Baywatch: How to tear down the playfield!

BAYWATCH SHOPPING ORDER

1)  UPPER RIGHT WIREFORM
Start with the upper right wireform.  2 bolts to remove, then slide it out (to the right) from the lifeguard tower.  Then take the right background plastic off to allow you to move the single switch connector through.

2)  LIFEGUARD TOWER
DON'T DO WHAT I DID.  Do not start at the top and take off the plastic and try and work your way down.

DON'T DO THIS.

The lifeguard tower actually comes off quite easily:  First label and undo the 3 connectors for it under the playfield.  Then there is a bolt at the very back of the game, then 2 small screws holding the front of ramp in.  Those ramp screws are hard to get at due to the plunger wireworm in the way, but if you go at an angle, or have a long shaft screwdriver, you should be ok.
Then the whole unit lifts out!
Wow, I wish I knew that 45 minutes ago.

DO THIS.

3) PLUNGER LANE WIREFORM
Next step is the plunger lane wireform.  There is the clear plastic assembly that is easily removed, then 2 bolts beneath it.  There are two bolts mid playfield where the wireform connects as well, but the lower one required me unscrewing a flashlamp to gain access.  Then 2 connectors have to be labeled and detached at the back, then fed through the main playfield.
1 of the flashlamps has a wire that goes through the right ramp assembly, so best to just detach that lamp from the wireform because no way in hell are you getting the plug on through.
Then at the top there is one bolt now revealed by the missing lifeguard tower.  Huzzah!

At this point things might seem a bit counter-intuitive, but check the dependencies:
The Earthquake VUK wireform can't be removed since there is a bolt under the Venice Beach Ramp.
Venive Beach is stuck there until the left inlane wireform can be slid out.
Left side wireform isn't going anywhere until the cross-playfield wireform can be detached.
So that leaves us with the Iron Man / Tourist Season ramps for removal.  They are caught under the Earthquake VUK wireform, but by at least removing it's screws, it gives us strategic wiggle room!


4) IRON MAN / TOURIST SEASON RAMPS PART 1
I started by labeling disconnecting the 2 lights under the playfield, as well as the switch connector at the back of the ramp, whose wire runs through the back of the playfield.
2 screws removed at the front of each of the ramps, plus 2 screws removed at the back of the ramp by the game wall.
After that remove the sailboat plastic above the drop targets, as that presses down on the ramp plastics.
we're just going to leave it like this for now.

not a good photo, but it really highlights it's filth

5) CROSSOVER WIREFORM
Now that the upper right ramps have a bit of wiggle, we can easily slide out the right-to-left wireform that runs across the center.
There is a screw in the center, and after that it can wiggle out at the top and on the loops on the left.

goodbye, cross-playfield wireform!

6) LEFT WIREFORM
Now that the cross-playfield wireform is gone, we can remove the left wireform that dumps the ball in the left inlane.
The bolt at the slingshot is easy, but here is a ridiculous thing we now have to do:  To get to the wireform's screw in to the playfield, you have to remove the plastic piece above the shark targets.  To remove the plsatic above the sharp targets, you have to remove the wireform since a welded flasher mount is in the way.
Only way I can see doing this is coming under the flasher with some pliers and manually rotate the bolt and loosen the plastic.  Then you can rotate the plastic out of the way to gain access to the wireform's bolt!
label and disconnect the flashers beneath the playfield and the ramp should slide out.

Yeah you're not getting in to that upper crack without the plastic moved...

Technically, it was easier for me to get to since my plastic was broken. Thank goodness I found a replacement.

7) VENICE BEACH RAMP
Remove the clear plastic protector.  2 screws at the ramp entrance, as well a screw at the back left in a post that is securing it.  Label and disconnect the connector that runs through the wall at the back for the ramp switch.
Reel in horror at the fact that no one was probably been this deep in to the game before and you are fighting against 20 year of soot.

I should have wrote "wash me" with my finger.

8) EARTHQUAKE VUK WIREFORM
With the Venice Beach ramp now gone you can easily access that third bolt for the VUK wireform!  Easy!

9) IRON MAN / TOURIST SEASON RAMPS PART 2
With the Earthquake VUK wireform gone, the 2 lights and 1 switch disconnected, and all the screws removed, the last major assembly comes off!

well hello there, dirt farm!

10) the solenoids
At this point there are only 2 other major things I am looking at, the 2 on-playfield solenoids.  One in the upper right hand corner opens the gate, and one on the right opens the kicker that sends the ball on a leftward orbit.  On my game both needed major tending to.

this solenoid pulls down the metal pole

That metal pole hooks in to that metal hook and opens it up for that kick back shot.

This is the solenoid that controls the ball gate at the top right.  Oops, I needed to buy the coil inset in to the bracket!  arrrrgh

Everything else is just your typical cleaning, replacements of rubbers, putting in LEDs, and cleaning + replacing plastics.
FUN