# Bridgeport Quill Clockspring..?



## EmilioG (Feb 23, 2016)

Has anyone here changed the clock spring on the quill handle of a BP mill?
The quill handle doesn't balance and I think it's the clock spring .
H&W sells the complete assemble for $30, do the locating pins need to be changed also
with this repair and what should I replace as well?
Thank you.


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## Kernbigo (Feb 23, 2016)

more than likely the end is broken off the old spring, re bend it and reuse it


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## chips&more (Feb 23, 2016)

You cannot just re-bend the spring. If the inner end is broken. It will need to the annealed and a new hole made. You cannot just re-bend it. The spring will break again. It must be annealed first. And for the money, a new spring is worth it. But first, check to see if it’s not just a needed adjustment and not broken. Adjust the spring tension so that it balances a mounted chuck …Dave.


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## Kernbigo (Feb 23, 2016)

with do re specks i have re bent them and they worked fine, used to work machine repair for 25 years. I do agree it may only be out of adjustment.


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## JimDawson (Feb 23, 2016)

In general it's been my experience that rebending and putting in a new hole is a temporary fix.  I normally order a new assembly at that time, it's $30 well spent IMHO.

Lock the quill at the top before you start removing the spring cartridge.

Be careful, if you take the spring out of the cartridge, or allow it to escape, they tend to ''explode'', and rewinding is a bit of a pain.  I have used a Dremel with a carbide burr to put in the new hole.

I normally use ChannelLocks to control the cartridge when removing and installing.  Some new cartridges come with a ''tool'' (a bent piece of wire) to adjust the tension, but I have found them not to be the best tool for the job.  This normally requires turning the cartridge a bit then re-installing a screw and getting another bite with the ChannelLocks.  Tension the new spring just enough to counterbalance the quill, the quill should not just snap back to the top like a drill press.


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## dlane (Feb 23, 2016)

Hopeing a BP spring will work on my Supermax.


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## JimDawson (Feb 23, 2016)

dlane said:


> Hopeing a BP spring will work on my Supermax.



Most of them are interchangeable.  SuperMax is (was) a true BP clone.  Take a look on Ebay for BP clockspring.  I have a BP spring in my Eagal.


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## ARKnack (Feb 23, 2016)

Check out this video from Stan: 



He shows a trick to make replacement simple.


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## JimDawson (Feb 23, 2016)

Thanks for posting that!


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## EmilioG (Feb 24, 2016)

Thanks. I've seen that video.  We're going to buy the complete unit from H&W for $30.00
Plus new locating pins.


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## Richard White (richardsrelics) (Feb 24, 2016)

Please note, I replaced a clock spring with one from H&W Machine. It will work, BUT, the quality is not as good as original. There are specific instructions on how much tension to apply when installing these. Too much tension and the handle moves up, not correct, and not enough and it falls, too little tension.  The spring itself did not fail, but the housing that held the spring failed.  It was a clear design change.


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## EmilioG (Feb 24, 2016)

Thank you. I considered this. It looks different from the clock spring/case on our BP.
Do you know if they sell the spring by itself?  $30 does seem low for a BP part.
We're tearing down the BP for a major over-haul, so a lot of parts are in order.
They should just buy a better BP.  There are so many available now in Long Island,
but the dealers buy them up fast.  This is a 1982 era BP vari J head.  It just needs some TLC.
Thanks to all the great people here. This place is the best.


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## Richard White (richardsrelics) (Feb 25, 2016)

To my knowledge you can only get the whole thing, not just the spring.


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## EmilioG (Feb 27, 2016)

That's fine. We can remove and transfer it. It will already be wound up for us.
Thanks


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## Richard White (richardsrelics) (Feb 27, 2016)

Well sort of, the new spring does not attach to the new housing like the old spring does. New housing is aluminum, old = steel.  New housing spring is folded over to grasp aluminum housing, but lip in housing not strong enough to hold that much tension. See below photo.



Old housing had spring riveted to housing  and still holds. See photo below




My fix was to machine the new aluminum housing and leave a meatier tab that would hold the spring better and be less prone to breakage.
Now the blue housing is the aluminum/new one, so I machined the broken crap out and the moved over and cut a step about .06 deep to allow the spring to have more meat to grab onto, sorry like a dummy I did not take a picture of that.
The spring , well this one was NOT tempered at that end so bending it was quite easy...and again I am an idiot and did not take a picture of it.

Please note while the quill WILL go down 5 inches or so, remember the farther you drop it down the tighter and more tension goes on the spring and THAT is why the new ones fail.  So try to avoid using the full legth of travel. There is your .02 cent tip


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## EmilioG (Feb 28, 2016)

Excellent write up. Thank you. I haven't disassembled the old SC housing yet, so we'll see if the old CS can be repaired.  I prefer to use the original housing and get a better spring that will fit. Thank you.


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