my inexperience shows

It is important to remember that things I thought were a problem weren't actually that problem.

Spring for Break Shot not holding the up-post?  Actually a bent bar.
Slingshot misalignment for Break Shot?  Actually broken clip on the slingshot.
Cold soldering on R+B power board?  Actually just a single loose wire in a connector.
Dead switch on R+B?  Just a bad connector.
Dead switch on Break shot?  misaligned lane switch.
Dirty rails on the SF2 cab?  a huge issue was the bent metal at the back of the playfield!





My old Breakshot is now back how with its loving new/old owner, and he was kind enough to email me an update about it.  He filed the switch inside the cabinet and now the upper flipper plays brilliantly, able to return a Super Cue shot from the left back to the right!  It never did that for me, and I assumed dirty coil.  But nope, he fixed parts I hadn't considered, and it's better than ever now.

So to remember:  Stop and take a pause when I THINK I know what the issue is.  Or worse, consider an alternative if I think something is NOT an issue...

Kind of sad I got rid of Break Shot, but Flintstones is certainly worth it.  Mind you, the question is should I have gotten rid of Rocky + Bullwinkle instead?  But, the guy was lined up, ready to pick up, so it was certainly the most manageable thing to do, to sell Break Shot.

A quick digression, where I wanted to talk about how amazing the guy who bought my Break Shot is.
HE MADE A TRIPLE-HEADED PINBALL MACHINE!  Check game play here. 
And here is a vid on how it works:

(he also shows off his amazing Rat Race!)


I took some time tonight to take out the coils for R+B and give it all a good cleaning.  Put it back and WOW, yep, a noticeable difference.  I was thinking I had the slope too high on the game, but now that the flippers were cleaned and filed, the game plays that much better and that right ramp isn't prohibitive.  I did file the metal rods in the flipper coil a touch.  They weren't super mushroomed or anything at the end, but every little bit helps I imagine.

I think my goal for the time being will try and "dial in" Rocky + Bullwinkle as much as possible to see if I can get it notched above Street Fighter 2 in my fave column.
Heck, Rocky + Bullwinkle would be better than SF2 if I could run a trace on the ROM and find the variable countdown timer for ball-save and put it to something sane like every other game.


I would like to end by pointing out the fabulous progress on the Skit-B Pinball Predator game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-Pop41otk
So excited for all of those of you that are getting one!

updating the todo lists...

ROCKY & BULLWINKLE

STUFF TO DO
adjust flippers to the dots
try troubleshooting audio connections: excessive hum + hum sound oscillating with light show
replacing the SAVED decals.
find a replacement WABAC ramp.
get/install a Boris button
deep disassemble-everything clean

DONE
reconnect CN1 connector to increase reliability
install new levellers + casters, level the legs
wire Lion to 32 V instead of 50 V
replace the back box hat trick padding
Replace plastic Lion in hat trick
replace ball drain kicker
Update ROMs to 1.3
remove pop bumper screw.
repair first left orbit (hat trick) switch so that the diverter can work
CLEAN ALL THE THINGS.
replace beer seal


STREET FIGHTER 2

TODO
verify ratings of all fuses
left VUK: get new spring, new plunger
replace stargate ramp coils
deep clean of playfield, removing all plastics and cleaning the screws
replace upper left flipper solenoid with correct one  (should be A-25959) (have it, no reason to do it yet though)
cleaning the under-playfield troughs
firmly attaching the coin door
replace playfield glass
replace all playfield rubbers (have a rubber set)
get cliffy protectors
replace 3 Gottlieb flipper bats (have them)
Replace car crash flipper rubber + glue car to crash mechanism
reattach subwoofer
fix 2 out lights in backbox (wiring issue?)

DONE
installed new power module
replaced Q3 transistor to solve right slingshot issue
reattached ground wires
replaced VUK solenoid to correct one
replaced fuse for stargate ramps
reattach tilt mechanism
bend left playfield bracket back in to proper place
new beer seal
Flipper rubber for Chun Li
Replaced flipper rubbers (except car crash flipper)
Cleaned backbox charring + replaced dead + charred lightbulbs
initial basic playfield cleaning


BREAKSHOT

TODO
replace clip on left slingshot
replace upper-right flipper coil with replacement we have
replace/fix latch on center post locking mechanism

reduce strength of pop bumpers, if possible
level the legs (not pressing)
adjust flipper position to the dots
 
DONE
Add rubber casters to legs and drink holder to front right leg.
install the extra rubber pieces we received
Oiled upper right miniflipper.  Got it working, then learned you shouldn't do that.
Found out why machine freezes when at TILT:  was acting as an electromagnet
clean and wax
Fixed left outlane switch (adjusted height)
replace compression spring in center post.  discovered issue was more the ledge plate.
replaced beer seal
adjusted right inline switch so it registered

pinball repair tech session #1

I had the pinball tech over today and it was a bit of a whirlwind!  I am still a bit of a deer-in-headlights with lots of stuff, it being all new to me, so it was amazing to see the speed and confidence that only so many years of work can condition.

