Couldn't pass it up

[Wizard256]

AMI C:

Do not get this transfer mechanism apart yet. What is holding this gripper assembly together is a steel pin staked through a square brass rod and leave it ALONE. You probably will not see it because it is pulled into the barrel if it's in parked position in two positions at rack or at table. But at 45 degrees, You will see it's jammed because can't go down completely and here's why:

The two grippers (C shaped and the T with round piece) is under tension by one spring inside that X barrel that flips this back and forth via chain. The three piece gears need to be in sync for the grippers to work. Easy to understand why.

Ok. Carefully: pull on the C shaped gripper away from the X barrel to see if you can feel spring tension, takes a pound or two of force. And press on the T shaped gripper. If this one is stuck. Then that what wrong with jamming. That the MAIN reason for jam due to pot metal swelling tight in the C shaped gripper barrel.

Go carefully. The much of the parts are made of potmetal and they crumble.

I used careful force using mallet on the brass square rod to pop out the stuck T-gripper. But you are better off to take the mechanism out of player. Care with the alignment in relationship to the rack. You will find the T gripper is stuck in the C shaped gripper. Use wood blocks to support the barrel of C gripper so the T-gripper can drop out in extended position by using wooden mallet to the end of brass square rod (that one with the steel pin) to drive the T-gripper out. This should get it freed enough to let you use small file around the potmetal T-gripper to reduce the diameter just a tad. Test frequently and make it free to move by itself.

Change old grease in both worm gearboxes. Motors will thank you for that. Watch the alignments. Others who have info on AMI C can advise you how to get it aligned right.

Really clever mechanism.

The other biggest problem is tarnished contacts on everything. Yes everything. Almost a thousand of them. In coin mechanism, "logic" relays besides the coin mechanism, and buttons contacts, and contacts under the record rack (hold on this last if you need to fix this). Use a contact file. This is very fine THIN file, looks like a metal strip covered with 1,000 grit surface on both sides. Few strokes is sufficient.

Cheers, Wizard