Ok. Sorry to just jump in. Newest member of the club here. However, I feel like I know many of you already. Purchased my Black Hole last Saturday from The_Gorilla (2/7/2015)

Playing tonight started out like usual. Less than 50K,or an occasional 100K, until my second multi ball experience on BH landed me 340K. Then my daughter loaded up 25 credits. We played a bit prior to the kids' bedtime. At one point our four players' score (her 2 and my 2) added up to around 130K. Pathetic. I thought, Man, I pissed this thing off.
After the kids were put to bed, I decided to get back after it. One credit after another the BH seemed to be cursed. Definitely, a mind of its own. I can't tell you what seemed like the fastest games of pinball ever played. Many ended less than 30K. I can't believe the #of SDTM, the #of f-ing right flipper trap fails (through the gate), or the #of moonwalks off the left, or the bastard pop in the bottom corner draining me. I thought about filming the massacre, or the comedy, however you want to look at it, to share with all of you. With all the credits gone, I thought about giving the newest member of the family (the Black Hole) shaken baby syndrome. I just couldn't give up. After a while, the sounds at plunger pull sounded like "It" was laughing at me. I decided to put credits on one at a time as to fool the machine or something, so it couldn't plan my demise. I was planning my rant to post.
A few more games came and went. Until… The game of my life, so far. I don't know or remember exactly what all happened. It all happened so fast. Blur! I know I did well in the basement with one G-force lit and 3x at one point. Got Multiball and an extra ball on ball 3. After the drain, I saw the score run over 950K and thought, "I'm going to get the high score" (which is 975570.). Shoot, maybe even >1M. Could be possible? With the extra ball I proceeded to get a second Multiball! No f-ing way. All said and done. All tallied up. Carry the 1.

1,042,800.

Ended the night on a good note. However, 975570 still stands as the "high". You'll have to take my word for it. I don't think I'm going to run out and get a seven digit conversion just yet. I also, for some reason, feel I owe Gerry an apology. Over 1M within five days of owning. Yes. The glass was on!

What an excellent pin. Just when you feel like flipping it over on its side, "It" decides to let you get some points and have a great game once in a while. So begins the love-hate. Nice to be part of the club. image.jpg

BTW. My new avatar is the "bastard pop" in the bottom corner.

Respect the pop.

My 2 year old son, when playing and drains, already has the low grumble and glass slap down perfectly.

Yes. I believe so. I don't know where he learned this.

The red and ?white? captive hole targets look out of place as well. All 4 should be yellow. hootowls link to PBR has them listed.

Check traces. Needed to do this on one of my Spiderman displays.. I guess I could have went straight to the other solder point and skipped the trace all together Good luck.

IMG_6655 (resized).JPG

Absolutely! I had a "10 point" on my MGOW that would run up the score with flipper action. Happened after a strip and clean. I needed to find the switch and adjust it... So look for that 5K switch.

I need to tear mine down finally as well. I hope to get to it this year. I'm going with metal acorns.

For the other System 1 and System 80s I've got & done, I've gone back to metal acorns. My Close Encounters had rubber ones. Got rid of them. IMOO the metal acorns look the best. I just don't tighten them down all the way. Make sure your plastics can still move a bit. Especially, if you don't have protectors. Helps to avoid cracking from the ball.

I opened the hood last night for you.
See the excerpts from the manual also. I color coded and corrected a numbering error I found.

- BLUE: shows 1 3/16" post locations (4 upper and 3 lower)
* "7th location" is under the plastic. It bows up a bit, but maybe Gottlieb had trouble with the ball smacking the plastic.
- RED: shows 1" Siamese posts (5 upper)
- GREEN: I did not see a A-9394, but according to the manual there is one White A-9393.
- PURPLE: shows metal acorn nut. 39 locations. (23 upper & 16 lower)
* My upper playfield re-entry gate has one on left hand side of the gate.
* also above the RH PB on lower playfield there is no hole in plastics, so no nut required.

lower playfield map1 (resized).png

upper playfield map (resized).png

Page 39 for lower
Page 41 for upper
Doesn't really show detail for the tall/short or split posts though.

