X-Men (LE)
Stern, 2012I mentioned this a lot that I am a total beginner to pinball. I have seen people raising playfields hundreds of times and totay when I raised the playfield of my XM machine, the balls fell out. Did I lean too much to the right while raising it or how can this happen? I never heard anybody mention that I had to take them out first.
Any hints?
On sterns, the balls can fall out. Stuff a towel in the shooter lane or remove the balls first. If you are careful you can get the pf raised without this stuff but a sharp movement can cause them to fall out even then.
Quoted from LTG:Remove the balls on any game before lifting playfield so you don't break anything.
Even if there is a thing in the ball trough to prevent their release.
Do I have to use the coil test to get all the balls out of the trough or is there another way? I always used this approach so far...
The older games had passive ball stops. They kept the balls from falling out - newer games do not have this stop. Some new games without stops do not have balls fly out depends on how its built. So long story short its not you its the game.
Quoted from tsool:Do I have to use the coil test to get all the balls out of the trough or is there another way? I always used this approach so far...
Coil test, fat finger, stick a magnet down the hole. Or lift the playfield and catch them coming out. etc. etc.
LTG 
I cleaned my old Apollo 13 when I had it and removed all 13 balls. Done a quick clean went and grabbed a coffee. Thought no more and replaced everything and inserted glass and lock down bar to find no ball error. I then quickly remembered that I took them out (anyone else done this)? I reached down to the table to grab them and they were gone! My mrs threw them in the bin when she tidied up thinking I didnt need them any more. Things from here got worse the dustbin men were outside and I had to chase them up the road shouting to them I have no balls
For Sterns, I usually prop the playfield open and manually actuate the ball launch coil plunger to pop the balls out of the trough and remove them as they roll down the shooter lane.
Easy way to prevent this is to stuff a clean rag in the ball through kick out area. I've done this for a long time without issue.
Quoted from alchy999:Things from here got worse the dustbin men were outside and I had to chase them up the road shouting to them I have no balls
"You've got my balls on your truck!!!!" 
Quoted from PinballCharlie:For Sterns, I usually prop the playfield open and manually actuate the ball launch coil plunger to pop the balls out of the trough and remove them as they roll down the shooter lane.
Same here. Quick and easy.
Quoted from flashburn:Same here. Quick and easy.
Is that not a bad thing just powering up the whole machine for that and powering down again. I guess it is not a good idea to lift the playfield with power on...
Quoted from tsool:Is that not a bad thing just powering up the whole machine for that and powering down again. I guess it is not a good idea to lift the playfield with power on...
We are talking about doing it by hand, so the machine isn't even powered on.
I'll plug a product I think is pretty good. Don't know if they fix new Sterns...
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1168
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http://www.PinWiki.com - The new place for pinball repair info
Quoted from tomdotcom:I wish this thread was started on RGP, might have gotten some awesomely brutally funny responses instead of actual help haha...
OK I'll start it.
Throw on a pair of tighty whitey's and try not to throw a leg over.
Quoted from Skypilot:OK I'll start it.
Throw on a pair of tighty whitey's and try not to throw a leg over.
LOL
Quoted from RawleyD:I just plunge the coil using my finger, pop 'em all out 1 by 1.
*plunk plunk plunk*
+1 Just manually push up the ball trough kickout plunger to eject each ball and take out before lifting.
I have used a rag too but having the balls completley out is just one less thing to worry about when the pf is up.
In all seriousness, I may do the towel thing in the gumball machine of my TZ next time I have to raise it. I can get the first two out no problem, but for that last one I have to use the menus to empty it out.
Getting the balls out of the trough is super easy on most machines, though. It's just a safe bet to do it everytime.
Gravity always wins and is never forgiving.
Ooh. I just realized that if you can flip the gumball "blade" around, it may block the entrance to the wireform.... Hmmm..... gotta try that when I get home!
Quoted from Miguel351:Gravity always wins and is never forgiving.
So true. I must admit Im curious about why your removing the balls from the gumball machine. Perhaps your cleaning them. Actually, its really none of my business what you do with your balls.
I have been using the same small bubble-wrap lined bag some parts came in to block the trough for the last 5 years. Haven't had a ball fall out yet.
Quoted from Silverballer:I must admit Im curious about why your removing the balls from the gumball machine. Perhaps your cleaning them. Actually, its really none of my business what you do with your balls.
You wouldn't want to know anyway.... 
Actually, if you don't take them out of the gumball machine, when you pass about a 60º tilt on the playfield before you prop it up, they all slide back into the wireform. Consequently, when you drop the playfield down again, you've got three balls stacked on the VUK and all hell could break loose, literally and figuratively.
I'm not taking that chance.....
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