You could swap the entire cord as well.

I need to do that on gorgar. Someone cut off that third prong and I do feel a slight charge when cleaning around the the legs.

Will my game have those colored wires inside? I don't wanna cut the cord, then be stumped!

This is no dig at you Blackbeard, but I find it worrying that videos like this are needed. I was taught to wire plugs at school, although I think kids these days probably don't get that benefit as plugs are supposed to be 'sealed' now.

The wires are nearly always colour coded. In Europe it's green/blue/brown, on US machines I've seen green/white/black (or green/white/brown) usually - on rare occasions I've found cheap 2 core black/black wire on machines, which I've ripped out entirely.

I'd just replace the entire thing. You can get replacement cords which are already stripped at one end and tinned and ready to solder on for like $5 at home depot. I guess this would be okay if you're scared to death of soldering anything.

Another thing to think about. If a pervious owner has changed the plug before don't take for granted he wired it correctly, check. On the lost word I'm working on now I noticed the hot and neutral were reversed. If that happens there might be some power on your neutral. Taking readings with your mm can be difficult. If its not the origional cord, check. The black wire goes to the blade that plugs into the right hole. It's the smaller of the two blades that plugs onto the smaller or the two holes.

I've watched this guy's series of videos, and while you were taught about wiring plugs at school there are many people that are new to pinball, know nothing about wiring anything or doing simple repairs and find these types of videos very helpful and informative.

No dig at you sir either. Just take a step back from your highly trained resume and realize that not everyone out there is like you and knows what you know.

I am just such a person. I came into this hobby with almost no knowledge of anything electrical. Before buying my first pin, the most advanced electrical related thing I ever did was change out a light switch in my home. This doesn't make me uneducated. I simply never needed this knowledge before. I agree that there are a lot of people in this hobby, particularly newbies, that are in the same boat. I am slowly learning how to do stuff like swap out a bad switch or rebuild flippers, but it's definitely an uphill battle for someone like myself.

We had two Pinballs on our showroom floor, last week that the plug had lost the grounding pin while being moved around that measured 60 volts between the two trim rails.. So yes check your grounding pins, and Also the Grounding Pin of any power strips the games may be plugged into.

Don't worry I got a new plug on it now. Yes that post was mine. I never noticed that the ground plug was missing on my BW until I looked at it again. I bought a replacement plug end and put it on. Works good now and no more getting a slight shock when I touch both games. I also plugged my games into an outlet that are properly grounded as I tested all my outlets in my house and that one came up as having the hot/neutral reversed.

I think ground prongs are so commonly overlooked because the game works fine without it.

I was taught how to rebuild and replace engines in school. Doesn't mean everyone should have been taught how to, or needs to know how to. Of course there is videos out there showing how to. What may seem simple to me (working on cars) may seem like a complex procedure for others. I don't find it worrying that videos like these exists, I find it comforting as it shows people how to do things that they never would have known how to.

I never expected I would ever own my own pinball arcade games non the less work on them and repair them. I never tested a diode or transistor or even knew what a diode or transistor was before pinball, but from the help of many on this and other sites and videos that may seem so basic and easy for some, have helped me greatly to fix the games I have.

Kudos.

And +1.

Quick question about this, what if your wall plug does not have a 3 prong ground outlet? Would using one of those three prong converters defeat the purpose? Or should a power strip/surge protector be used in this case?

I have this same issue.

Anyone?

A powerstrip won't do any good....It won't create an 'earth' ground.

If you have an old outlet, the only way to be sure is to take the cover off and pull the outlet out of the box and see what you have. Turn the breaker off at your panel, take the outlet cover off. Undo the screws that hold the duplex outlet in the box. Pull it out (with wires attached) so you can see what you have....Almost anything in the last 50 years or so should have a ground in some manner.

If you have a metal box and metal conduit, then chances are your box is acting as your earth ground. You can change the outlet out to a three prong style and using a short piece of bare wire, tie the ground on the outlet to the box. There should be a mounting screw in the box or a clamp plate for this.

If you have a plastic box, there should be a ground in the romex cable coming into the box. Skin the plastic sheath back and see if there is a bare wire or green wire in there (depending on how old the romex is). If there is, then attach it to your new three prong outlet. Use a short wire and wire nut if you need more length.

If you have a plastic box or ungrounded metal box and no ground wire, then you'll have to run one back to your panel box. Depending on where your box and panel are and whether you have a crawlspace or attic, could be easy or difficult.

That's really the only ways to achieve a grounded outlet from an existing two prong outlet. 3prong adapters that have a wire that screws into the cover holder do nothing if the box isn't metal and grounded.

To the best of my knowledge that would defeat the purpose.

EDIT: Aka see above, that sounds right to me. I'm doing my own basement wiring as we speak, but that's the extent of my knowledge.

The plug is only half of it. When I get a new pin, or work on one, I buzz out continuity from the ground prong to the cab/head grounding braid and the head groundplate. This takes no time, and I have come across many machines that have had the grounding braid severed or disconnected intentionally.

I have heard of many people getting shocked as they don’t really know what is going on electrically in the machine. Make sure it’s grounded, and buzz to all areas the ground should go when you get a new pin before you turn it on for the first time. After that, don’t dink around with anything you haven’t read up on well.

Thank you all for the info, I have not been shocked yet, but I will be sure to change the outlet out soon.

I just brought home a machine that played beautifully for being 35 years old. Until I played it with my shoes off! I felt current going through me at the siderails. Not enough to shock me but I know the feeling of current flowing. Checked the plug and, yup, it had been cut off. I replaced the plug with a 3 prong and all is well again. It's very easy to overlook a missing ground lug on a plug.

So to all the real electrician's out there-(I am not,I know enough to be dangerous )
In our 54 yr.old house,in the basement with old school 2 prong plugs.I put in 3 prong (grounded)
plugs to plug my P-Balls into.
So I grounded out the new outlets by running a wire to the grounding screw on the new outlets and then clamped the other end of the wire to the main underground water line that comes into the house,is that a safe,effective and approved way to get a ground to wall outlets?
Your input will be appreciated-Thx. in advance-off to bed for now. Kirk in Colorado-WOZ #666

To answer your question....Yes and No

Is it approved? No....It used to be, but in 2002, the NEC changed code sections 250.130(C)(1) and 250.52(A)(1) to prevent this. The reasoning is that most new installations and even retrofits and repairs of old installations are using nonmetallic water pipe and/or fittings, and there's too much of a chance of interruption to earth grounding. Better safe than sorry is the stance. Will it pass inspection? Probably as it USED to be in general practice and you can always claim it's been there all along.

Is it safe? Yes and No....If you are clamping to the water pipe where it is coming into the house as you say and there is no chance of interruption to earth ground then yes you are likely safe. If you are clamping to any old metal pipe and you haven't ringed it out to your panel earth ground to insure continuity then no. If there's a chance it could be interrupted with future repairs to the water line then no.

Is it effective? Yes and No for the same reasons above. If it is indeed earth grounded then it is effective. But it would be a last alternative if you can't get a ground wire to the panel box.

Thx.-robertmee,I kinda get the yes and no )