(Topic ID: 278176)

Stepper issues

By Bkelley

3 years ago



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  • 10 posts
  • 4 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by Bkelley
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WilliamsSevenUpBallCountCircuit.jpg
#1 3 years ago

Seven up Williams, was working fine a couple weeks ago.

So my ball count stepper unit which moves from ball ball 1 through five seems to have an issue. I have taken apart and thoroughly cleaned and lubed as suggested however it still won't go from ball one to ball two. I can manually step it without issue.

From ball one to two is slightly more work for the stepper as there is an extra bit to push past. I can see the coil activating but it just doesn't seem to have the umph to get it past ball one.

I really thought the full clean and lube would do it, what's next? Could the coil be under powered or not functioning properly? Something with the outhole or ball index relays?

Manually advancing:

Machine attempting to advance:

#2 3 years ago

Spring overwound
Has someone placed shims in the actuator rod connection to coil unit?

#3 3 years ago
Quoted from phil-lee:

Spring overwound
Has someone placed shims in the actuator rod connection to coil unit?

Are you talking about the middle reset spring? I just tried unwinding one and now the reset won't work, I don't think that's it.

I'm not quite sure what you are referring to on the shims there's nothing added that I see

#4 3 years ago
Quoted from phil-lee:

Spring overwound

Could be that. It should have 3-4 winds tops.

I had a similar looking thing though on my Klondike where the stepper was kind of twitching when activated and it was the coil, even though it had the correct ohm reading.

#5 3 years ago

On steppers, from Clay's superb guide: http://www.pinrepair.com/em/index2.htm#steps

#6 3 years ago

Thanks did all the stuff in the pinrepair guide.

So I disconnected one of the springs that the coil needs to fight to move ball to ball and it worked. Of course need the pull back for further operation... Seems like needs some marginal reduction in spring tension... Balancing act.

#7 3 years ago
Quoted from Bkelley:

So I disconnected one of the springs that the coil needs to fight to move ball to ball and it worked. Of course need the pull back for further operation... Seems like needs some marginal reduction in spring tension... Balancing act.

Is the other side nice and clean and contacts sitting correctly, and a bit of lube on the rivets? Something is off it you need to disconnect a spring. And did you check the coil with a multimeter?

#8 3 years ago
Quoted from currieddog:

Is the other side nice and clean and contacts sitting correctly, and a bit of lube on the rivets? Something is off it you need to disconnect a spring. And did you check the coil with a multimeter?

Yup cleaned both sides including rivets. I'll do the multi meter test as yeah won't work without spring removed.

#9 3 years ago

Make sure the score motor switch (2A) that activates the ball count step up coil is clean and gapped properly. If it's dirty or the gap is too large, it won't send a good strong pulse to the ball count coil. There are also switches on the ball index and outhole relay that need to be closed and making good contact, but I'd check that score motor switch first.

WilliamsSevenUpBallCountCircuit.jpgWilliamsSevenUpBallCountCircuit.jpg
2 weeks later
#10 3 years ago

Thanks all for the help! Took a multimeter to it and it was definitely under powered. Cleaned the score motor switches that powered the stepper unit as you guys indicated. Now working as it should.

Still seems slightly under powered per multimeter when comparing to another stepper unit with same coil but working.

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