MTFCA Forum

I used a brand new day timer and it is working really well. I tried to adjust the rod but I broke the hole in the timer, the timer is in plastic...I thought it is a good plastic but is not the case. I tried to use a glue and broke it again at the same place... Any suggestions to glue efficiently. The glue I used is J-B Weld 50139 plastic bonder and doesn't work as well! This glue suppose to weld the plastic as well in 15 minutes and I wait all night instead in the goal to be sure the part will weld together. Also I cleaned all parts before using glue.

Maybe someone experiences same issue than me... and may have more success with different pathway.

Old new day timers were bakalite, repro new day timers were plastic for some time, plastic was too soft and would wear out very fast. New production new day timers I have no experience with. In my experience, bakelite cannot be repaired with glue, plastic can often times be repaired with glue depending on the part and the loads on the part.
I would not fix and use a repaired new day timer, plastic or bakalite, would always have that nagging feeling that it will break again and leave me stranded. In the 50 years of owning and driving a model T I have only been broken down on the side of the road twice, for junk in the fuel system once, and a flat tire once. Avoiding slip shod penny pinching make do repairs has had a lot to do with my reliability.
Time for a new timer, and in the future, disconnect the rod befor you try to adjust it again.

Adjusting the spark control rod with a timer that has a steel case is one thing as it won’t break off the ear easily.
The New Day case is made of hard plastic and it will break no doubt about it when forced.
Adjust the timer rod as needed then put it in the ear of the case. If further adjustment is needed bend the rod accordingly to have a good fit without putting strain on the case.

Mario

That New Day case is made of a phenolic plastic. So a SuperGlue, which is a cyanoacrylate, may do it. Or a good two=part epoxy, that is listed for phenolic types of plastics. Normally plastics are hard to cement together, there are UV type setting adhesives that can make good repair.

But, CA glues are poor in tensile, and best in shear. There is good load on that little tab with the spark rod pulling and pushing on it.

You might try to reinforce the piece with tiny holes drilled and placing small metal rods (or tiny screws) to give more strength like screwing the two broken pieces together. The glue surfaces should be roughened too to encourage glue interface.

Likely any repair may fail again, due to the loads placed on the pull tab. Good luck.....

Yes the New Days are made of Bakelite and fairly tough in normal use but not tough enough when put in a bind.
Lesson learned about a New Day timer I guess. Sort of like making sure you have the T spark plug wrench on securely when removing a plug! We all know what happens when you don’t! Ever broke a plug? I learned the hard way years ago.

Is your New Day Timer made by Tip-Top timers? If so, I'd contact Mark Hutchinson [(509) 220-0892] and explain the situation. He'll work with you.
Bakelite holds it's shape well but will break rather than flex.... You don't want a timer cover to flex anyway. I'd not try to repair it...odds are it will fail and you'll find yourself away from home, unable to adjust your spark.

I have 1600 miles on a Tip-Top New Day timer and so far so good. I did have an issue with a bad spring on the brush I used but Mark sent me a new brush and a spring to replace the bad one. They are good people, doing their best to provide a good product.

Hi, for sure I learnt something here, The timing should be set with the rod disconnected from the timer... In my past experience I used an early metal timer, I forgot that one is in plastic... I will use another one for sure, and keep this one like a spare and try to reinforced with metal part.

Experience is the worlds best teacher! But even at that, I would think with the steel case it would be far more difficult and risky trying to adjust that rod "in place". Sure, if you had the adjustable end it would be different. But if you're forcing the later style they sure are kinda hard to bend, and I would never chance it. Just my stupid opinion.

I done the same thing a couple years ago. Experience is the best teacher. I fixed mine this way. I cut a groove with a dremel tool with a cutting wheel in both the timer body 1/2 and the top 1/2 of the hole that broke off just wide enough to fit a small flat washer into and deep enough the two halves came together. I then used JB weld packed in the groove and all around the break. Let everything cure and filed and sanded excess off. When finished all that is seen is a fine grey line at the break. I used it till I found another. Still have it under the seat as a spare. It was bakolite.

IMHO, the best thing you can do with a New Day timer is add a little flex joint to the end of the rod. I broke the tab off a NOS one years ago because the rod was binding and I didn't pay attention. I haven't seen the new ones Hutch is making but I'm hearing good reports from a couple people that are running them. I agree that they are a local company and will stand behind their products. I'm sure an email to them would take care of the problem.

I reach Mark Hutchinson today and have a chance to chat with him. A very nice gentlemen. He made some arrangement for me. Is timer work perfectly but we need to be carefull when we want to adjust the timer. The timing should be set with the rod disconnected from the timer. I will try to repair the broken one and keep it as a spare on my tool bag.