Vendo 154 solenoid issue

channelmanic

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Hey folks,

Anyone have experience with the Vendo 154 soda machine? I have a Dr Pepper version and after much cleaning the coin mechs are working... but I'm having trouble with it not firing the solenoid to allow a drink to be chosen.

Are there a couple of quick checks to do to find out why it's not kicking the solenoid? I have the unit set up for 10 cent pricing and the coin unit clicks after 2 nickles or 1 dime is dropped but the solenoid doesn't appear to do anything.

Also, is there an easy way to disable the solenoid and allow for free vending? I'd like to have this thing working before friends and family get here today.

Thanks!

RJ
 
I thought it was working... still gummy in some parts... I've been cleaning and cleaning... something still isn't right though...

And I can't find any manuals online for this particular mech to see if it's assembled right.

It's an NRI model 8-56-007 which is different than the 5600 series. It takes nickles and dimes only - no quarters and I have it set for 10 cents.

Does anyone have a copy of the manual for this or another 110v coin mech assembly that only uses the 8 pin (9 if you count the round pin) Jones connector?

RJ
 
Here's a crappy iPhone pic of the mechanism.

They don't have a manual for this out at soda-machines.com

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OK...

I have it narrowed down to the silly price setting puck & pawl. It's not spinning freely and moving each time the solenoids in the coin mechanism fire off.

Sigh. What a PITA this has been!
 
GOT IT FIXED!!!

:)

WHAT A BITCH!!! It was gummed up EVERYWHERE and I needed 2 cans of brake cleaner (TEST before you use it. Some eat plastics) and some Shooter's Grease (gunsmith stuff... comes in a syringe) to fix it.

OK... If you ever come up against one of these... here you go. Spread out somewhere where you can lay out all the parts in the order they are removed.

This is for the NRI 8-56-07 model whose picture is above. But it'll work for others.

1. Remove the coin accept/reject mechanism by lifting up on the triangle tabs and tilting it downward.

Clean by soaking for 10 minutes in boiling water. Yes... that's what they said in the manual for the older model coin mechs whose manuals I could find. However, I used brake cleaner.

Only lube the pivoting weights with graphite. DO NOT OIL.

Check coin paths to make sure they are smooth. If not, use some steel wool or scrub pads to clean. Use soap/water only. Dry well. I used a hair dryer to speed drying.

Set it to the side.

2. Disassemble the remaining coin mech as best you can. Start with the coin reject paths down the left side. Two screws hold the middle piece on and two hold the bottom piece on.

Next remove the coin filler angled tube. Two screws.

Next remove the coin guides in the middle section by removing two screws on the right side. Angle it up and the guides plus the three switches come right out.

Clean the guides and the switches as best as you can with the cleaner. There is old gunked up grease inside the switches around the pivot points where the wire is attached. It'll take a lot of work to get the switches ungunked if they don't move quickly and smoothly. Mine didn't. Urg.

You can remove the switches and guide mechanism IF you write down all the color codes for the wires and where they went. I just laid it over to the side.

3. Remove the panel from the back bottom side that holds in a few plastic pivoting arms. It has one screw on the bottom holding it in. It's a bit of twisting to get it out but it does come out. Remove the E clips holding the arms, remove the plastic pieces and degrease it well, including the shaft and the holes in the arms. Reassemble, but leave the E clips off. Test movement. If it doesn't move smoothly you either have a burr or gunk on the arm. Mine had 3 places on various arms where they didn't fit well and I had to remove a slight bit of plastic from the bottom of the hole in the arm to make it swivel smoothly. DO NOT TAKE OFF TOO MUCH.
 
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4. Remove the switch from in front of the motor assembly. Remove the 2 long and 1 short screw holding the motor in place. Remove the motor. Degrease the outside.

Remove the 4 screws holding the gear box together and open the gear box. MAKE A NOTE AS TO WHERE EACH GEAR GOES.

Thoroughly degrease the gears and the box. Mine had dirt in it as well... Re-lube (I used Shooter's Grease) and reassemble.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=18598/Product/ALL_WEATHER_reg__HIGH_TECH_GREASE

Clean every pivot point you can find on every plastic arm in the lower section. Make sure they move freely.

Reinstall the motor, reinstall the switch. Make sure the metal arm that sits under the switch is making contact with the part of the motor lever gear closest to the body of the gearbox. It will try to ride on top of that part of the gear lever. Spin the motor lever by hand and it will pop down into place.

5. THIS IS THE TOUGHEST PART. Remove the arms connected to the solenoids by removing the E clips and taking them up and off. The one on the bottom solenoid comes right out. The spring will prevent you from easily setting it on the workbench so just lay it off to the side. after you degrease it and make sure it will pivot smoothly on the shaft.

The one on the top has 2 springs connected that prevent its easy removal. Degrease it, check its movement then set it to the side.

This will expose a black toothed gear. To the right of it is a big wedge shaped toothed gear. Remove the wedge shaped gear, degrease it (and the shaft of course) then degrease (but do not remove) the black toothed gear. Degrease under it well too. Use the spray tube on the brake cleaner for this. DO NOT REMOVE THE GLUE HOLDING THE NUT IN PLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLACK GEAR. Put the grey one back and make sure it pivots properly. Don't forget to reinstall the E-clip.

There is a short and long arrow on the black gear and an arrow on the wedge gear. Line up the long arrow with the arrow on the wedge gear. Hold this in place with one hand while you put the arms back on the top solenoid then the arms on the bottom solenoid. Reinstall the E-clips.

6. Turn it over and clean/degrease the arms over the top of the red price selector. Remove the screw in the middle of the price selector and take it apart. You'll have to bend a couple of the plastic arms a bit to get it out. As long as they aren't brittle you'll have no problems with this.

Degrease all the parts well.

When you remove the price disk this will expose the ball bearings it pivots on. Clean/degrease them VERY well then lubricate them with the Shooter's grease.

Reassemble the pricing gear and set the price to the desired cost for a soda.

Reinstall the coin guides/switches. There's a little nub sticking out of the top of the bottom section which you must place into the guide when sliding it into place.

The brake cleaner makes the surfaces cold which attracts moisture from the air. Be sure to dry thoroughly before reassembling.

Reinstall the coin tubes.

Reinstall the coin guides for the rejected coins.

Insert the coin accept/reject mechanism.

Put it back in the machine and test!
 
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Glad you got it fixed! :) Also, looks like you got a great deal of support from the vending machine collectors on KLOV. (queue crickets)
 
Turns out I'm a little off with the black disk alignment. The big arrow faces the top solenoid and the wedge gear is all the way down.

It stopped working 100%. The silly cherry switch with the roller on it that is activated by the metal gear on the motor is not actuating properly and needs replacing.

I'm still tweaking trying to get the thing perfect and it's pure aggravation!
 
And enough is enough. :mad:

Can't find the switch so I broke down and ordered a more modern coin mech which should take care of that issue. :cool:
 
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