I previously didn't think I needed these. After playing last night and paying closer attention....I need these.

Where do you order them?

Send a PM to Sonic

They’re awesome switches - you won’t regret it.

I ended up replacing these 3 (see pic). I adjusted the outside ball guide on left orbit so much that the switch was nearly worthless. And of course the two on the right that most people swap.

759EA050-640D-4F71-A0A4-5A5F07A8CE08 (resized).jpeg

Does the one at the top of the lane next to the right ramp need to be replaced too? The one immediately to the left of the 2 on the right. I thought the first ones people were doing were the ones in that turn-around lane.

Came here as I noticed some hit shots were being missed on my recently acquired copy. Literally two posts up there’s an image with red circles around the switches I should change. Lol.

I moved my ball guides a LOT to get the flow right. The inside of the U-turn is narrow enough that it doesn’t need it. The exit from the U-turn is typically problematic. I did quite a bit of switch testing and the replaced switches were the problematic ones - YMMV

I know I've gotten balls stuck on a couple of the right-side switches. I can't remember if it was just the outer 2 or if it was ever the 3rd one in. In each case I had to tilt the game to get it loose.

Does anyone know how many standard machines actually sold? I'm #586 but went with a standard, so I know I'm on the tail end of production. Just trying to gauge what things look like.

According to ipdb.org:

Of the 750 sold, 36 of the Standard Edition and 714 of the Blood Sucker Edition are being made.

Anyone have a surefire way to keep the flippers from sticking? I've been unable to solve this one.

It’s all tied to the EOS ... It’s a battle between ‘knockdown’ and ‘stuck-up’ for me. Still fucking with it. Getting close to selling mine.

A note if you do use a Bluetooth transmitter and power it off the mobo, you'll want to use a power only USB cable as you can run into issues starting a game if the system is trying to decide whether to use your BT transmitter for audio. (you want the transmitter to get sound from the aux out on the mobo)

Is this because it's all digital? You would think it's either 0 or 1. Do they need to adjust the polling timings in the code?

So I've seen at least a couple people who have worn into the swirly decal around the buttons so I decided to add some clear protector to make sure this doesn't happen. This is only .002" thick
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NH5E0Z7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00

The siderails come off with 3 screws, then remove the buttons, then print out the "button template.png" and cut it out so you can trace onto the clear sheet. I wrote "sticky side" so you remember which side should be up. If you're tracing on the backing, this should be facing you. When you print the template, make sure you print 1 to 1 (IE fill page, not shrink to fit)
clear_sheet_cutout (resized).jpg
applied (resized).jpg
button template (resized).png

Yeah I did this as well with some vinyl plastic - non adhesive, but sticks.

There is a better solution to the flipper protection, for the bougie.... IMHO...

https://www.hookedonpinball.com/store/p161/Rick_and_Morty_pinball_mod.html

No idea.

Thought today would be the big day. Nope far from it. Out of the box and wouldn’t start a single game. Problem somewhere in the trough optos and/or associated i/o boards. I have checked everything and done everything possible in regards to the optos. I’ve checked all wiring and even swapped each receiver and emitter with zero progress. Trough 1 simply won’t register so it only does endless ball searches.

Yes the second trough has a ball in it.
Trough jam registers every time. Trough 1 never does. I can use either emitter to activate jam opto. Swapped with both sets from the second trough including the wiring. Same problem. Reseated every connector with no luck. So extremely frustrating.

Often times these issues are a loose wire or a serial cable that came unplugged during shipping. You will see I have already replied to your email and offered a phone call as well as parts. Sounds like you have a little tougher issue. I suspect maybe the wire that goes into the white connector seated into the proc switch board. Sometimes the terminal can be loose inside the housing. Either way we will get it up and running no worries.

Hell I'm up for a little after midnight on a Saturday tech help.

I think Luke has it right... it worked here, so something shook loose in shipping. You swapped opto trough boards so I highly doubt 2 of them suddenly went bad, so that isolates it to a line (more than likely). Double check the continuity on the wires from the opto through the connector at the opto board... if thats good do the same to the associated switch board. Those switch board cables are a mass produced item with several used per game, and we do get one here and there that the seat in the housing can come loose on.

Dang!

Late Saturday night tech support!

I work on old and newly manufactured stuff everyday that’s mass produced the new stuff having a lot more wire connectors now a long with a lot more wiring issues from new.

So when something is dead or acting strange (after checking supply voltage) wiring is always the first thing I go after.

These pics below are generic images off google but they are some of the most common connection issues I see on single wire issues beside the entire connector not being seated fully.

Also make sure to look for wire zip ties that are too tight and pulling on connectors or wires. Myself and a few others had this issue with GNR pin.

