Wurlitzer 2600 Selection Problems

I have a Wurlitzer 2600 that is set to free play.

Selecting A1, A2, A3, A4, or A5 will pop the pin for A3. This behavior is the same with letters A-K (All Letters).
Selecting A6 pops the pin for A8.
Selecting A7, A8, A9, A0 releases the keys, but no pins.

Any suggestions on what the problem could be?

Thanks,
Mark

I worked on this some more this weekend. Removed the selector drum and cleaned it. Now all Letters/Number combinations work correctly until I press 7,8,9 or 0. Any Letter combination with 7,8,9 or 0 will release the buttons, but will not release the pin in the selector drum.

I pressed D-0 and watched the back of the machine. The little magnetic thing that kicks the pin out did not operate. This particular magnet thing is for the range of D6 to D0. I know it works, because it will kick out D6. So what is keeping 7-0 from working?

Any ideas on how to proceed?

Thanks,

Mark

Hi Mark,
My GUESS would be an open in the # 6 portion of the ladder circuit, on the keyboard, or, perhaps, an unseated plug from the keyboard to the ES, and up to the Mechanism ?. Ron Rich

Thanks Ron,

How do you go about troubleshooting the ladder circuit? The #8 Key appears bent when pressed (the part that comes out of the bottom of the ladder is at a slight angle and the key was sticking previously). Could this be the problem?

Thanks,

Mark

Mark,
By using a good "Analog" meter, and checking the resistance between button contacts.
Yes a broken #8, can cause problems--ALL keys ( including #6), must fully return to the "up position", or the ladder will be broken from there on--- Ron Rich

Sorry for so many questions. (forgive the part descriptions as I don't have a manual for this particular model yet)

I did another visual inspection of the ladder board and found that on the #7 key one of the "feet" is broken. I tried to take a picture but it wouldn't come out.

The part that I am referring to is the opposite the button that is pressed. It has three "legs" . The middle leg has a spring that is used to assist the return of the button. The outer let rests snugly lightly against the bottom bar of the horizontal "ladder" and when the button is pressed it comes down over the outside of the bar and is firmly against the bar.

On the #7 button this "outer leg" is broken to a point where it does not touch the bar when the button is in the up position and does not touch the bar when it is pushed down.

Could this broken leg on #7 be the cause of the problems with 8,9,0?

If I'm going to have to pull it apart to fix it, I want to make sure I correct everything that's wrong.

Thanks so much,

Mark

Mark,
That could well by "your problem"-- can't see it, but it would be my guess--
Ron Rich

Well Ron,

I carefully too the switch bank apart and found that the #7 switch was broken in half and there was a chip out of the #8. You've probably dug into one of those before and I wonder how they were assembled at the factory. Probably easier without all of the wiring in place. Looks like you get one, maybe two shots as opening them up and sealing them back again as those little ears that hold the board in place can't take too many tweaks.

I had an Americana switch bank, but evidently they reversed the contacts at some point between this machine and that one, so I had to rob an old 1800 keyboard for parts.

The hard part was keeping all of the switches in place until I got the back on and the plungers lined up. Took about two hours of holding my breath and 3 or 4 nicotine pills, but it's back together. I'm going to try to plug it in and test it before I reinstall. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Sorry for all the dialog, but if I have to do it again I can come back here and remember what I did.

Thanks for you're help. I'll post back if it works.

Regards , Mark

Well, bad news. Sorta.

The two buttons with the 1800 switches (6,7) won't pop a pin unless they are held down when the letter is selected. I compared the broken switch with the 1800 switch and there's a slightly larger gap in the split on the side with the wider tangs.

Is there any way to adjust the locking bar so they don't spring back as much or am I going to have to get the exact switch for this model?

Thanks,

Mark

Hi Mark,
I have never run into this problem, on a WurliTzer keyboard, but I have seen it many times on a Seeburg keyboard--
I would ASSUME, that like the later, the former has an "adjustment" ! Check your Service Manual, and let us know . Ron Rich

Hi Ron,

Lacking the proper manual at the momen( I know, I know), but I did a visual inspection of how it works and made some adjustments to the number trip lever (?) next to the solenoid on on the inside section of the keyboard. 7 and 8 are working again as are the other numbers.

I got out my magnifying glass to check the differences in the switches. The 1800 switch plate is the same size and has the same spacing on the mounting holes as the 2600 switch plate. Two critical differences. One probably matters more than the other. On the narrow end of the 1800 switch plate the L shaped contact is set back from the edge of the play about the width of a credit card. The 2600 contact is flush with the edge. That tiny difference means that the 1800 switch has to be held slightly further down to make appropriate contact.

So the trip lever adjustment did fixed. Just hope I haven't maxed out my tolerances in the process, but it keeps me from having to disassemble the thing again.

Again, just making notes here for future reference.

Thanks again.
Mark