Today I was called out to one of my machines in which the coin slide mechanism had been jammed. The machine was a Speed Queen SWT111NW 3050 Washer. I thought this would be a good opportunity to take a couple photos with my trusty Iphone and put together this little service helper. Most owners of coin operated machines will quickly come across this situation. There are a lot of coins in circulation that are slightly bent or dented. Some damage is hardly noticeable so you can not blame the machine users ALL the time. Most of the manufacturers including Speed Queen, Maytag, GE & Whirlpool in the past 10-15 years have been using these 7 slot vertical Greenwald coin slides mechanisms. Here in Australia they have been designed to accept 20c, $1.00 or $2.00 coins just by changing the insert in which the coin fits and a little piece of metal which fits in the roof of the slide. Some service repairers may not like me showing how this is done but the fact of the matter if you have just a slight bit of mechanical knowledge most owners will attempt to do this repair anyway. If you own machinery it is advantageous to have a little knowledge to do simple repairs or else you will go broke. Although you are not working on the actual wiring there is still 24o volts quite close, so always unplug the machine before removing any covers.
Under Service Door
Once you open up the service door with the service door key you will see a brass coloured bracket protruding from the end of the coin slide. The shape of this can vary quite a bit depending on the brand and model of the washer or dryer. Usually on the end of this bracket (as in this case) there is another bracket. This is the bracket which comes in contact with the time lever or on the newer model a micro switch for the electronic. On the Maytag machines for 10 years at least they have been using a push rod with a electronic sensor on the end. In any case you don’t really need to worry about what the bracket is actually activating. We are only interested in the bracket directly screwed to the slide. The only spanner you need is a 5/16″ socket or in some Maytag machines a 1/4″ socket, remembering that all these machines are American so they are still Imperial sizes. A small extension and handle or ratchet are also helpful. So remove both brackets.
5/16" Sockey with Extension and Spanner
You will see the picture I have taken the spanner is fitted to the end of the bolt. Once you loosen this bolt a turn with the spanner you should be able to turn it with you fingers and remove it the rest of the way.
Where the bolt fits.
You will see how this bolt goes right up to the front the cavity and bolts the slide mechanism onto the front of the cavity. It is fitted in the middle, close to the roof. You should be able to feel the bolt with your fingers.
Once you have taken the bolt out you should be able to lift the slide up slightly then pull the unit out. It locks into a couple locking slots that you will see once you have removed it. Take note how it slots in so can refit it on reassembly.
Removing Slide Mechanism
Once you have removed the slide mechanism it is usually quite an obvious job to remove the coin which has jammed it. When you are ready for reassembly I usually spray the assembly with a small amount of lubricant spray such as WD40.
There is the Problem
Reassembly is the exact opposite of dismantling. The only trick sometime is getting that long bolt to make contact with the tread at the end of the cavity. It is a matter of holding your tongue in the right position or a couple of choice words. There is a hole in a bracket half way back which helps line up the thread at the end. Once you have done this job a couple times it does become easier.
Once you have reassembled the slide put a set of coins through the slide to ensure it is going to continue working.
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