High Speed
Williams, 1986Some would ask why rebuild the pop assemblies on the old playfield?
Just 'cause...
-mof
Here are the old pop bumpers and pop bumper parts...
201405-HS-old-parts.jpg201405-HS-old-pops.jpg
Old dirty skirty...
201405-HS-dirty-skirty.jpg
All back and dry from the ultrasonic...
201405-HS-ultrasonic-only.jpg
In the morning I'll upload another set of pics and show how I take shortcuts and avoid soldering vertically on the playfield to get the pops wired up. Makes for easy future changes.
Pops are cleaned up, new parts are installed, and the leaves and spoons are lined up better. Much more random play happening now.
-mof
Here's an example of using washers to secure and connect the lamp socket wires under the playfield.
It makes it easier to make cosmetic changes to the pops later on, such as changing the skirt colors.
-mof
I clip the ends on each lead since I don't need that much material
201405-HS-clipped-ends.jpg
Here's the view with the pops removed. With the bracket on there, I line up a short hex screw in a good safe spot.
201405-HS-wiring.jpg
Just one observation from your photos. The long rubber that is in front of the diverter. That is not the correct application. There should be in fact two rubber rings and they should be installed to go around behind the diverter mechanism. There is clearance behind the diverter, between the diverter plate and the back board. The upper rubber should be in the groves on the posts and the lower should be below it.
Quoted from Freeplay40:Just one observation from your photos. The long rubber that is in front of the diverter. That is not the correct application. There should be in fact two rubber rings and they should be installed to go around behind the diverter mechanism. There is clearance behind the diverter, between the diverter plate and the back board. The upper rubber should be in the groves on the posts and the lower should be below it.
Thanks... yeah there is a lot of whackiness involved on this old PF... Surely I'll be leaning on other people's pics to get it all set up right...
-mof
Quoted from mof:If you own an early 80's or system 11 Williams, and you haven't yet upgraded it to the newer flipper springs, you are missing out on 20% snappier game play. It's a MUST-upgrade.
Do you have a link or part no. for those springs?
EDIT: nevermind I took a look at Vid's flipper guide and its all in there 
I just saw this thread, but if you ended up not ordering the stickers for the spinners, I have some that I can bring with me to PAGG tomorrow. I never used them when I had my High Speed. Let me know.
Quoted from Freeplay40:Just one observation from your photos. The long rubber that is in front of the diverter. That is not the correct application. There should be in fact two rubber rings and they should be installed to go around behind the diverter mechanism. There is clearance behind the diverter, between the diverter plate and the back board. The upper rubber should be in the groves on the posts and the lower should be below it.
Funny how we had that same discussion last night Mark. Thanks for the assist.
Quoted from KloggMonkey:Do you have a link or part no. for those springs?
Try Vids thread on flipper rebuilds. He covers it in there. Please post the part numbers on this thread when you find them.
I already have this list built in the system11 thread.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/system-11-club/page/6
half way down the page...
-mof
Quoted from Nexyss:I just saw this thread, but if you ended up not ordering the stickers for the spinners, I have some that I can bring with me to PAGG tomorrow. I never used them when I had my High Speed. Let me know.
Thanks! I just ordered a set, so if I screw 'em up, I'll hit you up for plan B.
=)
-mof
Quoted from mof:More odd behavior after the flipper upgrade: It doesn't give me 3-ball multi-ball when I Escape, just 2-ball. I am slightly concerned. But overall, it's playing much much better.
-mof
This is probably because your second diverter on your ramp is not attached firmly enough. This is a pretty common problem. The first divertor works and diverts ball into first ramp, but NOW that your flippers are stronger, it goes right past the second diverter and you end up with just 2 balls.
Check your diverters by hand. Grab one in each hand and try to move them independantly. If either one of them moves then something is wrong. On mine, I had to drill a hole and tap a screw into it.
Quoted from FirebrandX:Wow that playfield board is in REALLY bad shape. You might want to look for a replacement.
I picked the final HS playfield off the BAA site a few months ago...
