This is a 1953 Williams Replay unit I'd like to disassemble, clean and lube with teflon grease.

How do you remove the score reel after removing the nut? It wiggles like it could come off but it won't. Do I need to do it from the cog side first?

Also can the switch stacks be safely removed as long as you keep them together?

Cog side shown in second photo for reference.

Thanks,
Bruce

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Steve,

I decided to try removing the Points wheel and it came off easier but it felt sticky as I wriggled it off. This Credit wheel is stubborn, I can't quite get it free when I wiggle it back and forth. What would you use to free it up or dissolve what's sticking inside?

Thanks,
Bruce

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I'll try that after work. Should I leave the cotter pins and clips in while tapping out the cog wheel?

Also should I mark where the credit wheel is in relation to the stepper unit? I took photos for the time being showing the orientation so I can put it back on the shaft the same way.

I plan to follow your list of things to do in order. This is my first stepper disassembly/cleaning/lubing but it needs to be done and there are 5 of them to do on the board before it goes back in the backbox.

Thanks,
Bruce

Got it off by wiggling along the threads bit by bit. This is what I have so far and I have questions.

Can the metal sleeve be removed from the coil and replaced with a nylon one? Should I clean it and the plunger instead then put it back together clean and dry? How does the coil stop look?

Also I plan to clean the wheels with Novus 1 or 2 but what would you use to clean the inside? I tried carefully brushing off what I could. It seems nasty from when people spilled drinks on top of the backbox.

This replay unit is missing the decrement coil, coil stop, spring and arm. I should be able to order them from PBR. Would Steve have the arm? The arm seems to be part number 101-AS-4 "Reset Arm Assembly" according to the online Williams 1960 parts catalog at Planetary Pinball.

Good catch. I checked the switch stacks on the other stepper units some of them are showing a similiar configuration. I think the round flat contacts should be wiping against each other but how do I make sure this is normal?

Thanks,
Bruce

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A fellow pinsider sent me a photo of the switch stack on his Grand Champion stepper unit and it matches mine. This seems to be the default configuration for this machine. Do you still think that plated back blade is inverted?

Bruce

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I agree. Novus 2 is an abrasive cleaner and Novus 1 isn't an abrasive cleaner but it's for plastics. (Learned this from Vid1900's guides) I'm going to try cleaning the wheel with dish soap and water and the gunk on the inside with alcohol, simple green or something similiar.

Bruce

Ok, I'll test Novus 1 in an inconspicious area first to be sure.

Thanks,
Bruce

I see it now. I was looking at the contacts blades instead. I'll fix it and make sure the other switch stacks are correct too. Thanks for pointing it out. I should get the missing parts for the Replay unit from PBR next week.

Bruce

Are these the correct parts for this Replay unit?

I ordered the parts using page 43 of the online 1960 Williams Parts Catalog and Steve found what he was able to but I'm not sure the reset arm and coil are correct. http://www.planetarypinball.com/reference/partsmanuals/WMS_Parts_1960/index.html#/43/zoomed

Is there an online source to see the parts disassembled for this stepping unit so I can compare them?

1. The reset arm pole seems too long from looking at the parts catalog.

2. Should the coil be DC? I thought this game was AC?

BTW, Steve forgot to include the coil stop in the package. I plan to call him tomorrow and can order the correct reset arm if necessary for this unit.

First photo shows the parts I got and second photo shows my friend's replay unit for comparison.

Thanks,
Bruce

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The reset arm looks correct to me. The spring would connect to the notch in the post.

I'll ask Steve about AC/DC tomorrow when I call about the coil stop.

Bruce

Steve is shipping the coil stop today. I'm hoping to get it this Wednesday or Friday so I can finish this stepping unit and start on the next one. It's easier for me to do them one at a time while I remember how they go together.

Bruce

Thanks Jeff. I especially like the closeups you took at certain angles.

Bruce

The new coil stop arrived from PBR and it looks different than the ones in this game. I pulled another coil stop off the Replay Score unit and it looks the same as the one I pulled from the Replay unit. They look odd to me. Are they "damaged"?

Bruce

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Resurrecting this thread.

I decided to stop and wait for the second game (same game as this one) to arrive so I can use it's replay unit as a "re-assembly" guide because I have trouble remembering how this one goes back together.

Photo of where I'm at with the stepping unit. What would be the next step in dis-assembling this stepper?
(First photo shows the front and second photo shows the back)

Would you unwind the spring (counting the number of turns of course) then unscrew the two nuts on the back to remove the posts? Does the center post in the back unscrew so that post can come out?

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I'm wondering if I can just remove the gear and the pivoting arms on the front without removing the posts so I can clean/lube them? I don't want to dis-assemble any parts that don't need to be dis-assembled.

I changed the title of this thread for those taking apart a stepping unit for the first time. (like me)

The only videos or instructions that I can find online explain what each stepper is and how they work. I wasn't able to find any disassembly instructions or blown-apart drawings showing the individual parts for this stepper.

