I see that in the 1950's, Williams used "Impulse" flippers whereby one regular coil such as used on a pop bumper was used as a flipper coil but with an impulse action so it wouldn't burn up. To top that off, one coil operated both flippers via a linkage. I'm sure a lot of people would agree that kind of flipper action would suck especially as the linkage developed slop over the years. Either flipper button operated that single flipper coil. Has anyone tried converting their impulse flippers to conventional flippers?

I'm working on restoring a Williams "Paratrooper" from 1952 and it has impulse flippers. Granted the customer wants the flippers to work as originally designed so it will remain that way. However, that got me to thinking how difficult it would be to convert to conventional flippers. Well, it looks like it would be pretty easy to me. A summary of what would be needed:

Break the connection between both flipper buttons and run one new wire up to the playfield from one of the flipper buttons to operate the second coil.

Remove the linkage between both flippers.

Install new flipper coil bracket, new conventional flipper coil, new end of stroke switch & bracket for the flipper which does not now have these parts (usually the right side flipper). The existing flipper bushing and shaft/shoe can stay.

Replace existing impulse flipper coil (usually the left side flipper) with a conventional flipper coil as well as install an end of stroke switch and bracket. The existing flipper coil bracket, flipper bushing, and shoe/shaft can stay.

Wire up the new coils and end of stroke switches. A suggested conventional flipper coil would be Williams # FL-25-31 (also known as FL-25-950/31-600) which is a 50 volt coil. In the 1950's Williams operated all the coils on 50 volts.

Enjoy much greater and more fun game play thanks to normal flippers!

On the Paratrooper pinball there is a 10 pin Jones connector on the bottom of the cabinet. This comes from the playfield and interfaces to the cabinet switches/equipment. And what luck, that connector just so happens to have an empty (not used) terminal we can use for running an additional wire from one of the cabinet flipper button switches! I believe that Williams left that terminal empty because they might have used it for a second coin switch if the game had a two chute coin door. The Paratrooper game only has a single coin chute door. The cabinet flipper button switches on Paratrooper have a black (coil common) wire and a black-brown wire (flipper button) connected to both flipper buttons. In the case of Paratrooper, the black-brown wire is the one to remove from the right flipper and run a new color wire up to the playfield for the new right flipper assembly. The pictures show the existing impulse flippers of Paratrooper.

DSCF2017.JPG
Paratrooper left flip.JPG
Paratrooper right flip.JPG

The Paratrooper I'm restoring has absolutely no instruction cards or score cards. Pinball Resource does not have them, but did have the schematic which I purchased from them. So I'm still on the hunt for score/instruction cards. I also updated all the pop bumpers and dead bumpers to modern skirts and spoon switches using Gottlieb parts from Pinball Resource.

As to the original impulse flippers, I do not like them, but the owner of the machine wants it original so it will remain that way. If anyone wants to convert to normal flippers, I did mention there is a convenient empty space on the bottom cabinet connector that would be perfect for adding in the extra flipper button wire for the right flipper.

The main coil mounting bracket can be a Williams # 1A-600 (or 01-600) or Gottlieb # A-5148. Also needed will be end-of-stroke switch assemblies such as Williams or Gottlieb parts.

If you go with Williams, you will need one each of the following to make up one complete A-8191 EOS switch assembly which can be used for either left or right by just reversing the bracket:

SW-10A-8 E.O.S. Switch
1A-2642-14 E.O.S. Switch Mounting Bracket (a.k.a. # 01-2642-14)
20A-6516 Screw Fastening Plate (a.k.a. # 20-6516)
Two of # 4 by 1/2" long sheet metal screws

If you go with Gottlieb, you will need one of these depending on which side it will be used on:

B-9019 EOS Switch & Bracket Assembly, Left side
B-9057 EOS Switch & Bracket Assembly, Right side

Here is the schematics of the impulse flipper circuit to a Williams "Jalopy". One schematic is the original single coil impulse flipper wiring and the other is after conversion to two seperate normal flippers. Keep in mind that the conversion completely eliminates the flipper relay as it is not needed with normal flipper coils.

Jalopy impulse flippers.JPG
Jalopy regular flippers.JPG