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Hello everyone.  I bought this slot machine for $30.00 at an auction today.  I would like to repair it to working condition.  I don't have alot of money however I have alot of time.  It is very rusted.  I am new to slot machines so this should be an experience.  I am bound to have many questions but Ill start with just a few.

1.) From the pictures do you see any parts that are obviously missing?

other then the rust damage to the bottom of the machine it seems to be in decent mechanical condition. (you pull the handle and the reels spin and stop)
I have not plugged the machine in as I am not that brave.  I plan to rewire at least part of it due to the corrosion damage.  

2.) How does the bottom portion of the machine come out?  Is it bolted down or is there some sort of catch release like the top part?

more pictures.

I have the coin catcher however the holes need to be redrilled and tapped because all the screws are broken off inside.  there is a metal plate that goes in between the door and the coin catcher and it is badly corroded.  I am going to make a new one I believe I can use the bad piece as a template.  I am also going to replace the bottom wood with 1/4" plywood as it is all rotted out.  It looks like there are two screws holding the bottom half in (that part that spits out the coins) sadly they are rusted solid and I will probably have to either torch or drill them out.  Until I get them loose I cannot assess the damage to the bottom half of the machine.  I need to see if I can find a replacement door.  If I cant get one Ill have to find a way to repair the one I have.  Also the glass on the middle section of the machine has gold paint covering something on the left side.  I would like to know what that is and possibly replace that as well.  the ammount of money I spend on this machine depends on the condition of the inside bottom of the machine.  It appears to be mostly surface rust with pitting in a few areas but I cant be sure until I clean it up really good.  In studying this machine I have become rather fond of it.

also what is the purpose of the zip tie in the last photo?  why would someone do that?

Wow, that's seriously rusted. It looks like it was in a flood. You're going to have to do some fairly major strip down and cleanup - you probably should get a manual to help you. I recommend this one from Mead Publications (http://www.meadpublishinglasvegas.com/slot_machine_repair.htm) - it's the "Haynes Manual" for servicing these slots, with many illustrations.

(http://www.meadpublishinglasvegas.com/opgbally1.JPG)

The hopper in the bottom isn't secured, you just pull it forward and it unplugs and slides out. If it won't move, it's just rusted in place.

The zip tie in the bottom picture puts the machine on free play. It's holding back the handle lock. Normally you have to have the machine turned on and put a coin in, then the lever just behind the zip tie drops down and does what the ties is doing to let you play.

Don't get too attached to that machine.
For the $30.00 that you have invested into it that may be too much already.
I don't want to be so negative in your hopes of rebuilding that machine, However that facts that the required parts alone to do this job most likely will exceed any future value.

If you do plan on moving forward on this project I personally would concentrate on getting the machine mechanically functional first. You may find the amount of corrosion and rust may prevent this from happening. A little WD40 may help you along the way.

As Opbell said the hopper pulls straight out (Forward) by pulling on the D handle on the front of the hopper. The reel mech will pull forward for removal after flipping the two latches on each side.

Please keep us posted as to your progress and post more picture after you remove the hopper and reel mech. Depending on the amount of damage visible after removing these parts will tell the rest of the story.

I have already made back my $30.00 in knowedge I have learned from studying the machine.  I do intend to restore it.  I don't expect perfection just for it to be nice enough for my living room.  the rust isn't as bad as it appears its mostly on the door and I already found a replacement in my price range.   I feel confident that if I can get the bottom part of the machine out I can get the machine cleaned up great.

the rust to the top portion is only surface rust and the reel mech appears to be fine.  I am going to check out the electrical contacts and make sure there are no shorts but I think it is okay.  I still cant get the bottom of the machine out the track is rusted solid.  wd40 is not helping any.  I need something that will help dissolve the rust so I can move it again.

  I got the top, middle, and bottom parts removed.  the bottom is all surface rust although I did damage the front part of the tracks breaking it free.  I am confident I can repair the damage to the machine.  the electrical part I am not 100% sure about.  It appears to be okay but there are a few spots that will need my attention.  Just thought I would update everyone on my progress.  My next step will be to strip the machine down to its bare case and knock off all the rust with my detail sander and dremel tool.  I will add photos as soon as my camera has finished charging.

We want Photos !!!! :211-

I added the pictures to the posts that didnt have any.  (that 2 pics per post deal is kindof annoying)

in the middle glass piece I think they painted over the glass on the left side I want to know what was there?  anyone have any Ideas?  also there are 2 dial looking things on the top part behind the light rack what is this for?

You oughta get a reward if you get that thing going...
looks like a hurricane katrina victim...
seriously...best wishes to you ! :3-

Thanks for the photos. :3-

It looks like you have your work cut out for you. :8-
Like I said before, Try to concentrate on getting it working mechanically first, before you spend a lot of time on the cosmetic stuff.

One thing for sure, You'll learn a lot about those machines. Once you get the first one working the second one is easier.
Then if you leave those two in the dark for a while, Others will start to show up.  :30-
Next thing you know you'll have yourself a little home casino.

K+ for taking on such a project.

it did sit in some water - but the mech looks good - so does the hopper - feature unit tells it is a 3 coin machine not a standard 5 coin 809.  Should clean up with alot of tlc - the wiring and more important the Beauplugs may be an issue with the water damage.

The "dial looking things" are the payout multipliers. One is a standard 10 position pinball score wheel, the other is similar but it has 12 positions. The 10 pos steps every time the hopper spits out a coin for a payout with 2 coins in, and it makes the payout counter (down on the hopper) step every 2nd coin for 2X the payout. The 12 pos steps every coin for a payout with 3 coins in, and it makes the payout counter step every 3rd coin for 3X the payout.

Thank you all for the sound advice.  I have stripped down with a few exceptions the machine and plan on dealing with the rust tomorrow afternoon.  I have one more stuck screw with the payout scale? bracket (an L shaped bracket with a switch and a red light It also has a dial that goes from 0 to 110)  I also couldn't get the bolt for the pull arm to come loose but its soaking in some good ole wd40 so hopefully It will break free in the morning. 

I have had better luck with loosening rusted bolts with this stuff:

http://www.kanolabs.com/yahoo/ (http://www.kanolabs.com/yahoo/)

You can get it at automotive supplies.

Ron

Or you could try PB Blaster, actually dissolves rust in a chemical reaction