Rochester, NY
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:Wow, how did I not see that! Thanks!
So I would take one connector of the DMM and put it on the 100 Volt, and where would the other go? To a ground?
Pin 5 is ground
(Topic ID: 274002)
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Whirlwind
Williams, 1990
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Maybe start here for issues regarding your display:
https://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_System_9_-_11#Display_problems
Quoted from locke987:Maybe start here for issues regarding your display:
https://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_System_9_-_11#Display_problems
I have been looking at that, thanks! I haven't had the chance to check it yet.
Quoted from topkat:Did you get your pf? I am contemplating getting one now that I picked up a machine
Thanks
Yes I did! I have it curing right now.
I'll take some pictures when I get a chance. Unfortunately I've been busy and lazy lately so I haven't had a chance to continue working on the Whirlwind, but I'm hoping to get back into it soon!
9 months later
Yeeep, it's been a while since my last post! But I'm finally getting back around to working on my Whirlwind again!
This came about after my nephew wanted to check out the game and see if it played. Amazingly, the game does fully function, minus the alphanumeric display and a couple pop bumpers.
Not bad for a Whirlwind that was left outside in New England weather for years and years under a tarp!
Speaking of the alphanumeric display, after my dad and I tested some voltage we noticed that the 100 volts that powers the alphanumeric display was not sending anything when the game was turned on. So we removed the power supply to see if anything was wrong, and...
Based on these images, it looks like someone had previously worked on this power supply. Either way, this specific area seemed to get pretty hot at some point. This lines up with me having to replace the F2 fuse.
20210606_123521 (resized).jpg
20210606_123535 (resized).jpg
20210606_123557 (resized).jpg
One of the capacitors in this area controls, yup, the 100 volts to the alpha numeric display.
While I do think this power supply could be repaired, I decided to order a new power supply from PinballPCB which should be coming in soon. It looks like this, per the product page:
Other miscellaneous things that need to be fixed on the playfield:
Aah, the classic busted ramp and chipped yellow pop bumper. Cliffy protector should take care of that!
Not sure what happened here, but there was tape on this part of the plastic ramp, and the flasher bulb seating seems to be popped out.
I don't know wtf happened here. Does anyone know if this is what the spinning discs look like without the stickers on them? Looks like someone finger painted some makeshift art!
Here is the shiny new Whirlwind playfield from CPR!
I ordered this one as soon as they became available months ago.
I dread the thought of doing the playfield swap, since it will be my first. I know the dimples are likely way off, which is frustrating.
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:I dread the thought of doing the playfield swap, since it will be my first. I know the dimples are likely way off, which is frustrating.
Don't worry about it... Most things are easy to center up by eye. Use a pick or some other sharp pokey thing to make your own dimples once you have a bracket centered up.
By far, the hardest part to get things lined up was the saucer kick out bits... just take your time. Also, getting some hardware for plastics might seem tricky, but easy to do with some basic tools:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9DXRNXmzEGQ54Fzx7
If you don't have a transfer punch kit, get one off Amazon, around $20 for cheap ones and that is all you need for wood dimpling. See my other post in this thread for a photo dump of my restore.... you never take enough photos... so always take more.
Whirlwind was my first big ground up restore... it was a major project... but take it one step at a time, nibble away at the project... don't get overwhelmed by how much there in total... nibble nibble.
Hope to see some updates soon!
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:I don't know wtf happened here. Does anyone know if this is what the spinning discs look like without the stickers on them? Looks like someone finger painted some makeshift art!
They should be flat, black plastic underneath. Maybe someone tried to stick some glue in there to hold them down?
Quoted from zacaj:They should be flat, black plastic underneath. Maybe someone tried to stick some glue in there to hold them down?
I wonder how I should remove that then. Some kind of fine sandpaper to smooth it out?
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:Aah, the classic busted ramp and chipped yellow pop bumper. Cliffy protector should take care of that!
[quoted image][quoted image]
Pretty sure that pop bumper is designed that way as a half so it doesn’t hang over the ramp area. You can buy them for Addams Family. The yellow one like Whirlwinds you can’t get anymore.
Quoted from Jmckune:Pretty sure that pop bumper is designed that way as a half so it doesn’t hang over the ramp area. You can buy them for Addams Family. The yellow one like Whirlwinds you can’t get anymore.