I've got a good player transforming into a great player.. In the middle of a teardown. I'm in need. Thought I would check here.

- Blue Plexi for credit & ball in play on apron
- "B" drop target
- Top PF: LH lower playfield - small triangle
- Top PF: RH lower playfield - below RH flippers

Also, does anybody have water transfers already done for the pop bumper areas?
This image is my cleaned up and waxed state. Not sure if I want to paint (newb). Also a newb to water transfer.
I'm considering just installing new GTB mylar disks and call it a day, but I am interested in transfers.

IMG_3425[1] (resized).JPG

It's in the instruction manual...
Page 39 shows lower playfield
Page 41 shows upper playfield

I had the same exact issue not less than a month ago. ((I didn't reference my teardown pictures prior. attached.)) The lower playfield metal at the side should be flipped the other way. 3 screws to the inside. I believe the metal side walls to be the same part number. (QTY 3)

IMG_3480 (resized).JPG

I asked Jimmy over at PBResourse specifically for the 3/8” post rings. Just a bit more expensive, but I believe they are closer to original. (I forgot to get them for the Touchdown, but the other 4 pins have them)

I also want to say I needed to use an old one on the post under the flipper on the lower playfield.

Ok. I thought I read bout this before... Why are my lights rotating CCW. Drop some science please.

Yes. All of the switches that you list are on strobe 0.
(SW00) Left top rollover
(SW06) middle pop bumper, However, all pops are on SW06. If stobe 0 is out... there should be no pop 'scoring'.
(SW03) B
(SW04) C
(SW02) H

1) Make sure your harness has continuity. yellow-black-black wire. A1J6-1 to switches.
2) Then make sure when your harness is attached at A1J6 you have continuity at A1J6-1 on CPU to the switches. Confirms the edge connector pin.
3) If connections are all good... Strobe 0 traces to Z12 pins 1&2 on the A1 CPU board. It's a 7404, probably bad. You can check by using a multimeter on diode test. Reference Pinwiki for test procedure.
4) If chip tests bad, remove Z12, add socket to A1, and replace with new 7404. (Z12 is dead center on A1 board)

Hope this helps your friend out.

Also, if you haven't already... check all the 1N270 germanium diodes on the diode strips/banks. Those are the diodes in the switch matrix.
Diode test by using a multimeter. pretty straight forward. Reference pinwiki.

Replace those old electrolytic caps.

I had similar issue with no sound on Caveman.
I replaced caps on the S/S power board and the S/S board. (those orange ones definitely have to go)

Could be 5101 RAM on PCB. or it's socket connection issues.
Also, maybe need to re-pin connector and check/reflow solder at backside of display.

Sounds to me like MPU is not booting.
1) Don't trust that alkaline damage was fully repaired.
2) Do you have activity off of the CPU?
3) U2 or U3 hot to touch? how about U4/5/6? and the game ROMs?
4) need to re-pin edge connectors

Sadly...It seems I cannot learn this... always forgetting or hoping for a different outcome. insanity.

I'm more frustrated when I've earned that gate open (& when coming back up from the lower field) I get a gate jumper that drains.
I also get some that jump when the gate is closed...so...I guess I can't complain.

Tilt sound only? No actual tilt?
Coil could be causing another switch to close…but not a tilt since that’s not happening. Point switch.
Look into the sound lines combined with the switch matrix. Some chip that does double duty may be at fault. Then use the diode check on pinwiki.

Basically, find what sound line the tilt sound is on and work out the schematics from there.

Yeah. So. I does look rough. I’d first try the fiberglass pen (+1). Next, step up to 2000 or 1000 grit. Re-tin all the bare copper with tin solder. Be sure to wipe it off as you re-tin to keep it thin.

Looks like Mike Cavalieri of Pinball Past here in Omaha.
I've been to his shop a couple of times and have met him.

Sounds like a power supply rebuild is in your future.

send the old PS my way

You could have a broken leg right where they go into the display glass.