Ok I have been fixing up my Williams 1974 Lucky Ace machine. Last issue(s) I hope.
Long story short how it used to work; Every time I hit the start switch
1.) Good score and ball count reset and bonus reset and 1-9 rollover reset (due to conservative setting). All good except-
2.) Score motor would continue to run extra times around (1-7or 8 time) (ball count would go to zero then to one like it should but only once) Eventually something would click right and then
3.) Score motor would run one more time and the playfield would activate, then the outhole relay would activate and ball release would release the ball.

That was then - It appeared the behavior was getting better so I was trying to just get my 50pt relay to work correctly (see my first thread).

After I fixed my 50pt relay problem I decided to try to fix the above problem by cleaning the score motor contacts stacks.

Now,
I hit the start switch.
1.) The same.
2.) The same but far fewer times. The click happens
3.) Score motor continues to run as long as the ball is making the outhole switch. The outhole relay runs but no ball release.

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4) If I take the ball out the score motor wont run, and if I get a score then put the ball in, still bad score motor runs and still no ball release.

So basically I think I messed up some of the timing in the score motor stacks. Does anyone know of a good procedure for going through them to get them timed correctly.
Sorry for the long post.

Thanks -Bill

Yep that's todays plan. I will go slow and steady and tackle this. Thanks.

Ok so todays progress, I have the ball release is working. It almost seems too quick now. The reason is now the ball count reset (the ball countdown) relay doesn't seem to have time to work. I checked all the wiring, had to de-solder and re-solder the wires for continuity check and I checked 2A on the score motor. The only time it works is if I jumper around the score motor. So it has to be a timing issue. I don't think the outhole relay is staying on long enough to allow the outhole relay M&B E to make at the same time as 2A which would allow the ball countdown. I am going to check that right now though.

Another issue (possible separate) is when I make 1-9 then the 1-9 reset sticks in a loop with the score motor. Even if I shut off power and turn it back on the score motor keeps running unless I hold the relay in and the double bonus light comes on. Same with triple bonus, and special. I have to hold the relay in just for a second which allows what needs to happen happen. As I said before it seems to all be timing with the relays and score motor. And before you ask yes the stacks are in the correct positions All toward the rear except 6 (fwd) and 5 (half fwd). I am going to plug away for the next few hours and will keep my eye on this thread. Thanks everyone.

One more thing I thought I seemed like before you had to make the outhole switch with the ball before the ball release would work. Now it automatically works even without the ball being on the outhole switch when I start the game.

Ok Now I am back to the ball release thru the outhole relay and Score Motor 4-A N.O. When I was going through the Ball Count Reset relay wiring. I had to make sure the grey-green wire from the outhole relay was good between Outhole-E M&B and Ball Index-C N.O. It was good, however in the process I checked grey-green also between the Outhole-E M&B and Score Motor 4-A N.O. While Score Motor 4-A N.O. was ok. I made it so it closed a little slower(opened faster - depends on how you look at it). Now the ball release doesn't operate anymore! I will attempt to put it back again tomorrow. It's to late now.

Yes it does/did go thru all the bonus counting first. Then it would just fire the ball release and shut off the Outhole relay, but no ball count down. The only way I can get the ball count down is to jumper the Score Motor-4A with either the Outhole-C Grey-Green or Ball Index-C grey-green (I don't remember which) even though the grey-green wire is good. So it is a timing issue in that circuit with score motor 2-A.

By the way the other issue or something to note is the Ball index relay will not shut off once it is made. I am thinking due to Outhole-D M&B timing.

Tomorrow I will try the manual stepper to check the timing. I am convinced now that most of my issues are with the M&B's and timing with the score motor cam switches.

Tonight's update: Yea Ha!!! I got it back to working and it works well!!

After much trying to get the timing down, I did figure out if I just held in the outhole relay a little longer it would work. So I started tracing down the hold circuit on the outhole relay.

I got it down to the score motor 5-B M&B N.C. wasn't staying closed long enough for the outhole relay to make the ball release relay kick on. After looking at the diagram I also figured out that it should have more than enough time, since the circuit to energize the outhole relay was on score motor 4 which happens before 5.

At first glance the 5-B M&B looked closed like it should, but with a white paper behind it you could see it wasn't closed at all. One adjustment and wallah the outhole relay stayed on long enough to make the ball release go and all the other problems went away. Even the score motor running a few extra times around on game start.

I played it a few times and it is all working execpt a few times on game start the score motor did run a few extra times. But I think I will play it and see if the relay stacks settle into place and how it is acting.

Thanks MarkG It really helps to have someone to drive it ground with.