Ah okay, didn't know that! Well, then that's great to see all of them are intact!
It is easy to make your own pop bumper cap. Take the old one, line the edge up with the edge of some scrap wood and mark the screw holes. Now screw down a normal cap and grind it down with some 60 grit sand paper. When you get about flush with the wood, start stepping up the grits to finer and finer so you end up with a nice edge flush with the board.
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:Here is the shiny new Whirlwind playfield from CPR!
I ordered this one as soon as they became available months ago.
I dread the thought of doing the playfield swap, since it will be my first. I know the dimples are likely way off, which is frustrating.
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
Be very careful. These are known to lift large sections of clear. Tread carefully. I know from personal experience.
2 weeks later
Quoted from dmacy:Be very careful. These are known to lift large sections of clear. Tread carefully. I know from personal experience.
YUP! I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.
Quoted from dmacy:Be very careful. These are known to lift large sections of clear. Tread carefully. I know from personal experience.
Same issue here on a FT PF from them.
Quoted from Bryan_Kelly:YUP! I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.
Can you elaborate? I just bought the last one from CPR. Wondering if I screwed up.
Quoted from dmacy:Be very careful. These are known to lift large sections of clear. Tread carefully. I know from personal experience.
So what exactly would I do then to avoid having that happen? The last thing I need is to wreck this new playfield!
Also, my new Power Board from Pinball PCB came in and...the display still doesn't work. F&^%$!
So in that case it must either be the connector cables, or the display board itself has burned out. Is it possible to order new connector cables online?
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:So what exactly would I do then to avoid having that happen? The last thing I need is to wreck this new playfield!
Not use it unless you talk to a restorer that feels comfortable with redoing it. Not sure if Ron or anyone else has any experience with redoing one. Reach out would be my suggestion.
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:So what exactly would I do then to avoid having that happen? The last thing I need is to wreck this new playfield!
get it recleared before installation?
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:Also, my new Power Board from Pinball PCB came in and...the display still doesn't work. F&^%$!
So in that case it must either be the connector cables, or the display board itself has burned out. Is it possible to order new connector cables online?
I forget, has the glass confirmed to be good (not outgassed/broken)?
You can get a new ribbon cable online, they're generic. The other cables you can just check continuity and/or repin
Quoted from dmacy:Not use it unless you talk to a restorer that feels comfortable with redoing it. Not sure if Ron or anyone else has any experience with redoing one. Reach out would be my suggestion.
Can someone link me to any thread or information about this issue? I wish I would have known this a week ago before I bought the last CPR pf in stock.
Quoted from zacaj:get it recleared before installation?
I forget, has the glass confirmed to be good (not outgassed/broken)?
You can get a new ribbon cable online, they're generic. The other cables you can just check continuity and/or repin
How would I test to see if it has been outgassed? It could be that, but I would like to confirm it somehow.
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:How would I test to see if it has been outgassed? It could be that, but I would like to confirm it somehow.
I don't really know of any way to tell. If it won't display anything in an otherwise working game, voltages are good, etc, then I assume the glass is bad and I replace the display
Quoted from zacaj:I don't really know of any way to tell. If it won't display anything in an otherwise working game, voltages are good, etc, then I assume the glass is bad and I replace the display
That's what I figured. Everything works normal on the game. It starts up, (after resetting since there are no batteries in it right now) load in a couple quarters and it plays through a regular game and I can hear the sound effect for the score tally.
Now I just have to decide to go with an Xpin display or Wolfpactech.
Quoted from Elicash:Can you elaborate? I just bought the last one from CPR. Wondering if I screwed up.
If it's direct ink, and not screened, you'll have the same issues the Mirco playfields are having with chips of artwork coming off.
I did a WW swap for a friend and after about ten plays, the edges of the scoops started to chip. After contacting CPR, they said nothing like that had ever happened to any of their playfields and blamed it on me.
After a lengthy back and forth and after I showed them pics of the huge area of artwork I removed with my fingernail, they took it back and refunded our money.
Quoted from dmacy:Not use it unless you talk to a restorer that feels comfortable with redoing it. Not sure if Ron or anyone else has any experience with redoing one. Reach out would be my suggestion.
My thoughts are, if the artwork isn't adhering to the playfield, it won't matter what you do with the clear up top and I don't care who's doing it.
On mine the clear came off near a post not a scoop, but still should not happen. Even over a year of curing...
