Newbie question about Sega

[polaris]

Just bought this as a rest. Needs jackpot window and back door and a little tlc. Relatively new to collecting, but am keen. This has been adapted by Club Automatic Services (any info welcome). Not sure if bar has been cast or old letters ground off and new ones stuck on - will get round to that soon. Also, only one I have or have seen to date with old 5p escalator also giving two pulls. Is this common?

[coppinpr]

Hello and welcome to the best slot forum BY FAR!!
I have a Mills hi-top with a cast "Club Automatic" name bar. As far as I know, they were just agents in the South of England.
There is a jackpot window for sale on ebay right now, but overpriced. Sort of thing that my well come up at the next Coventry auction in June.
Strange the escalator is still there but blanked off Not uncommon for 5p machines to set up on 2 pulls. If the escalator is there, then it will have two detector pins. Full 5p escalators are rare I think. More likely a Shefras escalator? Any chance of photos from the inside, we love photos here !!!!!

Unusual payouts
2,5,9,13,18 and jackpot, no cherries on the first reel? No stars on reels 2 or 3? I'd guess a converted "Diamond 3 Star".

[polaris]

Hi coppinpr,
Thanks for info. Stumbled on this site a while back - only just plucked up the courage to ask a question lol. Certainly the place to come for answers and I have lots of questions
Will pull this out later and post a few more pics.

[badpenny]

Crisp looking machine that. I love the colours.
I agree it'd be interesting to see the escalator, it would appear strange to cover it up.

Welcome to the site.

BP

[polaris]

Thanks again for info and warm welcome. Here's a couple of photos of escalator. Looks like someone's gone mad with pot of grease.

[badpenny]

You're right about the grease, you could fry chips in that escalator!
It's not a Shefras so I'd uncover the window for sure.

[coppinpr]

I'd remove the escalator and totally dismantle it - sounds daunting but it's not. Clean and polish it but don't oil any part that comes in contact with coins. This will revive this machine 100%. You will be amazed at the crud in that esc.
Uncover the esc window, replace the esc and you will have increased the value already.

[polaris]

Finally got around to cleaning the escalator. I was worried initially about dismantling it but it turned out to be relatively easy, albeit it took me around four hours. Not the quickest, but you were right coppinpr - huge difference . The next part, the mech, I'm not looking forward to. As you can see, worse than the escalator. Coppinpr also suggested that this could originally have been a Diamond Three Star. Is there a way of confirming this, as I would like to replace the reel strips and award card (are they readily available?), as they are not the best.

Crudely made award card

[coppinpr]

The way to do those main bar bearings is to slightly loosen one then remove the other, pull back the main bar and clean the inside of the bearing. Clean the visible part then very lightly grease the bearing and replace. Leave a little loose and do the other one, then tighten both.
If you haven't done so already, remove the reel bundle - makes it all very much easier.

[urbanbody]

Sometimes I use mechanics' tips.

I agree with coppinpr; the best way for cleaning the mechanism is to remove the reel bundle.

I've noticed it's easier if you first remove the reel stoppers, one by one (don't forget their springs), then remove the reel bundle. Unscrew, for one or two turns, the main operating fork bearings screws. Follow this very good tutorial: Restoring a Vintage Slot Machine

Find a plastic litter tray big enough to put the mechanism in; brush all your mechanism with white spirit or "essence F" or a good petroleum cleaner. You can put something under the mechanism (big nut or wood parts) to let the old grease run away.

After this good cleaning bath:

use compressed air to clean and dry the parts. That's what I've done with mine (but I totally disassembled it).

Use some fine sewing machine oil to lubricate the bearings; tighten the bearing screws; lubricate the other parts that need fine oil; replace the reel bundle, the reel stoppers and their springs. It's done.

Let the old grease run down into the plastic litter tray. You can re-use the petroleum cleaner. Dispose of the old grease where you have to...

[treefrog]

I suspect the reason the escalator window was covered is because the escalator is a "roll-down" type from the pictures, so the only coin staying in the escalator is the first one on the left, the rest are pushed down to the mechanism. Common change to make these older one's more reliable, also the window was less useful to see dud coins. Sometimes they just covered the roll-down part. Very difficult to change back as the teeth on the coin bar are chopped....