Hope this helps!
23D00415-A9AF-4291-929F-7EEA48661B70 (resized).jpeg4488A7E1-25FB-4CE4-9F88-61D6B632567D (resized).jpeg

I played my first games on R&M #504 last night, and I have to say I'm effing impressed. This game is a hoot! Great job Spooky! I did work on the game for a week before I played a first ball on it doing some tweaks that I knew I'd want to do. If you're interested here they are:

1.) Cut all 3 flipper bushings down. I saw the flippers were about 1/4" off the playfield when I unboxed #504, so I knew the revised shorter bushings were not yet installed. I took all the flipper mechs apart and was going to remove 1/8" from the bushings, but at the last moment I figured I'd remove 5/32", which is 1/32" more than 1/8". Why not I figured, I have the room.

2.) While reinstalling the upper flipper mech, I was looking at the ball guide feeding it. That ball guide seemed to be excessively far away from the face of the flipper rubber, like at least 1/4" or 3/16" away. I'm lucky enough to have several multi-flipper games sitting around here, so I looked at TZ, IMDN, HS2, TAF, WH2O, and they all seemed to have the guide for their upper flippers set close to, but not perfectly inline with, the face of the flipper. All of their guides were set proud/above the face of the flipper by at least the metal guide thickness, I figured .030" to .060", so I copied this set-up and re-flowed R&M's upper flipper guide to match these other games.

3.) I had a Pinmonk 3 flipper cooling kit waiting around, so I installed that too.

4.) I had a new ball launch guide from, errr... somewhere that you can't get them from anymore (for a while at least), so I installed that too.

5.) I installed playfield mylar at the ball launch drop, the right ramp return drop, and around the pop bumper. Despite this being the best quality playfield I've ever seen (seriously, kudos Spooky), I'm OCD about adding mylar in wear/drop areas.

That was it, for now. I gotta say, the shot to the upper loop with the spinner is MAGIC on this thing. I didn't adjust anything in that upper loop either. I was able to repeat that shot 6-8 times in a row last night. I lost count. Just BAM, BAM, BAM, ripping one after another listening to that killer spinner sound. I'm really happy with that. All the flippers are SUPER powerful as well with the trimmed down bushings. In fact, I was getting quite a few air balls. I might want to dial back the power a little, but I gotta admit it's killer frenetic fun like I remember my newly restored AFM being with its air balls.

The only 3 things I might look into tweaking now is: 1.) The shot from the upper flipper to the garage. I only made this shot once or twice in 3 games. Maybe I just have to find the spot on the flipper, but I hit it about 5 times and the ball just kind of hit the guide rail and its momentum died like hitting a wall, so maybe I need to reflow that ball guide per some of your recommendations. 2.) I got a few scoop rejects, so maybe I need to lower that scoop assembly with washers. 3.) I think I'll ask Pinsider Sonic about getting 4 of his magnetic switches for placement in the loops.

That's it. I'm really happy with this game though. I love it. I'm looking forward to more program updates that are hopefully coming down the pipe. I would not be offended if Snake Jazz, Save Summer, and some other modes were bestowed upon us in the future.

Edit: I forgot to mention that when I was putting the flippers back together, I set the EOS switches as I do all my 90's Williams/Bally games, close to the physical end of stroke. I didn't notice any of the flipper sticking/dropping issues that some report. I'll keep an eye on that as I put more games on #504.

Exactly what I was referring to. Thanks!

Smash Jerry mode!

There should always be something valuable available to shoot when the ball returns to the right flipper and the targets are under-utilized . Flash inlane rollover light and smash jerry ... flash and smash! for a megaseed add or something.

Unless i am missing something (feel free to correct me) :

Currently , there are situations where there is nothing worth shooting (nothing lit) after a right ramp. Smacking Jerry seems like the logical solution and a funny addition. Might be too late for it , but interested in others feelings as well. This is especially frustrating when the right flipper can no longer make the left ramp as reliably due to heat issues. Right inlane switch triggering "something" would solve this gameplay issue.

A friend had made a general comment of "there's nothing to shoot for on the left side" and while not completely true ; i would like to see something implemented to make that statement totally untrue. Maybe even shoot the pop bumper would be something really cool!

525 arrived on friday and i am very happy with the game overall , but the flippers are still not fully up to the task . Flippers sticking up , flipper drop , losing power with long play etc.

I will say they have done excellent work with the shot geometry compared with previous comments on earlier builds.

Great work spooky pinball! It is an amazing game !

I feel a little bad criticizing the flippers ; but i wanted to report it for future corrections.

Really appreciate the customer service displayed here and the willingness to face the pinside scrutiny.

The UK batch of R&M are going to be delivered soon and a kind UK Pinsider happens to be organising a group buy from Pin Monk. I'm definitely going with a set of Tibetan Breeze flipper cooling kits for my Stranger Things and a quiet fan kit for R&M, but I'm not sure if I should get a Tibetan Breeze kit for R&M, and if so, if I should go for the two or three fan kit as I haven't played the game yet so no idea how bad the flipper fade is on the game.

