Fixing a small crane machine problem

[fayt]

I bought a new rotary switch and broke the other off and clamped this one on and it works good now. Much more strength then it used to have.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062536

[Kevin Mullins]

Ah... I figured it was a regular type "potentiometer".

[fayt]

Yep it sure was. Next to figure out why the coins won't drop every time.

[Kevin Mullins]

Like the coins are jamming in the mechanism or just no "coining up" every time?

[fayt]

When you drop a quarter in, sometimes it happens twice in a row or every 5th coin. It will fall all the way down and get stuck at the wire and just sit there. It's been oiled, I am thinking there is something sticky in it.

[SirPeale]

Who in the hell OILED it?  You RARELY oil coin mech parts.  NEVER coin mech parts.

[fayt]

It was either rusty or sticky, what else is there to do, to fix it?

[Kevin Mullins]

It needs to be CLEAN and DRY.
Make sure everything is absolutely free moving.
And look for minor adjustments that can be made to eliminate what's stopping the coin.

And above all else you need to make sure it is the RIGHT mech for quarters.

[SirPeale]

Rust can be cleaned off.  Use some fine steel wool so you can get in the crevices.  Make sure you get it all out afterward.

If it's crud, take a scrub brush and some dish detergent and scrub the heck out of it.  Dry thoroughly.

[fayt]

And above all else you need to make sure it is the RIGHT mech for quarters.

How is it possible to receive quarters if it isn't the right mech?

[Kevin Mullins]

And above all else you need to make sure it is the RIGHT mech for quarters.

How is it possible to receive quarters if it isn't the right mech?

Because most coin mech slots are designed to accept a variety of coins..... it's the guts of the mech that determine which coin that particular unit will accept.
I was just throwing that out there wondering if maybe you had a TOKEN mech in there.
There are tokens quite "close" to the size of quarters and then there are some that are not even close.
Just something to double check is all.

[fayt]

Ah I see what you mean. I do have some tokens from other arcades I could test with it to see. But the previous owner used only quarters. So I am assuming its a quarter mech.

[Kevin Mullins]

But the previous owner used only quarters. So I am assuming its a quarter mech.

Well then most likely you do have a quarter mech.
Typically they will be marked in some fashion, but sometimes it's just labels and they fall off.
It was just a shot in the dark without knowing the details, sounds more like an adjustment needed.

If we got a decent pic of both sides of the mech we might be able to identify it.

[fayt]

I think isn't of placing it at the mall, I will sell it to the local arcade. Al is looking to buy one, so we'll see what happens.