Prints the wrong letters sometimes. Internal mechanisms probably need alignment or have suffered from wear.

Scoop kickouts are really weak and slow

Shooter spring has broken a bit and is too short. That puts the plunger tip just far enough forward that the machine can’t tell if there’s a ball in the trough.

Ball is occasionally getting stuck in the scoop (not ejecting). Also ball has gotten stuck at the bottom of the out lane.

Some of the connectors were replaced at some point and weren’t done correctly. One is split in half and missing the key pin. One is upside down and loose. A few are missing their keys. Check all the molex’s just to ensure they’re where they should be and keyed.

Still having issues registering quarters. Customer put 2 in and it only registered 1. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news! Unsure if this should be marked as minor or major.

Ground prong on the electrical cord looks sketchy, cord should be replaced

Plunging does not always make it all the way around. Rattles on the way up

Customer reported left flipper not working at all and a “smokey” smell. I turned off the machine.

2000 bonus score lamp is dead

Plunger spring is having issues again

Game should have 10 balls according to text on bottom left, only 8 are present. Not sure if this is intentional.

William tested continuity in the 120V circuit, tracing the path through Relay U. Here we found one of the soldered connections loose. We found that removing all 3 relay brackets, then removing their solenoids, allows best access to the leaf switch connections.

In soldering the loose connection, we knocked several others loose. The whole machine was probably poorly constructed 60 years ago.

In any case, after all that resoldering, we are in a state where the machine does not start. We ended up finding the Yellow-Black to Red-Blue connector on the bottom of Relay U, one of the ones we had resoldered, is short all the time now. We don’t think the problem is the leaf switch, but we are honestly not sure.

Verified through continuity testing but start button is permanently closed. Tried desoldering various connections that seemed out of place but made no difference. Also desoldered yellow and blue wire (yellow connected to start) from coin door to jump them together, unsure if made difference because start button is shorted. First photo points to odd wire that shorts a connection, it has been put back how it was found. Other two photos pertain to wire connection that was reliant on coin insert, desoldered both from connection shown and jumpered together

Replace bad solder with modern connectors

In an attempt to address bug #312, oliver and i replaced switch 28. Upon attempting to test the new switch found all of column 2 in the matrix (which had previously working) stuck open.

1. double checked polarity of the diode on the replaced switch - OK
2. visually inspected the connection of the green-red wire that chains together column 2 in the matrix- connection of green-red to all the switches looked ok

I think the next step is to start looking at pins in the back-box maybe……

Column 2 in the matrix runs to j206

Havent looked into it yet but machine reportedly not properly kicking out ball in kickout, but does in ball search which means probably due to switch malfunction

Some lamps do not work after being replaced with new 555 bulbs (multiball arrow, 5 million targets)

Machine needs to be leveled.

Litany of issues:

• Ball can get stuck in the right lane as pictured, resetting the game will eject the ball
• Several rollovers and pop bumpers not scoring as they should.
• Cannot add more than one player
• Game sometimes starts with flippers/playfield inactive

TILT light is constantly on, though the machine never appears to be in tilt state

Game keeps adding players after 4 players.

Machine doesnt end game after 5 balls. It keeps count of the balls played correctly but would seemingly let you play infinite balls in a game

Guest reported right flipper sticking

Several lights are out in the playfield:

• Alien Abduction
• Martian Happy Hour
• Martian’s Right Eye
• Skill shot right rollover

Ball is struggling to launch all the way (weak) on the first try. Usually fine on the 2nd attempt. Machine still playable.

One of the PC fans sounds sick on startup. Let’s replace it before it fails.

During guest’s 2nd game, the volume shot up to max on its own. I went in and turned the volume down, bur the volume menu didn’t indicate an extremely loud volume (it was at around 9 or 10). Turned it down to 8. Monitoring this.

Light holder has detached from board, will likely need to be re-soldered in place.

While working on the general illumination wiring i noticed there were several bulbs still off after the overarching wiring issue was addressed. They are probably loose or burnt out.

“Mode start” hole often rejects the ball when shooting at it quickly.

The left flipper does remain slightly stronger than the right. I spent a lot of time focued on the solenoid alignment and the eos switch, i forgot to look at the flipper button leaf switch, should be checked for charring/corrosion, but not pressing

1000-point chime isn’t sounding

Restarting/power cycling the machine does not reset the game in progress

Happened to notice a loose wire when i was lifting the playfield up. Didn’t investigate much, not sure what the leaf switch it goes to controls

S relay occasionally gets wedged, causing machine not to start. Flipping it back and forth (with a wooden stick, please) gets things going again. It needs more careful adjustment.

Lock bar not sitting flush on the machine. Potentially normal for the machine, consider sanding down the lock bar so it sits flush.

Large score wheel sometimes doesn’t fully reset.

Horse 1 doesn’t fully reset.

Number of balls stuck at the top of playfield

Glass and (and possibly playfield) could use cleaning.

http://www.pinrepair.com/sys37/manuals/wms7-hyperball.pdf
See page three of manual for glass removal instructions

Landing a ball into “Returns out balls” does not return the out balls

Led fell out of red flasher on right side of the playfield

Backglass light is out

Cracked plastic over the left slingshot

While no game is being played, periodically seems to be cycling through some components getting triggered, as if a ball is trying to launch. It appears that the plunger is automatically going off. It’s hard to tell if any other component is getting triggered as I haven’t been able to time it to watch for it to happen.

There are a few remaining caps on the main board to change out. Replace when stock comes in

Current to-do

• Replace back panel #63 bulbs
• Replace corkscrew and cyclone jump #63 bulbs

When we receive a machine, even when we’re told it’s perfect, we need to check it out and get it up to our standards. That’s usually not hard, but there are a lot of small things.

