Mr. Pinball Repair Tip Archive

1972 Gottlieb single-player start up sequence (Flying Carpet 03-72)
1973 Gottlieb 4-player start up sequence (Jack in the Box 05-73)
1974 Gottlieb 4-player start up sequence (Magnotron 08-74)
1975 Gottlieb 2-player start up sequence (Out of Sight 01-75)
1975 Gottlieb 4-player start up sequence (Super Soccer 03-75)
1975 Gottlieb single-player start up sequence (Atlantis 01-75)
1976 Gottlieb 4-player start up sequence (Royal Flush 04-76)
1976 Gottlieb 4-player start up sequence (Spirit of 76 03-76)
1976 Gottlieb 4-player start up sequence (Surf Champ 10-76)
1976 Gottlieb 4-player start up sequence (Target Alpha 11-76)
1977 Gottlieb 2-player start up sequence (Mustang 05-77)
1977 Gottlieb single-player start up sequence (Bit Hit 06-77)
1977 Gottlieb single-player start up sequence (Centigrade 37 08-77)
44/47 Bulb removal tool
A benign way to set up machines for free play
A better way to fix stripped playfield screw holes!
A bucket of sand
Adjust flipper tension spring with cotter pin
Adjusting blade switch contacts
Adjusting contacts
Adjustment of the Flipper End Of Stroke Switch (EOS)
Aligning the 0-9 discs and wipers on an EM Gottlieb 'AS' relay
AM radio = tool
An Alternate Crimp Pin Removal Tool
Another handy restoration tool
Another leg leveler fix
Another method for removing rusted leg levelers
A worn flipper link can burn out your coil
Backglass lockbar can scratch your glass
Backglass preservation options
Backglass preservation using mylar
Backglass protection while shipping
Backglass restoration reference
Backglass touchup bleeding
Bad Bulbs can cause a short
Bad solder joints on circuit boards
Ball Feed Problems with WMS Opto Trough
Ball hits glass too much
Ball removal
Bally 6800 weak solenoids
Bally bingo constantly tilts
Bally drop targets resetting too high
Bally early solid state MPU LED blinks 5 times
Bally early solid state MPU LED doesn't blink or just stays on
Bally electromechanical fuse holders
Bally EM Coil identification
Bally EM will not start and has no lights
Bally general illumination connectors
Bally old-to-new coil numbers cross reference
Bally Solenoid Driver/Voltage Regulator Board Test Points
Bally solid state standup targets sometimes fail to score
Bally solid state weak solenoids
Bally SS Molex connectors check
Basic tools needed
Battery-damage can travel along wire harness
Battery-damage seems eternal
BEST Metal Polish PERIOD!
Best use of mylar
Be Sure to Mark Connectors
Bizarre behavior on machines with large relay banks
Blade switch quick repair
Blow the boards
Bolt head polishing
Brightening dim Gottlieb displays
Brighten up the playfield lights on Hercules and Superman
Bright lamps in flaked areas of backglass
Bringing an old oxidized playfield back to life.
Broken ball plunger spring
bulb/lamp socket fix
bulb removal
Bulb removal
Bulb removal tool
bulb socket cleaning
Bumper cap keeps coming off
Bundling legs for moving or storage
Burned LOCK relay
Burnish switch contacts
Buying leg bolts
Cabinet Side Rails
Cabinet speckle coat
Calm Repair
Capacitor resurrection
Cap nuts on playfield plastics
change the coil sleeves
Changing AC flippers to DC flippers
Changing batteries
Changing battery without losing settings
Changing display color
Cheap desoldering tool
Cheap fuses
Cheap Glass Cleaner
Cheap PCB removal tool
Check all flipper plungers for mushrooming to prevent solenoid burn out
Check coin path
Checking for bad fuse holders
Check those chimes
Chicago Coin EM Coil identification
Chime rubbering
Chimes hum slightly but do not ring
Clean-cut slingshot mylars
cleaning adhesive from under old mylar etc
Cleaning backglass problems
Cleaning Cabinet Side Art
Cleaning Catlin backglass animation balls
Cleaning enclosed areas
Cleaning Glass
Cleaning glass dirt that doesn't come off with glass cleaner
cleaning hard to reach spots on playfield
Cleaning light sockets
Cleaning light sockets
Cleaning metal and plastic parts easily
Cleaning metal ball guides
Cleaning metal parts
Cleaning metal parts
Cleaning nylon acorn nuts
Cleaning out main cabinet
Cleaning Plated Parts
Cleaning playfield glass
Cleaning playfield metal easily
Cleaning Playfield Posts
Cleaning playfield posts and other parts
Cleaning playfield rails
Cleaning playfield rubber rings
Cleaning playfields including Diamond Plate
Cleaning Prior To Clearcoating A Playfield
Cleaning rubber rings
Cleaning score reels
