Bally 831 hopper won't stop running

[rainman]

Hi,

I have two E series Bally and I'm working on my first EM machine, is a 831 and has 831-ZE  and 1922 hand written on the inside.
After getting out of storage the owner powered it and and hit with a 3 bar jackpot it paid out corrected, but the hopper wouldn't stop running after about 10 minutes, it looks like a break at power supply  popped, after I reset it the hopper started right back up. It seems to play OK even though the Hopper is constantly running. I plan to thoroughly clean it from what I learned from working on my E series machines.

Any help work be very much appreciated.

[RiseLikeRa]

Sounds like some stuck contacts to me.  I would give the contacts on the hopper a nice cleanining first.  I use a coin wrapper.  Since you got no response I figured I would throw in my 2 cents.  Others are much more expert than I am.

Ra

[OldReno]

Sorry, I've been busy working on using old satellite dishes to melt aluminum for after Collapse. And other things.
1st thing to do with a pay problem is to look at the hopper board.  Is your payboard stepping up or is it stuck at the Zero position?
Also, if you coin the machine with your finger, does the payout stop, or does the hopper run regardless?
You might want to look at old renos troubleshooting tips if you are new to EM's, there may be something there that could help you check pays, etc.
Also make sure you download your bally manual....
Welcome to the whacky world of EM's the machines that are mostly infinitely rebuildable.

[RiseLikeRa]

Welcome back Reno!  Simply ignore anything that I said.  Reno is the man!

[OldReno]

Hey Ra, you ain't no slouch, either...
You be a slot mechanic, too, y'know.

So, does the hopper still run away when you pull down on the reels and take them out of index? 
Does it run away with the top unit removed?
Unlike the Bally E series, you can mess around with the reels and not worry about tilting it.

[rainman]

Hi,
First thanks for the Welcome and the Help!
 Found the manuals and trouble shooting!!!

1)Is your payboard stepping up or is it stuck at the Zero position?
Not sure, need more info to determine (still learning) , I’m sure the manual will help

2) if you coin the machine with your finger, does the payout stop, or does the hopper run regardless?
 Yes the hopper does still run

3) Does the hopper still run away when you pull down on the reels and take them out of index?  
 Yes it does.. The machines seems to play fine, except the reels are very slow hoping a good cleaning will take care of that

4) Does it run away with the top unit removed?
Not sure will test it

[OldReno]

Welcome rainman!

Pull out your hopper and check all the switches to make sure they open and close.  Look at your payout relay to see if any of the plastic there is melted, and holding any of the switches closed when they are not supposed to be.
Find your hopper step up solenoid and reset solenoid, and see if the wiper fingers on the payboard step up when you push the step up, and also that they reset when you push the reset solenoid plunger.  The wiper assembly should be at 6 o clock when it is reset.

http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=19448.0

JUst for kicks, does it still pay with the reel mech out?

[rainman]

Hi OldReno,

Again thanks for your help, I did find a few switches that looked like they were touching on the hopper so I realigned them using a contact adjustment tool. After that and a good cleaning the hopper constant running problem finally stop.   
Also, the hopper did stop with the reel mech out.

What sort of helped me was the time spent working on my 1964 United shuffle bowler, it seems most EM machines have similar components

Ray

[OldReno]

I'm sure your experience will be a good contribution here on this forum.
glad you got it fixed.