Help with AMI Continental II - Not reseting selector pin

Hi all
Been a while since I posted, just been tweaking my Cont II, got a new
transfer motor bracket from Stannman as mine was made of ally and bent
when it cycled round, the one from them is built like a tank...

Anyhow now I have an odd glitch, on the A though H selections no
worries, but when you do most J/K selections it does not push the
selector pin back firmly enough so the record cycles round and round
until finally, after it has pushed the pin several times, it releases
and plays. The reset of the pin seems weak but if I play A1 it fair
whacks it back. In fact the push of the pin selector arm has always
been weak on some selections.

So any ideas? Its all clean and very lightly oiled, I wondered if it
could be the pickup tracks on the record carousel in certain areas but
I have had a look visually and they are all clean, I restored this
beauty about 5 years ago so it was all stripped and cleaned and has
not had much use since. Anyone out there has the same issue?

I want this running just fine as I start the light resto of my
wurlitzer centennial this winter Anyone out there got one?

Cheers
Shaun

shaun wrote:
Hi all
Been a while since I posted, just been tweaking my Cont II, got a new
transfer motor bracket from Stannman as mine was made of ally and bent
when it cycled round, the one from them is built like a tank...

Anyhow now I have an odd glitch, on the A though H selections no
worries, but when you do most J/K selections it does not push the
selector pin back firmly enough so the record cycles round and round
until finally, after it has pushed the pin several times, it releases
and plays. The reset of the pin seems weak but if I play A1 it fair
whacks it back. In fact the push of the pin selector arm has always
been weak on some selections.

So any ideas? Its all clean and very lightly oiled, I wondered if it
could be the pickup tracks on the record carousel in certain areas but
I have had a look visually and they are all clean, I restored this
beauty about 5 years ago so it was all stripped and cleaned and has
not had much use since. Anyone out there has the same issue?

I want this running just fine as I start the light resto of my
wurlitzer centennial this winter Anyone out there got one?

Cheers
Shaun

Hi Shaun,

Do the pins for the selections with problems canceling slide as easily
as the pins that cancel correctly? I suspect the ones with issues will
feel slightly sticky in their action.

These pins should all be dry with no lubrication at all. Oil (or WD-40 -
nasty stuff) will dry out over time and cause stiction which leads to
poor pin movement and thus not always canceling.

The cancel solenoid action does not care which pin it is canceling, so
if some pins consistently cancel fine and others consistently do not
cancel properly then the problem is in the pins.

John :-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
Call (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

Hi John
Not as such, I have always had issue with this pin drum being sticky,
I have removed it, cleaned in thinners, dried with air and still some
are tight and some not and that scattered all round the drum. What I
found odd with this problem is that the reset plunger is much stronger
when it pushes in the A1 than it is on the ones it cannot, it just
seems weaker, more of a tap than a push, I let it brush against my
fingertip and could reallyt feel a differance, thats why I wondered if
it could be a pick issue but I doubt it would lose that miuch power
Any ideas?
Cheers

shaun wrote:
Hi John
Not as such, I have always had issue with this pin drum being sticky,
I have removed it, cleaned in thinners, dried with air and still some
are tight and some not and that scattered all round the drum. What I
found odd with this problem is that the reset plunger is much stronger
when it pushes in the A1 than it is on the ones it cannot, it just
seems weaker, more of a tap than a push, I let it brush against my
fingertip and could reallyt feel a differance, thats why I wondered if
it could be a pick issue but I doubt it would lose that miuch power
Any ideas?
Cheers

Please quote previous messages so people do not have to track backwards
to follow the conversation.

As to your problem of not canceling the pins, I would recommend that you
take the pin bank apart and clean all the little spring metal holding
clips, pins, and the holes in the bank itself. Then replace it carefully
re-aligning the selection arm using selection A1 as shown in the manual
- you do have a copy of the manual, don't you!

If still having trouble with the canceling, then open the manual to the
troubleshooting section and follow the highlighted circuit for the pin
cancel coil and check if any connection is a variable based on the
position of the ferris wheel. As I recall the pin cancel coil is
controlled by the selection switch system and the leads for the coil do
nt go through the wipers on the ferris wheel.

If you don't have the manual then please get it before we go any further.

You can read my limited page on AMI servicing while waiting for your
manual to arrive...

http://www.flippers.com/ami-rowe.html

John :-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
Call (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

On 9 Oct, 01:04, John Robertson wrote:
shaun wrote:
Hi John
Not as such, I have always had issue with this pin drum being sticky,
I have removed it, cleaned in thinners, dried with air and still some
are tight and some not and that scattered all round the drum. What I
found odd with this problem is that the reset plunger is much stronger
when it pushes in the A1 than it is on the ones it cannot, it just
seems weaker, more of a tap than a push, I let it brush against my
fingertip and could reallyt feel a differance, thats why I wondered if
it could be a pick issue but I doubt it would lose that miuch power
Any ideas?
Cheers

Please quote previous messages so people do not have to track backwards
to follow the conversation.

