hi,
i just got a 1964, williams, palooka machine. my friend gave it to me, i used to play this machine when i was 17! it was sitting for about 20 years, prior to me owning it. i replaced alot of parts and cleaned it up, and it is up and ready for play, except for some tweaking here and there. one problem i am having, is when the ball goes between the two passive bumpers, located at the top center of the playing field, and hits the roll over switch, if the 300 pt lite is lit, you will get 300 pts, then the next time 300 pt lite is lit you will get 100 pts, then 300 pts, 100 pts, and so on. i cleaned the advance stepper switch mounted in the cabinet, but it didnt do any good. what could be causing this???

hellodeadcity,

here ya go...a few pics of palooka...only 700 were manufactured...glass and glass lock down are removed, still doing some work on it...bob

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pinbrain,

my friend was my nextdoor neighbor. i knew him and his family since i was 13. im 51 now. i used to go with him to pickup old coin operated machines (mostly pinball, bowling, and juke boxes), when i was 16. i learned alot about these old em machines from him. he taught me how to diagnose and repair them, but its been about 20 yrs since i did this sort of thing, but i remember quite a bit. palooka was my fav. i first played it at his house when i was 17. when i was 27, i moved away, and have only got back in touch with him about 2 yrs ago. his daughter had palooka sitting in her garage, rotting for about 15 yrs, so he finally talked her into letting me have it, before in gets to be beyond repair! so i got it about 4 months ago. i replaced all the rubbers, a few coils, jet and passive bumper caps, plunger rod, sleeve, and springs, play ball, leg levelers, and rubber pads, replaced all the #44 bulbs with lower voltage/heat #47's. replaced front door and backbox locks, installed free play button, cause the coin mechanizim is a mess, and the little hair thin wire trip switch for a dime, is gone.cleaned and adjusted a ton of contacts on leaf and rotary switches. took apart the stepper switch located in the backbox and cleaned all the gunk out of it so it would work proper. the machine would not complete a start cycle when i got it, that stepper switch was a big part of that problem. clean and waxed the playfield. im not restoring it, just want it to look good, and be playable. you can play it now, it just needs some additional tweaking. the back glass and cabinet are in pretty rough shape, dont know what im gonna do with it yet...bob

hellodeadcity,
ok, ill check the "change relay". yes, boxing. actually, "joe palooka" was a comic strip that came out around 1930, about a boxer.

hello all,
"tombstone head"? are you refering to the backbox? ive heard this type of backbox shape called a "reverse wedge" because it resembles an upside down wedge shape...i had to replace a lock coil....bob

HELLODEADCITY,

well, i cant find anything labeled "change switch" i believe it has to do with the stepper switch called "advance switch" but the adjustment looks good. when the wiper contacts are in position and light up 100pts, and i hit the rollover switch it scores 100pts, 200pts lit, scores 200pts, same for 400, and 500pts. it just 300pt scores 100pts then next time 300pts, then 100pts again. i dont see how the stepper can be at fault, its not like the wiper travels to far sometimes, or something like that, its right on. i dont get it, its almost like it was setup that way...i wonder if it could be something in the "score motor"

hellodeadcity,
u mean the lites on the pf that lite up to show the value of the slingshots, targets, kickers, etc...? they are all white, a few might be discolored from age, heat....as for the lites on the lower pf, center 100pts-1000pts, it will advance when u drop all 4 red targets, and then if you hit the center target, you add a ball. also, when the ball hits the kickers, passive bumpers (top center) or the button switches at bottom of pf, it will advance between 100pts-500pts for the center rollover switch at top center of pf.

hellodeadcity,
knock down 4 drop targets, value of center target increases, and add a ball red lite, lites, hit center target, get free ball. i will look at the relays you mentioned, i have rebuild kits
ordered for the kickers anyway, so ill have the hood open on palooka for awhile! do you know where i can get a copy of the instruction card or this machine???....thanks...bob

hellodeadcity,

1 between the flippers = target relay
2 between the Rt ball kicker and Rt drop target =target reset relay
3 across from stepper unit called = advance relay

all 3 relays seem to do what they are supposed to. the target relay works in sync with the target reset relay, and the advance relay, advances the stepper switch....bob

aahgo,
thanks for the info for the back glass. i will check into it. it is a great game! almost 48 yrs old, and with a few new parts, and some tlc, it still works!!!...bob

hello,

i was just wondering. why do you have to load the steel ball manually, for palooka? was this machine built before automatic loaders? or was just the way williams designed this machine?....bob

hi,
i found this instruction card, torn in half, and taped back together, inside my williams palooka machine. does anyone know, by looking at it, what game it belongs too? if someone needs it, they are welcome to it...bob

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