Switches, get the contacts close but not touching or you will be replacing a fuse. That should increase your pop bumper sensitivity. You will need this http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1518 to accomplish the adjustment.

Clean the switches first with a business card and maybe some alcohol. You'd be surprised how much effect a bit of corrosion has on switch closure.

If they still aren't responsive enough, adjust first the activation switch so that the gap is closer (but reasonable). The second adjustment I've made, depending on the style of the spoon switch (or if it really is a problem, is to adjust the stiff metal strip (if present) so that the spoon switch presses into the bumper skirt peg as little as possible. I've had a few pop bumpers (on my Firepower specifically) where the spoon switch was being forcefully held on the tip of the peg and it both wears out the spoon, and makes the bumper activate poorly. The spoon switch should be centered and touching the peg, but not 'pressing' on it to the point of causing it to be resistive.

If that made any sense you're on your way to fixing it.

This is what I would try first. Adjust the leaf from its base using this tool above or small needle nose pliers. You want them (the contacts) close but not touching.

Center the tips of the skirts into the spoons.

A flashlight (shinning from above) will come in handy to do this.

Read Vid's guide on rebuilding pops:

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-rebuilding-pop-bumpers

I have one of these. I just don't know how to use it. What do you do?

Simply use the slotted ends (different directions dependent on what position you are trying to adjust switch with) at the base of the switch (put leaf in slot) and bend it the direction you need to adjust it to.

Why thank you! What about micro switches? Same tool?

No these are specifically for leaf switches (on targets, slings, pop bumpers ect.). An example pictured below:
image.jpg

If the spoon (white thing) and peg (red thing) under the playfield are CLEAN. Disassemble and clean with isopropyl alcohol. As mentioned above, make sure the peg is aligned in the spoon well during reassembly.

And you use the tool to bend the "short" (darker) metal on the outside of the longer leafs as well as the leafs themselves that have the contacts on them?

I also hear about people adjusting micro switches....how do you do this without out snapping them off?

I believe micro switches can be adjusted by tightening and loosening the tiny screws. This will give you access to the guts and you can make adjustments to tighten and loosen the springs.

Typically, if your micro switch is flakey, it is simply better to buy a new micro switch rather than mess with it.

In my experience, once the micro switch has stopped working properly as a result of the spring inside the switch, it is far better to replace the switch rather than trying to fix it.

Marcus

Some micro switches have a separate vertical threaded bracket that allows you to adjust the horizontal angle of the switch.

Others have a fixed threaded bracket; on those, there's minimal horizontal adjustment so your additional adjustment options are to either move the switch arm from the inner pegs to the rear (pry it off carefully) or to bend the arm itself.

Usually takes several attempts to get it right.

Even then, the fix might be only be temporary and the problem recur because of worn internals, as mentioned previously.

Another variable with switches: being mounted too high or too low (in relation to the slot) by the factory; in this case, a custom adjustment could be the answer if you don't want possible extra holes to relocate the switch to where it should have been mounted.

Something else to watch out for is to make sure that the pop bumper apron, when at rest, is parallel to the playfield. When I got my Sorcerer, the lower pop bumper mostly didn't fire because it was just enough off 90 degrees to the playfield that the ball rolling onto the apron from above didn't trigger the switch.

Great answer I couldn't of said it better myself thanks for the helpful post!

Bend the back leaf from the base the one that has is stationary when the switch is activated. The forward leaf is the one that moves when switch is hit bending back to hit the stationary one. What you want to do is adjust the stationary leaf so it is close but not touching. I wish I could explain it better.

Thanks for posting the solution hopefully it helps others in the future.

OK, so I've got a new AFMR and I think the pop bumpers aren't right. The "bottom jet" rarely fires. And almost never if hit from the left side. That makes me think that the peg may not be centered in the spoon. But when I raise the playfield and rest it against the box, I can't shine a light down on it from "above". So how am I supposed to see if the peg is centered? And won't the fact that the playfield is raised 90 degrees cause the peg to sag a little?

Bright enough light from below should allow you to see the peg silhouette through the translucent spoon.

It shouldn't. Bumper skirt is held in place pretty firmly by spring tension.

I find the pushing the spoon up towards the peg is helpful in centering. If the peg moves one direction or another when you push the spoon towards it it, then it’s not centered.

It’s also good practice to remove the spoon switch assembly from the underside of the playfield, clean the spoon and peg with rubbing alcohol, adjust the switch gap, reinstall and center up the spoon, and do a final tweak of the switch gap. I’ve never had this process not fix this problem. Make sure your game is turned off though.