This is on Williams Heat Wave, 1964.
The ball chute has a gate that stays open to let balls be put into play, for as long as there is no score. Once a point is scored, the solenoid turns off, closing the gate so you only get to play 5 balls.
The solenoid buzzes like crazy.
One thread says to loosen the screws, turn it on, and "re seat" it tightening the screws. That is supposed to let the plunger find its happy place. It didn't work. The screws are set in metal and screwing them back in while the thing is buzzing didn't change the angle of what they are holding in place. (Ever tried to screw in metal screws with a metal screwdriver on a powered electromagnet? Its like one of those drunk tester arcade games.)
Cleaning the plunger and the sleeve didn't help.
The plunger looks rough in the picture, but it feels smooth.
The butt end of the plunger seems level, but slightly below the casing. The stub on the stop seems slightly concave, and it is slightly below its casing.
Where do I go from here?
Thanks !
undrdog
ball gate coil (resized).JPG