northvibe wrote:
Oh that mech is tucked in there.... I can see it being a pain to get out. Ok, I'll go check how that looks when pulling the arm down. Thank you!
You can cycle the mech outside the cabinet: no need to pull the handle. Just push back gently on the "question mark" on the right side of the mech while pushing down hard on the horizontal bar across the front; that bypasses all of the coin entry detection and all that other guff that would otherwise prevent you from cycling the machine for free. Also, note that pushing that horizontal bar down engages a "dog-tail" ratchet on the left, allowing you to stop short and thereby "half-cycle" the mech, if you can stop the pump regulator ("clock") first. The launching of the reels is one of the first things that occurs during the cycle, so pushing the front bar (this requires a little muscle) halfway down the "dog-tail" ratchet should get the reels spinning freely without proceeding to release the reel stops, payout fingers, etc., so long as the pump is stopped. Most servicing of the mech (such as getting at the "slotted shaft") is best performed on a half-cycled mech, to keep the horizontal bar, payout fingers and reel stops out of the way.
How to stop the pump? You'll find a nifty "pump stopper" tool I "invented" on the first page of this thread.
