IGT Haywire, can it be fixed?

[jidrd55]

 Ok great, I didn't even think about using silver dollars, the simplest things seem to evade me at times. The cover plate is missing from the comparator and I don't see any other numbers on it but I tried to put an example quarter in it and it was way too small. This is really great news and I really feel like an idiot for not realizing this myself, please don't tell the others.   Now I can relax and wait for the boards to come in, just table all of the indecision for now. Thank you, thank you, thank you, in my best Gomer Pyle voice. 

[rokgpsman]

To convert to quarters you'd need to change the following parts, if I miss something maybe someone will mention it:

1) possibly the coin "head" or bezel, the entry point where the player sticks in a quarter. Since the $1 coin head slot is larger than a quarter you may be able to get by not changing it since a quarter will pass thru it and probably drop into the top of the coin comparitor. The reason the correct coin head slot is often needed is so people can't insert a larger coin than the machine is setup for. That could cause a coin jam.

2) the CC-33 coin comparitor you have will probably need modified to narrow the coin path inside it since it is designed for large coins. People buy the coin guide strips, or add a couple of lines of caulk in a ridge to form the guides. Or you could replace the coin comparitor with a CC-16 that is made for quarters. You will also need to insert a quarter or quarter-token into the coin comparitor as the sample coin. The coin comparitor will not work unless a sample coin is installed.

3) below the coin comparitor are the coin optic boards. There are 2 of them, mounted with a space between them. In that space there is a plastic coin spacer part that makes sure the coin passes thru the coin optics boards in front of the coin optic sensors. If the coin spacer in there now is made for a $1 coin then there will be too much space for a quarter and it may not always pass in front of the coin optic sensor part. The quarter will still go to the hopper but you won't get a playing credit on the machine. You can get the correct quarter spacer, or make one out of non-conductive stuff like a piece of the foam my Mom uses when she makes dining chair seat cushions. If the foam is a little thicker than the distance between the coin optic boards then it will squish a little and be held in place. Attached below is a picture of what the coin optic spacer part looks like.

4) The hopper has a few parts that are made for whatever size of coin the machine uses. There is a coin wheel that rotates and picks up the coins, I think this wheel has a "shelf" that is specific to the size of coin being used. As the coins get to the top of the wheel there is a hopper knife that picks the coin off the wheel and directs it to the dispensing chute. That knife is different for different coins. There is a coin counter at the top of the hopper that counts the coins leaving the hopper. That counter has to be adjusted according to the size of the coin. You won't have to replace the counter, just adjust it.

The parts pictured below are just examples, don't buy them for your machine as they may not be for quarters.

[rokgpsman]

Here is the mfr webpage for the CC-33, see if their pictures look like the coin comparitor you have. Their website also has some information about the CC-33 that might be helpful.

http://www.coinmech.com/product_profile.cfm?id=13

[jidrd55]

Totally stripped her down, waiting for all the parts, so far $300, I'm thinking maybe a little more for bulbs, belly glass, candle light and if I don't fry the chips and/or boards I'll have a game to play. the waiting's the hardest part.

[Amechanic]

When you buy your candle make sure it’s for the S Plus. I’m not sure if the ones from a S2000 would work? Your going to need the adapter for the slanted top because of the 16” cabinet you have. But these are a the little things you can buy down to road.

[jidrd55]

Amechanic thank you I have been looking for the candle light but could only find the S2000, was wondering if they would work on my machine. I have someone from EBay checking on the light and adapter.
I removed the light board (not sure if that's the name) so I could pull the buttons and noticed that the small bulbs look like they are blown and one is missing, I have seen the bulbs on EBay but haven't seen the small black adapters do you know where I can purchase these?
In the picture of the 'play max credits' button is the insert supposed to be white or have they yellowed with age, all of them are this color? Do you think if I made these inserts with business card paper the light would still shine through?

[rokgpsman]

You could try your idea of making new inserts with white business card paper and try it, won't hurt anything. Sometimes removing the button lens (top part) to get to the insert/legend inside the lens is difficult, it might crack when pulling and prying on it. The plastic is many years old and can become brittle. But it looks like you got it apart ok, good job. From your photo of the buttons taken apart I'd say the plastic that the legend is made of has yellowed due to the heat inside the button from the bulb over the years. So cleaning probably won't whiten it up.