As you go through this checklist, you will find problems. If they’re obvious or if you’re going to take care of them right away, there’s no need to put them in a checklist. (But if you take care of things, make sure to mention it in the maintenance log.) For anything non-obvious that will be worked on later, put it in a to-do list.

before powering on

• clean out any loose parts and labels in cabinet and backbox, and put them in a quart ziplock labeled LOOSE PARTS
• if there is a manual or other paperwork, put it in a 2-gallon ziplock
• vacuum out the cabinet and backbox
• check the power cord; if it is damaged, short, or ungrounded, replace it
• use a multimeter to check that all 3 prongs are connected, especially the ground
• check the wiring to the switch and main transformer
• check that all the fuses are present and the correct values
• look for damaged or burnt components
• if cables have been disconnected in the move, make sure that they are all back in their proper places
• look for loose/floating wires
• look for wires or wire bundles that rub or are at risk of getting caught when the playfield, backbox, or coin door are opened and closed
• look for loose or disconnected cables
• if necessary, untangle cables
• look for loose nuts, posts, etc
• look for circuit board damage (e.g., burning or corrosion from batteries)
• if it has batteries, replace them with fresh lithium ones

If you’re pretty confident that nothing bad will happen, you’re ready to plug it in and turn it on.

first power on

• know where the fire extinguisher is

• plug it in and make sure the magic smoke doesn’t come out
• be ready to immediately turn it off or unplug it
• turn it on; watch for sparks or crackling; smell for smoke or melting
• look at
  • general illumination
  • controlled illumination
  • displays
  • initial startup cycle

If it makes it through the startup cycle in good form, you’re ready to start a game.

first game

• replace the ball(s) with new ones
• start the game, adding credits if needed
• launch the ball and try it out
• look for
  • smooth rolling
  • all flippers working and strong enough to make key shots
  • lights working
  • switches working
  • all active elements working
  • ramps and wireforms are working well (not loose, not cracked, ball moves smoothly)
  • correct sound (bells, chimes, audio, voice)
  • correct displays (all digits on all positions work, displays work well and look good)
  • switches properly gapped (e.g., slingshots fire correctly)

You will probably find some things to fix and adjust. Go for it. If you’re working on a solid state machine, remember to never use metal tools while the machine is on.

detail work

These will take a while, but they’re worth doing well. Dirt is a major cause of playfield wear, which we want to minimize. And it’s much easier to fix a problem now when the machine is in the workshop than later when it causes a problem for players on the floor.

• thoroughly clean the playfield and playfield elements
• replace any elastics that are worn or too dirty to clean
• check every bulb, possibly using a self-test
  • if it’s an LED but the machine came with incandescents, replace it (when in doubt, use a #47)
  • if it’s dim or flaky, try cleaning the socket and/or replacing the bulb
  • replace #44s with #47s
  • if it’s dim and behind plastic, try cleaning both sides of the plastic and the bulb
• look for loose screws, missing post caps, and other things out of spec; if needed, search for photos showing what it looks like
• look for cracked or broken plastic elements; stabilize or replace
• check every switch, possibly using a self test
• replace at least the coin door lock with our standard lock, text up, so that when it’s locked the key slot is horizontal
• if the backbox lock is in good shape, you can just hang the key(s) on a hook inside the coin door (which you can make out of wire or a paperclip if there isn’t one); otherwise, replace it with the standard one
• make sure the backglass doesn’t rattle even when shaking the machine; if it does you may need to add tape or padding
• make the the backglass trim, if there is any, doesn’t easily come off
• check the beer seal on the lockbar and replace as needed
• level the machine

settings

If you haven’t done it earlier, when appropriate makes sure the machine is set for:

• standard settings (for this, it may be easiest just to leave the machine off with batteries out for 30 seconds or so)
• free play
• correct number of balls per game (3 for solid state, 5 for EM)
• if it has a match mode, it should be on (doesn’t matter for free play, but people like it)
• a reasonable volume level
• correct date and time
• connected to our wifi
• Insider Connected activated for our account

final cleaning

Once everything internal is clean, safe, solid, and working well, it’s time for a final cleaning.

• clean the legs
• clean the main cabinet
• clean the backbox
• clean the lock bar
• clean the backglass
• clean the playfield glass (do both sides, and wear gloves so you don’t smudge it before putting it back)

finishing up

• any significant work has been logged here or in a new log entry
• change the machine status to Good

Dial no longer scores

Shooter rod tip broke apart

9 and L playfield lights out. Previously this was a loose connection

Spontaneous reboots

Sprites start looking corrupted after playing for a few levels. Rebooting/power cycling the game fixes it temporarily.

Game had a modification that increases player speed

I want to try and rise the back feet up slightly and try using a plastic slug coin so people can consistently play. I will also make a sign asking people to be gentle with this game for our opening weekend

Replace power cord

Maximum number of credits appears to be 1, but ROM and the DIP switches theoretically support max of 5, 8, 10 or 15. Not just 1. It would be good to understand why this is happening.

This is quite possibly related to the accumulator problem and possible RAM problem discussed in https://flipfix.theflip.museum/problem-reports/75/

http://www.pinrepair.com/sys1/
https://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php/Gottlieb_System_1

Battery probably needs changing. We think the battery is this white cigarette.

Accumulators / bookkeeping do not seem to work. Specifically, even after tilts and games, the machine reports zero tilts and zero games.

My chief suspect at the moment is bad RAM

Replace the power supply’s C1 5/12 volt Filter Cap

“…Unfortunately C1 at 2900 mfd (or 4700 mfd) is way too small of a filter cap, and the fact that this cap is 30 years old isn’t helping things either. Replace this cap with a new 6800 mfd to 10,000 mfd 16 volt or higher filter capacitor.
When replacing this capacitor it is NOT necessary to take the whole power supply apart! Just cut of the old capacitor off the power supply board, leaving the old cap leads as long as possible…”

-from http://www.pinrepair.com/sys1/

Still needs some LED lamps and flashers replaced. They’re on order.