Does anyone with the game / with the kits installed have any thoughts?

I forgot to mention when I put my flippers back together, I set the EOS switches close to the end of stroke like I do for all my old 90's Williams/Bally games, and I didn't have any flipper sticking or dropping issues that I noticed (knock on wood). Granted, I only played about 3 games. I hope to play way more later today.

My experience has been if you play for longer then 45mins and hour at a time( like when friends come over or if you host small pinball parties and longer games or more games in a row are played) or if you are a streamer, your gonna want the flipper fans. Most times i turn the game on i probably dont need the flipper fans running but for those times when i want to really get into a evening of playing i'm glad i installed the flipper fans!

I'm too cheap to drop $70 on two switches, so I went "old school" and looked at the actual problem, which turned out to be that the factory switches were not activating until the wire blade was depressed something like 2/3 of the way down. So shots with any "air" under them were getting missed, thus slow shots would register, but fast shots from really nailing it were getting ignored.

I simply bent the wire blades so that each switch is almost activated when at rest, and the slightest contact activates it.

Haven't noticed a miss since!

I also had a drain go unregistered a couple times, turns out a similar thing was happening in the trough. I went into diag and sure enough, the switch was not active when I could see the ball sitting on it. A slight poke and it registered. Soooo, I tweaked each trough switch so the ball closes it a little harder and whaddya know, no more missed drains, and I'm pretty sure it has ameliorated the occasional phantom balls I was having getting added during gameplay before as well.

This is great! Can we get it added to the threads index topics please? I’m sure others will find this fix very helpful.

Just noticed something that surprised me...the opto controller boards under the PF seem to run pretty hot. I turned my game on, played one above average game that lasted 10-15 minutes (~60M) then shut the game off and took off the glass (to clean the flipper rubber and PF). When I put my hand on the PF, was really struck by how warm the PF was. Lifted it and the hot spots corresponded to the location of the opto boards. I'm running with the stock Spooky cabinet fan.

I assume this is normal, but since only one game was played, the heat surprised me. If those boards continue to generate heat proportional to play time, I'd be concerned about the temp of the PF.

Great to hear! I do not recommend changing the garage shot. It's certainly a tough shot but I feel when its hit correctly it goes. Through playing them on the line I hit atleast one super skill every single game I play. I really do personally like the toughness of the garage shot and we have never changed the rail ever since day one! Just my opinion and it's absolutely OK to disagree!

Has not been an issue and they have always run very warm! No negative effect ever reported! To my knowledge there is no increase in proportion to play time.

Thanks for the input Spooky Luke and Scott Danesi, I'll continue to play and gain experience with it as built. More game play experience can only make me better at hitting it, so I'll go that direction.

Thanks for the feedback on the opto boards...glad to hear it's within tolerance and not proportional to play time!

I never changed the garage shot on mine.
I like it just fine the way it is.
Might not be putting up some of the crazy scores other people are, but I’m having just as much fun.
I like game’s that are hard (even if they occasionally piss me off).

This was the first thing I did when I heard about the issue. I think it improved, but they still do not register every time.

SpookyCharlie TheNoTrashCougar

Originally, my garage shot was maybe 1 in 10. I don’t have a problem with an unforgiving game but I do not believe that 10% make-ability was the desired goal. I actually modified the left side wooden play field wall so I could get the guide curved enough to make the garage shot to be more like 65-75%. Still difficult but not unforgiving. There has to be a balance. I moved the ball guides so much that I needed to swap out 3 standard switches for the magnetic switches.

I think a lot of people are having some confusion between what was designed to be difficult and what might be questionable assembly or manufacture. I say that not to be snarky but to emphasize what I have discovered through my adjustments. Some ball guides appear to have some twist relative to the play field (garage shot in particular) that does the player no favors. Then there’s the inner loop, specifically at the diverter, that could easily be rotated 180 degrees to avoid the ball hitting the screw heads and dying up top. I am critical, but I also believe I am fair in my assessment.

The flippers..... well, I’m still trying to figure out what the best way forward is. I trimmed all 3 bushings. Adjusted both EOS switches. Added the cooling fans. Tweaked the right side flipper switch with several different methods posted here, and will finally try soldering another leaf to the existing switch to elongate the blades of the switch so that maybe the right flipper button works as intended.

Don’t get me wrong - this pin is a dream theme for me. The art, theme, theme integration, sound, call-outs, code, modes, play field.... top fucking notch - hands down - the best. No manufacturer has ever come anywhere close to the level of assets used to put you ‘in the game’ like this one has - none. Furthermore, I will always root for the underdog and I will always support small businesses with values similar to my own. I really do love the game overall but it has been a frustrating couple of months.

So, Scott, Spooky - I propose this....