Cleaning solid state gold contacts
Cleaning solid state switches
Cleaning soot from EM score reels and plastics
Cleaning WMS Twilight Zone Power Ball
Clean score and pop bumper relays
Clean solenoids
Clean your playfield completely
Cloth vs plastic insulated wires
Coil identification
Coil modification and substitution
Coil Repair
coin door storage solution
Coin lockout buzzing
Coin mechanisms
Color matching comparisons
Color mixing guide
Common Gottlieb flipper problem
Connector testing problem
Cover your game in storage
Creating your own mini vacuum
Dealing with overheating connectors on early Bally games
Debugging intermittent problems
Debugging with jumper wire
Desoldering braid substitute
Determining rubber ring sizes
Dim lamp
Dim lamps
Dim or unlit lamps
Diode replacement and substitution
Diodes use on coils
Display break in
Displays don't work
Documentation for your game
Document Your Game
Do not overtighten lock nuts
Do not use playfield prop sticks
Don't blow new fuses
Don't forget coin door lights
Don't plan to fix yourself
Don't RELAMP just UNLAMP
Don't use an emery board to clean switch contacts
Dot matrix display broken lead repair
Doubled rubber rings
Dress up your Gottlieb or Bally with new white posts
Drop target decal preservation
Drop target painting
Drop targets on Capt. Fantastic
Early Bally solid state battery type for replacement
Early solid-state Williams bridge rectifiers
Earthshaker shaker-motor
Easy access to under playfield components
Easy flipper alignment
Easy way to go through a machine completely
Easy way to move machines very short distances
Eject holes eject too strong
Electrical shorts...
Electromechanical AC flippers buzzing loudly
Emergency contact adjuster
Emergency driver board transistors
Emergency flipper rubber repair
Emergency rubber repair
Emergency rubber ring cleaner
EM liberal vs conservative options
EM machine lights but does not start
EM machines won't count balls
EM silent scoring ones or tens
EM sticky wiper unit
Essential Socket Wrench
Evaluating an electromechanical pinball for purchase
Extending scoring reel life
Extra bonus during countdown
Factory errors
Faster game
Finding pinball balls locally for your machine
Fixing (and preventing) broken ramp entrances and diverter problems
Fixing flaked paint on backglass
Fixing intermittent, heated up, optocouplers (Solid state switches used on TZ clock and flippers)
Fixing slipping belts
Fixing Stripped Screw Holes On Playfield
Fixing those dreaded Bally light sockets (without replacement)
Fix them mechanical bells
Flashing lights
Flattening warped plastics
Flattening warped plastics slowly
Flipper bushings
Flipper causes points to score
Flipper causes reset or game over
Flipper chatter
Fractured Plastics?
FREE circuit board removal tool
Freeing frozen coil plunger
Free play on older SS games
Free repair tools
Frozen leg levelers
Funhouse general illumination blown fuse problem
Fuses can save your components or fry them
Fuses that look okay but are bad
Game does not turn on
Game goes immediately to game over or shuts off
Game goes to game over too soon, or never leaves game over
General Illumination failures
General illumination not working entirely
Get a dentists mirror in your toolbox today!
Glass cleaner
Gluing flat playfield plastics
Gold plated contacts
Gottlieb drop target and sequence bank reset
Gottlieb electronics
Gottlieb EM Coil identification
Gottlieb em match problems
Gottlieb flipper button quick fix
Gottlieb flipper setscrews
Gottlieb leg styles
Gottlieb roto-target restoration
Gottlieb rubber part numbers
Gottlieb speed nut application
Gottlieb SS System 80 does not start
Gottlieb SS will not start
Gottlieb System 1 freezes and has all the coils pull in
Gottlieb System 1 main problem
Gottlieb System 1 power supply problem
Gottlieb System 80 bumper problem
Great tool for handling small parts
Ground yourself, but don't get killed
Hand protection
Hard to find 7.5w 110V light bulbs
Help identifying off-board connectors
How to clean the back side of the backglass
How to play when the baby is asleep
IC mounting--cleaning mount holes
IC socket poor connection fix
IC socket removal
IC sockets
Identifying legs for moving or storage
Identifying resistors
Improve coil action
Improving Williams Flipper Action
Inexpensive chime solenoid plunger nylon shaft replacement
Infra-red LED (optos) testing
Inside cabinet protection.
