices.

For timers that won't open, you can try dousing it in a thin electrical lubricant that flows well and hope for the best. If you can't find a replacement, it doesn't work, and there's no recourse, it's probably worth a try. Some one on here mentioned there's a timer reconditioning place in the U.S. If you don't want to give it a go, try them.
Remember, a timer is a precision device. Don't go rushing in blindly. Examine it carefully, and decide if you want to try and fix it or prevent its death. If you don't, let someone work on it that feels more confident. You could try by working on one that you don't care about. Something out of the junk pile? Hope this helps any one that is thinking about working on a timer.


Forum Topics & Rules Manuals & Literature	New users Click-here to sign-up

Post# 423179 3/17/2010 at 11:22 (5,148 days old) by beekeyknee (Columbia, MO)
Checkrate/Likes I haven't done this to a washer timer, but I have to an old Benrus clock radio of my mom's and I will try it on an appliance timer, when I need to. If you can get to the inter workings of a timer that sounds noisy or is turning hard, you might be able to save it. You might want to have a second timer on hand, in case things go wrong. I didn't have extra clock guts when I worked on that clock, but it was noisy and I knew if something wasn't done, it would die any way. The outside case of the clock is a brushed gold color and the dial background is blue with gold colored hands and numbers and a beveled glass front.The clock's movements(gears, switches, motor)were all exposed once the back cover was removed. I took out the movement and went to work. I used compressed air, tested the pressure on my hand, and then blew dirt out of the works. Then I used Blue Shower II spray cleaner and degreaser made by Techspray. You can't find it everywhere. I ordered mine from somewhere in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, I think. The motor was an open synchronous type, with bushings on each of the motor, to hold the ends of the stator shaft in the center of the laminate field. If the laminate field is rusted, you might be able to use a small light weight wire brush to remove the rust, then vacuum the rust off of the laminate. If there is rust on the laminate, remove it first, before blowing the dirt out of the timer or the devise you're working on. You don't want rust particles, metal particles, or wire brush pieces blown into the part. If the rust on the laminate is severe, you might not be able to save it. You can try removing as much as you can and then painting it, but if it's badly rusted, you might not be able to save it or it might not last long. Don't paint it heavily. The laminate dissipates heat and if you put a heavy coat of paint on it, it won't be able to do it as well. You can use a rust eliminating paint on the laminate to help stop or slow down the rust. If the motor on your timer is enclosed in a metal shell, you might not want to spray any cleaners or lubricants into it unless you can get the metal shell off. If the motor is making noise and you want to risk it, you can try and spray some WD-40 or other light weight, electrically safe lube into the motor and then blow out the excess with air. If the motor will come off of the timer, you could take it off and oil the gear end with a needle end precision oiler. Put Zoom Spout oil into the precision oiler and put a tiny drop or two on the shaft behind the gear that drives the timer. By the way, don't turn the timer while the timer motor is off of the timer. I have soaked small electric motors with a light weight electrically safe oil, blown out the excess and let the motor set for awhile and had the motor run very well for years. The basic idea is to get some non-varnishing lube to the shaft bearings and hopefully not ruin the motor in the process. Of course, if the motor is already burned out, nothing will help. As far as the timer goes, cleaning the inside of it, lubricating the moving parts in it, and cleaning the electrical contacts and lubricating them with a lubricant that enhances the electrical connections and transmissions between them is the goal. It should move freely and transmit electrical signals well. If you think you can open the timer without it's works falling out or something spring loaded flying out(which is usually a disaster), that is the best way to work on a timer. Blow it out or spray it out with the cleaner then use a spray electrical lube on it. If you can see the electric contacts, look for burning or etching that is caused by arcing. If they are burned or etched, and you can get to them, use a very fine emery paper, possibly wrapped around a small stick or other stiff tool that will help polish the etching off of the contact. There's probably a special tool for doing this job, but I've never seen one. There may be a dremel tool attachment that would work well for this project, but select carefully and go slowly. The idea is to get the contact as smooth and shiny as possible without grinding it down too much. Another thing that will work, if there is room, is to put a stiff piece of emery between the contacts and pushing them together and pulling(and pushing, if possible)the emery between the contacts. This will assure a positive connection between the contacts by making a smooth surface on each contact. There is a special grease that can be applied to contacts and relays to help prevent arching, but I'm not sure who makes it or where it can be had. You will probably need some magnifying glasses, to see the intricacies of your work. Some contacts are rounded up in a convex manor, having small contact area, while others are flat with a larger contact area. Try to make the contact points like the others in the timer or like the points in a corresponding or adjacent area of the timer, so they make positive contact equally across the surface. Sometimes arcing can be caused by other things. Do an internet search on arcing, if there continues to be problems, remember, severe arcing can only occur for limited lengths of time. Each arc melts, vaporizes, and breaks down metal. An arcing point will eventually fail. Another remedy may need to be found, but sometimes these efforts will greatly increase the life of a timer. Caig Laboratories makes several different types of electrical lubricants. They are usually made for mixing boards or volume controls to make them work smoother or take static out of them, but they will work for other electrical devices. For timers that won't open, you can try dousing it in a thin electrical lubricant that flows well and hope for the best. If you can't find a replacement, it doesn't work, and there's no recourse, it's probably worth a try. Some one on here mentioned there's a timer reconditioning place in the U.S. If you don't want to give it a go, try them. Remember, a timer is a precision device. Don't go rushing in blindly. Examine it carefully, and decide if you want to try and fix it or prevent its death. If you don't, let someone work on it that feels more confident. You could try by working on one that you don't care about. Something out of the junk pile? Hope this helps any one that is thinking about working on a timer.

Post# 423242 , Reply# 1 3/17/2010 at 17:47 (5,147 days old) by dnastrau (Lords Valley, PA)
Checkrate/Likes *Timer repair is like watch repair...* ...in my opinion. I attempted to repair the timer on my grandmother's 1973 GE Filter Flo back in '91. At least one cycle wouldn't spin. When I took it apart it was pretty complex with a rotor (disc?) that reminded me of something out of an old music box along with lots of brass pawls (followers?) and what were probably tungsten contact points soldered to copper or brass leads. I tried to file the burnt points but was not successful in getting it to work again. They ended up trading it in on a new 1991 Filter Flo that was not as fancy. Brian, after reading your writeup I may stick to sending out any timer repairs that I need!