Tried an incandescent? It's a controlled lamp, should flash with the rest in lamp test. Checked the wiring and diode?

Is the left magna save button registering in switch test? Is the under playfield relay energizing?

Shouldn't need to disconnect anything. My wires have plenty of slack even with the playfield 3 feet forward. Maybe yours are caught on something?

The bayonet lamp socket in that pop bumper is really fragile. I had a similar problem - when I got my BK, the bumper itself was functional but not the light no matter if I put in an LED or incan. I wound up replacing the socket with a wedge type.

Ok great info thanks. It's really hard to get access from the underside so hoping I can do the swap from the top down. I haven't pulled apart a pop bumper before. I removed the two screws under the cap around the socket but it didn't seem as though the plastic wanted to pull out and I didn't want to break it. Is this the best way to get at the socket and replace or at least verify a connection/check diode?

Pop bumpers are kind of a pain - you indeed need access to the underside of the playfield to unsolder/clip the old lamp socket (the leads feed thru the topside of the playfield to the underside) and to solder in a replacement one. Do a "pop bumper replacement" search on YouTube and you'll see several video examples of the procedure. The procedure is basically the same no matter if it's Bally, Williams, etc.

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Thanks for the great info. Really appreciate it!

Before tearing apart the pop bumper, there are a few things you could also try:

1: If you have a spare lamp socket (any socket) you could desolder the lamp socket pins currently in the machine, alligator clip the lamp wires to the spare socket, and see if the lamp lights.
2: If the spare socket lights, you know the wiring is good and be sure that there's something wrong with the pop bumper lamp socket.
- If you get lucky, it's a cold solder joint and re-reflowing the solder on the pop bumper lamp socket makes it work again.
- If reflowing the solder doesn't help, you need to take the pop bumper apart and replace the socket
3: If the spare socket doesn't light, perhaps you have a broken wire or corroded pin in a connector. Confirm where the wire goes with the schematic, check for point to point continuity, and repin the connector header if necessary.

Update. Fixed the pop bumper lighting issue. The left lead was broken from the wire and I had to jumper an insulated wire to each end. Easier said than done! Was able to pull it off without having to fully disassemble the pop bumper. FYI you gotta make sure that spoon sits perfectly centered on the plastic length that sits in it. Thanks for the help! Now to figure out the left magna

I had a little get together to play test my BK and it would randomly do this in the pic. 2’s would scroll, one time it just ejected a locked ball and a game continued, the other time a ball got locked and then it did this but wouldn’t eject a ball. Not sure what is going on or what to look for.

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The 2's will scroll on a couple displays when 2-ball multiball is going on. Same with 3's during 3 ball multiball. It sounds like this has something to do with the lock trough switches on the upper playfield and/or the main ball trough switches at the bottom of the main playfield. If they aren't adjusted properly the game might be getting confused as to how many balls are locked/in play and cause weird behaviour like that. That's where I'd start--fairly common issue on this game.

Only way to start 2 ball usually is via the bottom lock eject, I'd check that switch too

Are you sure you didn't hit the scoop on the lower PF with one ball locked on the upper PF? If you did hit the scoop, this is normal. If you didn't hit the scoop, I would check the switch on the lower scoop and make sure it isn't too tight.

Agree, must be the switch on the lower PF scoop. That's the only way to start 2 ball multiball.

The other time 2 or 3 rolls across the displays is the bonus time at the end of a multiplayer game. The bell rings and whoever had the highest score at the end of the game gets 30 seconds of play with unlimited balls.

Hmmmm interesting. Yeah that pic there was no ball in the lower scoop. I'll check all the scoop, lock and trough switches. Thanks! I am hoping it is that easy!

Sounds to me like the end of game bonus thing because you just noticed it when friends were over. Same thing happens to me on pharaoh. I forget about the bonus cause I only play 1 player games

I always turn that off on my williams SS. You already won, you don't need /more/ ball time!

I agree, It's sort of dumb for home use...

Always catches me and my first thought is "what's wrong now"

I like leaving it on - during the rare times my son and I play at the same time, it reminds me of my youth when I'd compete with my friends in the arcade.

i guess that's what the hobby is all about isn't it....

I gave the Black Knight a beating last night. I hadn't played for a while, but fixed a sound issue, and then had to do some trial play. I got to a point I've never been to before: the sword bonus got maxed out, and then further bonus switches triggered the bell: I didn't even know that happens. The bell was going nuts: so fun to discover something new after all this time!

New personal best this afternoon - set to 3 ball play and picked up 3 extra balls along the way. Maxxed out the bonus on 3 of the 6 balls. Took 25 minutes. The bell was ringing so long and so often the wife was yelling from upstairs "what the heck is going on down there???".

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Does anyone have an extra plastic in nice shape that goes on the lower playfield behind the center drop targets and kickout? I snapped off the end of mine while snagging it on my tool...ARGH! There is one on eBay but wanted to reach out here if anyone had a nice one I could buy. Thanks in advance!

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Let me have a look. I have a brand new CPR set that isn't even on the game yet PLUS the set that's installed PLUS a third set that a friend gave me that's sitting in a bag in my garage.

I will get back to you...

