Note: when working on this machine, use a blanket as pictured, especially if soldering. This prevents things dropping into the cabinet where they can be maddeningly hard to deal with.

This left flipper assembly has been trouble. In August and September, William noted the sleeve is both stuck and too short, which is certainly a reason for all the misbehavior. He ordered a new solenoid and possibly a full rebuild kit.

For now, I swapped the spring washer back to the top, but I can tell that the short sleeve is giving us nasty metal to metal contact. I found the replacement solenoid and put it in the cabinet (see photo). This should be soldered in as soon as practicable.