Here's a snipet from the OP:
-mof
'This lovely High Speed came from the historic Starbase Arcade http://www.starbasearcade.com/ in San Rafael, CA. Unfortunately SBA's doors closed last summer. My friend knows the owner well, and lined me up with first shot at owning this historic High Speed when it came up. With a CPR playfield in my "shop", I took one look at the cabinet and backglass, and said, "Yes."'
Quoted from mof:I picked the final HS playfield off the BAA site a few months ago...
Here's a snipet from the OP:
-mof
'This lovely High Speed came from the historic Starbase Arcade http://www.starbasearcade.com/ in San Rafael, CA. Unfortunately SBA's doors closed last summer. My friend knows the owner well, and lined me up with first shot at owning this historic High Speed when it came up. With a CPR playfield in my "shop", I took one look at the cabinet and backglass, and said, "Yes."'
Ah that's good then. I just saw those pics of the paint near completely gone and thought that was pretty much impossible to restore.
Hours 45-47:
1) removed the ramp 100% and cleaned it up really good. Put it back.
2) Solved recent switch errors:
3) Drilled new bracket holes to ensure EOS spring doesn't touch switches.
Getting switch errors 36,37,38 on boot.
Checked manual, and switch matrix suggests check Q43
Getting bad readings on it. Removed it, checked my parts box, and F*** yeah, I had 1 in there from Radio Shack (meaning I bought TWO once)...
Dropped it in, and everything worked.
1 game later, and I'm down 2-3 switches already.
Right EOS, Left Inlane.
I'll post another thread to look for help diagnosing.
-mof
The results are astonishing. This thing is playing like a beast now.
There's just something magical about being about 50 hours into a resto, that it starts playing like a champion...
It's now my GF's second-favorite machine behind WW (after playing HS just once, with a score of 1,200,000 -- almost beating the machine.) She's not a gamer or a pin-head, but she has great instinctive timing skills for pinball. She says she likes the Devo-like music, she feels like she's accomplishing something easily understandable with the red-yellow-green lights and making the ramp shot. It's always good feedback to learn from non-pin-heads why certain games hold interest and others don't, especially when the reasons are not ones I'd ever think of.
Adding more blue this weekend... heading over to Cliffy's to try some blue post rubbers out. Will get some blue flipper buttons next week.
-mof
Quoted from mof:The results are astonishing. This thing is playing like a beast now.
There's just something magical about being about 50 hours into a resto, that it starts playing like a champion...
It's now my GF's second-favorite machine behind WW (after playing HS just once, with a score of 1,200,000 -- almost beating the machine.) She's not a gamer or a pin-head, but she has great instinctive timing skills for pinball. She says she likes the Devo-like music, she feels like she's accomplishing something easily understandable with the red-yellow-green lights and making the ramp shot. It's always good feedback to learn from non-pin-heads why certain games hold interest and others don't, especially when the reasons are not ones I'd ever think of.
Adding more blue this weekend... heading over to Cliffy's to try some blue post rubbers out. Will get some blue flipper buttons next week.
-mof
Blue, huh? I'm actually going to do a test form for the ramp out of transparent blue .125 acrylic to test.
Quoted from Freeplay40:Blue, huh? I'm actually going to do a test form for the ramp out of transparent blue .125 acrylic to test.
Super-sexy, I may be your first customer on it.
-mof
Hours 48-50:
Added a blue LED under the saucer. And one blue bulb under the left ramp to balance the blue. This really ties the two blue LEDs under the flipper return guides. Very happy about it.
Tightened down 4+ posts that have been flopping around. Were nuts missing under the PF? Um, yeah...
Added a few missing rubbers from the new set (doh!)
Replaced remaining GI bulbs
Drilled out a broken screw (need to hit hardware store to replace if possible)
The plan is -- make sure every bolt and nut and screw is in place before I do a swap. Why?
The last thing I want to have happen during my first ever PF swap is have anything small and petty like missing screws/nuts/bolts get in the way...
I want a totally solid game before I start. I still have bizarre intermittent switch issues to solve.
I realize I just hit the magical 50 hour mark where the game is playing amazingly well. 50 hours in 4 weeks. ~12 hours a week.
-mof
Hours 52-53:
Fuse test: fail->pass (had one minor adjustment to make, but nothing scary was found in there, as expected.)
