Creighton,
As far as the nickels hanging in the rejector, I would give is good hot soapy bath and scrubbing with an old toothbrush...
The crank handles are supposed to be rotated Counter-Clock Wise to open/close the coin door. Once done working/loading the machine, the handle will be rotated Clock Wise until it stops which will be the normal "ready to vend" position.
If this process is extremely difficult, you might consider removing the handle, opening the backing plate and checking parts and then lubricating things for a smoother operation.
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