Well just wrote a lengthy response, then hit a wrong key and deleted the entire post. Soooo, trying again. I am a fairly new collector, 2 years, so far far far from an expert. But my 2 cents:

Playfield: Clean fairly gently with Novus 2 ( you can get from a number of pin suppliers ), then 1 or 2 coats with good carnuba wax. depending on play, rewax every 6 months or so.

Bulbs: You will get strong opinions both ways. I converted 1 of my 6 em's to LED. Used clear lens below playfield and white above, all warm white. Like that it brightened the game, but you do lose some of that em warmth of incandescents.

Sounds: Will let more expert Pinsiders guide you on this. But in general light buzzing I just check to make sure isn't something arcing or otherwise obviously wrong. Loud sounds / buzzing get immediate attention.

General maintenance: Make sure all contacts and switches are adjusted and cleaned. Surprising how much this can affect game play. Make sure game UNPLUGGED before working under the play field. Always use new pinballs, old dull pinballs make those lovely swirls you see in the paint of many em's. Clean play field glass often. Check condition of paint on the back side of the back box glass. If any flaking, search Pinside for what to do about flaking paint. Keep playfield, flipper, and shooter tip rubbers fresh. Replace when cracked or worn. Make sure the machine is level side to side, and set to the angle you like front to back. The angle can make a real difference in fun factor of playing.

Gotcha's: Lots: Number 1: When working on the machine make sure it is unplugged, not just turned off. Surprising where there is power even when you don't think there is. 2. Be careful how aggressively you clean painted surfaces. 3. Never set or let guests set drinks on top of the machine. 4: Pin addiction. Bought my first game, 4 days later second, within 5 months was up to 6. Now at 8, and out of room in my garage playroom. Thankfully my wife keeps me from getting too addicted by banning games from inside the house.

Good luck and enjoy.

My pins like cat food, I fill a bowl for them everyday. I come home from work and it’s gone. So I assume it likes it.

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DO NOT USE NOVUS 2 on your Fan Tas Tic playfield. I haven't seen your machine, but I will guarantee it will remove paint.

Read this: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/cleaning-and-waxing-pinball-machines-vids-guide

There is a lot of info in there, but don't freak out.

Skip to post #35 - and the answer is - Naptha is best.

Vid and others will kill me for this advice, but you can consider Millwax - IF you don't ever plan to have the playfield restored.

It cleans and 'waxes', but it has silicon in it which will make future repairs difficult or impossible. However, with a machine that old, it has probably seen its fair share of Millwax already. If you see what looks like beige dried wax on the posts or other parts, that is millwax.

I'm going to go put my flame retardant suit on now.

Yeah DCRand lots of people round Pinside are very against Novus and will remind you for the 21000th time it's basically sandpaper; which of course you already know and is why you are using it. But hey A lot of these guides have vacuuming cleaning up most PF dirt & grime...which is something I've never heard, or seen, or experienced before either so whom knows.

Then you have lived a charmed life! I ruined my first EM with it. OK not ruined, but damaged it.

If there is any flaking or planking it will take off even more paint.

It's just not worth the risk for a first time pin owner owner.

I eat Novus 2 for breakfast and use Milwax as a chaser.

If your PF paint is "flaking off" I wouldn't be rubbing anything on it personally

If the playfield paint is flaking off, I wouldn't even be buying it.

Yea but your space is full, you are really picky, and you have all the good games already.

By the way, I'm not against Novus, I use it all the time on my cc'd machines, it is great for ball trails. I just don't think it's great for EM pf's.

And if it's your Pit Stop you are talking about, you are forgiven. You have to get that game in any condition you can find it.

Oh TanFasTic,

Welcome to pinside! This is the way most threads go. Someone asks a simple question and the know-it-alls argue back and forth for 5 or 6 pages.

I notice usually it's the know nothings that do most of the arguing.

If you can use naphtha and it takes care of everything believe me that's all I'd use.

I think we have to make a distinction between cleaning it up and ongoing maintenance. Lots of times you get an EM and it hasn't been cleaned in forever. If you can naptha it and job done you are truly living a charmed life. And if it all cleans up with a vacuum you're a magician. Many times, Novus 2 & even *GASP* Magic Eraser are used to clean 40 years old ball trails.
After that if you are waxing it and keeping it clean you wont need to use the harsher stuff for upkeep.

The only fail I ever had on cleaning a 40 year old playfield was breaking out the power sander.

I found a spare PF in decent shape, thinking of having it restored but will probably just obsess over it for a while.

You calling me a Know Nothing? I've been a Libertarian since that party when belly-up.

OP - Lesson #2: people take over your threads with tangential conversations.

Not you! I'm talking about other kids.

Restoration debate aside, Best possible maintenance for an em:
Play it regularly.
Wax with carnuba wax.
Keep fresh rubbers on.
Use new balls.

Preference wise: I like warm colored clear (frosted where not visible) LED’s mainly because they produce less heat.

True, know it is basically sandpaper, which is why I am very gentle and do only use it on a new to me game that is pretty dirty. Should have been more clear in my answer. Thanks for the correction. And I try not to argue on Pinside as it would show exactly how little I know.

I try to keep my playfields clean by waxing occasionally but usually just use a soft clean cloth to keep it that way. The wax I use doesn't seem to leave a residue which I like.

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P21S and "One Grand" brand "Blitz Wax" are what I use for carnuba wax. They are expensive but amazing.

Ok, I have a question and it might be stupid. But most say use carnuba wax on the EM pin. OK, no laughing but I have a can of Turtle wax with carnuba. Is this OK to use? Or should I just go out and buy a can of carnuba wax?

If its in a can, and is a yellowish colour wax it should be Carnauba. If it is that green Turtle Wax that is not a paste, do not use it. Carnauba will melt with the heat of your finger. Turtle Wax has other chemicals in it, besides wax and solvents.

It is Turtle wax but a paste with Carnauba it says.

The main thing is that it's a wax...your's probably says "CLEANER" on it somehwere? The fact it's something "with Carn..." would make me think that it isn't 100% Carnubis?

That tin should say "Hard Shell". It might be a paste with a greenish white colour. If it does you could use it, if that tin is old or the product breaks into chunks it could have been exposed to freezing or high temperatures. Would you feel comfortable using this on your car? Then used sparingly on your playfield, it should not effect the playfield artwork. It seems that it is time for a new tin of Carnauba.

I'm going with the fact that any layer of wax on a playfield will be your sacrificial barrier between the ball and playfield artwork.
That barrier layer is better than no wax at all.

Been doing this for some years and for home use, I don't "clean". I wax often and use a microfiber cloth. Works wonders...easy. No real need to clean before waxing if you start with a clean cloth and change to a fresh surface often. I don't let my games get visibly dirty- that's probably the first rule of home use... play them a ton and keep them clean and your basically good. Things may break occasionally, when they do- STOP, note carefully what does not work and under what condition it does not work. Then post here with a full description and you probably end up with a working game in a day or less by following advice. A working game that stops working is almost always an easy fix for an EM. It's a lot harder if you dive in and start adjusting this part randomly or because it looked weird etc.... wait to fix until your sure you know what's broken is the absolute first rule.

What if the game you happen to purchase is covered in 50 years of ground in dirt when you get it?

Then I restore it or shop it or whatever and wax routinely thereafter- as I think most do.