One playfield illumination bulb lamp (under a bumper) is out. Replace when machine is being worked on for something more major

intake checklist

When we receive a machine, even when we’re told it’s perfect, we need to check it out and get it up to our standards. That’s usually not hard, but there are a lot of small things.

As you go through this checklist, you will find problems. If they’re obvious or if you’re going to take care of them right away, there’s no need to put them in a checklist. (But if you take care of things, make sure to mention it in the maintenance log.) For anything non-obvious that will be worked on later, put it in a to-do list.

setting it up

• match the legs with the corners; shorter in front, taller in back
• stand the main cabinet up on its back
• attach the front two legs, making sure they’re snug
• with two people, tip it forward so it’s resting on its front legs
• with two people, lift up the back and and put the pinball thing under it (the long way)
• with two people, attach the rear legs, making sure they’re snug
• remove the pinball thing
• with two people, if the backbox is separate, put it on and bolt it down, making sure that the power cord will be free to be plugged in

before powering on

• clean out any loose parts and labels in cabinet and backbox, and put them in a quart ziplock labeled LOOSE PARTS
• if there is a manual or other paperwork, put it in a 2-gallon ziplock
• vacuum out the cabinet and backbox
• check the power cord; if it is damaged, short, or ungrounded, replace it
• use a multimeter to check that all 3 prongs are connected, especially the ground
• check the wiring to the switch and main transformer
• check that all the fuses are present and the correct values
• look for damaged or burnt components
• if cables have been disconnected in the move, make sure that they are all back in their proper places
• look for loose/floating wires
• look for wires or wire bundles that rub or are at risk of getting caught when the playfield, backbox, or coin door are opened and closed
• look for loose or disconnected cables
• if necessary, untangle cables
• look for loose nuts, posts, etc
• look for circuit board damage (e.g., burning or corrosion from batteries)
• if it has batteries, replace them with fresh lithium ones

If you’re pretty confident that nothing bad will happen, you’re ready to plug it in and turn it on.

first power on

• know where the fire extinguisher is

• plug it in and make sure the magic smoke doesn’t come out
• be ready to immediately turn it off or unplug it
• turn it on; watch for sparks or crackling; smell for smoke or melting
• look at
  • general illumination
  • controlled illumination
  • displays
  • initial startup cycle

If it makes it through the startup cycle in good form, you’re ready to start a game.

first game

• replace the ball(s) with new ones
• start the game, adding credits if needed
• launch the ball and try it out
• look for
  • smooth rolling
  • all flippers working and strong enough to make key shots
  • lights working
  • switches working
  • all active elements working
  • ramps and wireforms are working well (not loose, not cracked, ball moves smoothly)
  • correct sound (bells, chimes, audio, voice)
  • correct displays (all digits on all positions work, displays work well and look good)
  • switches properly gapped (e.g., slingshots fire correctly)

You will probably find some things to fix and adjust. Go for it. If you’re working on a solid state machine, remember to never use metal tools while the machine is on.

detail work

These will take a while, but they’re worth doing well. Dirt is a major cause of playfield wear, which we want to minimize. And it’s much easier to fix a problem now when the machine is in the workshop than later when it causes a problem for players on the floor.

• thoroughly clean the playfield and playfield elements
• replace any elastics that are worn or too dirty to clean
• check every bulb, possibly using a self-test
  • if it’s an LED but the machine came with incandescents, replace it (when in doubt, use a #47)
  • if it’s dim or flaky, try cleaning the socket and/or replacing the bulb
  • replace #44s with #47s
  • if it’s dim and behind plastic, try cleaning both sides of the plastic and the bulb
• look for loose screws, missing post caps, and other things out of spec; if needed, search for photos showing what it looks like
• look for cracked or broken plastic elements; stabilize or replace
• check every switch, possibly using a self test
• replace at least the coin door lock with our standard lock, text up, so that when it’s locked the key slot is horizontal
• if the backbox lock is in good shape, you can just hang the key(s) on a hook inside the coin door (which you can make out of wire or a paperclip if there isn’t one); otherwise, replace it with the standard one
• make sure the backglass doesn’t rattle even when shaking the machine; if it does you may need to add tape or padding
• make the the backglass trim, if there is any, doesn’t easily come off
• check the beer seal on the lockbar and replace as needed
• level the machine

settings

If you haven’t done it earlier, when appropriate makes sure the machine is set for:

• standard settings (for this, it may be easiest just to leave the machine off with batteries out for 30 seconds or so)
• free play
• correct number of balls per game (3 for solid state, 5 for EM)
• if it has a match mode, it should be on (doesn’t matter for free play, but people like it)
• a reasonable volume level
• correct date and time
• connected to our wifi
• Insider Connected activated for our account

final cleaning

Once everything internal is clean, safe, solid, and working well, it’s time for a final cleaning.

• clean the legs
• clean the main cabinet
• clean the backbox
• clean the lock bar
• clean the backglass
• clean the playfield glass (do both sides, and wear gloves so you don’t smudge it before putting it back)

finishing up

• any significant work has been logged here or in a new log entry
• change the machine status to Good

No boot. Emergency auto reboot tries every 20 seconds. Battery acid damage to U5 diode and maybe a couple resistors on the CPU board. Likely damage to some traces, so they would also need repair.

intake checklist

When we receive a machine, even when we’re told it’s perfect, we need to check it out and get it up to our standards. That’s usually not hard, but there are a lot of small things.

