Is there a difference in A and A-2 Detectors?

[KWagner]

I found back in the parts room last week a brand new detector that still has the warehouse ticket from January 14th 1959. This place once had A machines up until 1976 than removed them all for rebuilt Jap A-2s.

Would this be of use to keep for the A-2s or sell it to a center with model A machines.

[JACKO]

That detector still can be used for your center as a complete unit. What I mean is, do not break it down and use for parts for one of your other detectors. The detector disc and mating controllers for it will be different. If you want everything uniform, you could sell it, otherwise you have alittle piece of history there!

[KWagner]

I will keep it for a complete spare and put it on the shelf to keep then. Thanks!

[Popeye]

It will probably have feet that follow the cams instead of rollers. You can change out the selectors, cam followers, and the detector disc. Won't be cheap but then you will have a good spare.

[PJ]

If your A2s are field converted they will have the feet.

[House]

keep the detector complete, and mark for a good spare. whether it has toes or rollers, it will still work just fine. keeping the center uniform across the house is nice so you dont have to keep two style of parts in stock (toes and rollers.)

heres an example (assuming all your detectors are rollers): say you have a detector giving you a problem. replace the bad roller detector with the known toe good spare. repair the bad roller detector on the bench, clean it up and lube it. swap the repaired roller detector back in, and pull the toe spare out. now you are back uniform across the house.

just a thought. hope this helps.

[drhookmec]

keep the detector complete, and mark for a good spare. whether it has toes or rollers, it will still work just fine. keeping the center uniform across the house is nice so you dont have to keep two style of parts in stock (toes and rollers.)

heres an example (assuming all your detectors are rollers): say you have a detector giving you a problem. replace the bad roller detector with the known toe good spare. repair the bad roller detector on the bench, clean it up and lube it. swap the repaired roller detector back in, and pull the toe spare out. now you are back uniform across the house.

just a thought. hope this helps.

Good advice house..

Weather the detector is A or A-2 makes no difference.
The function of the machine is still the same when it comes
to first ball strike/standing pins, Second ball and OOR etc.

The only thing you need to be aware of is the parts may not be interchangeable with other detectors cause it's older.
So as mentioned above I'd hang on to it as a spare.
And if you can, Pick a ginny pig machine to put it on and test it out to make sure it works properly.

Tim

[Steve Stafford (JBEES)]

Technically, there is no such thing as an A detector and an A-2. If you are going to use a detector on an A pinsetter, you will need two extra parts on your detector that are not on an A-2 setup. However, the detector itself is neither an A nor an A-2. There is a roller setup and a toe setup. That is really the only difference. The detectors changed at the 90,000 serial number but the A-2 was created at the 80,000 serial number.

As far as the detector you found, it should have a curved shoe on the outside of the C shaft. It is used to force the rake to stay up from 0 to 90 degrees on 2nd ball for the A pinsetter. You may also have a link and spring assembly attached to the bottom of the standing pins cam follower which is used to force the gear box to "overtravel" from 0 degrees to 90 degrees when on 2nd ball. Both of these parts are not needed for your Japanese A-2's and you can remove them if you have them in place on your spare detector. (You can remove them...but you really don't have to...it will work them in place...but they will look out of place )

Great find...can you snap a couple of pictures of it and post for all to see? Would be great if you could.

[KWagner]

I will take some pictures of it on Sunday and post them here in the thread.

[Tablejam]

Brand new from 1959?.......WOW!

[Rep]

Sounds like the spare we found a while back. New in box but I don't remember seeing a date on it. It looks so out of place amongst all the green Otis paint on lane 2. Nice and shiny though lol

2Detector2.jpg

2Detector1.jpg

[KWagner]

If it's been on a machine, they never took off the warehouse pick tag with the date it was pulled from inventory. I will take the pictures and you can tell me what you see. It's a bit dirty, maybe it was used or rebuilt at some point in the last 50 years.

[Rep]

I'll have to look again. I know this one was new in box. I was so in awe and it was a while back so it's quite possible the tag was there and I don't remember. I did keep the box, will have to check it out. I'd assume it's from around the same time as yours

[JACKO]

Did the detectors you guy's find tucked away have a serial number stamped on them? Was just curious if they did, or were they blank?

[House]

Rep, a few detectors I rebuilt look like that. Alot of elbow grease to get it that shiny lol