(Topic ID: 246595)

Need help with a United deluxe Mercury shuffle alley

By PinDeLaPin

4 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 471 posts
  • 11 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by PM_Jeremy
  • Topic is favorited by 6 Pinsiders

You

Linked Games

No games have been linked to this topic.

    Topic Gallery

    View topic image gallery

    20190926_080527 (resized).jpg
    1 (resized).JPG
    20190912_064041 (resized).jpg
    20190911_183527 (resized).jpg
    20190909_181246 (resized).jpg
    20190908_135158 (resized).jpg
    20190829_035816 (resized).jpg
    20190829_035751 (resized).jpg
    20190829_024039 (resized).jpg
    20190829_024057 (resized).jpg
    20190829_023940 (resized).jpg
    20190828_181419 (resized).jpg
    20190828_182141 (resized).jpg
    20190827_142023 (resized).jpg
    20190827_142013 (resized).jpg
    20190826_185524 (resized).jpg

    You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider ronss.
    Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.

    #11 4 years ago

    Have you taken a dmm to the lock coil? Compare the reading to similar coils.

    #26 4 years ago
    Quoted from PinDeLaPin:

    Took your advice on the motor and its it smooth and quiet now. However for whatever reason I have lost the back row of roll overs. No idea why they stopped working but they are now dead like the other rollovers. Something else to note as well is the 1-2 and the 5-6 player relays in the head flutter around like the lock relay was doing upon starting a game. I adjusted the switches and can't see anything wrong with them.

    Don't feel badly, I'm about to start up on mine again. I swear, it feels like 2 steps forward, 1 step back every time. You'll get there.

    #36 4 years ago

    See, now you're really having fun!

    Soon you'll be trying to find obsolete parts! Yay!

    Seriously though, it is fun, and we all love seeing improvement. I'm pulling for you!

    #39 4 years ago

    Pretty certain steel wool is a no no.

    Use a flexstone or maybe some 800 grit sandpaper for the contacts.

    #48 4 years ago
    Quoted from PinDeLaPin:

    Yeah definitely won't use the steel wool again I don't need any more problems rearing their ugly heads I have enough already with this machine Those are all very good tips thank you for sharing them, when you put a light coat of Grease on those stepper boards what brand of the grease are you using? When I get home this afternoon I think I'm going to go right to those steppers and give them a real good cleaning. I wiped them down initially but I'm sure they could probably use an alcohol swabbing As well. One other thing I noticed I forgot to mention is the first real in the first player in the back box it does not turn so thousands will not register. Only hundreds doubles and single digits register on the score reel.

    That's probably solidified grease.
    Again, that TOP #8 DVD would help here.

    I went through all 18 of my score reels, plus every stepper before even plugging the thing in. It was definitely a test of will power!

    Do a quick YouTube search for cleaning steppers and/or score reels. It will probably give you some advance.

    #49 4 years ago

    Try this one. But I still recommend getting TOP #8

    #54 4 years ago

    Yup. Plan on about 30 minutes each one to start. It is so gratifying though when you finish one up and just steps effortlessly.

    Keep at it when you can. 1 or 2 a night and you're done in no time!

    #58 4 years ago

    I was given the advice to use a heat gun on low (or hair dryer) to help loosen the grease on the shaft. Ideally, you'll want to remove the shaft, clean it, and slightly relube, but at least you'll be able to see if things turn in the meantime.

    #59 4 years ago

    Ah, I misread.

    Are your springs in place?

    Let me check the pic again.

    #60 4 years ago

    I think you're missing a spring on the left. I'll compare with mine later today.

    Also, you've got 2 sets of arms, if one isn't working I don't think it will step.

    #61 4 years ago
    Quoted from edward472:

    It's very satisfying. Here's a before and after pic of one of my steppers.[quoted image][quoted image]

    Nice work Ed!

    #62 4 years ago

    Here's my ongoing restore thread. People have offered a lot of good stuff here.

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/united-bowling-alley-restoration-attempt-help-gladly-accepted

    #63 4 years ago

    Here's a pic from one of my steppers I was having trouble with. It wouldn't step, so I moved the springs to this formation, then it worked. Maybe yours is similar?
    stepper springs (resized).jpgstepper springs (resized).jpg

    In your pic, it looks as though the right side spring needs attach to something different on the top part.