As you go through this checklist, you will find problems. If they’re obvious or if you’re going to take care of them right away, there’s no need to put them in a checklist. (But if you take care of things, make sure to mention it in the maintenance log.) For anything non-obvious that will be worked on later, put it in a to-do list.

setting it up

• match the legs with the corners; shorter in front, taller in back
• stand the main cabinet up on its back
• attach the front two legs, making sure they’re snug
• with two people, tip it forward so it’s resting on its front legs
• with two people, lift up the back and and put the pinball thing under it (the long way)
• with two people, attach the rear legs, making sure they’re snug
• remove the pinball thing
• with two people, if the backbox is separate, put it on and bolt it down, making sure that the power cord will be free to be plugged in

before powering on

• clean out any loose parts and labels in cabinet and backbox, and put them in a quart ziplock labeled LOOSE PARTS
• if there is a manual or other paperwork, put it in a 2-gallon ziplock
• vacuum out the cabinet and backbox
• check the power cord; if it is damaged, short, or ungrounded, replace it
• use a multimeter to check that all 3 prongs are connected, especially the ground
• check the wiring to the switch and main transformer
• check that all the fuses are present and the correct values
• look for damaged or burnt components
• if cables have been disconnected in the move, make sure that they are all back in their proper places
• look for loose/floating wires
• look for wires or wire bundles that rub or are at risk of getting caught when the playfield, backbox, or coin door are opened and closed
• look for loose or disconnected cables
• if necessary, untangle cables
• look for loose nuts, posts, etc
• look for circuit board damage (e.g., burning or corrosion from batteries)
• if it has batteries, replace them with fresh lithium ones

If you’re pretty confident that nothing bad will happen, you’re ready to plug it in and turn it on.

first power on

• know where the fire extinguisher is

• plug it in and make sure the magic smoke doesn’t come out
• be ready to immediately turn it off or unplug it
• turn it on; watch for sparks or crackling; smell for smoke or melting
• look at
  • general illumination
  • controlled illumination
  • displays
  • initial startup cycle

If it makes it through the startup cycle in good form, you’re ready to start a game.

first game

• replace the ball(s) with new ones
• start the game, adding credits if needed
• launch the ball and try it out
• look for
  • smooth rolling
  • all flippers working and strong enough to make key shots
  • lights working
  • switches working
  • all active elements working
  • ramps and wireforms are working well (not loose, not cracked, ball moves smoothly)
  • correct sound (bells, chimes, audio, voice)
  • correct displays (all digits on all positions work, displays work well and look good)
  • switches properly gapped (e.g., slingshots fire correctly)

You will probably find some things to fix and adjust. Go for it. If you’re working on a solid state machine, remember to never use metal tools while the machine is on.

detail work

These will take a while, but they’re worth doing well. Dirt is a major cause of playfield wear, which we want to minimize. And it’s much easier to fix a problem now when the machine is in the workshop than later when it causes a problem for players on the floor.

• thoroughly clean the playfield and playfield elements
• replace any elastics that are worn or too dirty to clean
• check every bulb, possibly using a self-test
  • if it’s an LED but the machine came with incandescents, replace it (when in doubt, use a #47)
  • if it’s dim or flaky, try cleaning the socket and/or replacing the bulb
  • replace #44s with #47s
  • if it’s dim and behind plastic, try cleaning both sides of the plastic and the bulb
• look for loose screws, missing post caps, and other things out of spec; if needed, search for photos showing what it looks like
• look for cracked or broken plastic elements; stabilize or replace
• check every switch, possibly using a self test
• replace at least the coin door lock with our standard lock, text up, so that when it’s locked the key slot is horizontal
• if the backbox lock is in good shape, you can just hang the key(s) on a hook inside the coin door (which you can make out of wire or a paperclip if there isn’t one); otherwise, replace it with the standard one
• make sure the backglass doesn’t rattle even when shaking the machine; if it does you may need to add tape or padding
• make the the backglass trim, if there is any, doesn’t easily come off
• check the beer seal on the lockbar and replace as needed
• level the machine

settings

If you haven’t done it earlier, when appropriate makes sure the machine is set for:

• standard settings (for this, it may be easiest just to leave the machine off with batteries out for 30 seconds or so)
• free play
• correct number of balls per game (3 for solid state, 5 for EM)
• if it has a match mode, it should be on (doesn’t matter for free play, but people like it)
• a reasonable volume level
• correct date and time
• connected to our wifi
• Insider Connected activated for our account

final cleaning

Once everything internal is clean, safe, solid, and working well, it’s time for a final cleaning.

• clean the legs
• clean the main cabinet
• clean the backbox
• clean the lock bar
• clean the backglass
• clean the playfield glass (do both sides, and wear gloves so you don’t smudge it before putting it back)

finishing up

• any significant work has been logged here or in a new log entry
• change the machine status to Good

Flippers still appear to be active when in attract mode and a game is not active. Hand full things can cause this but flipper control solenoid and the solenoid pre-driver (I think) highlighted in blue are probably strong candidates for where the issue is.

intake checklist

When we receive a machine, even when we’re told it’s perfect, we need to check it out and get it up to our standards. That’s usually not hard, but there are a lot of small things.

As you go through this checklist, you will find problems. If they’re obvious or if you’re going to take care of them right away, there’s no need to put them in a checklist. (But if you take care of things, make sure to mention it in the maintenance log.) For anything non-obvious that will be worked on later, put it in a to-do list.

setting it up

• match the legs with the corners; shorter in front, taller in back
• stand the main cabinet up on its back
• attach the front two legs, making sure they’re snug
• with two people, tip it forward so it’s resting on its front legs
• with two people, lift up the back and and put the pinball thing under it (the long way)
• with two people, attach the rear legs, making sure they’re snug
• remove the pinball thing
• with two people, if the backbox is separate, put it on and bolt it down, making sure that the power cord will be free to be plugged in

before powering on

• clean out any loose parts and labels in cabinet and backbox, and put them in a quart ziplock labeled LOOSE PARTS
• if there is a manual or other paperwork, put it in a 2-gallon ziplock
• vacuum out the cabinet and backbox
• check the power cord; if it is damaged, short, or ungrounded, replace it
• use a multimeter to check that all 3 prongs are connected, especially the ground
• check the wiring to the switch and main transformer
• check that all the fuses are present and the correct values
• look for damaged or burnt components
• if cables have been disconnected in the move, make sure that they are all back in their proper places
• look for loose/floating wires
• look for wires or wire bundles that rub or are at risk of getting caught when the playfield, backbox, or coin door are opened and closed
• look for loose or disconnected cables
• if necessary, untangle cables
• look for loose nuts, posts, etc
• look for circuit board damage (e.g., burning or corrosion from batteries)
• if it has batteries, replace them with fresh lithium ones

