I think I may be onto something... the hex inverter.
The original DM74L04N... none of the gates were working but none were short. Failed open.
Just for testing I got a spare M4069ubp I had on the inventory so I could test it.
BUT...
The 4069 at 5V needs input HIGH 4v, LOW 1v, 60ns
The 74L04 at 5v needs input HIGH 2v, LOW 0.7v, 60ns
If you look at the schematic, at some points the input threshold is pretty near 4v. So maybe my choice of replacement is what is making it fail to oscillate.
The one I can get my hands on here in NZ is the SN7404n. The 74L04 is obsolete. I could get on ebay but will take ages.
What you guys think about the SN7404? Better choice?