    #65 4 years ago

    I had to remove the arms on mine to make them work. Just cleaning the shaft certainly helped, but once I removed springs and arms, cleaned them up and replaced, BOOM!

    As Ed noted, spring# is fine. I wasn't certain until I checked mine.
    He also much more eloquently described the two movements.

    Looks like on mine I moved the spring for tension perhaps. Sometimes I'd get going, forget to take pics, and then rush. Never a good plan!

    Keep at it

    #68 4 years ago

    Nice work! Great progress.

    You are further along than me now, but I'd think maybe look at the "2nd shot" relay?

    #76 4 years ago

    I'm fairly certain you can just clean player 1 reels to start. Then check those relays.

    #80 4 years ago

    Fun, right!

    #84 4 years ago
    Quoted from PinDeLaPin:

    No no it's not. Just knocked out another one that looked like someone shit on it. Everything was locked up and I think I just used half a can of naphtha in it. Everything is smooth and clean now though working as it should.

    But it's so rewarding!

    Seriously though, you'll be happier when you plug it in this time.

    #90 4 years ago

    Mine just hung there.

    I found it a little easier to have 2 out a time sometimes. More room.

    #94 4 years ago

    Maybe you could remove a wire staple to give you some slack?

    As to the height, you could probably remove head unit and place it on a lower surface. Should only be a few plugs and 2 bolts I'd think.

    #96 4 years ago
    Quoted from PinDeLaPin:

    Yeah I have removed those wire Staples and it has helped it would just be so much more helpful if the whole thing came out as a unit I think you could do a lot more of the reels faster if they were flat in front of you. Mine are so gunked up and Frozen I'm having to use vise grips to break some of the pivots pieces free.

    Hair dryer or heat gun.

    #107 4 years ago
    Quoted from PinDeLaPin:

    I went through every step up unit thoroughly and cleaned and made sure all fingers were making contact with the buttons on the bakelite. I will check that 10-99 relay today and see whats going on with it. Here also was the scoring rules that are on the playfield showing the 30 and not 40 points for a strike. I also cleaned all the contacts on the scoring wheel.[quoted image]

    Are you certain the stepper was set properly? Maybe the fingers/arms are slightly out of "zero" position.

    Nice work though!

    #112 4 years ago

    I was just using another pin. Then had to fix a second pin, so I had crap all over!

    It's nice to wrap up at least one project to get normalcy. Turns out these alleys are not the quick ones.

    Slow and steady wins the race. You're doing great!

    #116 4 years ago

    But just think, you won't have to touch them again for decades!

    Seriously, you're going to find so much satisfaction when you're done!

    #119 4 years ago

    Did the 1000s move at all?

    Check your gapping again on the two steppers/switches you worked on. Maybe they are causing a coil lock?

    #121 4 years ago

    Huh,

    Well, let's wait for Mopar, or someone who's been down this road before.

    In the meantime, check those 1000 reels. See if they move by hand but not when game started. That'd be a clue I think.

    #123 4 years ago

    May be time to trace a wire, , ,

    That sounds like a good time!

    #131 4 years ago

    How's your DVD? Answers a lot of questions, right?!

    #134 4 years ago

    Are talking about spring tension?

    If so, just give it another turn and try it. Mine was a little sluggish so I wound it once more and she resets nicely now.

    #140 4 years ago

    I count to start just for an idea of how many, but adjust as needed.

    The nice part is you should be able to tell using the steppers without the machine needing to be activated.

    I use tiny players to keep mine from unwinding too quickly, also from stabbing me.

    #143 4 years ago

    Hmm. and the other two springs are correct?

    Are the coil units moving freely? Do the plungers easily actuate?

    Sounds as though one of the arms isn't moving when a plunger is actuated.

    #147 4 years ago

    Hopefully lubing the contact board does the trick.

    #151 4 years ago

    Do you have some other light grease laying around? Maybe just give it a dab to see if it helps. You'll have to clean it again though, , , once the good stuff comes in.

    #164 4 years ago
    Quoted from PinDeLaPin:

    . . . but wanted to know where to go with these issues?[quoted image][quoted image]

    The bar!