If you’re pretty confident that nothing bad will happen, you’re ready to plug it in and turn it on.

first power on

• know where the fire extinguisher is

• plug it in and make sure the magic smoke doesn’t come out
• be ready to immediately turn it off or unplug it
• turn it on; watch for sparks or crackling; smell for smoke or melting
• look at
  • general illumination
  • controlled illumination
  • displays
  • initial startup cycle

If it makes it through the startup cycle in good form, you’re ready to start a game.

first game

• replace the ball(s) with new ones
• start the game, adding credits if needed
• launch the ball and try it out
• look for
  • smooth rolling
  • all flippers working and strong enough to make key shots
  • lights working
  • switches working
  • all active elements working
  • ramps and wireforms are working well (not loose, not cracked, ball moves smoothly)
  • correct sound (bells, chimes, audio, voice)
  • correct displays (all digits on all positions work, displays work well and look good)
  • switches properly gapped (e.g., slingshots fire correctly)

You will probably find some things to fix and adjust. Go for it. If you’re working on a solid state machine, remember to never use metal tools while the machine is on.

detail work

These will take a while, but they’re worth doing well. Dirt is a major cause of playfield wear, which we want to minimize. And it’s much easier to fix a problem now when the machine is in the workshop than later when it causes a problem for players on the floor.

• thoroughly clean the playfield and playfield elements
• replace any elastics that are worn or too dirty to clean
• check every bulb, possibly using a self-test
  • if it’s an LED but the machine came with incandescents, replace it (when in doubt, use a #47)
  • if it’s dim or flaky, try cleaning the socket and/or replacing the bulb
  • replace #44s with #47s
  • if it’s dim and behind plastic, try cleaning both sides of the plastic and the bulb
• look for loose screws, missing post caps, and other things out of spec; if needed, search for photos showing what it looks like
• look for cracked or broken plastic elements; stabilize or replace
• check every switch, possibly using a self test
• replace at least the coin door lock with our standard lock, text up, so that when it’s locked the key slot is horizontal
• if the backbox lock is in good shape, you can just hang the key(s) on a hook inside the coin door (which you can make out of wire or a paperclip if there isn’t one); otherwise, replace it with the standard one
• make sure the backglass doesn’t rattle even when shaking the machine; if it does you may need to add tape or padding
• make the the backglass trim, if there is any, doesn’t easily come off
• check the beer seal on the lockbar and replace as needed
• level the machine

settings

If you haven’t done it earlier, when appropriate makes sure the machine is set for:

• standard settings (for this, it may be easiest just to leave the machine off with batteries out for 30 seconds or so)
• free play
• correct number of balls per game (3 for solid state, 5 for EM)
• if it has a match mode, it should be on (doesn’t matter for free play, but people like it)
• a reasonable volume level
• correct date and time
• connected to our wifi
• Insider Connected activated for our account

final cleaning

Once everything internal is clean, safe, solid, and working well, it’s time for a final cleaning.

• clean the legs
• clean the main cabinet
• clean the backbox
• clean the lock bar
• clean the backglass
• clean the playfield glass (do both sides, and wear gloves so you don’t smudge it before putting it back)

finishing up

• any significant work has been logged here or in a new log entry
• change the machine status to Good

Make it more obvious what is happening here / fix the chaos

intake checklist

When we receive a machine, even when we’re told it’s perfect, we need to check it out and get it up to our standards. That’s usually not hard, but there are a lot of small things.

As you go through this checklist, you will find problems. If they’re obvious or if you’re going to take care of them right away, there’s no need to put them in a checklist. (But if you take care of things, make sure to mention it in the maintenance log.) For anything non-obvious that will be worked on later, put it in a to-do list.

setting it up

• match the legs with the corners; shorter in front, taller in back
• stand the main cabinet up on its back
• attach the front two legs, making sure they’re snug
• with two people, tip it forward so it’s resting on its front legs
• with two people, lift up the back and and put the pinball thing under it (the long way)
• with two people, attach the rear legs, making sure they’re snug
• remove the pinball thing
• with two people, if the backbox is separate, put it on and bolt it down, making sure that the power cord will be free to be plugged in

before powering on

• clean out any loose parts and labels in cabinet and backbox, and put them in a quart ziplock labeled LOOSE PARTS
• if there is a manual or other paperwork, put it in a 2-gallon ziplock
• vacuum out the cabinet and backbox
• check the power cord; if it is damaged, short, or ungrounded, replace it
• use a multimeter to check that all 3 prongs are connected, especially the ground
• check the wiring to the switch and main transformer
• check that all the fuses are present and the correct values
• look for damaged or burnt components
• if cables have been disconnected in the move, make sure that they are all back in their proper places
• look for loose/floating wires
• look for wires or wire bundles that rub or are at risk of getting caught when the playfield, backbox, or coin door are opened and closed
• look for loose or disconnected cables
• if necessary, untangle cables
• look for loose nuts, posts, etc
• look for circuit board damage (e.g., burning or corrosion from batteries)
• if it has batteries, replace them with fresh lithium ones

If you’re pretty confident that nothing bad will happen, you’re ready to plug it in and turn it on.

first power on

• know where the fire extinguisher is

• plug it in and make sure the magic smoke doesn’t come out
• be ready to immediately turn it off or unplug it
• turn it on; watch for sparks or crackling; smell for smoke or melting
• look at
  • general illumination
  • controlled illumination
  • displays
  • initial startup cycle

If it makes it through the startup cycle in good form, you’re ready to start a game.

first game

• replace the ball(s) with new ones
• start the game, adding credits if needed
• launch the ball and try it out
• look for
  • smooth rolling
  • all flippers working and strong enough to make key shots
  • lights working
  • switches working
  • all active elements working
  • ramps and wireforms are working well (not loose, not cracked, ball moves smoothly)
  • correct sound (bells, chimes, audio, voice)
  • correct displays (all digits on all positions work, displays work well and look good)
  • switches properly gapped (e.g., slingshots fire correctly)

You will probably find some things to fix and adjust. Go for it. If you’re working on a solid state machine, remember to never use metal tools while the machine is on.

detail work

These will take a while, but they’re worth doing well. Dirt is a major cause of playfield wear, which we want to minimize. And it’s much easier to fix a problem now when the machine is in the workshop than later when it causes a problem for players on the floor.

