Bally EM 873 Handle Locked

[tomterlec]

I'm completely new to EM's, I have a non working Bally slot with handle locked down in spin position. I'm thinking there is something I can trip to release it back to up but can find anything obvious. Any tips on releasing this would be greatly appreciated.

[gooch]

Here is a link to Old Reno's post from 2014. It shows how to release the handle on a Bally EM.

http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=19336.0

[wolftalk]

take a look at the images in https://bingo.cdyn.com/slots/windup_and_kick/

there's also a video at https://bingo.cdyn.com/slots/videos/Windup_and_Kick.m4v

your problem is the handle has bottomed out before the latch pawl on the bottom of the trip operating lever has rotated enough to release the trip lever. 

how's that for a bunch of jargon? :-)

Old Reno's post may not help for that.  See pic below.
 
assuming you don't have paperwork, the machine should be very close to an 873-A.  You have different reel tapes and reel wiper board wiring, but the bulk of the game should match up.  Paper can be downloaded from https://bingo.cdyn.com/slots/

[tomterlec]

Thank you both for the info! I’ll report back when I have a chance to get back to the machine.

[tomterlec]

Happy to report with a long screwdriver I was able to release the handle and remove the reel assembly.  I can move on the the sticky reel assembly that appears all gummed up.

Any recommendations on cleaners to use?

[wolftalk]

I guess it depends on how bad it is and how much time you are willing to put into it.  It takes hours to completely disassemble and clean individual pieces of a reel mech.

the see-if-it-works approach is use a spray solvent like brake cleaner (ideally a plastic safe one) and try and wash off/out as much of the old crud as possible.  If going this route, remove the reels first and avoid spraying the coils.  Try not to force the old grease into places it's not already, so clean off the surface stuff before squirting into cracks.

some lubricants like tri-flow can also be used.  It tends to soften/displace old grease so just squirting that in and exercising the moving parts can free things up.

the reel themselves run on needle bearings.  Tri-flow or a light oil works fine in those.  If you take the reels off the shaft, don't remove the slotted metal index disc from the reel unless you carefully mark how to put it back on.  You shouldn't need to remove the index discs.

you should clean off the reel wiper boards and payout counter disc with isopropyl alcohol and a scrub pad to remove any black crud. 

[tomterlec]

I guess it depends on how bad it is and how much time you are willing to put into it.  It takes hours to completely disassemble and clean individual pieces of a reel mech.

the see-if-it-works approach is use a spray solvent like brake cleaner (ideally a plastic safe one) and try and wash off/out as much of the old crud as possible.  If going this route, remove the reels first and avoid spraying the coils.  Try not to force the old grease into places it's not already, so clean off the surface stuff before squirting into cracks.

some lubricants like tri-flow can also be used.  It tends to soften/displace old grease so just squirting that in and exercising the moving parts can free things up.

the reel themselves run on needle bearings.  Tri-flow or a light oil works fine in those.  If you take the reels off the shaft, don't remove the slotted metal index disc from the reel unless you carefully mark how to put it back on.  You shouldn't need to remove the index discs.

you should clean off the reel wiper boards and payout counter disc with isopropyl alcohol and a scrub pad to remove any black crud.

Thanks wolftalk, great insights. Everything seems so sticky, I’ll try your suggestions and how it works.

[wolftalk]

post some pics and folks with lots more experience with the mechanicals can give ya some tips.

I usually take the entire reel mechanism apart, but I have the time and whiskey to do it :-)

[tomterlec]

Ok, so with brake cleaner and tri-flow I was able to get the real sticky stuff off the assembly. Parts seemed to move freely and a significant improvement. 

When put back into the machine,  coin acceptance,  handle pull and release and the left reel worked! Since this was the first time I've attempted this, it felt pretty good. Oh, it also paid out so I know the hopper works.

My question is why didn't reels 2 and 3 spin? Any thoughts on what to check next would be appreciated.

[wolftalk]

if you push the reel wiper arm back and spin the reel with your finger and it's fine, then the usual two reasons for reels not spinning are:

1] the L-shaped stop bracket is now too far back so the reel latch pawls aren't engaging before the reels kick.  The bracket too far forward is the usual reason for the handle sticking down before the reels kick.

2] the reel latch pawls are still sticky and not rotating into position.  Latch pawls are bally 2400 manual page 97 part #25 ... the things the bars running from front to back under the reels are pivoting.

if reels 2 and 3 basically just jerk at the kick, easiest thing is operate the reel mech outside the machine to make sure the reels spin ok ... nudge the stop bracket forward until the reel wiper arms latch.   If you grab the clock fan to stop the mechanism from winding down after the kick the reels should spin freely.

if the handle stick down when the stop bracket is properly positioned, either other adjustments on the right side of the mech are needed or the fork on the handle is worn/loose.  You should not be able to twist the fork with your hand.

[tomterlec]

if you push the reel wiper arm back and spin the reel with your finger and it's fine, then the usual two reasons for reels not spinning are:

1] the L-shaped stop bracket is now too far back so the reel latch pawls aren't engaging before the reels kick.  The bracket too far forward is the usual reason for the handle sticking down before the reels kick.

2] the reel latch pawls are still sticky and not rotating into position.  Latch pawls are bally 2400 manual page 97 part #25 ... the things the bars running from front to back under the reels are pivoting.

if reels 2 and 3 basically just jerk at the kick, easiest thing is operate the reel mech outside the machine to make sure the reels spin ok ... nudge the stop bracket forward until the reel wiper arms latch.   If you grab the clock fan to stop the mechanism from winding down after the kick the reels should spin freely.

if the handle stick down when the stop bracket is properly positioned, either other adjustments on the right side of the mech are needed or the fork on the handle is worn/loose.  You should not be able to twist the fork with your hand.

Thanks wolftalk, the reels spin with wipers pushed back. A couple questions, which manual are you referring to? I don’t see a Bally 2400 in the download section with that title or missed it? My second question is how can I manually activate reels outside the machine?

[wolftalk]

poke around in https://bingo.cdyn.com/slots/

in this case, there's a /bally_manuals folder.  The 2400 and 2600 manuals kinda superceded the earlier ones, but some of the earlier ones till have relevant model-specific part breakdowns ... tho not for an 873 that I recall.

one of these years I'll make a proper web site, but for now if just a bunch of files.

look in the /videos folder for Windup_and_Kick.m4v ... that's one way to operate the reel mech with no special tools (or figuring out where to wedge in a screwdriver).  Use a rag on your palm or gloves if the U-bracket is digging into your palm too much.

[tomterlec]

I’ve gotten the reel wiper arms to work so I’m making progress. When operating the reel assembly out of the machine, I’m not getting a good kick to spin the reels properly. I’m sure it’s another case of sticky parts I need to lubricate but where?

[wolftalk]

email a video to slotpics@cdyn.com or put one on a web-accessible service/cloud drive someplace.

a video of the windup/kick with the reels out also helps.

if the problem is the kick strength/spin speed (vs the reels indexing too quickly), I added a couple more bad videos:

https://bingo.cdyn.com/slots/videos/How_reels_spin.mp4
https://bingo.cdyn.com/slots/videos/Reel_kick_slo.mp4

[DavidLee]

It is a little difficult, but pressing the lever down, circled in red should cause the handle to return.
Remove the reels chassis inspecting and adjusting should solve the problem.
The reels trip lever and assembly, bottom right of the reel chassis should be considered first.
Check the air cylinder. If it’s gummed up, it could be part of the problem.
Also, the main cross shaft and associated parts should move freely.