As to your problem of not canceling the pins, I would recommend that you
take the pin bank apart and clean all the little spring metal holding
clips, pins, and the holes in the bank itself. Then replace it carefully
re-aligning the selection arm using selection A1 as shown in the manual
- you do have a copy of the manual, don't you!

If still having trouble with the canceling, then open the manual to the
troubleshooting section and follow the highlighted circuit for the pin
cancel coil and check if any connection is a variable based on the
position of the ferris wheel. As I recall the pin cancel coil is
controlled by the selection switch system and the leads for the coil do
nt go through the wipers on the ferris wheel.

If you don't have the manual then please get it before we go any further.

You can read my limited page on AMI servicing while waiting for your
manual to arrive...

http://www.flippers.com/ami-rowe.html

John :-#)#

--
* * (Please post followups or tech inquiries to the newsgroup)
* John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
* Call (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
* * * * * * * * * * *www.flippers.com
* * * *"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

Hi John
Ooops didn't mean to delete pervious text, must have been in a rush to
reply.
Yes have the manual and good point on the wire but I think the only
pin selector one comes down the tube, the reset coils I think are
picked up from the wiper tracks as they are mounted on the back of the
drum. BUT I'll check for sure, been a while since I delved into it. Oh
how I love the "AMI I Ithat I used to own as for servicing, whole mech
came out on rails, the Cont is compact but at a price, its so hard to
get anywhere into it!!
I agree, maybe time to strip and clean the whole pin wheel (Gulp),
best make sure the parts don't roll on the floor!!
Thanks I'll let you know how it goes
Cheers
shaun

shaun wrote:
On 9 Oct, 01:04, John Robertson wrote:
shaun wrote:
Hi John
Not as such, I have always had issue with this pin drum being sticky,
I have removed it, cleaned in thinners, dried with air and still some
are tight and some not and that scattered all round the drum. What I
found odd with this problem is that the reset plunger is much stronger
when it pushes in the A1 than it is on the ones it cannot, it just
seems weaker, more of a tap than a push, I let it brush against my
fingertip and could reallyt feel a differance, thats why I wondered if
it could be a pick issue but I doubt it would lose that miuch power
Any ideas?
Cheers
Please quote previous messages so people do not have to track backwards
to follow the conversation.

As to your problem of not canceling the pins, I would recommend that you
take the pin bank apart and clean all the little spring metal holding
clips, pins, and the holes in the bank itself. Then replace it carefully
re-aligning the selection arm using selection A1 as shown in the manual
- you do have a copy of the manual, don't you!

If still having trouble with the canceling, then open the manual to the
troubleshooting section and follow the highlighted circuit for the pin
cancel coil and check if any connection is a variable based on the
position of the ferris wheel. As I recall the pin cancel coil is
controlled by the selection switch system and the leads for the coil do
nt go through the wipers on the ferris wheel.

If you don't have the manual then please get it before we go any further.

You can read my limited page on AMI servicing while waiting for your
manual to arrive...

http://www.flippers.com/ami-rowe.html

John :-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
Call (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

Hi John
Ooops didn't mean to delete pervious text, must have been in a rush to
reply.
Yes have the manual and good point on the wire but I think the only
pin selector one comes down the tube, the reset coils I think are
picked up from the wiper tracks as they are mounted on the back of the
drum. BUT I'll check for sure, been a while since I delved into it. Oh
how I love the "AMI I Ithat I used to own as for servicing, whole mech
came out on rails, the Cont is compact but at a price, its so hard to
get anywhere into it!!
I agree, maybe time to strip and clean the whole pin wheel (Gulp),
best make sure the parts don't roll on the floor!!
Thanks I'll let you know how it goes
Cheers
shaun

Hi Shaun,

Re-reading this thread leads me to a question - is the problem with
write-in or the pin cancel functions?

Write-in means when the pin (one side of the record) is selected - this
is driven by the pin pusher coil that is inside the ferris wheel axis
tube and it does not care what pin is selected as it pushes all equally
hard when set up correctly.

Pin Cancel means when the side of the record pin has been pushed out
already, and the mechanism scans to that pin, stops, picks up the record
and then one of two solenoids then cancels the pin as the record is
placed on the turntable --- that is quite a different problem and can be
a problem with the microswitches behind the selection disc on the rear,
the wiper disc that transfers the electrical connections to the
microswitches and cancel coils, or the cam switches - micor or blade
depending ont he model.

John :-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
Call (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."