• thoroughly clean the playfield and playfield elements
• replace any elastics that are worn or too dirty to clean
• check every bulb, possibly using a self-test
  • if it’s an LED but the machine came with incandescents, replace it (when in doubt, use a #47)
  • if it’s dim or flaky, try cleaning the socket and/or replacing the bulb
  • replace #44s with #47s
  • if it’s dim and behind plastic, try cleaning both sides of the plastic and the bulb
• look for loose screws, missing post caps, and other things out of spec; if needed, search for photos showing what it looks like
• look for cracked or broken plastic elements; stabilize or replace
• check every switch, possibly using a self test
• replace at least the coin door lock with our standard lock, text up, so that when it’s locked the key slot is horizontal
• if the backbox lock is in good shape, you can just hang the key(s) on a hook inside the coin door (which you can make out of wire or a paperclip if there isn’t one); otherwise, replace it with the standard one
• make sure the backglass doesn’t rattle even when shaking the machine; if it does you may need to add tape or padding
• make the the backglass trim, if there is any, doesn’t easily come off
• check the beer seal on the lockbar and replace as needed
• level the machine

settings

If you haven’t done it earlier, when appropriate makes sure the machine is set for:

• standard settings (for this, it may be easiest just to leave the machine off with batteries out for 30 seconds or so)
• free play
• correct number of balls per game (3 for solid state, 5 for EM)
• if it has a match mode, it should be on (doesn’t matter for free play, but people like it)
• a reasonable volume level
• correct date and time
• connected to our wifi
• Insider Connected activated for our account

final cleaning

Once everything internal is clean, safe, solid, and working well, it’s time for a final cleaning.

• clean the legs
• clean the main cabinet
• clean the backbox
• clean the lock bar
• clean the backglass
• clean the playfield glass (do both sides, and wear gloves so you don’t smudge it before putting it back)

finishing up

• any significant work has been logged here or in a new log entry
• change the machine status to Good

Broken springs. Most are 1/4in diameter. The side springs are 4” not including the end loops

Note some springs are mounted on only one end, as ball guides.

Solenoid cores are rusty

Entry gate is corroded and sticky

Coin insert assembly is stuck

intake checklist

When we receive a machine, even when we’re told it’s perfect, we need to check it out and get it up to our standards. That’s usually not hard, but there are a lot of small things.

As you go through this checklist, you will find problems. If they’re obvious or if you’re going to take care of them right away, there’s no need to put them in a checklist. (But if you take care of things, make sure to mention it in the maintenance log.) For anything non-obvious that will be worked on later, put it in a to-do list.

setting it up

• match the legs with the corners; shorter in front, taller in back
• stand the main cabinet up on its back
• attach the front two legs, making sure they’re snug
• with two people, tip it forward so it’s resting on its front legs
• with two people, lift up the back and and put the pinball thing under it (the long way)
• with two people, attach the rear legs, making sure they’re snug
• remove the pinball thing
• with two people, if the backbox is separate, put it on and bolt it down, making sure that the power cord will be free to be plugged in

before powering on

• clean out any loose parts and labels in cabinet and backbox, and put them in a quart ziplock labeled LOOSE PARTS
• if there is a manual or other paperwork, put it in a 2-gallon ziplock
• vacuum out the cabinet and backbox
• check the power cord; if it is damaged, short, or ungrounded, replace it
• use a multimeter to check that all 3 prongs are connected, especially the ground
• check the wiring to the switch and main transformer
• check that all the fuses are present and the correct values
• look for damaged or burnt components
• if cables have been disconnected in the move, make sure that they are all back in their proper places
• look for loose/floating wires
• look for wires or wire bundles that rub or are at risk of getting caught when the playfield, backbox, or coin door are opened and closed
• look for loose or disconnected cables
• if necessary, untangle cables
• look for loose nuts, posts, etc
• look for circuit board damage (e.g., burning or corrosion from batteries)
• if it has batteries, replace them with fresh lithium ones

If you’re pretty confident that nothing bad will happen, you’re ready to plug it in and turn it on.

first power on

• know where the fire extinguisher is

• plug it in and make sure the magic smoke doesn’t come out
• be ready to immediately turn it off or unplug it
• turn it on; watch for sparks or crackling; smell for smoke or melting
• look at
  • general illumination
  • controlled illumination
  • displays
  • initial startup cycle

If it makes it through the startup cycle in good form, you’re ready to start a game.

first game

• replace the ball(s) with new ones
• start the game, adding credits if needed
• launch the ball and try it out
• look for
  • smooth rolling
  • all flippers working and strong enough to make key shots
  • lights working
  • switches working
  • all active elements working
  • ramps and wireforms are working well (not loose, not cracked, ball moves smoothly)
  • correct sound (bells, chimes, audio, voice)
  • correct displays (all digits on all positions work, displays work well and look good)
  • switches properly gapped (e.g., slingshots fire correctly)

You will probably find some things to fix and adjust. Go for it. If you’re working on a solid state machine, remember to never use metal tools while the machine is on.

detail work

These will take a while, but they’re worth doing well. Dirt is a major cause of playfield wear, which we want to minimize. And it’s much easier to fix a problem now when the machine is in the workshop than later when it causes a problem for players on the floor.

