WBA 12 SS - Likes 10's and 1's, but took a 20 and 100 a few times. ???

[shortrackskater]

Pull down on the little round bar, and use a flat head screwdriver to pry the head away from the transport. They will not release on their own. Just pry on them just a tad to get them started.

I figured it out before you replied. But...  though!

Yes they took a little prying but I could see the direction the head would go... so I pulled and the unit came free.
And... while I had time tonight (before all the little goblins and ghosts got here) I spent more time cleaning the belts and rollers on the "broken" one. Stuck it back in to its slot and guess what? Now it was back to taking 20's again. It took a 20, 10, and the 1 dollar took a few times. So I took it back out again and found MORE gunk on the rollers that look like they're the first to grab the bill. Using a Q tip, I swirled all directions around those and the free-rolling ones past it... got a LOT more gunk off them.
It looked like a combination of cigarette tar, hard liquor, and probably coke (not the white stuff but the drink).
Slipped it back in and now it's consistently taking all bills. So I don't think I need to fix this one. I think my problem here is not only the optics but what rokgpsman said about the bill not being pulled in properly or proper speed due to the slip on the belts/roller.
I have one more from the second slot I want to flip, so I'll do a super cleaning on it this weekend to see if I can get two for two. 

[rokgpsman]

Pull down on the little round bar, and use a flat head screwdriver to pry the head away from the transport. They will not release on their own. Just pry on them just a tad to get them started.

I figured it out before you replied. But...  though!

Yes they took a little prying but I could see the direction the head would go... so I pulled and the unit came free.
And... while I had time tonight (before all the little goblins and ghosts got here) I spent more time cleaning the belts and rollers on the "broken" one. Stuck it back in to its slot and guess what? Now it was back to taking 20's again. It took a 20, 10, and the 1 dollar took a few times. So I took it back out again and found MORE gunk on the rollers that look like they're the first to grab the bill. Using a Q tip, I swirled all directions around those and the free-rolling ones past it... got a LOT more gunk off them.
It looked like a combination of cigarette tar, hard liquor, and probably coke (not the white stuff but the drink).
Slipped it back in and now it's consistently taking all bills. So I don't think I need to fix this one. I think my problem here is not only the optics but what rokgpsman said about the bill not being pulled in properly or proper speed due to the slip on the belts/roller.
I have one more from the second slot I want to flip, so I'll do a super cleaning on it this weekend to see if I can get two for two.

Sounds like you are on the right track to getting it to work, likely just needed a good cleaning. If the bill was slipping on the rollers instead of being pinched firmly that would account for the intermittent operation. Keep in mind I was wrong about using alcohol on the lens, I thought they are glass but turns out they are plastic. I looked at the JCM maint document, they say for cleaning to use their special cleaning paper or as an alternative you can use a damp lint-free cloth or qtip with a little mild soapy detergent mixed in the water to wipe things down with. Too bad you can't just put it on the top rack in the dishwasher.

JCM also recommends to clean the BV twice per month (every other week) when used in a busy casino. I bet that doesn't happen, probably only gets cleaned when it stops working.

Hopefully you'll get that machine sold as planned.

[Yoeddy1]

JCM cleaning paper...snake oil.

Thanks,
Jason

[CVslots]

Cleaning paper? Or Calibration paper? Ive carried calibration, and will again if I have the requests. Ordering 1 at a time from Happs will KILL you on shipping...

[rickhunter]

Roz are you all out of the calibration paper?

[CVslots]

I may have ONE left??? If there's any interest I can order more. Truth is, the shipping sucks just about as much for me as it does for you...I get a little break, but it still hurts.

[rokgpsman]

Cleaning paper? Or Calibration paper? Ive carried calibration, and will again if I have the requests. Ordering 1 at a time from Happs will KILL you on shipping...

Cleaning paper/cards.

http://jcmglobal.com/en/products/productdetails.aspx?ProdID=KIC

[shortrackskater]

Cleaning paper? Or Calibration paper? Ive carried calibration, and will again if I have the requests. Ordering 1 at a time from Happs will KILL you on shipping...

Cleaning paper/cards.

http://jcmglobal.com/en/products/productdetails.aspx?ProdID=KIC

I can't see anywhere to order... and I'm also thinking this isn't for small time people like me.

With that said... the BV I had cleaned and was working is now back to not really working!
It will still take 10's about ever third try. But the bill still goes in weird... not a smooth pull all the time. There's slop on the pull in and the reject out. When I try 20's, it's worse... as if the 20 is made of something different.
I've cleaned the hell out of it. The rollers are debris free. The belts are clean.
I think this is happening in the head portion and not the transport. Do I change the belts next? Do I need to "rough up" the belts? Maybe they're too smooth???
I tried a search on NLG and that was entertaining... spit... dna...lube...

[rokgpsman]

A thorough cleaning can only do so much and it sounds like you have given it quite a bit of cleaning, so you could have something like worn/loose/slipping belts, etc in the mechanism or a weak motor or an optic problem that is causing a scanning problem. You'll have to decide how much time and money you want to spend on it trying to get it working, or just replace it. Some repairs, especially intermittent operation ones, are difficult to resolve.

[shortrackskater]

Yes I understand that may be the next step. I wish I could "fuse" the two complete units I have and get one working... but I've already swapped heads and have similar issues. Both of these were tested working not too too long ago and they both were supposedly bought "refurbished" but I already see that's a very loose term!

[shortrackskater]

Bottom line, I on your situation, Just swap the G*%# D%*#^ validator with one of your working ones!! Sorry, but if you are trying to sell a game, then sell it!!!

