(Topic ID: 222476)

Door Coil Removal - '76 Gottlieb Surfer

By jfranci

5 years ago



Topic Stats

  • 10 posts
  • 6 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 5 years ago by jrpinball
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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Cash Door Lock Out Switch (resized).jpg
#1 5 years ago

Hi all, I own a '76 Gottlieb Surfer and am wondering if it's possible to remove the shown coil (right circled)? It appears to be energized the entire game and makes an annoying buzzing sound. I also noticed that a game-ending switch on the cash door (left circled), when pried opened, de-energizes this coil and ends the entire game. I'm wondering if these two connected assemblies can be removed? Thanks in advance for your help!!!

Cash Door Lock Out Switch (resized).jpgCash Door Lock Out Switch (resized).jpg
#2 5 years ago

Yes, one is the slam tilt switch and the coil is the coin door lockout, it is energized all the time and allows coins to be accepted. If the game is powered off then the coins would be sent to the coin return chute.
Both can be disonnected for home use.

#3 5 years ago

Why do you want to "remove" those components?

If you should decide to sell the machine at some future time, the missing parts might be unattractive to a potential buyer/restorer.

In would suggest you consider just unsoldering one wire to the coil and covering the bare wire with electrical tape and twisting the loose section of wire around the other wire. In that way, a future owner could restore the functionality easy enough, if they wanted.

Is there an issue with the slam switch? Typically, one would need to kick or bang the coin door pretty hard before that would end the game. If it is vibrating open occasionally and ending a game when you don't feel it should, just clip or tape it closed.

#4 5 years ago

Great answers; thank you both!! I never considered how this would affect selling the machine as the entire cash box assembly was missing when I bought it, but it makes total sense. Thanks for the instructions on how to do this as well; much appreciated!

I only mentioned the slam switch because I know it's tied to the coin door lockout (as per my original post) and thought I may have to do something to it as well in order to disable the coin lockout coil.

#5 5 years ago

Cool.
It is your machine and you may do what you like with it.

I do know that as an enthusiast myself, when I find a machine that has had components hacked or completely removed from the machine, I tend to frown and think about restoring the machine to original (maybe not the coin mechs). Thus, if I modify a machine, I usually like to do in a "soft" way where the original design can be restored by someone if they so desire.

The slam switch is not integral to the coin-door lockout coil, other than that is can cut power to the coil and the game. It is there to disable the current game if someone kicks or pounds on the coin door or the front of the machine.

As Stormtrooper points out, the coin-door lockout coil was intended to be energized when the game was powered on. When energized, it moves a rod that moves a mechanism designed to reroute the path of the coin so that it falls onto one of the coin-drop switches (and then into the coin box) and either starts a game or puts credits on the credit unit. When the game is powered off, the mechanism returns to neutral position where the coin path is directed back to the coin return cavity. The intent was to prevent a customer from losing his coin into the coinbox if they accidentally inserted a coin when the game was powered off. That tended to make customers angry where they were more likely to beat on the machine. In home use, the coin-door lockout coil is not necessary and it can tend to buzz if not properly adjusted (and also when it appears to be properly adjusted. Merely disconnecting the wire is a way to mitigate the buzzing and still leave the machine original.

#6 5 years ago

Actually, the coin lockout coil de-energizes whenever the score motor runs. This is to prevent players from trying to put in coins while the motor is running in an effort to get extra (free) credits and cheating the operator.

#7 5 years ago

Thanks all for all your insights! I'm new to pinball ownership and it's great to see such a supportive group of enthusiasts take the time to help a newbie out! Stormtrooper Runbikeskilee KenLayton

Have a few other mysteries to solve, so stay tuned! LOL.

#8 5 years ago
Quoted from jfranci:

Thanks all for all your insights! I'm new to pinball ownership and it's great to see such a supportive group of enthusiasts take the time to help a newbie out! stormtrooper runbikeskilee kenlayto

I suggest you upvote their posts.

#9 5 years ago

Upvotes are nice!

#10 5 years ago
Quoted from KenLayton:

Actually, the coin lockout coil de-energizes whenever the score motor runs. This is to prevent players from trying to put in coins while the motor is running in an effort to get extra (free) credits and cheating the operator.

True, but it's also to keep people from losing coins when the game is turned off (as run said). Previous Gottlieb games (before the on/off pushbutton),
will either add credits or start a game when a coin is inserted even when the game is off.
The coin lockout was a necessary addition once a physical on/off switch was introduced, but I'm not entirely sure if they came about at the same time. So, a trivia question; which was the first Gottlieb machine with an on/off pushbutton switch?

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