The bulbs in the lighting board are called "wedge" style bulbs due to the shape of the base of the bulb. They have a bulb number written on the glass but it might be hard to read without a magnifying glass (or a handy 15 year old). I think they are 6 volt bulbs, someone here will know for sure. Be careful when buying "IGT slot machine bulbs" as a general thing, IGT used different bulbs over the years on different model machines. The bulbs are held in place on the lighting board by little plastic bulb holders that twist into the opening in the lighting board. There are likely folks here that have the bulb holders.

The button inserts (or legends) are pristine white when new. But over the years heat from the bulb inside the button and the ever-present cigarette smoke in a casino can yellow the buttons. Cleaning will sometimes make them look better. If you want to replace the buttons or the inserts there are people here that have buttons and their parts, and they are for sale online too. A whole set of S+ buttons can be costly, depending on where you buy them:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/IGT-S-UPRIGHT-SLOT-MACHINE-BUTTON-KIT-INCANDESCENT-/352247443032

Some S+ owners remove the incandescent bulb from the buttons and install an LED style bulb. They give off a lot less heat and you can do some neat things with the different LED bulb colors that are available. Some of the S+ and S2000 folks here can expand on that LED lighting if you are interested.

[Amechanic]

Your best bet is to buy a 5 button set for the S2000 with the switches and swap out those yellowing ones from the S+ models. I did it with my Haywire that I’m rebuilding here. As for the black mini bulb holders can be found from just about any vender. I just check my mini bulb numbers and they are #86..

[jidrd55]

Rokgpsman, I am checking into the led lights, I might even change out the fluorescent lights, there are three in the Haywire, seems they would be cheaper to run 24/7. Ain't gonna lie the button was a pita until I figured out what the two tiny little holes in the back were for.    It's a learning experience.
Amechanic, so the S2000 buttons are interchangeable with the S+?

[Azslot]

We have S plus parts. Candle, tray, used good buttons, bulbs #259, #86 and the small black holders. I also have a Haywire belly glass. If any of these items are still needed, please feel free to call our shop. 602 606-2400.

[Amechanic]

The S2000 buttons fit the holes in the S+ button deck perfect. If you swap to the S2000 deck button just make sure to get them with the switches. You swap out the whole button. I learned that on some S+ you can swap just the buttons and use those light sockets and switches, but on others they don’t fit right and the switches won’t work. So I just change the whole assembly now. You get nice white button. The second reason I like to swap out the older S+ buttons is that they seem to be brittle and break easy when you have to change the bulbs. As for Florescent bulbs to LED that’s not as easy and is expensive. If this were a S2000 you could do it for around $30.00, but the S+ uses a light ballast that powered by 110v. The ones in the S2000 I think are a 24v ballast.

[rokgpsman]

.....I might even change out the fluorescent lights, there are three in the Haywire, seems they would be cheaper to run 24/7......

You don't have to leave the machine powered on 24/7 unless you just want to. Many slot owners only turn on their machine when they want to play. However, they are nice to look at when lit up, so as a decorative thing I can see that aspect of it. There are led light sticks that fit in place of the fluorescent lights. But really a fluorescent bulb doesn't use that much elec, it is the incandescent bulbs (the ones with a filament) that consume a lot of elec power. So replacing the fluorescent bulb with LED may not save much on elec usage. I think the LED light sticks are often installed because of the lighting effect they give, and that may be the main reason instead of elec power consumption and heat concerns. There are several discussion threads here on NLG about installing LED lighting, the search feature should be able to bring them up, you may have already found some of them.

[rokgpsman]

.....Ain't gonna lie the button was a pita until I figured out what the two tiny little holes in the back were for....

You are learning fast, I see that Amechanic has taught you another thing....   

[sixcardmark]

Changing out the 3 fluor tubes in a s+ to led's is too much trouble (pita) and expensive, where a s2000 is almost plug and play.  I use the f15t8/D fluor tubes 6500K and like them alot.  The super white color make them look like led's. 

There are two different size clear lens and black button frame on these machines where the lens won't fit inside the black button frame on some.  That black part on s+ also likes to crumble when you try to take them apart.

[Tilt]

Not really too expensive, about $12 per tube shipped when I bought some.   I put these in all my S/S+ slots, at 5500k they're a nice bright white.  They're adjustable too which is nice for the reel glass.  You do have to do some electrical work though as you remove the ballast transformer and starters, but it's not difficult.