Long story short:  he got so many things taken care of, and even some stuff that wasn't on my wish-list.  I didn't quite order all of the parts properly though, so he'll be back around on Monday to finish up the VUK.
As luck would have it, he recently took 2 dead Stargate machines and assembled one, thanks in part to the great accessibility of Gottlieb System 3 parts from Pinball Resource.  When I exclaimed that it was great so much was available, he reminded me that SO MANY System 3 machines have been scrapped.
They had major issues when they were released, and are really not too popular in the secondary market.  Check the games list.  Recognize any of these from the IPDB top 50 games?  Top 150?  Just Stargate, really.  SMB: Mushroom World gets a bit of love since it's a younger kid-oriented game.

Short story long:  Here's what he got up to.  (Down to?)

First thing he did was take the front apron off to remove the balls completely.  I hadn't taken it off before, so here's a shot of the ball mech for posterity:

Top priority:  inspecting Street Fighter 2 for damage from the big drop.  He found a coil at the back with a bent bracket, and aligned that with a quick bend.  No shorts, nothing else noticeably busted.

Instead of trying it then and there, he went straight to the other items I had mentioned.



The "stargate ramp" coil on the left was crispy and brown, but still seemingly functional.  He pulled it out and cleaned it a tad.  I will order a replacement but he got it going.  Popped in the new fuse, and another note on the hacks from the past operator:  the entirely wrong fuse was used.  As he noted, "an amp off can mean the difference between operating normally and a house burning down".  True that.

this is pretty much how I like my campfire marshmallows

Next up was putting in my power line module that I had bought (NOS) from Pinball Resource.  First there was the horror that when I got the machine it wasn't connected to ground.  Then there was the sigh of relief that while the F1 fuse was MELTED, they had hacked a fuse in on the backside.  Then the horror again, as we realized it was 2 amps over....

yeah, nuts to this.  I don't play around with line voltage.  goodbye, old power unit.

While at that part of the cap he got the ground wires reconnected.  Stripped each  side of the snip, soldering them together, and applied heat shrink tubing. 

tilt bob was reconnected shortly after photo was taken.  I suddenly have an appreciation for the inside-cabinet paint job!  Kinda psychedelic.

When "the accident" happened, I had been cleaning the inner-cabinet rails that held up the playfield, in hopes of making it more accessible.  He was having none of this nonsense and quickly spotted a critical offender.  The back-left playfield bracket was severely warped and causing major issues with sliding the playfield.  He removed it and bent it back in to shape with 2 wrenches and some muscle.

Experience counts.  I never would know, looking a this, that it was horribly wrong.  But it is.  Oh so wrong.

He took out the Williams coil on the VUK and put in the new one I had ordered.  Problem is, I didn't have the correct sleeve for it.  I did not know!  Alas...  While he got it in OK, it's misaligned, a touch loose, and doesn't get the ball up and out OK.
He will be returning Monday with some other Stargate spare parts to fix that last little bit.  It took a while to get to this point, a few fuses were popped, but we now have a plan of action.

This is the Williams coil that causes the ball to slam in to the glass.  Note the spring is bunk and needs replacing too, but as he mentioned, gravity is on our side.

My "mystery of the right slingshot" wasn't actually much of the mystery.  Looking at the schematics I posted, all fingers pointed to the Q3 transistor.  He took the board out, tested it with his DMM, and yup.   Failed.  Always on.
This part became another long part in the repair.   He initially soldered in replacement transistors, but they weren't the correct ones.    Luckily he had brought his spare Stargate driver board, and was able to use transistors from there.

His soldering was meticulous, barely discernible from the factory solder, except by brightness of the shine.

When the pin was turned on it was incredible to see it alive and not on fire!  Huzzah!

All the while during tests we had issues of it saying "same player shoot again", thus registering the outhole over and over again.  This was fixed by moving the balls around and avoiding triggering the outhole switch.  I might have to balance the machine better to avoid this, but we eventually got it to stop occurring.






Considering the level of carelessness the past operator displayed, something to do soon:  CHECK ALL FUSES TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE ACCURATE.  I am not trusting anything else about this machine.


