" and if its like an appendix, can I just cut it out."

If you do, you will be removed from all EM discussion threads never to be allowed to participate again! LOL

10 point reel related to match. 1000's and 10,000 point reel related to replay scores. 100 point reel, no need for wiper PCB.

Are you sure that's worn off? It looks more like it just has some nasty deposits on it.

For most of us, the last thing we would do is start removing parts from a game and leave it how it was built for the next owner to enjoy. But in the end, its your game, your property, do with it as you see fit.

As other's have mentioned, if the knocker sound is what bothers you, simple pull one lead from the knocker coil.

To me, cutting out a wiper PCB from a game would be far worse than say, adding a post in the middle of the playfield!

You could simply assemble it with the Push on Wiper fingers not present and place them in a zip lock bag and staple it to the inside of the head.

To directly answer your question: No, the Match wiper PCB on the 10's reel has nothing at all to do with the movement of the score reel itself, other than to add a small amount of drag to its movement. But if your solenoid is not energizing, then drag is not your issue.

I don't know how you can say that the Williams match function is entirely different? Its almost exactly the same. There is a wiper disc on the 10's reel for each player position, and there is a large or mini stepper (depending on age) in the head that controls the current match position (0 through 9 or 00-90). If larger stepper, a set of contacts on the stepper controls which of the 10 lamps lights at end of game, and another set of contacts routes the match numbers to the wiper pcbs on the score reels. Same principle. If it uses a mini-stepper (introduced in the early 70's) then its basically the same but with a wiper board on one side for lamps and the one on the other is for routing the number position to the score reels.