• thoroughly clean the playfield and playfield elements
• replace any elastics that are worn or too dirty to clean
• check every bulb, possibly using a self-test
  • if it’s an LED but the machine came with incandescents, replace it (when in doubt, use a #47)
  • if it’s dim or flaky, try cleaning the socket and/or replacing the bulb
  • replace #44s with #47s
  • if it’s dim and behind plastic, try cleaning both sides of the plastic and the bulb
• look for loose screws, missing post caps, and other things out of spec; if needed, search for photos showing what it looks like
• look for cracked or broken plastic elements; stabilize or replace
• check every switch, possibly using a self test
• replace at least the coin door lock with our standard lock, text up, so that when it’s locked the key slot is horizontal
• if the backbox lock is in good shape, you can just hang the key(s) on a hook inside the coin door (which you can make out of wire or a paperclip if there isn’t one); otherwise, replace it with the standard one
• make sure the backglass doesn’t rattle even when shaking the machine; if it does you may need to add tape or padding
• make the the backglass trim, if there is any, doesn’t easily come off
• check the beer seal on the lockbar and replace as needed
• level the machine

settings

If you haven’t done it earlier, when appropriate makes sure the machine is set for:

• standard settings (for this, it may be easiest just to leave the machine off with batteries out for 30 seconds or so)
• free play
• correct number of balls per game (3 for solid state, 5 for EM)
• if it has a match mode, it should be on (doesn’t matter for free play, but people like it)
• a reasonable volume level
• correct date and time
• connected to our wifi
• Insider Connected activated for our account

final cleaning

Once everything internal is clean, safe, solid, and working well, it’s time for a final cleaning.

• clean the legs
• clean the main cabinet
• clean the backbox
• clean the lock bar
• clean the backglass
• clean the playfield glass (do both sides, and wear gloves so you don’t smudge it before putting it back)

finishing up

• any significant work has been logged here or in a new log entry
• change the machine status to Good

intake checklist

When we receive a machine, even when we’re told it’s perfect, we need to check it out and get it up to our standards. That’s usually not hard, but there are a lot of small things.

As you go through this checklist, you will find problems. If they’re obvious or if you’re going to take care of them right away, there’s no need to put them in a checklist. (But if you take care of things, make sure to mention it in the maintenance log.) For anything non-obvious that will be worked on later, put it in a to-do list.

setting it up

• match the legs with the corners; shorter in front, taller in back
• stand the main cabinet up on its back
• attach the front two legs, making sure they’re snug
• with two people, tip it forward so it’s resting on its front legs
• with two people, lift up the back and and put the pinball thing under it (the long way)
• with two people, attach the rear legs, making sure they’re snug
• remove the pinball thing
• with two people, if the backbox is separate, put it on and bolt it down, making sure that the power cord will be free to be plugged in

before powering on

• clean out any loose parts and labels in cabinet and backbox, and put them in a quart ziplock labeled LOOSE PARTS
• if there is a manual or other paperwork, put it in a 2-gallon ziplock
• vacuum out the cabinet and backbox
• check the power cord; if it is damaged, short, or ungrounded, replace it
• use a multimeter to check that all 3 prongs are connected, especially the ground
• check the wiring to the switch and main transformer
• check that all the fuses are present and the correct values
• look for damaged or burnt components
• if cables have been disconnected in the move, make sure that they are all back in their proper places
• look for loose/floating wires
• look for wires or wire bundles that rub or are at risk of getting caught when the playfield, backbox, or coin door are opened and closed
• look for loose or disconnected cables
• if necessary, untangle cables
• look for loose nuts, posts, etc
• look for circuit board damage (e.g., burning or corrosion from batteries)
• if it has batteries, replace them with fresh lithium ones

If you’re pretty confident that nothing bad will happen, you’re ready to plug it in and turn it on.

first power on

• know where the fire extinguisher is

• plug it in and make sure the magic smoke doesn’t come out
• be ready to immediately turn it off or unplug it
• turn it on; watch for sparks or crackling; smell for smoke or melting
• look at
  • general illumination
  • controlled illumination
  • displays
  • initial startup cycle

If it makes it through the startup cycle in good form, you’re ready to start a game.

first game

• replace the ball(s) with new ones
• start the game, adding credits if needed
• launch the ball and try it out
• look for
  • smooth rolling
  • all flippers working and strong enough to make key shots
  • lights working
  • switches working
  • all active elements working
  • ramps and wireforms are working well (not loose, not cracked, ball moves smoothly)
  • correct sound (bells, chimes, audio, voice)
  • correct displays (all digits on all positions work, displays work well and look good)
  • switches properly gapped (e.g., slingshots fire correctly)

You will probably find some things to fix and adjust. Go for it. If you’re working on a solid state machine, remember to never use metal tools while the machine is on.

detail work

These will take a while, but they’re worth doing well. Dirt is a major cause of playfield wear, which we want to minimize. And it’s much easier to fix a problem now when the machine is in the workshop than later when it causes a problem for players on the floor.

• thoroughly clean the playfield and playfield elements
• replace any elastics that are worn or too dirty to clean
• check every bulb, possibly using a self-test
  • if it’s an LED but the machine came with incandescents, replace it (when in doubt, use a #47)
  • if it’s dim or flaky, try cleaning the socket and/or replacing the bulb
  • replace #44s with #47s
  • if it’s dim and behind plastic, try cleaning both sides of the plastic and the bulb
• look for loose screws, missing post caps, and other things out of spec; if needed, search for photos showing what it looks like
• look for cracked or broken plastic elements; stabilize or replace
• check every switch, possibly using a self test
• replace at least the coin door lock with our standard lock, text up, so that when it’s locked the key slot is horizontal
• if the backbox lock is in good shape, you can just hang the key(s) on a hook inside the coin door (which you can make out of wire or a paperclip if there isn’t one); otherwise, replace it with the standard one
• make sure the backglass doesn’t rattle even when shaking the machine; if it does you may need to add tape or padding
• make the the backglass trim, if there is any, doesn’t easily come off
• check the beer seal on the lockbar and replace as needed
• level the machine

settings

If you haven’t done it earlier, when appropriate makes sure the machine is set for:

• standard settings (for this, it may be easiest just to leave the machine off with batteries out for 30 seconds or so)
• free play
• correct number of balls per game (3 for solid state, 5 for EM)
• if it has a match mode, it should be on (doesn’t matter for free play, but people like it)
• a reasonable volume level
• correct date and time
• connected to our wifi
• Insider Connected activated for our account

final cleaning

Once everything internal is clean, safe, solid, and working well, it’s time for a final cleaning.