He then moved on to Rocky & Bullwinkle.  I had whittled the problem down to the CN1 power connector, and he took it out, properly re-set the one wire, and now it seems to be aces.  We'll see how long the reliability holds, but so far so good.

Then, Break Shot, where I wanted him to look at the alignment of the left slingshot.  I was curious about how to move/realign it.
he took a gander and discovered alignment wasn't the issue at all, but a clip connecting the sling to the solenoid was busted.  Sure, I might have discovered this eventually, but it's another example of experience solving in 5 seconds what an amateur things about working on for weeks.


I am incredibly happy I made this one final pinball expenditure and will get all the big things taken off the list.
I am very much looking forward to Monday afternoon when I can finally play SF2 with all of the features 100%.

flipper dot alignment

See those drilled dots on the playfield near the flippers?  Those are for alignment.
The flipper plastic (not the rubber) should rest atop them.

So obviously, I have work to do.

right flipper = too high.  Left flipper = too low?

both flippers, totally misaligned

Break Shot updates

A few things done on Break Shot:

I have to find how to reduce the power of the pop bumpers, I think they are just going a bit too rough.
In the options there is a solenoid strength item, but it hasn't seem to effect the pop  bumpers when I brought it from 12 to 4 or so.  But it does seem to let the flippers be better?  I'm not sure, I will have to play more.
Capcom flippers aren't super awesome, mostly because they have no EOS (end-of-stroke) and instead rely on circuiry.  They couldn't catch balls with much reliability, sometimes losing their strength.
Flippers have an initial stroke at high voltage to kick the flipper upwards, and then a lesser voltage stroke to hold the flipper in place.  On Break Shot it wasn't holding so well when a high-velocity ball came at it, but that seems different now that the solenoid option has changed.  Maybe it was overcharged?
But still, the pop-bumpers seem too strong, especially since they don't really DO much of anything in this game.  So to add to the list:
10) modify strength of pop bumpers, if possible



Remember that dead right inline switch?  Yeah well turns out the switch is fine, just misaligned.  I press down hard with my finger, made it click, and it registered fine.  I can't believe I didn't think to troubleshoot it fully before!!!!
So now I have a backup rollover switch for it, because after bending the switch on the PF to be a bit more pronounced, it works fine.  Yay!  Well, as it turns out it doesn't actually DO much in regards to game play, but it makes a sound when the ball goes over... so... yay?


8) replace dead inline switch

oh inline switch, if only you were USEFUL as well!

I remembered a video from TNT Amusements that the giant capacitors in the Capcom games posed issues with their sheer girth, and they recommended binding them.  So I attached a zip-tie around each pair, as precaution.

my capacitance brings all the boys to the yard

In testing the switches, I realized something important:  The left slingshot was WEAK.  It was barely having an impact on ball travel beyond the rubber bounce.
I took a look, and found it was out of whack.  It is a bit bent, but can probably be appropriately realigned.  We shall see.

Rear view of left slingshot.  We see it is sitting at the back of the slot, most likely bent by impacts.

For comparison,  the right slingshot is effective, and rest far off the back wall.

So add to the list:
11) correct left slingshot.


Oh and the flipper position needs adjustment.  See future post.
12) adjust flipper position to the dots


so this calls for a list update:
1) tear down mini-flipper to clean in hopes it will operate properly. (lubed, works great, acquired replacement coil just in case)
2) find why machine freezes when at TILT. (found it magnetized against the tilt wall, not a persistent issue)
3) clean and wax (SHINY)
4) level the legs (not pressing)
5) clean outlane switch to better time with kickback, prevent ball resting (bent/adjusted rollover switch)
6) investigate center post spring + ledge for consistent gameplay
6a) replace with new compression spring (DONE)
6b) replace/fix latch on center post locking mechanism (will order replacement just in case)
7) replace beer seal
8) replace dead inline switch (adjusted rollover, switch was fine)
9) install replacement rubbers we received

10) reduce strength of pop bumpers, if possible
11) correct left slingshot.
12) adjust flipper position to the dots

Breakshot: making progress on the up/down post and upper flipper!

Armed with a new Capcom compression spring, it was time to have a go at the center Up/Down post.  The hope being that a fresh spring would add more tug and prevent it from accidentally being released.

But in getting in there, I realize that it wasn't the spring that is the problem.  There were 2 compounding factors:
1) the latching metal plate had a bend in it.
2) the white plastic platform had a bit of give, allowing very slight rotation back and forth along the shaft.
Put these two factors together, and I could latch the post up, and by wigglign the white plastic plastform back and forth it could work it's way out of latch and the spring pulls the post back down.

At the top you can see how the plat bends to the right.

