I'd be interested in a couple pics of exactly which parts you put it on.

Pull the armature and roll a star post rubber down to the base and reinstall to quiet down the fish, use two if it is still too loud.

I'm too lazy to crack the topper open again... but really just anywhere the solenoid assembly strikes another part.

There is a metal plate on the back side of the fish that the striker hits. I covered that & the surrounding area up with a few layers of different foam tape. The solenoid assembly has that rubber grommet/stopper behind it. I covered that up with foam tape.

It just took a little playing around.

Thats a great idea that I will have to try.
At first, the fish didnt have the plastic cover over it, so I bought a new one hoping it would dampen the sound . It helped, but not as much as I was hoping.

I can sell you the kit with detailed instructions for only $19.95 but wait, there's more.
Act now and get two kits just add additional shipping and handling.

In addition... I put some vibration dampening tape on the back of the fish's tale 'cuz I noticed that was slapping the background every once in a while. Basically anything that made contact with something else up there I worked on.

That rubber ring on the armature is a good idea too... I might have to do that next time I open the topper up.

The rubber ring(s) stops it from slapping the backboard, if you would have done this first you wouldn't have needed all that tape.

Great info guys!
I just picked up a routed FT a couple of months ago with a near-perfect playfield and it's next in line to be restored.

I ordered my button mod from a guy in the UK, but I really like the tournament button option too.

I haven't touched an FT since I was a kid playing it new on location. In that setting I never really paid much attention to the fish's noise, but I'll definitely be adding some sound dampening now.

Thanks!

I really need to look at my fishy tonight and see how it all works since I have a bunch of switch foam to play with and a fried flipper coil that I can't afford to replace at the moment!

I thought for sure there was a setting in the adjustments menu to turn the topper off but I just looked, and unless I totally missed it apparently there isn't one. My poor topper is completely removed, I have about five inches between the top of my backboxes and my basement ceiling. Before putting the damper plate over the hole on top, I noticed a good amount of light shining on the ceiling, gonna use that to my advantage... I'll post pics when it's done.

I am thinking about putting some LEDs into my FT. I don't want to do everything.. I just want to spruce it up a bit. Anyone have a list of what they did or want to share some photos? There are so many options and I don't want to waste money buying LEDs I won't use!

Got my tournament button in the reel. Thanks guys!

I got the no ghost game rom then I used mostly regular flat top Ablaze from Pinball Life. My flashers are from Cointaker (best and brightest) and in certain instances I used CT's flex superbrights (up the middle of the boat and the #1 ball lock). I also used CT's 2-LED whites for GI. The whole thing looks brilliant. I'll post pics when I get a few taken.

Great advice TunaSled.. thanks. I am going to use your set-up and then maybe tweak as needed for personal preference!

Where did you get the no ghost game rom? Currently I have L-5.

It's a patched L5. You can circumvent that by simply getting the Ablaze ghostbusters. A few pennies more per LED but worth it. Even with the NG patched rom there is a *teensy* bit of ghosting in a couple inserts. But nowhere near the horrorshow pre-patch.

PM sent re: where I got my rom.

This link has info on how to fix the "xtra balle" font bug... if you're creating a no-ghost ROM while you're at it.

http://pinhacks.com/showthread.php?tid=12&pid=15#pid15

To fix the bug: 0x25 at 0x6C6AA needs to be changed to 0x14

I can verify it fixes the problem.

You'd need to edit the ROM with a hex editor and then apply the no-ghost patch.

This is pretty advanced stuff. I just got mine pre-done. However, how much would I love to see that "xtra balle" get fixed...

As promised:

IMG_5298.JPG IMG_5299.JPG

The GI LEDs are not as shockingly bright as my camera makes them look. They are great and light up their surrounding areas nicely:

IMG_5303.JPG
Insert damage? What insert damage?
IMG_5304.JPG

Thanks tunasled.. Looks great. I'm just about to place my order.

I think I saw a "xtra balle" fixed ghosting patched rom here once... version G-5: http://depositfiles.com/files/qois3sbw9

You still need the ability to flash your own chips. I have a guy

Dig it, quick n' dirty

Here is what i have done to my FT pin with L.E.D.'s seems as though bballfan & i were on the same page to some degree with the upper playfield area with the pop bumpers except i went with blue lane guides. My thinking on this was to go with the prodominent blue of the playfield.
I left the normal globes under the plastics as they seem to light them better in my opinion.
I also just finished modding my LAH pin so here some pics of that as well.

psa_003.jpg psa_001.jpg // Error: Image 36101 not found // // Error: Image 36102 not found //

I like what you have described with using different colored L.E.D. globes behind the translite.
I think i will do this to mine.