I also have a CPR set unopened for mine. I dont think the one installed on my BK currently is damaged. Your welcome to it. You must have a long tool if you caught it while in the playing position. LOL

I have the one on my game and the one in the CPR set. Nothing in the bag in the garage. Might be easier you to mail it from one state to the other rather than from one country to the other...

Thanks man! Sent you a PM. Hoping it’s in good shape!!

Wish you weren’t in Canada dzorbas! I appreciate the offer!

Huge thank you to ePeabs! Sent out a plastic to me for free. Really appreciate the kind gesture!!! Good pinball karma!

Glad I could help. Spreading good pinball Karma to all.

Evening everyone,
I'm also in need of the same plastic if anyone still has one
I'm also in need of this one for the upper 2 ball area.

Thanks
Bruce

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Obviously can't help you with the same plastic, but I can help you with the upper plastic. It does have one additional screw hole that you can see in the photo. This is due to the original nail used as a post in the stainless guide. The nail scratched the plastic so I drilled a hole and installed a screw instead of the nail. It also holds the plastic down nicer from years of incandescent heat. Let me know if you want it. The photo does not look great due to reflection, everything that is supposed to be black is black. The plastic does have one crack in it near bottom right acorn nut.

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"I challenge thee to fight me."

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Is that the White Knight?

Hey Guys just bought a BK earlier this week. It all works, however the flippers seem like they need to be rebuilt, and the rubbers replaced.Also should I replace the flipper soleinoids? As far as setting the machine up for play what is the best pitch? My RCT has a level and easy to set up with that, however looking through the manual of BK, I dont see anything. Also what do you guys recommend cleaning and redoing the playfield with? I always loved pins as a kid, just recently got into buying them for personal gameroom. This is my 2nd pin, and possibly a Hurricane this weekend. Thanks!

Read this for your flippers https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-upgradingrebuilding-flippers/page/46#post-4857092

Vid also has a guide on cleaning playfields. Search for it. It’s worth it.

Pitch is trial and error to find what you like. I like 5.5 degrees.

I recommend 7! Give it that Steve Ritchie speed...

Thanks for quick reply!

Vid's guide is great...in general, coils rarely need replacing unless they appear burnt. There is nothing in them to wear out, other than the insulation on the windings, and that leads to shorted windings, less impedance and burnt coil. Replace the end stops, flipper bushings (important and most often overlooked), coil sleeves and adjust the EOS and you'll be good to go. You can replace the prawl if it has alot of slop, but I've rarely seen the need.

I would also check to make sure the right coils are in the game. I got mine and 50v coils were in two of the flippers making them almost useless (super weak).

Incase anyone knows, the metal posts the rubber caps “screw” on, I need to install actual nuts to the ones on top of the upper pf lock, any idea on thread?

Plunger and link have the biggest effect on flipper strength to my finding. Often I don't bother replacing EOS as the old ones read better than the new. Coil stops don't affect strength and can't be replaced on BK anyway

Thanks for the correction....didn't realize that specifically on BK about the coil stops.

I've had a ton of games over 20 years, and only replaced a few prawls. Just not my experience. And yes to the plunger mushrooming....forgot about that one.

Oops, I think I'm getting mixed up on what a prawl is. I meant the link

They can if you upgrade.

Bonz, I upgraded my flippers with full Pinball Life assemblies as Vid describes in his thread. It makes it a very easy replacement and only costs a couple of bucks more. Better springs and coil stops too.

I wouldn't do it any other way, but zacaj is a purist and will disagree with me.

Good Luck.

Coil stops are replaceable on BK, i did so when i bought mine years ago. Of course, it's more than just the coil stop--it's the whole flipper bracket with the coil stop built into it. Pinball life has them for $14 each.

Left side: https://www.pinballlife.com/willilams-flipper-mounting-bracket-and-coil-stop-assembly-for-system-6-7-machines-left-side.html

Right side: https://www.pinballlife.com/willilams-flipper-mounting-bracket-and-coil-stop-assembly-for-system-6-7-machines-right-side.html

Besides from being a purist and every BK I've played with replacement mechs playing worse than games with original mechs, more than half my orders from PBL have had faulty flipper parts that I then had to manually fix or replace again. I wouldn't ever recommend ordering from them to people who are new to rebuilding flippers, as they won't know what to look for.

His name is Boss, and he likes pinball.

PinballLife has ones that should work. They won't exactly match the other drop target areas, but if you replaced those three at the left lower three bank, they will match each other. https://www.pinballlife.com/1-12-x-58-triangle-transparent-starburst-blue-playfield-insert.html

Sometimes my BK speech is very muted for a while, then it comes back and works fine. You can hear it, but it sounds like a wire is loose or something, but it's not. Any ideas on what else to look for? Also, when I adjust the volume knob it only controls the sounds, not the speech. Is there a way to adjust the speech independent of the sound?

Thanks!

There's a mixer pot on the sound board

Good evening.

In process and stripping the playfield for a Hard Top install. There are several of these posts. Does anyone know if they are threaded into the wood? I removed the nut in back side but it’s in there right. Since no head for a socket I’m presuming it’s jist held in place by the nut. Best practice for removing?

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Carefully tap the threaded bottom side with a hammer.
Then, you can use a round punch to get it through the playfield.