3/4 angle doesn't show it as well, but does a good job of displaying the coil and mech that locks/releases, including my shiny new spring in there.

So the spring wasn't the long-term solution.  I can try disassembling the whole mechanism, removing that part and bending it back in to shape.  there's no easy way to get it out though, so that idea might have to simmer for a bit.  In the mean time, I found I can order the part from Australia, so will be good to have on hand.

One thing that annoys me about all of this though is that there is a switch to indicate the up/down position:

I know you know what's UP!

This means that had the game COULD have been programmed to compensate for mechanical failure at the post.  Like a modern Stern that realizes it has accidentally released a ball, it wouldn't be too hard to allow one ball to drain and/or be captured and  keep the other going.   But I've ranted about the lax programming on this machine before.


OH and remember that sticky upper flipper that was critically affecting game play?  The one I am nervous about taking apart and rebuilding?  The one I have an extra replacement coil waiting for me this weekend at the pinball expo?  Well I decided to just try something with it.  Oil.
I was a bit apprehensive about oiling things since there are SO MANY types of lubricants out there and so many warnings that I read while repairing Royal Flush that you best not use the wrong type on the wrong component.   Now that is probably partially due to the high voltages on EVERYTHING in EM games, but still, the lesson sat with me.
So I got out my dental pick (yes, a fine dental pick, super useful) and put a drop of 3-in-1 lubricant on it and put it at the top of the flipper coil's piston, and then put another drop.   Ummm I think it works.  I think that's all that was needed.
I really hope that I didn't use the wrong stuff, but worst case scenario, I do have that extra replacement Capcom coil waiting for me.  Actually, worst case scenario is that the lube causes my house to burn down, but let's not get too fanciful.

Let's update that todo list:
1) tear down mini-flipper to clean in hopes it will operate properly. (lubed, works great, acquired replacement coil just in case)
2) find why machine freezes when at TILT. (found it magnetized against the tilt wall, not a persistent issue)
3) clean and wax (SHINY)
4) level the legs (not pressing)
5) clean outlane switch to better time with kickback, prevent ball resting (bent/adjusted rollover switch)
6) investigate center post spring + ledge for consistent gameplay
6a) replace with new compression spring (DONE)
6b) replace/fix latch on center post locking mechanism (will order replacement just in case)
7) replace beer seal
8) replace dead inline switch
9) install replacement rubbers we received

ordering parts

I placed my first big order for the new machines!   When it was just the Royal Flush, PBResource.com had everything I needed, but with these newer ones I went to Marco Specialties to get my parts.

I researched all of the issues with my machines, decided on what could be done, made a big list, added everything to my cart, got to the checkout, and....  lost my confidence.  The total was just too high, what with conversion, international shipping, and the taxes + duty prepaid.  (TIP:  If in Canada, be wary of how your stuff is shipped to you because the "convenience charge" of not having a customs broker is like $65 and is a scandalous USPS/UPS ripoff)

So tonight I broke it down: 
List 1 is of things that I need to fix and/or maintain.
List 2 is of things that will make the machines prettier.

So here's what I ended up going for:
For Break Shot:
Rollover switch & bracket assembly kit #A-12688-1 $8.95 
Spring - Capcom compression  $1.35   #SG-00126
5 x Rubber ring - Black 27/64" or 7/16" OD   $0.29    #38-2764B
4 x  Rubber sleeve - black 7/8" 545-5009-00  $0.59


that will hopefully allow me to replace the bad rubbers, tighten up the center post, and fix the dead right inline switch.

For Rocky & Bullwinkle
kicker level assembly  #515-5016-00  $9.95
spring extension $0.90  #265-5000-00  (to go with the above kicker, in case I muck up the replacement fix)
3 x  Foam pad .6 in x .4 in x .25 in    $0.23   #626-5069-00
Switch - subminiature with actuator    $6.00   #180-5064-01
ROCKY & BULLWINKLE (DE) EPROM ROM0 A1.30    $10.00   #EPROM2198
ROCKY & BULLWINKLE (DE) EPROM B5GameA1.3    $10.00   #EPROM2197
This will allow me to fix the ball drain kicker, replace the standup target pads (btw I have 3 non-standard targets...), fix the Hat Trick switch, and get the game up to the final version of code.

And general parts:
2x  Rubber protector 20" long standard   $3.95/ea    #23-6534
4 x  Nut 3/8-16 hex 5/8" flat to flat LLN    $0.18   #4422-01117-00


In total  $120.70 CAD after conversion, duty, taxes, and shipping.



