(Topic ID: 50378)

1977 Bally Evel Knievel Solenoids Will Not Fire

By threex5x7

10 years ago

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Latest reply 10 years ago by BrianBannon
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Evel Knievel Bally, 1977

Hello to all, and thanks for any help!!

I just bought an Evel Knievel pinball and have installed Alltek Boards.

When conducting the Solenoid Test I get the following results:

01: OUTHOLE - Will not fire
02: KNOCKER - Works
03: SAUCER - Will not fire
04 through 07: CHIMES 10, 100, 1000, Extra Chime - Works
08: TOP THUMPER BUMPER - Will not fire
09: MIDDLE THUMPER BUMPER - Will not fire
10: BOTTOM THUMPER BUMPER - Will not fire
11: LEFT SLING SHOT: Will not fire
12: RIGHT SLING SHOT: Will not fire
13: DROP TARGET RESET: Will not fire
14: COIN LOCKOUT RELAY: Works
15: K1 RELAY (FLIPPER-ENABLE): Works ((I hear the relay 'click' on the driver board, but the flippers will not fire at all)).

ABOUT THE MACHINE:

1. I bought this machine 'dead' and needing new boards. The last owner didn't have any good info other than pointing out the battery corrosion on the original boards.

2. All the other 'SELF TESTS' pass and all playfield and backbox lighting and displays are correct.

3. The machine will take credits and 'start' a game, but the solenoids listed above will not fire.

4. I checked all the fuses on the Transformer and Rectifier A2. All were good.

5. Checked all the voltages on the TP's on the Transformer and Rectifier A2. All were good.

6. All the correct voltage and 'cyclone' lights are correct on the Alltek Boards. I have no reason to even consider an ALLTEK board failure.

MY THOUGHTS:

1. Is there something that connects all the above failed solenoids? Are these solenoids 'daisy chained'? If they are daisy chained, which solenoid is first in the chain?

2. Seems to me like a fuse could be the culprit, but I have removed all the fuses from the Transformer and Rectifier A2 and checked with a multimeter. Also, all the correct voltage LED's are lit on the Alltek Boards. Is there an underplayfield fuse on an EVEL KNIEVEL?? If so where is it??? I have been unbale to find one.

3. Basically all the playfield solenoids will not fire and it seems to be something simple that I've overlooked.....stumped for now.....

Thanks in advance for all the help!!

Respectfully,

Threex5x7

It sounds like a classic "playfield fuse blown" problem, but EK doesn't have a pf fluse. Since boards are new, I'd suspect the J4 connectors on the SDB or the MPU. Good idea to replace the terminal pins anyway, if you haven't already. Could do the old "wiggle the wires" method while the solenoid test is running.

Step one. Verify +43vdc at non working coils. If missing look for blown playfield fuse (mata hari uses one, it should be near the flippers).

Step two, on the driver board and using a jumper wire. Go from ground(ground braid, ground test point, etc) to the metal tab of some of the transistors. They should fire when transistor tab is gounded. If so that proves the solenoids have power and the connection to the driver board is complete for the path to ground.

That leaves the logic side of it which goes from a PIA on the MPU through connector MPU J4. Next goes through driver board J4 to the U2 decoder on the driver board. If the original MPU had corrosion then the female side of MPU j4 connector is suspect, repin. The driver board is more likely to have cracked solder joints. Good idea to resolder/replace the header pins and repin the female plug. With the schematic you can use your DMM on continuity test/beep to check for lack of continuity. Start on a point before the connector on the MPU and driver board as that is the biggest failure point.

Another way to do it is to put the game in coil test. Put your logic probe or even DMM on all the inputs of the decoder U2 on driver board. You should see all of them going high and low during test. If one is floating / not changing state then you likely have a connector problem.

Are you sure all of your connectors are plugged in? If J1 and J5 are disconnected on the SDB, all of the coils that you listed would not fire. Your chimes and coin lockout are on J2 and your knocker is on J3. With good voltage everywhere else, a couple of loose or disconnected connectors is all that makes sense to me, unless someone cut them in the middle somewhere.

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1977 Bally Evel Knievel Solenoids Will Not Fire

By threex5x7

10 years ago

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