I think they look great in my games.  Use less power, last longer, no UV to mess to fade glass/strips etc etc.
Here's the ebay vendor I got mine from a few months ago.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/T8-LED-Tube-Light-Bulb-18-17-3-4-7W-F15T8-Fluorescent-Replacement-5500K-4pack/232572146727?hash=item3626615427:g:7yQAAOSwBSxa~PwI:rk:1:pf:0

[Amechanic]

Thanks Tilt. I might have to order a set to try. Last time I checked on LED bulbs in this size, they were twice this price.

[rokgpsman]

...Package: 4-Pack of F15T8 LED Tube Light-18" (17-3/4" Actual Length), 7W (15W Equivalent)

That ebay ad says the LED light sticks use 7 watts per bulb but have the equivalent light of a 15 watt fluorescent bulb, so they do save a little more than 50% elec compared to the fluorescent bulb. But we're talking small amounts of elec usage - the old 15wt fluorescent bulb uses about .125 amp and the LED 7wt stick uses about .06 amp. (there are some elec losses in the ballast, that's why it gets warm, but they aren't huge once the bulb is lit, just during startup).

As Tilt said you would need to do some rewiring to run 120 volts directly to the new LED bulb, don't want the old ballast or starter to be in the circuit, those parts can be left in the machine and disconnected, or removed. By converting to LED you'd get rid of the hum and flicker that fluorescent lighting sometimes has. And the light from LED is crisp and appealing.

[jidrd55]

I bought the lights Tilt referenced on EBay and some led's for the buttons and the smaller bulbs, they change colors so we'll see how that looks, I had to girly it up. I found some buttons with good legends also.  My husband is a retired electrician so hopefully he'll offer to do the wiring on the bulbs, if not I read up on it, doesn't look too challenging.
Rokgpsman, I have learned so much from everyone of y'all, I can't thank y'all enough for taking the time to share your invaluable knowledge. 

[rokgpsman]

It's gratifying to see someone take a broken machine and work to bring it back from the dead. And your enthusiasm for this is what NLG is all about. So we are glad you are here and sharing with us the details of your project. 

When you get the LED bulbs that go inside the buttons and on the lighting board please post a photo of one of them showing the base of the bulb and its electrical leads before you install them. Some LED bulbs designed for automotive use have leads that wrap around on both sides of the bulb base, that gives a more reliable connection on a vehicle due to road vibration. But in some cases that style of bulb can cause a short on S+ machines. You probably don't have anything to worry about but we've sometimes seen people convert to LED lighting and the LED bulbs they install cause a short, due to the way the machine's bulb holder contacts are made, they aren't compatible with the bulbs that have the leads that wrap around the base onto both sides. If the bulbs just have 1 lead on each side of the bulb base, the leads don't extend to the other side of the base, then I believe those are the kind that are safest to use. If I'm remembering correctly on some styles of S+ bulb holders it doesn't matter but on others it does. There are several discussion threads here on NLG about LED bulbs and which ones to avoid and which ones to use.

Not trying to rain on the LED parade, just don't want you to have a problem.

It sounds like Tilt has done several LED conversions to S+ machines so he can probably give excellent guidance and maybe even photos to show how you disconnect the ballast and starter parts, and connect the 120 vac wires directly to the LED light stick. To connect wires the plastic "wire nuts" sold at all hardware & home improvement stores make the job easier and neater. Your husband probably has a stash of them in his toolbox or the garage. They come in different sizes, color-coded, depending on how many wires and what size of wires you're connecting. You want the wire nut to be snug when it twists on.

[Tilt]

I bought the lights Tilt referenced on EBay and some led's for the buttons and the smaller bulbs, they change colors so we'll see how that looks, I had to girly it up. I found some buttons with good legends also.  My husband is a retired electrician so hopefully he'll offer to do the wiring on the bulbs, if not I read up on it, doesn't look too challenging.
Rokgpsman, I have learned so much from everyone of y'all, I can't thank y'all enough for taking the time to share your invaluable knowledge. 

I think you will be very happy with them.  On the S+ Bullseye slot machine in my avatar it reduced my power consumption for that machine by 45w from 116w to 71w, roughly 38%.  The old florescent tubes by themselves were 45w (15w X 3).  The new LED tubes were 21w (7w X 3), for a difference of 24w.  The remainder of the energy savings (21w) came from removing the ballast transformers and starters (about 7w each).   I measured the difference with a "kill-a-watt" meter which is fairly accurate.


Like Rokgpsman said, I'll be happy to help you if you have any questions with removing the ballast transformers and rewiring it.  The directions that come with the tubes are pretty good and since your hubby is an electrician I'm sure you wont have any problems.