Just picked up a CFTBL. It’s in pretty good condition with the exception of a few electrical issues I’m working through. Any help would be appreciated.

1: My flipper coils are both FL-11630. The manual calls for a FL-11629 on the right and a FL-15411 on the left. Any reason why someone would have installed the 11630s?

2: When I flip the flippers, the top third of the flashers in the backbox pulse. Not full on flash, but enough to notice. Is this normal?

3: I noticed the flasher was missing from under the right ramp. I installed one and it is constantly on when the game is powered on. I’m assuming a transistor issue. Also missing the “STARTLING” flashers in the backbox. I’m assuming these are tied to the right ramp as well which is why they were pulled.

I need to get all those green LEDs out of the playfield and am debating whether I want to go all incandescent or sunlight LEDs. It there any workaround to get the GI LEDs to not flicker when dimming? I know I can turn the dimming off in the settings but this game looks amazing with the dimming effects. The GI OCD messes up the spiral ramp mini LEDs right? So that is not an option.

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Thanks.

1: The flipper coils in it now are actually less powerful than the what the manual calls for. My game plays great and the ball has no issues getting up the ramps. I’m going to leave them as is so it’s less wear and tear on the game.

2: I checked the connectors and also swapped the fliptronics board from my BSD. The issue stayed with CFTBL so I’m assuming it’s just how LED flashers in this game operate. I can live with the flashers pulsing. It’s not that big of a deal for me.

3: I haven’t got to this issue yet but I’ve replaced blown transistors in the past. I’ll get around to that when I shop out the game in a few weeks. Thanks for letting me know it’s Q40!

I fixed my locked on flashers by replacing Q40.

Also noticed my left pop bumper scores but doesn’t fire. Connections at the coil and connector J127-6 look good so I replaced Q50. The pop bumper still isn’t firing. What would the next step in troubleshooting?

I also piggybacked an extra coil I had lying around onto the non working coil. Tested and not working with that coil either.

I do have voltage at the coil. All 3 pops are tied together with the larger purple/orange stripe wire. The other 2 pops work fine so I know it’s not an issue with that wire. I already replaced the Q50 transistor which didn’t help my issue. The pop will not fire when I test the solenoid in the game menu. Is there a pre-driver associated with Q50 that could be the issue?

Who has options for apron cards, besides pinballcards.com?

That's not a light. It's just a plastic post to stop a ball from getting wedged there. Remove it, adjust your L bracket and wire-form as needed and then put the post back. Honestly, the chances of a ball getting stuck there are slim so you don't necessarily need to have that plastic post attached.

Where did you order the chip from?

Does the L5 chip stop the LED ghosting of the GI, or just the inserts?

I just checked my CPU and already have the L5 ROM installed. My GI flickers like crazy until I turn off “allow dim illumination” in the settings. The inserts look great though. Looks like I’ll be purchasing a GI OCD board. The dimming in this game is too cool not to have on.

I finally got around to shopping out my Creature. When I got it, it was FULL of green LEDs. Also had a bunch of LEDs under the green star posts at the sling shots which I wasn’t a fan of. I moved those star post LEDs to the pop bumper area and also added LEDs to the pops. After a topside tear down and flame polishing the ramps, I’m loving the result.

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Who here has powder coated your Creature? I'm looking for inspiration. My initial thought is black with a small amount of green and purple sparkles. Let's see those powder coated games!

Is the board bad or do you just have burned out lamps? The lamps are easily replaceable if that is the issue.

I’m purchasing a GI OCD board so I can have smooth fading effects with my GI LEDs. The description says:

“Chase Lamp Board will remain solidly lit and would require modification to work properly.”

What do I need to do in order to get the chase lamps working correctly with the GI OCD board?

I’m using regular incandescents in the ramp and whirlpool. I’m not even sure that matters.

Damn this game looks good in black.

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Same here!

This is exactly what I need to do with my BSD ramps and flaps. Do you have a link to the rivet tool you use, along with what type of rivets?

I can re-blue them, but riveting is new territory for me.

If you're looking to brighten up the pop area, here's an option. Add LEDs inside the pops and tie them to the lightning bolt inserts so they flash when the pops fire. Clear, teal pop covers with clear bodies. You can also add some star post LED rings which in my opinion give a nice look with clear rubbers.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/cftbl-fans-and-members-welcome/page/102#post-7478349

Nice job on the tear down and clean. I did this to my CFTBL last year and it looked a lot like yours when I started. Now is the PERFECT time to remove that old mylar from the pop area since there's nothing in your way. It's easier than you think. Use some canned air to freeze and remove the top layer of mylar. Then rub flour into the adhesive. Then put some isopropyl alcohol on the area (not so much that it drips into the playfield holes). Let it sit for a few minutes and then start rubbing with your fingers.

It's a messy process but it works wonders.

The whirlpool ramp lights ended up working correctly with the GIOCD board (I'm using incandescent). FYI, the fading effects on this game are sooooo much better with the GIOCD.

I approve of your placement.

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