Gottlieb Dodge City credit wheel alignment woes

Hey all you Gottlieb gurus...
My hat off to you for starters!
My credit wheel lands between numbers, and I cannot see what is causing it, or how to correct it.
I have looked it all over, and found the subtract lever to be the stop point for the clock gear.
There is it seems, no adjustment for that, as the arm on the pivot is a fixed length.
So, if thats "home", then the wheel numbers will line up between themselves on each advance, or step back.
What am I missing?
I have moved the advance stop, only to make it worse, and need to return it to ts original position.
The assy steps up/down easy, but lands between numbers. Help, obiwan

#2 7 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

11y 158K 58,802

OP
Quoted from Dr_of_Style:
What am I missing?

Are there set screws holding the gear to the shaft?

#3 7 years ago

???

Dr_of_Style

Inactive member

not sure, will chk tonite. thanks

#4 7 years ago

DAD

boilerman

Pinside member

you can also adjust the wheel a little with the 3 screws that hold the wheel to the shaft mount.
just loosen and move in the direction it needs to go. it is a bit easier than adjusting the set screw. BUT if the wheel is all the way against the slot in the direction you need to go you will have to do the set screw method.

#5 7 years ago

???

Dr_of_Style

Inactive member

Thanks for the tips.
I wish it were that easy...
The number wheel has a fixed hub.
it sits on the flat side of the shaft, no adjustment, I can't even get a toothpick in there to try to rotate it a little.
I am a bit confused with Gottliebs at times...
I am primarily a Williams guy, so things like the clock gear stop point is a pin on the gear resting in a catch on the frame.
Not sure if this one can be adjusted, or if maybe the shaft is set screwed to the gear??? like O-din suggested, and maybe thats the part that is tweaked?
I can usually look at things and see if they are movin correctly, and make what adjustment is necessary.
Not so with this one...yet.

#6 7 years ago

DAD

boilerman

Pinside member

ok took a look at the wheel on ipdb. it isn't the type with the adjustment slots on the wheel. so you need to remove the 3 screws that hold the unit to the light board. once off you can adjust it with the set screw. can't be any easier then that

#7 7 years ago

???

Dr_of_Style

Inactive member

You would think so...
the problem is the shaft is nearly 1/2 flat, and yes the set screw holds it tight, but you cannot re position it, it only sits on the flat spot.
I am wondering if the shaft/gear assy has been damaged, or maybe from some other step unit???

#8 7 years ago

DAD

boilerman

Pinside member

I know I have one of those in the parts bin. I will pull it out and take a look. I don't recall the exact setup.

#9 7 years ago

???

Dr_of_Style

Inactive member

pre she ate any help I can get. this ones got me scratchin my head.
the wires are kinda short, and I dont wanna break one off turnin this thing around 100 times..

#10 7 years ago

MAO

MikeO

Pinside member

Overland Park, KS

11y 88,400 3,625 41

I'm wondering if the actual wheel is mounted out of alignment to the hub. There are usually only three positions you can mount it, even if it has the slotted hole mounts. But if it is mounted in the wrong position it would not explain why you are seeing any number designations.

Just brainstorming here without the opportunity to go look at an example in my game.

#11 7 years ago

TOD

newmantjn

Pinside member

11y 67,400 1,496 41 9

I'm thinking the shaft is supposed to be round and somebody retrofitted it with the wrong part. Just a SWAG.

#12 7 years ago

DAD

boilerman

Pinside member

ok i pull a reel from ABOUT the same vintage. from what i can tell, if the set screw is not tight the reel is off center. even if the set screw is a little loose the reel is not centered but the reel is still stable enough not to move around. From this i believe all you need to do is make sure the reel set screw is tight and the reel should self center itself.
here are a picture of the reel i looked at

20160629_193719_(resized).jpg

20160629_193724_(resized).jpg

20160629_193934_(resized).jpg

20160629_193930_(resized).jpg

#13 7 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

11y 158K 58,802

Quoted from boilerman:
if the set screw is not tight the reel is off center.

Now why didn't I think of that?

#14 7 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

11y 158K 58,802

I just pulled my Dodge City out and that looks like a similar unit. The gear looks to be braised onto the shaft, . So if that was to break loose at all it could also cause the reel and the whole shaft to be off.

#15 7 years ago

???

Dr_of_Style

Inactive member

Thanks guys for all the help!
boilerman, my credit unit is very similar. I noticed on your drum, the hub is mounted slightly different than mine. the shaft and all look the same. just for grins, could you look at the alignment of the set screw to the number it lines up with?. mine lines up between 4 and 5.
o-din, I dont think the shaft has broken loose??? maybe, did not really think to test that.
I have found a fix though.
newmantjn, you the man!!!
I took your round shaft idea, and made it so.
I found a set of chopsticks that were about the same size as the shaft, split a piece, and stuck it in between the set screw and the shaft, and that made it round. then I just re centered the drum, and snugged the screw, DONE!
Damn, I like this sight! So many out of the box thinkers here. can we get some of you folks to run a few towns...states, around here?

#16 7 years ago

TOD

newmantjn

Pinside member

11y 67,400 1,496 41 9

OP
Quoted from Dr_of_Style:
newmantjn, you the man!!!

Well, not what I was thinking....but I glad it worked out for you.

#17 7 years ago

DAD

boilerman

Pinside member