Billc479. Thank you for this post and solution. I hope it helps people in the future.

I also wanted to post an issue with BSD that I was able to address over the weekend. Last week, the game started to go full volume at points and required a reset to fix it. Finally after a couple of days it would only go full volume with the door adjustments having no effect. In doing research, it seems that the E-pot X9503 chip was bad. By substituting it in with a new one from Marco, the problem went away.

Link: https://www.marcospecialties.com/control/keywordsearch?SEARCH_STRING=X9503

While we are all confessing unique diagnosis and fixes, I have one to throw up here. My game started to freeze with the DMD halting in its tracks, followed by consistent and rapid resets every 2-3 seconds. Saw on the PinSound board that the 12V circuit indicator light was orange, indicating low voltage in the circuit. I wiggled the 12V connector to the PinSound board to no effect. I then noticed my factory wiring harness connector was touching the PinSound board. Once I moved it and tied it onto another harness to keep it away from any more potential interference, I have had zero issues.

The moral: make sure you don't have any shorts with the no-longer-used factory wiring harness IDC connectors. If the ends of those touch JUST right onto a board, you can have some very weird issues.

Here a few more pictures of the ugly.... The top had a small brown spot on it. Almost done with the swap.

IMG_5136 (resized).jpg

IMG_5137 (resized).jpg

View album “Recents” (resized).png

I’m digging the fact that burn happened right where the torch artwork is. Kind of makes me think you should have left it! This game is evil as hell... adds some character to it!

I just got mine up and running after 4 months of sitting dead. I had some driver issues and finally bit the bullet and bought a new driver board.

THIIIIIIIRRRTTTYYY MILLIIOOOOOOONN here I come!

D235FBBE-A0A3-4E07-A2E1-2F7FF1F0DAD1 (resized).jpeg

Man, after being gone for 6 months, I played 10 games and got maybe mist MB twice and my highest score was sub-200M.

Never enjoyed getting my butt handed to me so much :/....

It’s such a perfect game. It has soul, which can’t be said about a lot of these machines.

Joined the club this weekend after finding a pretty good BSD from a local pinsider. Now embarking on a fairly ambitious restoration. Everything works as it should, and it plays well with very minor playfield wear to be fixed during shop out. About to start said shop out and looking for a lighting guide (already has LEDs but it is heavy on white lighting and i am moving to something similar to BLACK_ROSE blue/red/purple harvest moon light scheme with customization)? I searched this forum and others and haven't been able to find a lighting guide (other than the back glass) and the manual seems to not be all inclusive or even accurate in a lot of places. Anyone got a lighting guide they can share? I am trying to just buy/replace the specific bulbs i need too achieve the look since it already has nice LEDs in place. Thanks.

Other work in progress:

Pinsounds+ board and premium speakers, polk 10” sub, retro blades, hd non-glare glass, bent plastics, full cliffy set, cab resto with new decals, clear plastic protectors, all new lighted buttons, blue graveyard under/over lighting, werewolf mod, black mirror balls, afterburner blue pop bumpers, and more. I’ll add some pics as the resto progresses.

Has anyone changed the lightning flippers to regular? How does it play?

I did and it plays great but I'm not very hardcore about scoring, I don't take it very serious so for me its much more enjoyable with regular flippers. It just feels way more natural. Especially going from machine to machine. Having different flippers on one of my machines made the first few games on or off it feel like a waste of time.

I did. Hated it. For me, Lightning is the way to go.

Got a new topper, appeared from nowhere but I think it looks awesome. Matches the darkness of the game.

IMG_20200219_194112 (resized).jpg

awesome

Free crab pot bait

My machine came with standard flippers but after nearly a year of owning I decided it was cheating so put a pair of lightning flippers on.
It is much snappier now and I smashed my high score, same happened for me on fish tales too.

Run.

When the coast is clear, drag that machine into your yard and set it on fire!

We have two black cats, they love sitting on the pinball looking very proud for some reason.

I think pinballs do have a soul, when I'm in a bad mood the ball always drains. It knows how to push my buttons.

I agree... especially for BSD.

Maybe they covered BSD backboxes in catnip from the factory?

IMG_20191010_233110_130 (resized).jpg

Lmao.
There's definitely something about bsd and cats then!

Awesome, chilled out too.

I just know that if I wake up in the middle of the night and need a few games, I ALWAYS go to my BSD, in total dark gameroom to get my fix.