Great thread. My FT is inn the wings. Slated for restore next. Can't wait

Nice, I think I'm going to try blue pop caps and green lane guides.

I reckon some blue mirror blades in one of these would look awesome.....

hint, hint Drano......

TunaSled, definately get rid of the red pop caps & lane guides, it was definately one thing i wanted change as the red just doesn't suit this pin at all.
When you do change them to blue & green you will go hell yeah that looks better.
The blue pop caps makes the upper playfield pop.

Ha Ha!
You know... with FT being next in line for restoration, I might just have to try it.
I still suspect that gold will also look really cool in my WH2O. Hopefully I'll finish it in this lifetime and get to test my theory

where did you get this erik, it looks realy good and i would be interested in one

It was one of the asian sellers on ebay. Sorry I don't remember specifics, just that it was direct from chickity-china.

I made some custom coin inserts for my FT....kind of a mod...LOL.

FT_Coin.jpg

That is creative and bad ass!

I was playing my FT last night and I kept thinking about the blue pops and green lane guides. I must do this!

Another nice touch to this awsome pin.
Me like alot

I was playing my FT last night and I kept thinking about the blue pops and green lane guides. I must do this!

Phoog, do it. You must do it.
I just added the appropiate colored globes to the stringer & the 2 target fish just above either side.
It looks absolutely awsome.
I have even gone to the trouble of changing over to the green flipper bats with yellow rubbers.

psa_023.jpg psa_024.jpg

Bump! I need more of this. I'm going to pick up one of these this weekend!

I reckon some of Drano's gold mirror blades to give that sunset / sunrise feel like the outside of the cabinet.

It's great to see this post because all of my parts needed are due to arrive in about a day or two

Sorry for the confusion spanks took it a little out of context. I was saying the flipper bats and matching green plastics in the back was subtle but an excellent looking change.

Where did you get the green flippers and yellow rubber? That looks great.

I reckon some of Drano's gold mirror blades to give that sunset / sunrise feel like the outside of the cabinet.

Thanks!
Actually, chrome blades wouldn't look out of place either.

I spent a little while looking for these "monster fish" characters that I saw a few guys put behind their Truth-O-Meter plastic. Finally a couple of kind pinsiders told me that they were Scooby-Doo characters. The Beast of Bottomless Lake.
You can sometimes find them on eBay in a multi-pack with some other figures or idividually.
There are regular and glow in the dark versions too. I got both and will decide later which one to use.

BeatBottomlessLake2.JPG

That glow in the dark one looks cool! New thing to search for.

Yeah, I'm torn. The green one matches the game better though... and they really look a lot like the monster fish on the DMD during the hurry-up. Placing them behind the truth-o-meter window allows the flasher to really bring them out during the monster fish mode.

I've got a long way before my FT gets restored, so I'll have plenty of time to decide which one to use

I spent a little while looking for these "monster fish" characters that I saw a few guys put behind their Truth-O-Meter plastic.

I just ordered a lot containing a "monster fish". As you stated it is the Beast of Bottomless Lake, but it really does fit the monster fish on the display. Like others I'll be installing it behind the Truth-O-Meter. That way it won't really be noticeable unless the flasher is going. So far the mods I've made on my machine have been...

- LEDs
- Blue Pop Bumpers / Green Lane Guides
- Lighted Tournament Button
- Monster Fish Toy
- Green Flipper Plastics

I would really love to custom make a few mosquito figures to match the plastic. Does anyone have any idea how this would be possible? I'd mount them like the Pteranodons in Jurassic Park. Other then that, I couldn't be happier with my modded machine. I'm typically not into mods, but these mods just seem so right.

980-1154-thickbox.jpg

Love the idea of mosquito mods!

Yeah, I really think the mosquito and the monster fish would add to the campy humor of the machine. I have a cousin at MIT, maybe he can find a way to create them on a 3D printer. Anyone else have any ideas on how to go about creating a figure like this?

If I can get them produced, would anyone else be interested? I'm sure larger quantity would reduce the production cost.

If you had the model, I could 3d print them.

Cost for say 2" to 3" model?