Installing a headphone jack
Intermittent failures can be due to floating ground
Intermittent lamp sockets and connectors
Intermittent Monopoly switch problems
Isolating blown fuse problem
Keep cabinet mechanics clean while restoring playfield
Keep from stripping hole threads
Keeping playfield clean longer
Keep old bumper caps from rotating
Keep scoring
Keep your hands clean
Key safety
Keys and locks
Knocker doesn't work on Williams em
Lamp Socket Fix
Lazy Data East/Sega/Stern pop bumpers
Leg Bolt Fix
Leg bolt mounting plate quick and temporary fix
Leg bolt mounting plates
Leg bolt overtightening
Leg bolt sizes
Leg bolts when moving
Leg levelers
Leveling a machine
Light bulb efficient replacement
Light bulb insertion/removal
Lights dim when solenoid fires
Loading a disassembled game into vehicle
Lockdown bar latch won't move
Lock removal
Lock without a key
Longest lasting bulbs
Long lasting lamps
Look for quick fix work that's been done
Loose and rattling backglass
Loose contact points
Loose IC sockets
Lost head key
Lost head key on newer Williams/Bally
Lost Key/Lock Removal
Lost PCB connector key plugs
Loud buzzing noises
Machine assembly
Machine grounding
Machines with 2 different keys
Main line fuse blows immediately
Majority of solid state problems
Make any screwdriver hold screws
Make knocker louder
Make your Gottlieb Solid State turbo-charged
Making mylar more invisible
Making replacement one-way gates using ski lift ticket wire
Many uses for weather stripping
Matching cabinet paint colors
Match lights do not work on EM
Minimizing bad displays
Missing a solenoid
Missing ground on A/C cord
Mixing epoxy
Mixing paint tools
Modification notes
More Dot Matrix Display Repair Info
More easily test circuit continuity
More extra balls
Most commonly broken EM solder joint
Motor care and repair
Moving An Assembled Pinball Yourself
Moving machines on hard floor
Moving makes the machine stop working
My Bally MPU LED glows dim and the game doesn't start
My electromechanical doesn't award a credit for a match
My game keeps resetting the drop targets and clicking at the outhole
Mylar thickness
My machine kicks out two balls to the ball shooter
Mysterious general illumination blown fuse, or machine resets during game
Never lubricate solenoids
Never use tape to close doors
New bumper caps
New leg levelers
No more toothpicks
Novel contact cleaning method
Novus
Old EMs without on/off switches should not be left plugged in
Opening a machine
Ordering Data East or Sega parts
Ordering parts from suppliers
Other excellent on-line pinball repair guide
Outlanes too wide
Overheating lamp cause
Parts machines
PCB pass thru and foil repair
Pharaoh, Black Knight, System 7 Error Code 8 - not the CMOS
Pinball machine dimensions
Pinball toolbox
Pitch and bat game has weak or non-functioning bat
Plastic pieces cleaning tip
Playfield angle
Playfield changeover
Playfield changeover labels help
playfield cleaning
Playfield glass replacement
Playfield Illumination Options
Playfield insert touchup
Playfield lights and inserts
Playfield painting
Playfield pitch indicators
Playfield post liberal vs conservative positions
Playfield post modification STOPS several problems FOREVER--stuck ball, burned coil/transistor, etc.
Playfield Preservation
Playfield restoration
Playfield shipping box
Plunger repair
Polish balls in a rock tumbler
Polishing
Polishing balls
Polishing chrome parts
Pop bumper ring
Poslishing playfield posts
Power surge damage
Preventing broken coin lockout from locking out coins
Preventing lost cabinet keys
Preventing mylar from lifting over playfield inserts
Preventing small gauge coil wire breaks
Preventing stuck ball behind Twilight Zone Magna-Flip sign
Preventing translites from adhering to glass
Prevent total damage!