When I have money enough, I will eventually do a cosmetic order with new decals, plastic guards, LEDs, the Boris button, and a score card.

bar seals / beer seal

Just a note to myself that I need to buy some bar seal and replace it on my games...

lockdown bar for Break Shot

lockdown bar for Rocky & Bullwinkle

additional Break Shot issues

To add to the list:  sometimes the kickback isn't so hot.  Oh it always kicks, but sometimes the ball is going slow and it kicks too early.
Sometimes, the ball even sits on the outlane switch!   I think I might need to clean the switch to have less resistance on it.  Hopefully then the ball will sail over it effortlessly and the kickback will miss less times.
The kickback in Break Shot is pretty great:  To re-light, you knock down 6 drop targets.  There is a setting internal the game allowing you to stack kickbacks as well.  It's currently not set on, but a neat feature to include that so you can rack up a store of them, if you wanted.
5) clean outlane switch to better time with kickback


Sometimes the center post drops when it is not supposed to.  This will be when the post is up, thus a ball is inside the lock mech, waiting to get ricocheted in to a hole.
The ball stored there enters play, but the game isn't smart enough to realize the center pole has inadvertently dropped.  Modern Stern games have software compensation for when they release an extra ball inadvertently, and that's super cool, because when the extra ball comes out you have 2 balls in play, and either dropping will end your ball.  Worse yet, the 2nd ball in play might confuse the machine and end your next ball as well, despite not plunging it yet.  Or just as annoying, it will end up with 2 balls in the shooter lane.
Looking at the schematics in the manual, the center post mech works similar to an AX Relay in an old Gottlieb.  There is a a vertical coil that pushes the post up and over a ledge, holding it in the UP position.
To bring it down, there is a horizontal coil that moves the ledge away and the vertical spring pulls it back downwards.

center post diagram

So when the post is up and I bang it the right way, the post descends when it is not supposed to.  That is, it has fallen off the ledge prematurely.
If the spring that holds that ledge in place is weak, the bangs might be enough to let the post slip past it.
This is all guesswork on my part form just looking at the mechanism diagram, but I bet this is what is going on.
6) investigate center post spring + ledge for consistent gameplay

the coil that raises the center post

the backside of the center post mech, post is down.

center post is up, note how it is latched on the ledge.  If the ledge is pulled by the rear coil, it will descend.  If that bottom right spring isn't strong enough, I imagine the platform could slide out of place and let the center post descend at the wrong time.

In the prior list of issues I identified that the game was tilting, and then freezing on that tilt screen.
Additional insight in to that:  I opened the coindoor while it was tilting and noticed the tilt rod + bob were at an angle.  Stuck to the tilt ring.
So no wonder it wasn't ending the tilt mode, the rod was STUCK to the outer tilt ring, providing a continuous tilt.  It seems that there was some kind of electro-magnetic charge causing it to stay there.
Something to investigate further for sure.  I am unsure if that could be a sign of something else wrong.  Tilt rings aren't supposed to be electromagnets.



I was also worried there was a more serious issue...  I would be playing and the game would call out pool balls that I collected, except the ball in play was NO WHERE NEAR where that ball was collected.   OMG NO, were sensors going off randomly?
The worry set in, but I figured it out:  1) the game is programmed terribly.  If a few events happen in rapid succession, each animation and audio cue has to play before the next one does, sometimes creating a delayed stack of them.
2) I actually RTFM and there are many ways to get the next ball, beyond directly hitting it's switch. 
Put those 2 factors together, and I was confused for one hot minute.  But I am happy to report that everything is A-OK.  (except for an itching desire to rework their code...)

Break Shot: documenting the issues

I haven't had much time for pinball in the last little bit since I was prepping for a gig, but finally want to take a moment to go over the Break Shot machine.

There isn't a lot wrong with it, but there is one major flaw I found: the mini upper flipper is really sticking, making it weak and reliable.

this video shows under the playfield and how sticky it is compared to the main flippers.
I also thought there might be an end-of-stroke issue, as sometimes when it did flip it didn't hold any force on the ball, but I will investigate that once I get this taken care of.
Worst case scenario, people apparently swap out the Capcom flippers for Williams ones.  But at first I hope to try and clean it:
1) tear down miniflipper to clean in hopes it will operate properly


The software is 1.3 which apparently is the latest, but despite that I've come across another weird issue:  When I tilt, the machine just hangs.  It doesn't start next ball, the Start button does nothing.  The game is on, the TILT screen is on the DMD, and then that's it.    You have to turn it off and on again to proceed.
2) find why machine freezes when at TILT.

And aside from those issues, I want to do the basics:
3) clean and wax
4) level the legs


I was considering replacing the backglass art with a less douchey image, since alternates are available, but in the end we decided that we're ok with it as ridiculous kitsch.