Newbie Questions Regarding Vendo 44 Resto

[sledworks]

      From the pictures you have released, that 44 looks a little bit too nice to need restoring.

Good eye MoonDawg. I got lucky finding a nice original. Just needed a few decals. Rubber should be replaced at some point but I'm in no hurry.

[jeff740]

Hi guys,

Ive finally gotten around to the vendo 44 again and had a few questions, newbie in nature once again.  My first question is related to the bottle stack which I have removed from the unit and now have it laying on the floor of my garage.  It seems that I cannot roatate the mechanism that is inside of the bottle stack.  It will wiggle a bit but seems to be locked up or something.  Looking inside at the mechanism I thought the whole thing looked a little too narley to start pulling apart before getting some advice on it.  I should remind you once again that I am new at this so excuse me for missing the obvious. 

Another question I have is related to compressor removal.  Is it possible to remove the whole cooling unit as a whole with the evaporator all attached.  Im guessing it will need some sort of stand to support the evaporator while it is out?

My third question is that when removing the door, I noticed a cord coming out of the bottom of it.  Is it better to remove the cord inside the door or wherever it goes down to the compressor etc??

Im sure some of these answers will be obvious if I were to really get down and dirty with the machine but at the moment my time is minimal in the garage so when I am able to sneak out there for 15 minutes un-noticed I'd like to make the most of it.

[collecture]

But what positions the flag to "No Quarters" instead of "Insert Coins"?

Johnnie is correct that it is for a change-giver mech - the bent armature that extends out of the top right of change-givers is what moves the flag to the "No Quarters" position. The decal should work fine with the SD/LD mech that you have because the Sold Out Flapper will move the flag from "Empty" to "Sold Out" bypassing the "No Quarters" position.

You are missing a piece on the mech that actuates the knockout arm - the KO arm prevents the mech from accepting coins when the machine is empty.

[collecture]

Looking inside at the mechanism I thought the whole thing looked a little too narley to start pulling apart before getting some advice on it.

Another question I have is related to compressor removal.  Is it possible to remove the whole cooling unit as a whole with the evaporator all attached.  Im guessing it will need some sort of stand to support the evaporator while it is out?

My third question is that when removing the door, I noticed a cord coming out of the bottom of it.  Is it better to remove the cord inside the door or wherever it goes down to the compressor etc??

1. Download the manual from the main page and it will give you some valuable information - operation, schematics, diagrams, adjustments. The stack is not too difficult. It all comes apart from the rear pretty much.

2. Yes - a stand (on wheels) is quite helpful.

3. Just cut it. You won't be reinstalling the line. It goes to the coin mech heater, which you won't need.

[MoonDawg]

       The mechanism you are trying to turn in the stack, not only rotates left and right but a spring lets it move in and out. This is usually where it sticks.

[jeff740]

Hi Guys,

Got the bottle stack mechanism turning so everything is fine now.  Seems it was just a little seized from not being turned over for 20 plus years.

Just wondering about the cleaning of the bottle stack again.  It is in pretty good condition with no rust but there is an accumulation of calcium/lime which I was thinking of removing with CLR as suggested but I did read somewhere not to use CLR on galvanized metal as it is acidic.  Any thoughts on whether it is or isnt the right product to use given that the metal is galvanized and I would like not to remove the coating.  I dont know if just spraying it and rinsing is enough to hurt the galvanized coating or if it would require some heavy duty scrubbing to remove it.

Also, the machine is pretty dusty and dirty, especially the compressor area.  Is it safe to hit the whole thing with a garden hose to flush out the dust and dirt and then let it sit a few days before plugging it back in or would this be detrimental to the electrical connections down below?

Lastly, it was mentioned to just cut the cord that goes to the coin mech heater when removing the door.  Is it pretty standard to just rip the whole thing out and trash it or is it worth saving? 

Thanks.

[collecture]

Also, the machine is pretty dusty and dirty, especially the compressor area.  Is it safe to hit the whole thing with a garden hose to flush out the dust and dirt and then let it sit a few days before plugging it back in or would this be detrimental to the electrical connections down below?

I'd remove all of the electrical components, then blast away with the hose and a bucket of soapy water with sponge. You are probably going to want to replace the fans and T-stat anyway. Clean the terminal posts on the compressor and rewire. My six cents...

[jeff740]

Hi guys,

I've pulled the refrigeration unit and onto a little stand that I made as seen in the photos below. The unit was running and cooling nicely when it was in the machine so I don't think I have any repairs or trouble shooting to take care of, rather I'd just like to clean the unit it and repaint some of the components.  I have a lot of questions related to doing all this so I may as well get em all out in one post.  So here it goes!

1. I would like to just blast the unit with my power washer but before doing so what components do I remove or should I be covering up the electrical connections with something so they don't get wet?  Can I just spray it as is and then dry up the connections with compressed air?

2. To repaint the various pieces such as the compressor, will I have to remove the copper lines from the unit and thus opening up the system to which I will have to later recharge it with refrigeration gas (I apologize, I don't know much about refrigeration and gases so it kinda scares me!)

3. I'd like to replace the wiring for piece of mind although it looks pretty good, can I buy this kind of wire at the big box home improvement or automotive stores or is it better to order the wiring kit I saw on Funtronics??

4. What components should I replace while I have the cooling unit out of the actual machine even though everything is still running?

5. I'm thinking the fan unit thingy (yes, I said thingy) that sits on top and on the inside of the machine seems like it will be a big pain to work around while I'm trying to unbolt/remove things from the lower unit.  Do people normally disconnect it somehow and set it aside to make life easier or is this opening another can of refrigeration worms that I again don't know much about.

That's all my questions for now, I've been saving those up for a couple of months now Smiley  Also, if anyone has any helpful links to refreshing the refrigeration system as I want to do, they would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[MoonDawg]

2. To repaint the various pieces such as the compressor, will I have to remove the copper lines from the unit and thus opening up the system to which I will have to later recharge it with refrigeration gas

       No! Copper lines do NOT need to come off! 
       Baseplate and fanmotor bracket can be removed from the deck, then the compressor and condenser can be painted in place.
( Hint: Looks killer when you use sandpaper and steel wool to make the copper tubing shiny again)

[tkaz]

I rewired a 44 with wire from the big box stores, there aren't too many wires in there, just make sure you buy an outdoor rated wire.  If you're going to pressure wash, you shouldn't have a problem with the wiring if you're going to replace it.  Compressed air will work fine, just give it time to dry before you fire it up again. 

I would scuff up the compressor with scotchbrite and put on a coat of black semi-gloss paint.

Replace the fan motors and check the condition of the fan blades, those are repop'd as well.  The thermostat should be replaced too, to prevent having to replace it in the future.

Glen is right on the copper lines, I polish copper starting with a green scotch brite, followed by 00 and then 0000 steel wool.  You can get just about a mirror shine on it with that combo.  It's a little bit tedious to get in all the spots, but worth it after.