Quoted from dmacy:On mine the clear came off near a post not a scoop, but still should not happen. Even over a year of curing...
I had the same issue with a post near a scoop.
Two spots started out small. This pic is after I picked at it awhile. And it got worse.
We returned this one to CPR and got one from Mirco. Within a handful of plays, the Mirco one started to chip on the scoop edges also.
693F6DB3-A817-414C-A0A7-ED3EF6AB5CD4_1_105_c (resized).jpegQuoted from Bryan_Kelly:If it's direct ink, and not screened, you'll have the same issues the Mirco playfields are having with chips of artwork coming off.
I did a WW swap for a friend and after about ten plays, the edges of the scoops started to chip. After contacting CPR, they said nothing like that had ever happened to any of their playfields and blamed it on me.
After a lengthy back and forth and after I showed them pics of the huge area of artwork I removed with my fingernail, they took it back and refunded our money.
Great...Makes me wish hardtops would eventually be made for Whirlwind.
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:Great...Makes me wish hardtops would eventually be made for Whirlwind.
How bad is your original playfield? May be worth having it restored and cleared. That’s what I did with mine and it’s great
2 months later
Sorry to pile on and you may have discovered this already, but it appears your repro playfield is missing the slot for the shooter lane switch. There have been a handful of people posting about this recently. Just didn't want you to get too far populating before you noticed.
I will say I did a Whirlwind swap with a CPR playfield several years ago. Aside from some suspect dimple locations, it went smoothly and had no issues with the clear. Sounds like others were not so fortunate.
Quoted from Aeolus7:Sorry to pile on and you may have discovered this already, but it appears your repro playfield is missing the slot for the shooter lane switch. There have been a handful of people posting about this recently. Just didn't want you to get too far populating before you noticed.
I will say I did a Whirlwind swap with a CPR playfield several years ago. Aside from some suspect dimple locations, it went smoothly and had no issues with the clear. Sounds like others were not so fortunate.
Good observation. There should be a cutout for the shooter switch. See post #16 in this thread. you can see the cutout on the shooter lane.
7 months later
As an additional note to anyone who may not know this about LED displays, remember to remove the fuses from the high voltage section of the power supply! Specifically, for System 11C machines, you will want to remove Fuse F1, F2, and F3. I have a new power supply from PinballPCB, but I believe the fuses would be the same as on an original power supply.
By removing these fuses, you protect the low voltage LED display from getting a potential surge and frying it.
Quoted from dmacy:How about Evaporust gel and lightly brush it on?
I have some concentrated krud kutter, which I thought about using.
Couple of other things I worked on as well:
I installed Frank's Coin Battery board to the MPU. This is the pro version that has two coin batteries that work in parallel.
20220522_003054 (resized).jpg
I also replaced that busted shooter rod with a nice shiny blue one! I'll still need to replace/clean the rusty springs, which I tried to but that rust is caked on there.
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:As an additional note to anyone who may not know this about LED displays, remember to remove the fuses from the high voltage section of the power supply! Specifically, for System 11C machines, you will want to remove Fuse F1, F2, and F3. I have a new power supply from PinballPCB, but I believe the fuses would be the same as on an original power supply.
By removing these fuses, you protect the low voltage LED display from getting a potential surge and frying it.
[quoted image]
Correct on the fuse(s) According to Brett at Xpin he also recommends the fuse removal & said Williams overkilled the fusing. If I understood correctly F1 is the main fuse that feeds F2 & F3 (each display) On my game I only removed F1 & all is fine using Xpin green displays.
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:The tranformer works, but man is it rusty! Anyone suggest a good way to clean this transformer so it will look shiny, or at least less like a rust bucket?
This may be too late but be really careful on the transformer not to get it wet, make sure you tape up the exposed edges so no liquid goes down inside.
I have a couple pics of working on mine a few years back.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/first-resto-getting-a-globetrotter-top-back-to-life#post-3239533
Quoted from mark532011:This may be too late but be really careful on the transformer not to get it wet, make sure you tape up the exposed edges so no liquid goes down inside.
I have a couple pics of working on mine a few years back.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/first-resto-getting-a-globetrotter-top-back-to-life#post-3239533
I haven't touched it, I'm making it low priority at this point.
Instead, I worked on getting the fan motor running smoothly again.
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