'72 Fireball club. All here can enter Valhalla

Would be interested to know what show/series this clip was from. Anyone know the show or the names of the actors?

Is that James Cromwell ? https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000342/?ref_=tt_cl_t5

Looks like him, but if it's him I can't find what the series is.

It is an episode from "Police Story".

Thanks!

How the fu.. do you get your playfields so nice. I just got a no. 1957 (my first pinball) it have been in a barn in over 30 years, i have been cleaning and cleaning but the playfield still not pretty, maby i have to go for the magic sponge.

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Not perfect, but a lot better than it was. Yep, definitely needed the magic eraser for most of my playfield, just cleaning with the usual stuff did nothing.

These protectors are a must.
https://beehivepinball.bigcartel.com/product/playshield-protector-classic-bally

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Hey al!! Just purchased a Fireball 72, in excellent condition, but the shipping company BROKE THE (PRISTINE) BACKGLASS. ACK!

Anyhoo, now I'm in the market for a backglasss in good condition. I assume that a machine with the original backglass is worth more than one with a reproduction.

I'm so devastated!

PM Sent.

http://shayarcadegroup.com/backglasses/

Mine don't TINK. What's my problem?

Also, does anyone remember who has zipper flipper rebuild kits? Some !@#$ kids broke my zipper flippers.

New member here!

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I’ve got everything set up pretty well on this game now after getting it home a few weeks ago. One issue is still haunting me however.... occasionally after getting a ball locked into Odin or Wotan and releasing a ball into multiball if I drain a ball and still have the other in play and happen to knock one of the 2 balls back into the Odin or Wotan after the first one has drained, instead of releasing a new ball the machine advances to the next ball☹️. This is my first EM in my sea of solid states. Where should I look to correct this issue?

I did forget to mention that the Odin and Wotan locks work well and release correctly with the yellow mushroom switches activating them and the switches in the locks themselves seem to register fine as well so that guess I’m looking into one of the many many relays in the cabinet to correct at this point I just would like a little guidance if I may ask. I had issues with the trough at one point and cleaned it up as well as adjusted all 3 switches. I also cleaned and checked gaps on the normally opened and closed contacts on the relays in the cab as well or so I thought?

It's not a bug, it's a feature

That is how the "sequencing" goes .... probably why you don't see this game in tournaments. Say player 1 is up and this happens. it switches to player 2 & kicks out the ball in shooter lane, player 1 still thinks it's their ball & plunges ... instant D.Q.

The trick is when you see one draining, NOT to flip until you hear the score motor & outhole kicker to reload the trough.

Crap! Well that stinks.... thank you for the info though much appreciated. I’m guessing there isn’t a workaround other than to wait and listen for the score motor to reload? I have so many other pins on at the same time I’ll be lucky if I can hear it. You would think they would have used an interlocking relay or something similar to 4 million bc in order to avoid that annoyance. It would be a great tournament pin if that could be fixed.

Same thing can happen to you on the Solid State Fireball Classic as well.

I didn't get a whole lot of time on Four Million B.C. want to though

Has anyone on here rebuilt the spinner motor and or gear box? I’m having issues with it spinning slowly and humming at the moment. Any tips would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance!

http://www.pinrepair.com/em/index3.htm#motor
scroll down to "Lubricating a Score Motor."

It's setup the same as the spinning disc

You have to remove the motor from the frame to locate the "needle bearing" felt pad ... clean but do NOT lubricate the brass gears

Thank you for the direction. I think I need more pics or something. I need to see what I’m taking apart. I’m a visual learner, the text I can read a hundred times, but without seeing, it just doesn’t always make sense to me. Any other examples or pics?

There is a pic there showing the place to put a couple drops of 3-1 oil

You have to remove the frame from the playfield (disc comes with it) then remove the motor from the frame to access that hole.

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Perfect and thank you very much I oiled the felt pad on both sides Of the motor case and cleaned the gearbox up with alcohol and q tips and she runs like a dream and so quiet now

Fireball owners , I have a real nice original for sale but willing to trade for basket case
Non working Bally Kiss . Would love to see this game go to a good home It’s my 5th one and plays the best I’ve had . I’m talking a straight trade for a turd not someone who’s flipping

Fixed the motor last night. Turned the game on today and I’m back to the same old crap! Motor is barley working again wtf..... lubed and cleaned. I guess I have to tear apart the motor and gearbox what a pita!

hmmm. I'm wondering if your getting a good strong voltage. does it spin smooth enough without power ?

I think the case it riveted together but 43 year old grease might need to be cleaned outta there. Take & post some good pics if you can ( I like pics too )

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I’ll take more pics when I get a chance to take it apart this week. It does not spin freely when I try to spin it there is quite a bit of resistant force. 56v ac at the motor.

Total removal and cleaning of the motor and gear box. I removed one flange off of each of the 4 rivets, so I could re-install them to keep the gearbox perfectly aligned as well as adding a 2” #4/40 screw, washer, lock washer and nut so it stays together as Intended. I’m happy to report everything is now aligned, cleaned, greased, oiled, quiet and smooth as butter!

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Thanks for the detailed pics - I will be doing mine soon. What are the parts you "greased" & "oiled?"

Oiled the small felt pad pin hole on both sides directly over the motor gear pin. I Only greased (super lube synthetic) the gear pin ends directly at the base of the spinning disc and the gear pin ends 1st in line beside the one directly under the spinning disc. The other gear pin ends are connected to the felt tip pad so I left them to 3 in 1 oil only at the pad.

Got it, that confirms as well the brass cogs themselves run dry no oil/grease. Great, Thanks.

I could't remove the spinning disc from the shaft last time I tried. I removed the two locking bolts/screws but it was still stuck on. Any tips to remove the disc form the shaft?

Yes those locking bolts slightly distort the shaft as they press into it. Physics is your friend. I rested a flathead screw driver at an angle and twisted it slowly on one side the again to the other side of the shaft from the plate to the spinner shaft seating. It took a while to pull up. Then I grabbed a small open ended wrench and did the same thing. You may need to use a few stacked wrenches as you slowly pull it off. Then you will need a very fine file to remove the distortion that the set screws made so you can remove the gear from the frame.

That a good method - I will try that, thanks!

That makes sense with what happens with the locking nuts & shaft. I just remembered something similar, The early williams (system 3-6) flipper shafts have a slight recess at the end in the position where the two locking pawl bolts press against the shaft to allow for any metal distortion at the contact points. Any distortion is within the recess area allowing for easy removal.

However, fitting the later type one piece bat & shaft that does not have the recessed end in the early two bolt pawl setup will result in the metal distorting like what happend here & the pawl & shaft locking together making it extremely difficult to remove.

I just joined Pinside, so I don't know if this is allowed, hopefully I'm not breaking any rules...

I'm looking to buy my first machine and playing a Fireball Home Edition machine was how I spent most of my college years. What should I expect to pay for a machine in good order (in not looking for a project)? I see one on eBay for $5K, but that just feels high.

Thanks!

Home edition fireball is considered more a toy than a real pinball machine, its value is low (more in the hundreds range than thousands) as they are less fun to play and more difficult to repair..
If you want one for nostalgia then research them,buy a working one, and don't compare prices with commercial fireball pinball machines..

Are you certain it was the Home edition ? there are 4 iterations of this game (at this post) 5K is a little much for any version unless a flawless original perhaps

Can you link the Ebay example or a screenshot ? ( shouldn't have to worry about someone buying it out from under you at that price