This is a rundown regarding keeping your LOTR Balrog happy and glowing for years to come. Harness, bulb, and spring replacement.
The bulb usually burns out and/or the wire harness develops shorts in it from moving as the Balrog turns.
Marco sells new original style harnesses, but they also carry a harness that allows you to convert to a LED socket. They also sell just the LED socket, but the new harness with the socket is the same price and your wires are probably tired(2003). This LED mod of course allows for a brighter Balrog and much longer life. Also once converted to the LED socket, you can change the bulb without removing the Balrog since there is more clearance.
Link https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/502-5050-00
Here is the related service bulletin regarding soldering in just a LED socket.
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In my case someone had already tried two different times to run 2 different sets of new wires (??) that ended up broken, and then they finally settled on an extension cord, which also became shorted! Lol. Time to make it right.
Shot of the extension cord
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Typical broken harness
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Turn off machine and remove cover plate from the backside of the Balrog. This plate or the screws holding it might be missing from people messing with it, and can all be purchased from Marco. Fortunately I found my cover laying in the coin tray.
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First let's have a look to see your Balrogs status. Remove the 2 switch bracket silver screws. Your switch may or may not have a Diode on it.
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A view of the backside of the incandescent light. Can't remove it yet as it won't fit through the hole yet due to size. If you have a LED socket (barrel shaped bulb) or your Balrog mold just happens to have enough clearance to remove the bulb (doubtful), your journey may end here by removing the single screw holding the socket in and removing it. Otherwise proceed if replacing harness, rubbers, or if you just want to replace the incandescent bulb.
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Disconnect the harness from below the playfield
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Next remove the Balrog via the cotter pin and silver washer and slide him up off the shaft along with the black rubber sheath, by pulling up on the black tab as shown. Just un-bend one side of the cotter pin and slip it out for clean re-use.
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Don't lose the white washer on the playfield, I left mine in place and slid the rubber sheath back onto the post. The white washer prevents the Balrog from scratching the playfield. Keep it secret, keep it safe.
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Pull the harness up out of the playfield and take the Balrog to your work area. Cut the zip ties holding the harness to the Balrog assembly (if changing harness).
Remove switch from the bracket via the 2 very small black bolts. The new switch will come with the harness. The bracket, plate, and bolts will all be re-used.
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Inspect the spring as it may have broken. Also available from Marco.
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Now is a good time to replace the post rubber F/N22. As you can see one of mine was pretty rotten. Parts list calls for 3/16. The 3/16 Titan rubber I received had too small of an OD vs the original. I need to investigate this more and see if I can find a closer match because stuff like that bugs me. I was going to do clear but chose to leave it black. Loosen the post screws at the bottom of the bracket while holding the hex posts with a wrench. This will make it easier to replace the rubber by tilting the posts outward. ***leave right post loose for next step****
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Original on left, new Titan 3/16 on right.
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Remove the upper and lower bulb bracket screws:
The bottom screw is partially hidden and since I wasn't replacing my spring, I only partially disassembled my structure to keep the spring in place. Seemed like it might be tricky to get it all back together otherwise.. I removed the nut from the right side by having the post tilted out of the way and *partially* pulled the screw out from the left side of Balrog, stopping halfway. This allowed slop in the bracket containing the spring, and then I could get at the rear screw while still holding everything together. (***if you are replacing the spring, then just fully remove the long screw and proceed with replacement of spring**)
Nut/washer removed on right side
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(Bracket screw slid out half way from left side to access lower rear screw at back)
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Lower rear screw
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Side note- the Balrog has a threaded insert set into its plastic that these screws thread into, so that may be stripped and cause difficulty when removing the screws. I glued one of mine back in. Don't over tighten.
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Remove Balrog armpit screws/washers and slide him off so you can remove the socket assembly, then re-install Balrog and armpit screws so they don't go missing.
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Re-install lower rear screw at back. Then push spring bracket screw back through and secure with nut/washer. Check to ensure proper Balrog spring action. Then tighten down the 2 posts.
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Shot of the old and new harnesses, part numbers, bulb part numbers, etc.
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Re-route harness along original path of brackets and zip tie (3) in place using factory holes. The Marco LED harness has pre-bends in it so it fit nice at the bends, and layed in position. Black zip ties facing rearward with heads aligned, for the win.
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New harness now in place and switch now mounted back on bracket using 2 small black screws/plate with new LED bulb ready to stick back in head. Do not over-tighten small black screws as excessive torque can damage the inside of the microswitch. If you want to get technical, the torque on these bolts should probably not be over 2 inch/lbs.
Since the new LED is narrow it can be slid out the back of the head in the future by removing the rear cover bracket, switch bracket, and single socket screw only.
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Take Balrog back to the machine and route harness back down through playfield hole.
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Remove rubber sheath from Balrog pivot post and begin to install him back onto his post. Insert black rubber sheath onto post after he is halfway down.
Re-install silver washer and cotter pin once he is seated onto the white washer. If you fed the harness into the playfield on the wrong side of the post, gently lift the red plastic to get the wire on the backside of the post.
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This is the common harness breaking point, so take care to give it a gentle bend and routing.
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Don't forget to re-connect the harness under the playfield.
Here is a shot with Red LED, but as we all know, fire glows yellow at the base so it didn't look right to me
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Here is a yellow LED. Better, but it seems too dim and not noticeable enough
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Will post shots of White and Orange, I need to swap again.
Hope this helps some of you, let me know if there are any corrections needed or more info.
Ballwin, MO