Protect hard to reach areas
Protecting playfield around pop bumpers
Protecting score and instruction cards
Protecting Theatre of Magic magic trunk sticker
Protecting Twilight Zone Magna-Flip sign
Protect your Bally backglass from further damage
Protect your CPU from leaking batteries
Protect your paper scoring reels
Quick check for gas plasma displays
Quick fix to stripped screw holes
Reading EM schematics
Realigning misaligned flippers
Reasons for backglass peeling
Refinishing gold pinball legs with oven cleaner
Regluing stickers and relay labels
Re-inking flipper lettering
Reinstalling Screws Through Harness
Relettering playfield
Remember to unplug your game
Remove awkward marquis when moving
Remove balls when moving
Remove batteries before storing
Removing all playfield pieces
Removing Backglass without lift channel
Removing cabinet paint while preserving original cabinet graphics
Removing Circuit Boards Without Removal Tool
Removing dark half-circles from playfield
Removing flipper rubber residue
Removing flipper rubber stains
Removing glue and other residue
Removing Head On Modern Machines
Removing latex paint from repainted cabinet
Removing mylar from playfield
Removing PCB components for replacement
Removing playfield inserts
Removing playfield mylar
Removing rusted leg levelers
Removing sticky tape residue
Removing stubborn bolt
Repainting cabinet basecoat
Repairing plastics
Repairing rollover buttons
Repair of white scoring reel mask
Replace playfield screws with bolts
Replacing a playfield insert
Replacing Bally mushroom bumper rubber rings
Replacing fuse clips on circuit boards
Replacing one way gate wires
Reproducing score and instruction cards
Resetting high scores
Residual magnetism
Restoring Gottlieb System 1 blue-green display filters
Restoring metal legs
Restoring playfield insert labels
Restoring playfield plastics shine
Restoring Rusted Stepper Plungers
Restoring scratched plastic
Reusing stickers
Reviving burnt coils
Rubber Cleaner
Rubber parts substitute
Rubber ring sizing
Safely remove playfield inserts
Safety tip
Save your latch
Save your old toothbrush
Save your paperwork
Score motor cam removal
Score motor problems
Score Window Masking for Backglass coating
Scoring reel or drum unit cleaning and maintenance
Scoring reels spin past zero when resetting
Sealing a backglass
Selenium rectifiers on old games
Sending boards out for repair
Service plug hot when machine is plugged in
Setting games since Twilight Zone to a quarter per play
Setting up a game of unknown condition
Setting up free game
Setting up free games on EM--Another technique
Setting up free play on electromechanical machines
Setting up free play on solid state machines
Shipping backglasses
Shocking Gottlieb flipper buttons
Shooter tip removal
Shortage of bulbs
Shorting protection
Sliding A Game With Contractor Garbage Bags
Socket screwdriver
Software bugs can appear to be a hardware failure
Solder handling
Soldering dangers
Solder removal
Solder Selection
Solid state test bed machines
Speeding up putting the head on the body
Spray contact cleaner is evil
Standup target foam replacement
Sticking pop bumpers
Sticking pop bumpers and residual magnetism
Sticky coils can be a bad coil stop
Sticky Playfield Glass
Sticky sluggish Williams stepping unit
Sticky solenoids
Stopping flaking paint
Stop those loose screws!
Storing backglasses
Storing Schematics, and Other Documentation
Straightening a warped playfield
Strange little faded squares
Stripped Leg Bolt Plates
Stripping playfield wax
Stripping playfield wax and shellac
Stronger Gottlieb flipper coils
Substitutes for Novus
Substituting for gold switch contact points
System down
Temperature safe operating range
Temporary fuses
Temporary reusable fuse
Testing Bally solid state solenoids
Testing gas plasma displays and boards technique
Testing lamps
Testing relay coils made quick and easy
Testing solenoids on EMs
Test Probe
THE Solution to Bally MPU Corrosion
Tighten bakelite switch spacers
Tightening playfield glass lockdown bar
Tin foil away touch ups, so light bulbs stay in!
Tiny scraping tool
Tip to help avoid damage to the playfield
Tired of fishing out wires when assembling?
Tool for cleaning drop target faces
Touching up plastic parts and playfields with markers
Touching up small paint spots
Touch up
Touch up EM scoring reels
Tracking down a shorted circuit
Transformer failure
Transformer HIGH vs LOW tap
Translite Touch-Up
Transporting static sensitive components
Troubleshooting tip
Turn off solid state games while repairing
Use air cans
Use a power strip
Use a Shop-Vac
Use cooler lamps
Use E-clips on plunger
Use Mother's Alumininum Polish For Lots Of Stuff
Use only quality sockets
Uses for old pinballs
Using AA batteries in Bally solid state pinballs
Viewing original artwork through layers of paint
Warped inserts
Warped Playfield Plastic fix.
Waxing/cleaning playfield
Weak chimes
Weak EM flippers
Welding or brazing can produce toxic fumes
Where did this screw come from?
Which Side Of Playfield Glass Was Up
Williams 60s and 70s flipper jumpers
Williams CPU Board Revision Level 6 Test Points
Williams CPU Board Revision Level 7 Test Points
Williams early SS drop target problem
Williams EM Coil identification
Williams G.I. Problems
Williams main line wire is sometimes too small
Williams paper dummy reel sticker--How to make your own
Williams solid state displays a funny number and won't start
Williams solid state flipper coil relative strengths
Williams sound problems
Williams SS displays fade on and off
Williams SS driver board power resistors
Williams stuck in audit mode
Williams System 7 CPU Board self test
Williams two coins per play
Wire Identification
Wire ties rule (when cardboard doesn't work)
WMS electromechanical credit unit stuck on 13 and it won't start
WMS electromechanical replay knocker not firing
WMS Opto Ball Trough Problems
Working on the inside of an EM
Worklight Improvement
Worn balls kill playfields
Worn metal sleeve can't be removed from solenoid coil
Worn outhole on Gottlieb EMs prevents smooth ball delivery to plunger
Zaccaria EM Coil identification

Tip Archive

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