I SOLD IT! I SOLD IT!!! 
I replaced the BV with one of my own, changed the listing to show that it takes all bills now and got three calls this morning. First person who came bought it. My first "flip." It took more work than I realized but it was worth it. And it was a GOOD feeling knowing I had gone through the machine and had everything (bulbs, new battery, speakers, etc) working. The buyer knew that too.
Now I can slow down and learn more and hopefully fix or swap heads in the two BV's I have.

[shortrackskater]

For whatever it's worth... I found what I think was the main problem with BOTH my "bad" bill validators.
Dirty belts and optics may have still played in with bill rejections but the sloppy/weak bill accepting and rejecting seems to be caused by the rollers that the bill initially hits.
I got the one BV, that was never taking bill,s to taking everything the first time. The problem is that it only works awhile and then the rollers seem to revert back to slipping. I'm not sure what else to try to make them "grippier." It may just be that I still replace the entire head anyway.
Comments?

[rokgpsman]

For whatever it's worth... I found what I think was the main problem with BOTH my "bad" bill validators.
Dirty belts and optics may have still played in with bill rejections but the sloppy/weak bill accepting and rejecting seems to be caused by the rollers that the bill initially hits.
I got the one BV, that was never taking bill,s to taking everything the first time. The problem is that it only works awhile and then the rollers seem to revert back to slipping. I'm not sure what else to try to make them "grippier." It may just be that I still replace the entire head anyway.
Comments?

If this is an older BV a lot of people would just replace it to do the repair and get something newer/more reliable at the same time. At some point it becomes more trouble with taking up your time than it is worth. Plus if you sell the machine you don't want to be getting calls from your customer about its flaky operation. That might hinder future sales for you since many people don't stop at buying just one machine.

But if you are considering junking it anyway or if it is on your personal machine you don't mind messing with now and then you can try more aggressive things than mild cleaning. Over the years rubber gets glazed and hardened, looses its grippyness. If you ever watch drag races you see the guys pouring bleach on the ground to do a burnout in with their rear tires. Bleach softens rubber and make is grippy but the effect is not permanent. You can apply a small amount with a dampened q-tip and let it work for a few minutes. Don't expect the rubber to last forever if you do this but it could extend the working life of your BV head. You can also look at replacing the rollers, get other rollers from internet suppliers or take them off similar BV heads that were junked for other reasons. Or you could try swapping the front rollers with the rear rollers. And you could try making small horizontal slice marks with a razor in the rubber to increase its traction on the bill. This will work for a while until the little slices wear down or fill with dirt & grime from the bill. In short, there are some measures you can take, but in the end mechanical parts wear as time goes by and you have to replace them or the entire device they are in. Even something only a few years old might have countless hours of use, depending on where it was in service.

[shortrackskater]

 
Thank you... that was very helpful!
It just seems a waste to toss the entire head but the time factor is definitely a consideration. This particular one was last serviced in 2008. I have two BV's (supposedly working) on the way so I'll probably swap out a good head to get this slot fully operational, and yes... I know a lot of people just can't have one... hmmm... sort of like Lay's potato chips! 
In the meantime, I took this one apart and saw that those roller surfaces are just O rings. So I'm going to head to my hardware store tomorrow and see if I can find something that will work. That would be nice if it was easy as that but I'm not sure if that's a special size or not.

[shortrackskater]

I found some O rings at the hardware store that were slightly smaller but the proper thickness. I put them on the BV that was rarely taking any bills.
I reassembled the head and reinstalled it in the transport, and back into the slot.
Now it takes EVERY bill of every denomination with, so far, no rejection. I've put in about 20 bills of all conditions. It's taking them all.
I think this IS the problem if there's even a slight slip when the bill is accepted or rejected.
My other BV was taking some bills some of the time. It didn't seem to slip as much. I replaced those O rings and got the same result: 100% acceptance, so far.
I don't know the long term yet but I don't see any reason for failure. Maybe getting the exact O ring is better but these seem to be fine.
It would be GREAT to hear some more comments on this.
If there's enough interest, I'd be willing to create a "how to" on this problem and a step by step (with pictures) on how to do this.

[rokgpsman]

Sounds like you solved the problem with some low cost parts, nice going! Were both BV models WBA-12 and how many O rings did you replace on each one?

[shortrackskater]

Both were WBA 12's. The shaft that has the rollers (that grab the bill first) have two O rings on each roller, each side. So 4 O-rings each shaft. It's really not hard to disassemble the head. The hardest part is those stupid circlips but I just put tape on one side of each so they don't fly off into oblivion when they come free.

[rokgpsman]

Both were WBA 12's. The shaft that has the rollers (that grab the bill first) have two O rings on each roller, each side. So 4 O-rings each shaft. It's really not hard to disassemble the head. The hardest part is those stupid circlips but I just put tape on one side of each so they don't fly off into oblivion when they come free.

One of the guys I used to work with irreverently called them "jesus" clips. Almost every time he removed one it would fly off in some direction and he'd yell "jesus! where did that thing go!".

[shortrackskater]

Both were WBA 12's. The shaft that has the rollers (that grab the bill first) have two O rings on each roller, each side. So 4 O-rings each shaft. It's really not hard to disassemble the head. The hardest part is those stupid circlips but I just put tape on one side of each so they don't fly off into oblivion when they come free.

One of the guys I used to work with irreverently called them "jesus" clips. Almost every time he removed one it would fly off in some direction and he'd yell "jesus! where did that thing go!".

I knew there was another name for them... that was cleaner than the one I wanted to post! 
I HATE those things... but tonight I had the brilliant idea of taping one half of each one... kept them from leaving the scene!

[rokgpsman]

Did you also have some older DBV models that were working intermittently? I'm wondering if a similar fix would help them, but I think they have rollers instead of O rings?