Expert: Rodger Knutson - 8/18/2011

Question
QUESTION: I am looking at purchasing this machine but the seller who just acquired it himself, knows very little about the machine and thinks the wheels inside that have the watermelons and bar on them is out of Alignment because it seems to payoff on odd line ups. Also it has been fixed so that you can pull the handle with out feeding it with quarters.

ANSWER: Hi Lindy,

Its possible that one of the reel symbols tapes have slipped on one of the reels, this can happen. If you find one reel tape that you can turn on one of the reels you have found the problem. As for the handle, sounds like something has been modified to make it run on free play. You will have to see what as been done to do this, and reverse it.

Thank You

Rodger Knutson
Http://www.coinslots.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Roger,

  Thank you for getting back with me so quickly. I will check the tape on the reel. Do you  have any idea where I might find a manual for this machine.

Thank you,

Lindy

ANSWER: Hi Lindy,

Yos, you can get one right away. Go to:

http://jackpot7.freeyellow.com/page21.html

and look for tis manual there:

Bally E/M Slot Machine Manual for the Continentals and the Super Continental Machines, Manual # 1100. This Manual is 128 Pages covering all of the Bally "E/M" Electro/Mechanical Continental and Super Continental type slot machines. A manual packed full of information for these complicated Continental machines, a must have for anyone owning one of these great, super interesting slot machines. This would work best if you also had the Bally #2400 Manual (also listed here above) as a companion to go along with this manual,emailed to you.

Thank You

Rodger Knutson
http://www.coinslots.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Rodger,

   We purchased the 1100 manual and wanted to know about the 2400 manual that is recomened. Is it a trouble shooting manual? Of not is there a trouble shooting manual. We have not been able to find what they changed on the machine to set it on free play. And we checked the tape on the reels but it does not move freely. If they removed the reel is there a specific way it has to be reinstalled to make sure the pay lines are not affected?

Thank you so much for your help and information,

Lindy

Answer
The 2400 manual is a very good manual to learn the basics of the Bally e/m machine, it will tell you what leaf switch do what and also were they are located, so if you wanted to trace the handle release circuit, it will show you just what switches are in that circuit and where they are, the location of the switches and relays which schematics don't tell you. It also will tell you what the common wires are, the color of the coil circuit wires caring that 50 volt coil voltage,the color of the common wire, the light circuit voltage is different and will be another color. How the hopper works and how the amounts of wins paid are counted, which step up unit does what. It cover all e/m type Ballys in basic and adds sections on items that will be found in some ballys and not others. Its one of the best manuals for a Bally e/m type slot machine that I have ever seen. But the continental is a different animal, it will have all the basic 2400 manual stuff in it which the Continental has, but will not go into much detail of the added stuff that the continental has which is much more them in most e/m types, the continal is much more complicated then the average e/m slot machine. The trouble shooting manual will tell the problem that a service technician has found when call in for a repair, it will tell you the problem, and then tell you what was found wrong with it and how it was fixed. It's a short cut for a lot of regular type problems found on the casino floor. You look to find your problem and if it is listed in there, you then read how the same type of problem was fixed. So, you most likely need to learn a lot about your machine first and these would help you a lot there. The 2400 manual will show you in detail how to trace the handle release circuit. If I were you I would first look at the handle mechanism, learn how it locks and then see why it is not locking after play. This relay and handle lock is in plain view right above the handle mechanism box. one of the most common problems with a e/m Bally is just the opposite, the problem I see is mostly that the handle will not release after the machine is coined up, it stays locked. This is mostly a problem with the bleu plug pins behind the reel mechanism and the hopper, these pins are aluminum and the corrode and then the connection is lost, but that is not the problem your having here I don't think. If your reel strips are held in place good, then it could be a separate payout circuit problem and this could fall into the corroded bleu pins I talked about above, or it could be somewhere else just as easy. But it's a place to start, and that is the first thing I do on any e/m slot repair, is clean those pins first before I do anything else. These are the pins that the reel mechanism and the coin hopper use to connect themselves to the machines cabinet. I hope this has given you some idea on how to proceed with this attempt and repairing your slot machine.
Thank You
Rodger Knutson
http://www.coinslots.com