Clay Harrel's video explains stepping units and according to him, my stepper unit is a Single Step Increment/Decrement Stepping Unit. It was missing the coil and arm for decrementing the unit.

(Thanks to Clay for creating this very useful video, he has a great EM repair site at pinrepair.com)

I took this stepping unit apart following the instructions above from SteveinTexas in post #3 and the mechanical parts are being cleaned in my sonic cleaner.

I think I can just clean the two posts that are left on the frame. I don't want to remove them if it's not necessary.

BTW, I got a new coil, springs and new arm from PBR. The new arm is shown at top right in the photo below.

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Look how clean and shiny the metal parts are after cleaning them in the sonic cleaner, especially the springs and gear post!

Tomorrow, I may try removing the nuts on the back then the two posts on the front so I can put them in my sonic cleaner. (It's too cold outside to use my tumbler)

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@way2wyrd Thanks for the photos, was this a rebuild with new parts or is disassembling/cleaning/reassembling a stepper unit considered a "rebuild"?

@briehl Your stepper unit looks amazingly clean. Did you clean it? Also did you ever resolve the problem you were having in your thread?

I studied both your photos and they'll be very helpful as I reassemble this stepper unit.

Tonight, I removed and cleaned the rest of the metal parts in my ultrasonic cleaner. Tomorrow I should be reassembling it.

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@Billc479 Is this the shoulder bolt in my screenshot? I see it in the Williams 1960 Parts Catalog as "Shoulder Screw". It seems to be riveted to the frame but fortunately it moves freely.

@spinal I found your thread when I first searched this forum for stepper teardown and rebuild instructions. Your questions in the thread are insightful. Thanks for contributing this resource for those doing it for the first time.

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I'm exhausted (not from working on the stepper), will probably start putting this stepper back together tomorrow.

Disassembling this stepper unit is pretty easy, even for the first time and assembling it should be as easy but the scary feeling was that I wouldn't remember how it goes back together, even with pictures. I had to reassure myself that I have another stepper unit still together for reference.

My concern is installing the new arm correctly because the original arm and coil were missing when I got the game. The Williams 1960 Parts Catalog should help with this. (screenshot from the parts page below)

(I have to admit the metal parts for this stepper unit look so clean that I'm really looking forward to getting it back together and seeing how smoothly it works)

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@way2wyrd Makes sense. A rebuild would be like rebuilding a pop bumper or flippers with all new parts. This is just a tear down cleaning and reassembly.

@billc479 Got it. I noticed how unique those those bolts are and would hate to do the same thing. I'm glad I took the nuts off first.

I'm going out of town, will reassemble this stepper when I'm back Sunday.

I have a question for you guys. What was the FIRST time like for you? There's always a first time for everything.

Did you learn hands on from someone else? Was it scary the first time you started tearing down and rebuilding steppers?

Billc479 I've been wanting to break out in song because it's such a good feeling to get this part done. I also lost my mental notes where everything was but I got it. I feel like I'm joining a "stepper club" of sorts with members being those that have done it.

phil-lee I hear ya. This has given me a newly found confidence to do the other steppers for this game.

I had mental images of everything flying everywhere but the middle spring on the cog wheel is easy to unwind 3 times.

I decided these clean metal parts would look out of place against the dirty frame so it needs to be cleaned too.

I tried toothpaste with toothbrush, simple green and citrus degreaser but the frame still looks grimy as you can see.

Any tips? I may try Awesome or whatever that stuff is at dollar tree. There has to be a solution that will clean this grime off the zinc coating. (I want to clean around the labels so I can leave them original on the frame)

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Is this a soft wire brush? I don't care about the shine. Just want to clean the grime and stuff off and leave the zinc coating.

Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish seems to be doing the best job of cleaning this frame. Tried Comet and LA Awesome from Dollar Tree, they didn't do any good either.

I plan to stop by Ace hardware tomorrow and see if they have anything for cleaning the grime off this metal.

Good idea. I actually have VM & P Naphtha and will try it on an inconspicuous spot in the shed tomorrow. I'm thinking of doing a light cleaning of the frame and a deeper cleaning where the metals move. I'm not shooting for an HEP restore here.

I have mineral spirits and also have fine steel wool which I was planning to use to smooth the posts and where metal rubs against metal. Will try both tonight.

I've been fighting a cold and am resting as much as I can to get well but in the meantime I wanted to share the video Pinballorama made on cleaning stepper units. You get to see the stepper unit being disassembled and cleaned.

I'd forgotten about that after reading Clay's guide! Thanks for the reminder.

This is an important warning: NO steel wool for anything in an EM game, especially a stepper unit. The little steel wool "hairs" like to hang around and catch on fire.

Replay Stepper Unit reassembly:

The weather warmed up to where I was able to clean the frame with naphtha out in the shed that has better ventilation.

