1976 bucaneer

[goodolddays]

so when its operates correctly, by adding coins, increases the credit wheel, then you push the coin panel start button to start. the game starts and the credit is reduced by one?

I did remove and have a look a the credit unit, when its gets to around 7 credits there is a pin that tries to bend the contacts. the wheel i think goes up to about 16. But there is no way the pin would get past 7 or 8. is this normal?

Correct . Pushing the start button should cause credits to decrease by one . The pin can be removed and put in another hole closer to max number of credits .

[Retropin]

You should have 2 pins... one moves around and opens/closes contacts when credits reach 15 or 16... the other moves around and opens/closes contacts when credits reach ZERO... if the ZERO credit switches are not opening/ closing as they should.. machine will always read as having credits.

Sounds like the wheel might be in the wrong position also... it will undo with an Allen key grub screw on the side

[michael77]

 I removed it from the backboard. I had to unsolder some wires (which is a pain) that go to the coils. There is no big plug unlike other motors units that i have removed before.
Dismantled and cleaned the coils which are now doing their thing. I notice now that when the credit is on 0, the contacts are not quite open, i am quessing as you said above should be. Also, when I press the start button, it starts. however when I put coins in, the credit stays on 0.   

Then I manually activated the coil to give 4 credits ( I now understand that the other set of contacts allows a maximum number of credits, in my case,5), now when I put a coin in, the credits decrease, this seems strange to me.

What was the normal thing people did to make these EM machines freeplay? All the wires are connected to the coils. The only one that was cut was to the coin eject coil on the coin door 

[Strangeways]

There is one switch that controls free play on a Gottlieb game. Set the credit wheel to zero credits. On the stepper unit there will be a notched wheel with a pin sticking out. This pin should have opened two switches only when the credit wheel is at zero credits. If this switch is closed, the game is set to free play. Open this switch to revert back to credits.

[oldpins]

May want to check the coils on the credit unit have not been swapped over. This can be easily done expecially after pulling down, cleaning and putting back together. May explain the decrease in credit after insertng a coin.

[michael77]

I only unsoldered 2 wires which i marked so that they would go back the same way. However somebody else could have done it to setup the free play.

I have attached a photo of the switch position when there are 0 credits, and as you guessed these 2 contacts are not open. When I manually try to open the contacts it is all a bit too stiff and doesn't want to. Are the switch blades(is this the correct name) in their correct positions?

[Retropin]

You need to bend the bottom leaf out slightly with a pair of long flat nose pliers.. only needs to move out  1mm or so

[oldpins]

Looking at your image the white plastic post is missing between the zero position (long contact) and the secondary contact (long contact). Rectifying this first may help sort some of the problems.
Rather than bending the contacts a bridge can also be soldered across the zero position contacts.

[michael77]

I made up a spacer for the contact and this seems to work well. I dismantled another motor that was a bit eractic also. I don'tknow what it does,but seems to run smoother now. It is above the credit wheel, the most left beside the other relays.

to make it work now, I put in 20 cents and it automatically starts. there is no need to push the start button.

Whilst playing, credits are given and show by accumulating on the credit wheel.
When the current game finishes, a new game can be started by pushing the start button. This reduces the credit wheel by one. 

it all seems to work fine now.

The only unusual thing is if I have credits and I add a coin, the credit wheel decreases. Is this normal?

[oldpins]

The 'motor' you mention on the relay bank on the far left above the credit unit is the (FS) 00-99 relay. It operates during game play and gives the 'matching or lucky' number at the end of a game. Not sure on the credit wheel decreasing after adding a coin. I'll have a look at some schematics from that era.