That machine definitely has a dark vibe to it...such a great, unforgiving, haunting machine. Defines "classic" as well as any....

without a doubt....

I put the PPS blood red flippers on. Barry Oursler conformed the game was designed for standard flippers and the lightning flippers was a cash grab by upper management. I stand by em

Anyone have a lead on a center wire form ramp? Someone parting out a Dracula? Mine is bent to all hell. Thanks!!!

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/12-7055

Screenshot_20200225-222738_Samsung Internet (resized).jpg

Thanks for the replies, sounds 50/50? I wasn't sure if the lightning flippers are what makes it so fast and unforgiving or the layout.

Anyone have a 3D tombstone cover they want to sell? Thanks

*Found one*

Personally, I like having Drac be brutal and use black lightnings. Can be frustrating to play and to get to juggling the MB’s, but that’s the beauty of it. When you finally achieve that good game it feels great, even if it’s short lived.

In addition to how they make the game play, they match the design in so many ways. There’s lighting bolts in the PF Art, insert shapes, lighting on the ramps and DMD animations. Just meshes really well all around.

I wouldn’t call it cheating. As dudah said, the designer himself said the game was designed for standard flips.

I’ve had both on three Drac’s I’ve had, have the blood red flips from PBL on mine now. Going to switch back to black lightning with red rubbers just to change it up for a bit when I tear it down shortly.

This has been discussed many times, and I really don’t care either way. No matter what flippers you have on it, this game kicks you square in the nuts 50% of the time you play it. That is why I love it.

Just thought of a mod... a shaft that randomly ejects from the coin door when Dracula laughs. Square in the nuts

LMAO. And remember, I have more clout than Dave when I post my opinions. I played the game with Barry himself at Pintastic.

And we discussed the flipper argument.

A453645E-4BCF-44A1-9D41-3AE773F4FE0E (resized).jpeg

Newest member of the club, picked up my machine from a pinsider last weekend.
I'm in the honeymoon phase where I don't know the rules...

It looks nice next to my ToTAN!

Welcome!

My BSD would LOVE a Totan as companion

(Get those multiballs stacked ... )

davebart5 over playing BSD and just said he liked and “had fun” playing with regular flips. Just for the record.

Oh, and the bastard beat my champion score by the end.

043AC32D-2EC7-42A0-964D-3C99D496F955 (resized).jpeg

Anyone see balls either make it over the castle lock post or another ball push a locked one over? I do not see any way of raising the lock post. Any suggestions much appreciated. Love this pin!

Weird. I’ve had 3 BSD’s over 7 years and haven’t encountered that.

Maybe a wrong, too short Lock Post?

I will try and locate, the right part number as this is a better than new machine which was totally redone so could be a possibility

Did you recently pick this up? Maybe I missed it but would love to see some pics!

Thanks Molly will get some pics up, I know you are amazing at maintenace repairs etc Cheers Bill

not sure if can get better pics but the post seems low on the ball and the transition is smooth and proper between this ramp and the shooter lane?

20200301_122426_2 (resized).jpg

20200301_123055_2 (resized).jpg

20200301_123107_2 (resized).jpg

Checked the rod and all seems exactly where should be as in there is no adjustment available. The coil and such seems perfectly placed etc.

PS love this game!

20200301_122447_3 (1) (resized).jpg

Here is how mine looks. It’s never jumped over.
C6C749DC-7BF6-4B52-B48E-2408878BDF54 (resized).jpegE4C978E2-94BD-4595-8E0A-3EB39B3D5801 (resized).jpeg

yea seems about the same maybe a tiny bit higher? All function properly just some times if ball is moving a little faster it will hit and jump

maybe there is a rubber cap that could extend a few mm?

Maybe a weak spring on the coil and the ball rolls fast enough to push it down. Maybe just try and stretch it out a bit to make it stiffer.

This spring right here

36823B56-8FA9-4E2B-95ED-81129F2453EA (resized).jpeg

Ahh perhaps will give a try. Also see ramp is a good 1/4 inch above the shooter lane perhaps the post that supports the habit trail is the wrong one and one a 1/8 inch lower would bring it down so post is a tad higher ?

Make sure all posts are correct height, no shims under wire ramp and wire ramp is screwed down tight.

I think I read that you can adjust this by cutting the red plastic post down a bit that supports the wireform ramp.