• clean the legs
• clean the main cabinet
• clean the backbox
• clean the lock bar
• clean the backglass
• clean the playfield glass (do both sides, and wear gloves so you don’t smudge it before putting it back)

finishing up

• any significant work has been logged here or in a new log entry
• change the machine status to Good

intake checklist

When we receive a machine, even when we’re told it’s perfect, we need to check it out and get it up to our standards. That’s usually not hard, but there are a lot of small things.

As you go through this checklist, you will find problems. If they’re obvious or if you’re going to take care of them right away, there’s no need to put them in a checklist. (But if you take care of things, make sure to mention it in the maintenance log.) For anything non-obvious that will be worked on later, put it in a to-do list.

setting it up

• match the legs with the corners; shorter in front, taller in back
• stand the main cabinet up on its back
• attach the front two legs, making sure they’re snug
• with two people, tip it forward so it’s resting on its front legs
• with two people, lift up the back and and put the pinball thing under it (the long way)
• with two people, attach the rear legs, making sure they’re snug
• remove the pinball thing
• with two people, if the backbox is separate, put it on and bolt it down, making sure that the power cord will be free to be plugged in

before powering on

• clean out any loose parts and labels in cabinet and backbox, and put them in a quart ziplock labeled LOOSE PARTS
• if there is a manual or other paperwork, put it in a 2-gallon ziplock
• vacuum out the cabinet and backbox
• check the power cord; if it is damaged, short, or ungrounded, replace it
• use a multimeter to check that all 3 prongs are connected, especially the ground
• check the wiring to the switch and main transformer
• check that all the fuses are present and the correct values
• look for damaged or burnt components
• if cables have been disconnected in the move, make sure that they are all back in their proper places
• look for loose/floating wires
• look for wires or wire bundles that rub or are at risk of getting caught when the playfield, backbox, or coin door are opened and closed
• look for loose or disconnected cables
• if necessary, untangle cables
• look for loose nuts, posts, etc
• look for circuit board damage (e.g., burning or corrosion from batteries)
• if it has batteries, replace them with fresh lithium ones

If you’re pretty confident that nothing bad will happen, you’re ready to plug it in and turn it on.

first power on

• know where the fire extinguisher is

• plug it in and make sure the magic smoke doesn’t come out
• be ready to immediately turn it off or unplug it
• turn it on; watch for sparks or crackling; smell for smoke or melting
• look at
  • general illumination
  • controlled illumination
  • displays
  • initial startup cycle

If it makes it through the startup cycle in good form, you’re ready to start a game.

first game

• replace the ball(s) with new ones
• start the game, adding credits if needed
• launch the ball and try it out
• look for
  • smooth rolling
  • all flippers working and strong enough to make key shots
  • lights working
  • switches working
  • all active elements working
  • ramps and wireforms are working well (not loose, not cracked, ball moves smoothly)
  • correct sound (bells, chimes, audio, voice)
  • correct displays (all digits on all positions work, displays work well and look good)
  • switches properly gapped (e.g., slingshots fire correctly)

You will probably find some things to fix and adjust. Go for it. If you’re working on a solid state machine, remember to never use metal tools while the machine is on.

detail work

These will take a while, but they’re worth doing well. Dirt is a major cause of playfield wear, which we want to minimize. And it’s much easier to fix a problem now when the machine is in the workshop than later when it causes a problem for players on the floor.

• thoroughly clean the playfield and playfield elements
• replace any elastics that are worn or too dirty to clean
• check every bulb, possibly using a self-test
  • if it’s an LED but the machine came with incandescents, replace it (when in doubt, use a #47)
  • if it’s dim or flaky, try cleaning the socket and/or replacing the bulb
  • replace #44s with #47s
  • if it’s dim and behind plastic, try cleaning both sides of the plastic and the bulb
• look for loose screws, missing post caps, and other things out of spec; if needed, search for photos showing what it looks like
• look for cracked or broken plastic elements; stabilize or replace
• check every switch, possibly using a self test
• replace at least the coin door lock with our standard lock, text up, so that when it’s locked the key slot is horizontal
• if the backbox lock is in good shape, you can just hang the key(s) on a hook inside the coin door (which you can make out of wire or a paperclip if there isn’t one); otherwise, replace it with the standard one
• make sure the backglass doesn’t rattle even when shaking the machine; if it does you may need to add tape or padding
• make the the backglass trim, if there is any, doesn’t easily come off
• check the beer seal on the lockbar and replace as needed
• level the machine

settings

If you haven’t done it earlier, when appropriate makes sure the machine is set for:

• standard settings (for this, it may be easiest just to leave the machine off with batteries out for 30 seconds or so)
• free play
• correct number of balls per game (3 for solid state, 5 for EM)
• if it has a match mode, it should be on (doesn’t matter for free play, but people like it)
• a reasonable volume level
• correct date and time
• connected to our wifi
• Insider Connected activated for our account

final cleaning

Once everything internal is clean, safe, solid, and working well, it’s time for a final cleaning.

• clean the legs
• clean the main cabinet
• clean the backbox
• clean the lock bar
• clean the backglass
• clean the playfield glass (do both sides, and wear gloves so you don’t smudge it before putting it back)

finishing up

• any significant work has been logged here or in a new log entry
• change the machine status to Good