Coil test: fail!->pass (had one dead flasher, causing both to not work)
Coil test: re-attached the kicker solenoid. =)
-mof
Quoted from Freeplay40:"Top Flasher" are the two flashers in the back corners of the playfield
Sometimes these guys work in pairs. Yep.
Found a dead one under the right upper green plastics.
All good, thanks!
-mof
Going to experiment with the metal bracket removed on the upper right ramp exit -- want to see how to get the ball to return to the playfield at full speed and feed the upper flipper without going "DONK" on the playfield.
Trying in 4-player mode and just seeing what seems to stop the flow of the ball -- it's apparently the spinner...
There's barely any difference having the metal bracket there. I'm wondering if Mark's clear ramps look great without that piece even being there.
-mof
Quoted from Lonzo:Playfield seems kinda dark.
Nice work.
It will brighten up when he gets his new clear ramp!
Quoted from Lonzo:Playfield seems kinda dark.
Nice work.
Hs is a darker game in terms of light for sure. I ended up using the retro cool whites for gi and it really helped.
Quoted from CNKay:Nice job MOF!
Thanks man, I can't believe I'm 56 hours into this pin, time has been flying by the last 4 weeks. Black Hole only got 56 hours before I moved off the project. (Still want to do 7-digit and new motor on it).
In this case, I can't stop here on High Speed now that it's really dialed in. I have to get the experience in on doing a PF swap before John G. finishes my Sorcerer and ships it back. I need to have my skills up when that comes back, thus this "first time" project for me...
Building two rotisseries comes next...
After that, the pin porn should come flowing into your homes nightly... stay tuned!
-mof
Quoted from danczaz:Keep up the good work! Your thread inspired me to go get a tumbler this weekend!!! Not sure if you did the plunger holder yet put it clean up good... This photo is fresh out tumbler... And a before tumble photo... It was a little big so it was only thing I put in
Very cool, glad to hear it. Yes, I can't say enough good things about having an ultrasonic cleaner and a vibratory tumbler. Next on my tool list is bench buffer.
-mof
Hours 57-59:
* Removed 6 solenoid brackets and tossed 'em in the ultrasonic then the tumbler
* Aligned the lockdown bar receiver so that the playfield lands in there perfectly. Added foam to the playfield brackets so they can't rub against the apron.
* Removed the stoplight from the game.
* Removed the hacked post from the base of the ramp. Installed a metal post (but not the right type)
-mof
Look at how poorly this lockdown bar receiver was cut... the grooves are off by about 3/16"
I compensated by adding a few washers to the right side...
201405-HS-lockdown-tweak1.jpg201405-HS-lockdown-tweak3.jpg201405-HS-lockdown-tweak2.jpg
Using the hollow nut driver as a measuring guide, take a look:
Now we have good alignment. Am I happy with this workaround? No. May have to kick down dough for a new receiver.
201405-HS-lockdown-tweak4.jpg
Hours 60-61:
* Ultrasonic'd all the springs and screws (6+12+24)
* Installed new nylon 6-32 lock nuts
* Cleaned off all 6 solenoid plungers
* Reassembled all 6 solenoid assemblies
It's funny, now that all the solenoids and sleeves are really clean, I can "hear" the difference when they fire. There's more of a crisp sound when they activate when they have less resistance from all the black dust.
Now 11/12 solenoid assemblies have been cleaned/polished in prep for the swap. I still clean/polish all the above playfield arms for each solenoid.
-mof
I feel like I'm watching a sci-fi movie when I see dangling solenoids
201405-HS-alien-body-corpses.jpg
Hour 61:
Stoplight painted, still one more set of coats to go.
I intentionally masked to create a nice thick black outline around the face of it. Turned out pretty good.
Regardless of where you mount yours, I imagine it will reflect more light and brighten up the game.
-mof
201406-HS-yellow-stoplight.jpg
Quoted from MustangPaul:Looks good, now if it only had the little hood over each light.
I can give it a shot out of a round paper plate...
See if I can spray paint an edge of a paper plate, let it dry... then make a little flap, cut it, then tuck it in there between the lens and the plastic. tooth pick drop in 1 drop of glue. We'll see.
-mof
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San Francisco, CA
Dunakeszi