WMS Indiana Jones DBV - possible?

I've got an IJ that I'm looking to install a DBV in. After custom cutting a MARS faceplate I discovered that there wasn't a cutout in the playfield to allow an upstacker!

From what I've managed to find in other posts, IJ only shipped with a Coin Controls door that accepted a Dixie Narco USA-3 (and maybe USA-15) bill validator. That's it. Yes I can get a MARS to fit but unfortunately, the door won't close due to the main issue of there not being a cutout in the playfield.

I'll happily pick up a Dixie Narco if it'll fit without a notch cutout in the playfield. Maybe they're a little shorter than the MARS acceptors? Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks!

#2 7 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

Hopkins, MN

12y 191K 56,973 24 7

Can you get a thinner stacker ? A 200 capacity one ?

LTG : )

#3 7 years ago

SES

u2sean

Pinside member

Quoted from LTG:
Can you get a thinner stacker ? A 200 capacity one ?

Tried with the small 200 capacity one - no dice.

#4 7 years ago

MLL

mikat11

Pinside member

Greenville, OH

8y 29,150 264 1

Theres got to somebody that makes bill accepters that don't require a stacker. I'd go that route

#5 7 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

Hopkins, MN

12y 191K 56,973 24 7

Quoted from mikat11:
Theres got to somebody that makes bill accepters that don't require a stacker.

Old MARS units. Only take ones. Dumps the bills into the cash box ( cover off ). Cheap on Ebay.

LTG : )

#6 7 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

9y 107K 8,987

You need a "VFM" model (or VFM-compatiblek there are new ones still out there.). Has to go in the top coin door cutout, and like LTG days, no stacker - bills fall on top on coin box.

However, it's easily done, and wiring in the same.

#7 7 years ago

SES

u2sean

Pinside member

Quoted from Coyote:
Has to go in the top coin door cutout, and like LTG days, no stacker

Thanks for the responses. If the coin door had an upper cutout this would have been a whole lot easier as I could have at least dropped an old MARS dumper in there. To do this, I'll have to put in a different coin door.

Still curious about the Dixie Narco upstacker, and if it'd actually fit.

IJ_CoinDoor (resized).JPG

#8 7 years ago

MAT

snyper2099

Cincinnati Pinball

16y 103K 7,645

Quoted from LTG:
Old MARS units. Only take ones. Dumps the bills into the cash box ( cover off ). Cheap on Ebay.
LTG : )

I have one of these and have used it extensively over the years. No big deal to just pick up the loose bills, as the locations I used it never took in a ton of plays. One slight drawback is it will only take $1's.

#9 7 years ago

???

KenLayton

In Memoriam

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/installing-bill-acceptors-on-wpc-era-machines

Perhaps my threads on bill acceptors will help you:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/demolition-man-owners-club-members-only#post-524127

Notice the overall height of the Ardac (a.k.a. Dixie-Narco) USA series stacker in the Demolition Man picture. It is shorter than a Mars stacker.

#10 7 years ago

RZX

RazerX

Pinside+ Frequent

La Grange Park, IL

11y 92,175 1,705

I have fit a MARS with stacker in mine, however I did change out the coin door to an entropy door too since the MARS DBV would not fit in the orig coin door.

#11 7 years ago

???

KenLayton

In Memoriam

Quoted from RazerX:
I have fit a MARS with stacker in mine, however I did change out the coin door to an entropy door too since the MARS DBV would not fit in the orig coin door.

The Entropy door has a larger (taller) snout cutout for the Mars "AE" series bill acceptors to fit. On some Coin Control doors, you have to carve up the door's bill acceptor snout hole to fit a Mars AE series acceptor. You file or nibble the top of the cutout hole by about 3/16 of an inch.

#12 7 years ago

SES

u2sean

Pinside member

Thanks for the info, guys! Ken - I reviewed your great thread on WPC bill validators as there was a ton of great info in there.

I've decided to just take the plunge and grab an Ardac USA3, as the one pictured looks shorter than a MARS stacker. I've already got the 9-to-12 pin connector adapter so with any luck it'll just be plug and play, and fit in place. Plus, the sticker on the inside is labeled with STKR so supposedly this stacker will work. We shall see.... I'll update this thread in a week or so!

#13 7 years ago

ZZZ

inhomearcades

Midwest Gaming

11y 71,800 2,850 27

I just use a standard 300 bill stacker, dremel off the top right corner of the bill cart and it works like a charm.

1 week later

#14 7 years ago

SES

u2sean

Pinside member

SUCCESS! Got an Ardac (Dixie-Narco) USA3 upstacker model. Rebuilt it with new belts and cleaned it up. It fit perfectly into the door, and it closes with about 1/4" clearance underneath the playfield. No coin door mangling required.

I was surprised at how easy the Ardac was to maintain. Yeah, it sounds a little clunkier than the MARS units, but replacing all 4 belts was literally a 10 minute job. Cleaning of the bill path and acceptance lights can even be done while it's still mounted in the coin door.

4 weeks later

#15 7 years ago

???

KenLayton

In Memoriam

Here's some videos on how to replace the belts in the Ardac (a.k.a. Dixie-Narco) "USA" series bill acceptors:

Just follow the step-by-step instructions in the videos and it'll only take about 15 minutes to change the belts. You will need the following tools:

3/16" nutdriver

1/4" nutdriver

straight slot screwdriver

The instructions apply to both the USA3 and USA15 bill acceptors. In pinball machines, you'll be wanting the USA3 model. These can be found on ebay cheap as well as replacement belt kits.

In general, a good way to identify which bill acceptor you have (should the label be missing or defaced) is to look at the length of the power cable on the bill acceptor. If it's about two to three feet long and has two connectors on the end of it, then it's a USA15. If the power cable is about 10 inches long and only has one connector on the end of it, then it's a USA3. The USA3 carries a part number on the label of 88X5011.

#16 7 years ago

???

KenLayton

In Memoriam