Western Electric 500MM won't dial out

[tommycam]

Hello All,
I bought a black WE 500 MM at an estate sale. It rings and can accept calls.
When I try to dial out, nothing happens. The dial tone does not stop when a number is dialed. I opened it up to try and fix it and even studied this thread: http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=6665.0
But I still can't figure it out. I believe it is wired wrong because two wires (blue & white) are not connected. I hope the photos help:

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[poplar1]

You don't need to connect the blue and white wires from the line jack.

What kind of telephone line do you have?

[tommycam]

Thank you Poplar,
I have a traditional land line to test and use the rotary phones.

[poplar1]

It appears to be wired correctly.

Check the back of the dial to make sure the pulsing contacts are opening and closing, for example 4 times if you dial a 4.

[mentalstampede]

Are you able to make calls with other rotary phones? Many modern telephone services do not support pulse dialing anymore.

[tommycam]

Poplar - I'll work on that this afternoon.

Mentalastampede - I have two others that I was able dial out from the same jack. But I'll double check just to make sure.

Thank you both for the help,
Tom

[poplar1]

I described a visual test. Another method is this:

Disconnect one of the white dial wires (located on R and GN.
This will remove the short on the receiver while dialing.

Go off-hook and listen for dial tone.

Dial a digit such as 1: on this first dialed
digit, hold the finger wheel instead of letting it return. Do you still have dial tone? If so, allow the finger wheel to return very slowly as you listen in the receiver. Before the finger wheel returns to home position, you should hear the dial tone go away.

[tommycam]

I just got inside and removed the white wire from GN and tried your method and the dial tone still stayed constant. I'm not sure if this is normal but in the R area where there is 2 screws - one has white and red and the other has white and black.

Should I still take of the dial and check it?

Thank you again
Tom

[Victor Laszlo]

This is a very common trouble with these dials.

Put all the wires back where you found them.  White and red wires do not enter into this repair. Compare the internal wiring to the BSP for that model phone. if the wiring looks correct, do these steps:

Loosen the dial mounting screws.

Remove dial and flip it over.

Remove the dust cover from the back of the dial.

There are two sets of contacts:  pulse and off-normal. The green/blue wires go to the pulse contacts. The white wires go to the off-normal contacts.

Turn the dial all the way clockwise, and release the finger wheel, while observing the pulse contacts.

They should remain closed during the dial wind-up, and they should open during wind-down. The number of times they open should be the same as the digit dialed.  10 openings for a ZERO, 9 openings for a NINE, etc.

There is a small cam that operates the pulse contacts, and it occasionally gets swung around into a jammed position, and in that position it prevents the pulse contacts from opening.  There is a small window in the dust cover that allows a repairman access to the cam, without needing to remove the whole dust cover, on some dials.

An analog ohmmeter is very useful in determining if the phone is pulsing. Just put it across T & R and try to dial.

[tommycam]

I looked under the dial, but was not sure what I was looking for with the pulse contacts. Here is a link to a youtube video of from under the dial and below that are two photos:

     https://youtu.be/HOPVzEe4ORU

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[rdelius]

I think your impulse cam has slipped past where it normally rests.Try moving the contacts away from thecam and turn the dial off normal to let the impulse move.Dont  bend the contacts

[Victor Laszlo]

As I said, the blue-green wires go to the pulse contacts. Turn the dial and watch them. Do they open and close, or do they not?

The tiny orange part between them is the pulse cam. As the man said, (and as I said in my first answer) it may have swung around and gotten itself jammed. Just flick it back into position where it will operate correctly to open and close the contacts.

[tommycam]

So that orange piece is the one in question? I've never looked under the dial before so this all new to me. I've rewired the other parts of the phone but never under the dial.
I'm going to check it again and now I can focus on the orange piece.
Thank you all for your patience,
Tom

[tommycam]

I made a mistake, it was not the orange piece. I figured that out when I was working under the dial. It was the other plastic piece buy the blue and white contacts (for you Victor). I adjusted it and it went back into place.
Thank you all for the help and patience.
Tom

[Victor Laszlo]

You're welcome...I think.

There is no combination of "blue and white" contacts, or wires.

There is a blue & green combination, which I have been attempting to draw your attention to. Those wires are from the pulse contacts.

There are TWO orange parts. The large ORANGE one that operates the off-normal contacts (with the two white wires) and the one I wanted you to check out:

The very small ORANGE part (cam) that operates the pulse contacts.

Glad it's working.