Says Bally 809 but reels confuse me + a problem.

[shortrackskater]

I'm going to go back to the beginning of this thread before I ask any more questions now since I haven't checked some of the last advice you gave me back in May. I just hope my lights stay on...in my slot machine I mean; the ones in my head are already out!
 

[shortrackskater]

I was reading my Bally book on the proper positioning of the printed circuit disk on the hopper of my 809...mine was out slightly but I messed with it earlier in my first posts. I adjusted it according the the setting in the book.
The machine was still making weird payouts...(my coin accept, insert coin, etc all working fine now)
I took the hopper back out, dumped the coins out to inspect the bowl and found a, or maybe THE problem. There's a pin MISSING on the metal disk.
AND, I don't know why I never mentioned this before. I noticed it but didn't think anything of it: the hopper was sounding "not smooth" during payouts. I just thought that was how it was normally but now I realize that was the sound of it "missing" a coin.
Whether this is the problem or not, I think it's a problem nevertheless.
I assume I should replace this? Can I just stick a pin in there?
I added a picture. You probably need to click it on to see better. It's the hole at 12 o'clock, where a pin should be!

[OldReno]

I don't think that's your problem, but I could be wrong, but don't think so.  As you can see by the wear of the pattern of the nickels, that the pinwheel has been off for a long time.
However, looking at your photo you might want to check your scavenger assembly, which is that sharp blade that pulls in during payouts.  If it is not working right, that may allow for overpays.  This device is the precursor to the hopper motor brake which also prevented overpays, but was not yet installed on our older machines. It it's sloppy, it may allow an extra coin out.
The scavenger would lose power, flip open, and knock off any extra coins trying to get out.  The pinwheel has a lot of inertia, and tends to keep spinning after pay is over, so the scavenger prevented any extra coins going out.

[shortrackskater]

It looks okay to me, but hard to check in operation...
I did notice, watching a payout...there's a pretty blue spark at the switch set, the one nearest where the coins exit the bowl, on the hopper.

[shortrackskater]

Okay after months of being covered in the garage, I decided to work on my 809 again, especially after the EASE of getting my newest 742 up and running so quickly.
So I power it on, and we're back to all the same old intermittent problems...coin accept stops lighting, insert coin stops...then all goes back on. Checked EVERYTHING from previous posts...the machine looks BRAND NEW inside.
Then, as usual, everything starts working again and the pay outs are erratic again.
But as I start to tackle that again, now the hopper won't activate for any payout. I get a "click" and nothing happens.
So, for now, my one and only question is.
1. Is my 809 hopper interchangeable with the 742 or with my "big" EM, the 1114?

[shortrackskater]

BUMP
 

[OldReno]

I'd be cautious swapping hoppers.  Check the plug wire colors, and if they match, well, I wouldn't anyway....
I suppose the worst thing is you'd pop a fuse, but still, I wouldn't....
AFA payouts, is the payboard resetting?

[shortrackskater]

It pays each time...it's just off by a few plus or minus. I tried everything you told me before ( I think!)... I know I'm not stupid (I think?) and this machine just baffles me with the intermittent-ness of payouts. 
Can I bring it over sometime?  I'm not too far! Maybe 10 hours? 
I'll not swap hoppers....I don't want to cause any additional problems.

[OldReno]

Don't have time to go over all the posts here, but have you checked for shorts?
Hang in there, you'll get it..., we know you're not stupid.
Do your pay fingers end up in the right spot after the payouts?  E.G. just off the 2 pay, 5 pay etc.?
Sure, bring it over.

[shortrackskater]

Okay ... four months have passed. I nearly gave up. Put this machine on Craigslist since the hopper completely crapped out.
However...a very nice man - Richard (he's here but forgot his user name  ) came by to look at it and ended up spending a good hour or so and figured out my hopper problem. It was just the spring on the relay, which had fallen off! I've had that problem on a different EM but just was so frustrated that I didn't look on this one! I wish there was another book or article or video that explained the theory of operation in a more "simple" way. I've figured out a lot of problems with various slots now but there's something in my brain that just won't click working on EM's and I know there must be a way in to my head to understand this better...I need some kind of "revelation!" 
So, my machine is still on CL, higher price! I may pull the ad off and keep it though. In the meantime, I'm back to the coin over and underpays that occur erratically. But before I snivel and moan and beg for more help from OldReno, I'll go back and re-read this entire thread!

[mark the spark]

i have no experience of 3 coin machines
but have had problems with payouts on other nachines being
hopper board slightly out of position (took an age to get it right)
board fingers not aligning correctly
incorrect tension on large spring on back of payboard (runaway on pays)
incorrectly adjusted coin arm on hopper as the coins went under it was only counting some of them
missing couple of teeth on plastic wheel on payout board

none of this will be of any help but thought the post colud do with a reply

[shortrackskater]

Thanks Mark! Glad someone is out here! This forum is very quiet lately...I appreciate the response. I'm going to check those things and backtrack to everything else in this thread as well.