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I have a Bally E series slot machine and have one error message (41) that I intend to address soon.  I will clean the index reader card, and if that doesnt work, swap it out with another reel to see if the card is defective or just needs better cleaning.

When I do that, I would like to also correct the door alignment because in order to open the door, I have to lean into it, lift it up a little and then unlock it.  It appears to need to be moved a little to the left at the top because it appears to be rubbing against the top tab (rub marks on that tab).
 
It looks like someone has bent the tabs because they are not aligned.  The center one is off center and the other two appear to have been bent a little to the left or right.  I intend to straighten those out too so that they are aligned in a straight vertical line.  They are not way out of line but it can be observed by comparing them with the door open.

I have seen the hinge assembly in  my manual but it does not give any adjustment instructions or say how or even if this door can be adjusted.  Is the door adjustment done with these hinges?

Thanks

There is not much mentioned in any of my books for adjusting the door hinges.. I my self have just loosened up the mounting screws and or bolts and moved the door in the direction needed. Most of the mounting holes are a bit over sized and should give you enough movement to correct your problem. As for that code 41 it is the first reel reader. Move it to the second or third reel, 42 code is for second reel error and 43 is for the 3rd reel error. Cleaning it might help, but from my experience you have a bad photo transistor. Barry Fox at Foxsslots has the parts or reel readers you need. I have attached a link to his Reel Reader page.  Good luck with you machine..

http://cgi.ebay.com/BALLY-SLOT-MACHINE-E-series-REEL-READERS-REPAIRS-/150538202401?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230cc6ad21 (http://cgi.ebay.com/BALLY-SLOT-MACHINE-E-series-REEL-READERS-REPAIRS-/150538202401?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230cc6ad21)

check the screws that hold the hinge onto the door itself - they do loosen - sometimes the hinge gets bent - you may get lucky by just clamping the machine down and pulling up on the low end of the door with a lot of force else you will have to replace the hinges.  If the door is level then its just the "pitch fork" on the right side of the door frame - that part can be wedged outward using a screw driver.
 

Thanks for the replies.  They are very helpful and I hope to start on the machine soon. 

I forgot to ask one other question. 

When I bought this machine, we took out the reels and coin hopper to lighten it up in order to carry it to my car.  When I got home and put these back in, there are two wiring harnesses at the rear of the reel assembly. 

One of these connectors is red and the other is white.  Someone had painted a red spot on the front socket so I assumed that the red connector must go there.  In order to do that, I had to move the wiring a little because the natural place for this connector seemed to be in the rear socket (both are white). 

It did not seem logical that the connectors would be wired so that I had to move them in order to get them to fit so I counted pins and it looks like the red connector belongs on the rear socket in spite of the dab of red paint on the front socket.  I put it back in there but still have not run the machine because of the #41 error which I hope to fix soon.  Do your machines have one white and one red connector in this location?

Thanks again for the help.

I have not swapped my reel reader cards yet because the Bally Series E book mentioned an adjustment on the reel reader cards.  I do not understand that yet so do not want to remove the cards until I find out if there is some adjustment that might have to be made when they are swapped out or replaced.

Did I misunderstand the manule when I got the impression that these cards may need their position adjusted when they are removed and replaced?

Thanks

Yes the reel reader do have to be adjusted. The screw mounting holes are slotted. What your going to do is adjust the reel read so that the indexing disk is left of center about 1/16" away from the left edge of the reel reader.

Amechanic

Thanks for the response.  That doesnt sound too hard to do.

It looks like that 1/16th inch adjustment is to provide clearance for the reels to spin.  Is this correct?

Thanks

Yes... You don't want the disk to make contact with the reel reader..

Amachanic

Thanks for the clarification.  Now, I feel comfortable in swapping the reel readers to see which one if any has failed. 

The error code indicates that reel reader #1 has a problem so I was advised to swap it to reel number 2 to see if the problem goes with the reader.

Thats correct... If it's bad and in reel 2, you will see error 42..

On the door issue. I removed the door from the machine. Then removed the hinges from the door then on the hinges look at the tabs with the holes in them where the screws go. They  mount to the door my tabs were twisted. Took them to my vise and tapped them straight with hammer. And put it all back together and the door is aligned perfect. Take the time to remove the hinge's and don't try to twist the door on the machine or you can see your machine laying in the floor. The one thing to remember about slots. Never never force anything. Take the time its fun and you get to know your machine. I learn somthing new everyday. Don't force it. Good luck ! 

I willl do the same to my door hinges.  I was tempted to try to twist the door into alignment.  The llittle tabs on the right side of the door opening are not all aligned.  The top one appears to be striking the hole in the door because it has scuff marks on the left side.  This tab is not aligned with the lower ones that appear to be clearning the openings.  I am going to tweak that one a liittle to the right so it enters that opening properly and hope that will make the door easier to open and close.

Thanks for the reply including the advice.  I will let you know how all this works out in about a month.  Right now, I am not too mobile because of  a surgery but am anxious to start trying to fix this machine soon.

Just thought of another question about the reel reader codes.  If there are two defective cards, will a different code show up?

Thanks

Hope you get well soon. And good luck on your slot.

Yes It will.  Don't have my book handy but I will look when I get home.

Junkman

thanks for the help and the best wishes. 

I had a foot surgery with some bones being fused and will be able to walk on it in about three more weeks.  It has not been bad but sure does limit my ability to carry things and gain access to my tools.  Once able to do that again, i am anxious to dive into the slot machine and hopefully get it running perfectly again.