    #167 4 years ago

    Is that advice, or a dare?

    #183 4 years ago

    At least you can work on yours, my stupid lube is going to late! Grrr....

    #185 4 years ago

    Just a thought, is the score motor seated properly? I was thinking if it was pushed too close, or not far enough on its shaft the nubs would be hitting the wrong switches at the wrong times.

    Probably fine but figured why not check. I guess when you checked switches though you would have noticed.

    #195 4 years ago

    Looking good!

    #204 4 years ago

    What number is that 1000 reel starting at when you try to reset the machine?

    Try a different number, like 8 or 9, and see what happens.

    Just for fun.

    #213 4 years ago

    Disregard the comment that used to be here.

    Just realized your motor is different than mine.

    #227 4 years ago

    I think there is a coil/relay specifically labeled "start relay"

    #228 4 years ago

    I have a "start" and a "start relay #2"

    #229 4 years ago

    My "start" relay is on the enormous bank that has a ton of stuff plus frames 1-9 or 10.

    I know we have different machines, but maybe it'll help.

    0808191218 (resized).jpg0808191218 (resized).jpg
    #234 4 years ago

    Nice!

    #237 4 years ago

    Serious breakthrough moment today! I bet you had a big smile on!

    Job well done boss.

    #243 4 years ago

    6th player issue sounds like a bare or crossed wire to me. Follow that wire back to see if anything is touching somewhere.

    #245 4 years ago

    Odd.

    #248 4 years ago
    Quoted from PinDeLaPin:

    One finger looked to be just a little off and I was able to bend it a bit which straightened it up but did not fix the problem. Still have a few more bank switches plus all the rollover switches that need to have their contacts cleaned which is my plan for today. As it sits now my problems are; The pin rollover switches aren't working all the time on the 2nd shot only the ones against the back that verify a shot. The 100 reel is sometimes not counting even though I have removed that reel and cleaned those switch contacts. Lastly the score reel on player 6 for some reason will register 1 to 6 points while in 1 player mode. Feels like I am getting closer to the end and I can see the light now at the end of the tunnel.

    I can tell by your time stamps that you are seriously working on this thing! Either that, or you are an insomniac!

    #253 4 years ago

    Maybe try to activate only 1 rollover per frame?

    Ex: "roll" the #7 pin on both pucks.

    Continue with different pins each frame.

    You may be able to isolate that 6th reel issue.

    #258 4 years ago

    Wish I did. I'm new to this game too.

    #260 4 years ago

    Your machine is clearly haunted.

    #267 4 years ago

    Day off?

    #269 4 years ago

    Got an EM guy near you?

    #282 4 years ago

    Good to see you back!

    #287 4 years ago

    Yes, pretty certain you do not have regulation scoring.

    This is how they used to keep score on these machines.

    #288 4 years ago

    United changed to regulation scoring in 1955.

    #296 4 years ago

    Maybe look for a "dial" that you'd stick a screwdriver in to adjust.

    #298 4 years ago

    Nice work!

    Looks as though you and I were on the same page today, but you finished!

    #316 4 years ago

    How's the coil resistance on the player stepper?

    #343 4 years ago

    Yes! Progress!

    1 week later
    #413 4 years ago

    Keep at it, almost there!

    #418 4 years ago

    I'll be waiting,,,,

    A much deserved break!

    #422 4 years ago

    I'm gutted for you man. Wish you had a local pair of eyes to help out.

    #434 4 years ago

    Only the 3rd frame?

    #437 4 years ago

    Maybe since all strikes, 10th frame plus 2 is 12?

    2 weeks later
    #456 4 years ago

    Sooo, just giving this a bump. Hoping to hear some good news soon.

    #461 4 years ago

    Look at you! Very nice to see this working! And on a Friday no less!!!

    #463 4 years ago

    One step at a time brother. So long as you're moving forward, it's a good day.

    #468 4 years ago

    Great stuff! Now can you kick and enjoy!

    #470 4 years ago

    Well, just remember how much you've learned. It's the journey, right?

    You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider ronss.
    Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.

    Reply

    Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

    Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

    Donate to Pinside

    Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


    This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/need-help-with-a-united-deluxe-mercury-shuffle-alley?tu=ronss and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

    Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.