I don’t expect anything for free - I don’t believe in it. So, I will pay to ship my game back to Wisconsin for a complete overhaul and ‘dial-in’ by you guys if you will pay for the return trip when it is finished. I don’t care how long it takes, I just want it to work the way you and Scott intended it to work.

Your thoughts???

Sometimes when your dream is realized, it isn't always the way you imagined it. The original Fantasy Island TV show ran very successfully for YEARS on this premise.

Pinball should not be about frustration but fun. There's plenty of buyers out there for R&M HUO for the same or more than you paid. I say let this dream go and get something you can have fun with just by turning it on and playing it. Lucky for all of us, we are spoiled for choice in pinball these days.

I considered this.

But I also really want to keep this game. So I figured I’d make an attempt to meet in the middle and see what happens before I slap the ‘for sale’ sign on it and call it quits.

What kind of temps were you seeing on it to still be in tolerance?

All this flipper coil testing has turned me into a temp freak, checking everything. Who knew a DIVERTER coil could get to 220F like the one on jjGnR does? Well, we do now, and it did. Software changes have brought it under 200F max, but that's still crazy for just a diverter...

Unfair commentary. OP is asking for a game to play as designed. That’s it. Furthermore, if the current owner feels it’s not fun due to faulty design/manufacture, isn’t it a bit of a dick move to pass it onto someone else, especially at an increased price? Finally, it’s his dream theme. Why should be forfeit this pin?
A fair rebuttal from Spooky might be that it does play exactly as designed, but doesn’t seem that many owners would agree, given the amount of tweaks that many have made to their games.
Neutral party (me) read that post as constructive criticism and offered a middle ground for resolution.
He didn’t say “you sent me a dud, please refund me” or “you should pay for shipping both ways and fix it”.

If only more comments on Pinside were this constructive with suggestions for resolution.

There's been EXTENSIVE documentation of the multitude of tweaks for this game since it started shipping a YEAR ago. More than 12 months of EXTENSIVE tips, tricks, and necessities to get it playing great. And even then, it's still regarded as a HARD game. This isn't some surprise and he's the only one in the world that has to tweak a LOT to get it playing the way he feels comfortable.

Because he's not having fun with it and it apparently requires lots of care and tweaking for most owners to get it playing what they consider well. It sounds like he's not cool with that reality now that it's in front of him and he'd just rather play and have fun with his pin. Totally reasonable position, but apparently incongruous with R&M ownership reality.

Shipping back to spooky prepaid, having them tweak it just for him, and them paying to ship it back is not practical because stuff happens in shipping - things wiggle lose, things come out of alignment, stuff happens. It's likely not going to come back perfectly tuned and ready to play anyhow, so it seems like it'd be a big, frustrating waste of time and money for all involved to put them back at square one. We're not talking Stern-level recent concave or convex playfields that are plainly defective. We're talking a machine that just needs a lot of tweaks to make it sing. And it sounds like he's about done with trying to do that. Which I totally get.

Sometimes dreams do not work out and you have to let go. Real talk.

Ball guides shift in shipping?

Flipper knock-down or stuck-up occurs in shipping?

Scoop sinks in shipping?

Flipper switches malfunction due to shipping?

Drop targets misfire from shipping?

I’m not asking for anything for free. I’ll pay the $450 to get it there if they pay the $450 to send it back - pretty simple.

No, but their setup will not be exactly the same as your setup and pitch/level affects this. So having them do it for you is not necessarily your fix.

The struggle is real with R&M on this issue, and since it has to do with the EOS, it absolutely can change in shipping. Even if they get it perfect and ship it to you in carbonite so nothing moves, you still may not like the result.

This one will probably be okay visually, but you may have scoop rejects anyway.

The struggle is real with the R&M flipper buttons, too, so you may never be satisfied with them.

Switch related, so this could absolutely be perfect at Spooky, and then not perfect when you get it - again.

Only it's not actually simple, as noted above. Real world, real talk, I don't think you're going to be satisfied with the machine Spooky made without extensive tweaking and customization as others have done in this thread. And even then, the reality is it's such an ass-kicker of a game you may never have fun with it.

My opinion only, I have no dog in this fight, but it seems like you're thinking with your heart and not your head on this one. There's 225 pages of testimony about why this machine may not be for you, covering all the issues you've mentioned above and more. I would say that points to it being time to let the dream go.

I’m going to let Spooky decide the next step.

Thank you.

As it should be. Just trying to temper your expectations with some friendly advice. Take care.

On a lighter note...

Right side sling, flipper, upper flipper, magnet stop working. Launcher and trough eject, too.

The other two on this driver card still work? (Shaker, knocker.) Fuse not blown, then.

Aha! Those two are in the cabinet, not under the playfield.

Yup. Broken wire, upper flipper, cutting off everything down the line.

16145560718008778968044624527127 (resized).jpg