MarkG Thanks for the tip. I can see some uses for mineral spirits.

wayner I'm happy with how this stepper is coming after using naphtha and the ultrasonic cleaner.

The cog gear wheel is back in the frame with a little teflon lube and it spins easily. Tomorrow the other parts go back together and I'm using the photos in this thread as a guide.

Replay unit back together.

Billc479 You're right about the shoulder bolts. It felt like I could easily strip the threads when I was threading the nuts, especially while tightening them. For the next stepper units on these games, I'll just leave them screwed in and clean around them unless they're really bad.

Naphtha and ultrasonic worked well for cleaning and I used a light coating of teflon lube where it's metal against metal.

Someone took the coil, coil stop and linkage from this game in the past. I used the replay unit on the other game as a guide for assembling the two arm linkages. I also have a new coil and coil stop from PBR ready to use with it.

The Replay Stepper Unit is done. Next is the Points Stepper Unit which is similar to the relay unit in that it increments and decrements.

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Pictures to help me remember how the Point unit goes back together. That coil sprang apart like a jack in the box lol. I ordered a replacement from PBR.

I left the shoulder bolts and switch stack alone this time. I plan to clean the shoulder bolts and other parts with naphtha then lube and reassemble.

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Two down. Three more to go. 10,000 Stepper Unit is next.

It's getting easier after doing the second stepper. I'm seeing how they're supposed to go together and caught one small spring I'd hooked up wrong on the Replay unit.

10,000 Unit done. Doing the Replay Score Unit now.

I'll post pictures after finishing the steppers. I only had to take a couple pictures of the 10,000 unit.

So far so good. The 100,000 Stepper Unit (last one) parts are being cleaned and lubed and it's a big one! Will post photo of it soon.

I'm taking a picture of the assembled unit first. Then a picture of the disassembled parts in in separate groups. This makes it easier for me to put it all back together.

This Ultrasonic cleaner is by far the best way to clean that I know of. It cleans deep where you can't reach.

Naphtha is great for cleaning the steppers and parts before lubing.

Five stepper units done. I'm getting the mechanical panel ready to put in the backbox.

Thanks to

zacaj
SteveinTexas
pinheadpierre
way2wyrd
Briehl
Billc479
spinal
phil-lee
MarkG
wayner
chas10e

for all your help and support with this endeavor. I put off doing this as soon as I found out the other game was available last spring so I can use the second game as a guide for disassembly/reassembly. I didn't have the confidence to do this otherwise.

I hope this helps others doing this for the first time.

Pictures of the rest of the steppers while I was working on them.

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Thank you. I'll post a picture of the board with all the steppers back on it after I replace the three burnt out coils with new ones from PBR.

Here is a photo of the cleaned and lubricated steppers as promised. I just need to solder the new knocker coil in and it looks like I'll need to replace two other burned coils.

It's actually easy to disassemble these steppers. The only scary part is forgetting where the springs, screws, etc go when you put them back together.

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I found broken blades on one switch stack and blades too long on another switch stack. I'll need to order the parts from PBR and rebuild the switch stacks.

Will post pictures here when I start rebuilding the switch stacks..

I changed my mind about posting progress updates on the switches. Switches aren't isolated to stepper units.

I started this thread 3 years ago when I was doing this for the first time and couldn't have done it without the help here. Since then I've realized you learn a LOT when you go through 10 different stepper units over and over again.

I'm disassembling and reassembling them without taking pictures and could probably almost do it blindfolded now. I've learned the most common parts to the these units and what to keep an eye out for. Will start sharing what I've learned in this thread.

I shortened the topic which I think is better.

The 100,000 stepper unit is the biggest stepper on this game and has 2 coils.

One coil steps 100k points at a time. The other coil resets the score to 0.

The post on top of the gear opens the switch that stops the scoring at 6,990,000 points. The small round post sticking out bottom of the gear makes hits a metal part of the frame, making sure the score is reset to zero when a new game is started.

Arrows showing the post (not attached to gear), the hole (where post will be fastened), the switch that opens at 6,990,000 and the round post embedded in the gear.

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It wasn't meant to be a question but your suggestions are great. I was thinking of using JBWeld or 2 part epoxy but I can probably use a bit of solder to reattach the post.

The other holes are too small and the post on the other 100k stepper unit is in the same hole as this one.

I was thinking of using a little solder too.

Funny you should say that. I'd recently removed the relay arms and moved the switches to take photos of the labels so I can use them as a reference for future use.

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I see this part on all of my stepper units.

Make sure the switch stack is aligned correctly and switch blades aren't broken when you tighten the screws.

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I guess I've learned pretty much everything about these steppers from the 1953 Grand Champion. They're very simple.

Coming up. Five stepper units to clean and lubricate on my new project. A 1965 Gottlieb Bank A Ball.

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