IGT S-Plus: My Hopper adventure, a salvage and my new frankenstein machine

[MacGUYver]

Hello all, I made my first post in the SIGMA slots section with a frustrating, stuck SG300.  I picked up 4 broken slots one weekend, one of them being an IGT S-plus that looked a little ugly on the outside, but was nice and clean on the inside.  The other two were a SG-50b and a Bally e 1000 series.  The SG-50b had mouse turds on the MPU, so I was hoping to at least salvage some of the parts from it...


This was my first IGT (had only bought bally 5000-5500's before), so I was immediately made aware how important my door closing optics were.  I was missing the cabinet door optic.  I did my best to jump it, but was getting a error 61, and every attempt to clear it to get to 61-1 was thwarted.  I was never quite sure if it wouldn't reset because the jump wire didn't work out, or if I just needed the RAM clear chips regardless.  So I figured if I'm ordering one, might as well get both the optics and the chips.  It was really exciting when I got them, popped everything in, and RAM cleared out just like its supposed to.  Boom! My IGT was spinning and planning, very cool.


And in my exuberance, I called down the wife and had her bask in my glory.  She threw in a couple coins, and we were off and playing.  Unfortunately, I didn't do a completely run for record test, and after a quick little win, I said alright, hit the cash out credits! 


I could hear the hopper energize, and the hum got a bit louder, than it quit out and I got my error 33, ugggggh.  So I dejectedly told her thank you for playing, but you broke it (a little blame displacement never hurt anyone, right?).  She felt bad, so I explained a little and told her I was kidding, the dumb thing was just broken.  So the next night I took the Hopper apart, took pics first so I could put the wires back on in original positions.  The axle was stuck and the motor was frozen (used suicide cables to initially test, read that in a different nlg article, yes the brake was off), so after as much wiggling as possible to align the face plate holes so I could actually take the motor/gear box off, I had to force it.  In the midst of forcing it, I sheared off a portion of two of the cogs, that sucked (see pic).  So after realizing how bad it was fubared, I put it all back together and just stared at it awhile.


I than searched online for a new hopper, or a new motor/gear box.  The cheapest I could find, with shipping, was a little under $100.  I'm a bit cheap, and that seemed a bit steep, so I sat in my garage awhile and just stared at the IGT.  Than I blinked, and looked to my SG-50b (yes, I had cleaned off the mouse turds by this time).  I had an epiphany, maybe I could take the motor off that hopper???  Upon a quick eye test inspection, they appeared to be similar in size and screw holes, so figured whats the worst that could happen?  I did my quick suicide cable test, and I had movement!  So I removed the motor/gear box off the sigma.


And than I saw the damn axle was way longer than the IGT hopper's shorter opening (see pic), and so the pin didn't fit into the grove.  There was no way I was giving up at this point, so like a barbarian I put the gear box in my vice and started hand sawing off the tip of the axle with my metal saw.  After 15 mins, I had finally notched the metal axle.  And than I realized, wtf am I doing, I have power tools!  Pretty sure I woke the house, and I definitely know for sure I burnt myself cause of the heat build up from the friction, but it came out pretty nice (see pic), got about the right size to fit into the smaller IGT hole.


It fit like a glove, and I was hopeful when I plugged it all back in, checking my pics and putting the wires back on in original position.  And than I got the same energizing sound with the loud hum.  I was pissed, I had just tested the motor plugged right into a wall outlet and it was fine.  So I thought, hmmm, what if I went cowboy and just reversed the wires without even checking.  I got the satisfying clink clink clink after turning it on.  They had the wires switched!  In my opinion, whomever worked on this before me burnt out the original motor!  Now I'm just waiting for a little gold trim to arrive, and a reset button, and this machine is almost done.  I did the BV clear as well, but the validator is still not taking bills.  It has power, so the next step I guess is to open it up and clean off the optics/lights.  But regardless, I finally got 1 of my 4 to work and am content, for now.


Now please everyone go to my SG-300 post in the SIGMA Reels and help me solve that one too!

[jay]

Nice work, but as a moderator for the site we now have to inform you that BigJon527 has been voided and your new handle will be McGyver527 


Loved the post and description. Keep them coming. 
 

[MacGUYver]

Jay,


If you can, do it!  I'd definitely be happy with McGyver527.  And I'm about to post on my SG300 topic.  I wish I could claim the mcgyver trick there, but its another fun story with a happy ending.  I'm 2 for 4 atm, and shooting for a hat trick.


On the IGT there are tons of topics, so I feel like most things can be figured out just by literally reading others frustrations and success.  But with the sigmas there isn't, so I'm going to put more detail there and hopefully someone can prosper from it.