I tend to inspect and then order individual parts, unless I know its all junk. For example, no need for coil stops if they look new, or linkages if they are still tight.

Usually yes. But I never had a game with more than 4 flippers. Also depends on if they need rebuilding.

When you hit those flipper buttons they all fire, so just doing the mains kind of cuts you short on doing the job right. However, if they're not broke, don't fix them ... Just clean them up and make sure they're not worn. If they feel right, play on...

If they look totally new, I leave them if the linkage is tight.

If not, a couple of bucks is money well spent for a perfectly performing game.

That is how I do it.

Since your in there do it right replace everything,

Why replace some parts to only have the old ones fail or cause the new to wear earlier?

You will have peace of mind and with home use the mechs should last for a very long time.

I rebuild them only if they are obviously weak.

I always rebuild. I paid thousands of dollars for a machine, I think I can afford a few bucks for the most important parts.

I rebuild all of my flippers on all my shop jobs.

No sense in doing a job "half-@ss"

If all parts are good, no linkage slop or anything I will file off any rough edges on the end of the plunger and clean the plunger and replace the coil sleeve. I try to get as much life out of the current flipper parts and my games on location have rebuilt kits sitting inside them ready to go on failure.

I do take each one apart, clean and replace any worn or questionable parts (sleeves, bushings, links, stops, EOS, etc.) I don't just do a wholesale replacement of everything. If it works and is snappy it's good to go.

On a few of my classic Sterns the coils were wrong, bases welded together and homemade links made from scrap plastic that I ended up buying whole new assemblies from PBL.

I replace everything but the pawl, which I sometimes just clean and put new shrink tubing on if it's in good shape. Plunger/links are $2, coil stops are $2, link bushing is $0.50, flipper bushing is $0.50, coil sleeve is $0.50, spring is $0.25, EOS is $2-3. $6-8 per flipper, no reason not to replace this stuff.

You replace worn parts - replacing stuff 'just because' is just throwing your money away. This isn't location pinball where you are losing money if the game goes down and need to make a service call.

Not all parts wear at the same rate. If you have fresh bushings, you won't need to replace them again for a long time. And what time are you saving? 5-10mins?

On a game with unknown route history and age... the first rebuild you can overhaul the whole thing. But once it's been with you and you're just doing upkeep, don't keep throwing money away.

Eventually.

Best bang for you buck short of replacing rubber.

I pretty much rebuild the ones I do. It is the single best upgrade you can do to a game. It is the part that is interactive so I do it. I hate weak, spongy and flippers that just are not perfect. On some games I won't rebuild flippers that are upper flippers or close to sometime but use the best parts to rebuild that assembly but most always the bottoms or anywhere you need strength get rebuilt.

All NOS playfield swaps I put in new parts. Once I have the game 10 or 15 years I just maintain.

I have replaced almost ALL flipper assemblies on ALL games, and when I do, it makes me *very* happy. I have skipped a few flippers that have short range shots (shots that don't require a ton of power), but I do have the assemblies ready for them, when I have the time to replace them.

I would say out of the 32+ assemblies I have replaced lock stock and barrel, roughly 3-4 seemed to be in good condition when I did the replacement. The other 90% of them were plenty worn. Bear in mind my pins are 25-35 years old.

It's like getting new shocks or new tires for your car -- your ride is much better. Sure you "could" wear out the old stuff and save a few pennies.

But did you get in the hobby to "postpone maximum joy" ???

-mof