Mills Jumbo Parade Console Slot Help

[WoodrailFanatic]

Guys,

I am working on a Mills Jumbo Parade console slot....this one is the Free Play or Novelty version if that makes a difference.

What is causing me pain at the moment is that this game was provided with a wiring diagram not a schematic...perhaps common in 1940 when this machine was released. No wire colors, no identification on 95% of the elements on the drawing. I am a longtime pinball collector and I am very good with schematics but this wiring diagram is killing me.

Got it all working with one exception. Payouts, as usual, are always in multiples of 2. When I get a win of two the machine records this properly on the backglass. When I have a pay of anything higher than that I still only get two. The stepper that records the accumulated pays and displays them on the backglass is being driven the correct number of times but is not dropping back after the initial pulse to get additional pulses.

When I manually push the plunger into the "coil" I feel no binding at all and when I remove my finger it quickly drops back even if I rapidly pulse it. This leads me to believe (maybe wrongly) that I have a circuit problem rather than a physical one.

There is another stepper in the game that records how many credits have been won on this particular play. That unit has a can style by-pass condenser attached to one switch stack. I am not familiar with this element so I am unsure what function it provides. But the switch it is connected to is normally open but shows as closed when I put a meter on it. Now there are all kinds of wires involved here so that may be normal but it just does not seem right to me. I am wondering if that is constantly driving the stepper that accumulates pays.

So:

1) What function is this by-pass condenser providing?
2) If I remove it from the circuit am I going to cause any damage or havoc?
3) How do I test the condenser?
4) Any other suggestions for how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!