94 VF1 spindle orient problems again

[GITRDUN]

This is going to be a long post, sorry but i want be specific on what ive tried allready.
The spindle wont orient properly. it acts like the orientation pin isnt getting enough air pressure on it to lock it in. The pin pushes in and when it hits the groove in the ring it shoots in and then pops back out.
The spindle will sometimes orient just fine for a few weeks and then it will act up again. Its done this about 5 times now. When it works fine you can hear the pin hit hard and lock in imediately like its suposed to. When its not working you can hear it hit with much less pressure than normal.
I have the orient gear change speed parameter set to the lowest setting. I have replaced the orientation ring. The pin itself still looks great. Replaced two of the three solenoid valves on the valve bank. Removed and cleaned the orient pin block (3 times). I even drilled out the inside hole of the pin block from .04" to .07" on the "push" side. That didnt make any difference at all. Air pressure seems to be fine on the machine and incoming air line.
At one time, i loosened the air lines that go into the pin block and hit orient spindle and everything locked in great and worked fine for a few weeks after that. Acted like it had grit clogging up the line somewhere and i set it loose.
Im afraid to call Haas and have the usual rookie mechanic come in and start replaceing parts that dont need to be replaced and then tell me he will talk to his boss and come back some other time. If this was an easy fix i think i would have found it by now.
I am absolutely stumped. Any help is much apreciated.

[HuFlungDung]

I've never had to research this problem yet on my own machine. How about the relays that control the solenoid valves? Might have a fault there, such as a poor contact or something.

[GITRDUN]

Hadnt thought of the relays. But wouldnt the relay either be on or off, not partialy open or closed? Ill take a look and switch some of them around if i can, i have an old used board laying around that should still have the old relays on it.

[GITRDUN]

I checked relays. Didnt actualy find any relays for the solenoid valves on the main board. There is an LED for the orient pin when it is locked in. But other than that, dont know. My main junction board and relays are only 6 months old and i didnt see any relays that looked like they had been arcing. Am i looking in the wrong place?

[1998cor]

Check the limit switch on the back of the shot pin and see if it is gummed up. If the pin fires and the switch does not see the pin has moved the machine is still trying to rotate the spindle to find the grove on the orient ring. no matter what the orient ring needs to be replaces. Once this happens it groves the ring.

[GITRDUN]

I do have a spare limit switch that i could put in just in case. But the switch seems to be working fine. I can watch the switch reading on the diagnostics screen.
I replaced the orient ring the first time it started acting up, it was worn but the pin seems to look like new.

[1998cor]

if the switch stick just a little this is the result. This is all about timing and if the pin drops and the spindle is still trying to turn it makes a loud pop sound and this jumps out of the grove. this is all in a matter of a split second.