(Topic ID: 237178)

Drop target fails to stay up on Eight Ball Champ

By chrismcb

5 years ago


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  • 12 posts
  • 6 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 5 years ago by newbieinKC
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#1 5 years ago

One of the drop targets on my Eight Ball Champ doesn't like to stay up.
If I manually reset it, it will stay up, but if the solenoid pops it up, it falls back down.
When I push it back up, I can easily push it back down (if I push on the top of the drop target, I can't do that to any of the other targets)
As far as I can tell, the target is just held by friction. It almost seems like the metal the target rests on isn't level.
What actually causes the tension? What am I missing?

#2 5 years ago

I think most drop targets have a small lip or edge that kind of holds them in place when the pop up. Look and see if that lip is worn or maybe that target has a slight bend in it preventing it from catching that lip.

#3 5 years ago

I don't remember the final fix, but search for the thread about drop targets bricking. The problems ran the full gantlet from bad manufacturing of the drop targets, worn springs, worn (elongated) pivot points, worn ledges, etc. If it is consistently the same drop target, that will make your repair much easier. I would lean toward the bent target or a worn lip on the target or straightedge the targets rests on at reset.

#4 5 years ago

if you can manually pop it up and it stays and the coil isn't doing the job, its probably just dirty. take it apart and clean the coil sleeve, plunger, target, washers, etc. they probably have grime, and that's the problem.

#5 5 years ago
Quoted from tjc02002:

if you can manually pop it up and it stays and the coil isn't doing the job, its probably just dirty. take it apart and clean the coil sleeve, plunger, target, washers, etc. they probably have grime, and that's the problem.

The coil is doing its job. It pops it up. BUT it doesn't take much for it to fall back down. I think what is happening is it pops it up with so much force, that recoils just enough that it falls back down. I don't think there is anything wrong with the coil.

The drop target itself is brand new. The little "lip" that holds it in place looks ok. I guess the target itself could be bent.
I don't think the spring is worn. Doesn't feel like there is any more or less tension than the other springs.
I suppose there could be something wrong with the metal it rests on.

#6 5 years ago

I have never owned an Eight Ball Champ but I have had the same problem with the drop targets on Atlantis and on the eight ball drop target on EBD. Could you take a few pics of the drop target mech under the playfield and post them? I want to make sure the simple fix I did will work on yours...I’m guessing it will!

#7 5 years ago

Here is a photo of the offending drop target. It is currently in the up position.

IMG_20190226_230441 (resized).jpgIMG_20190226_230441 (resized).jpg
#8 5 years ago

The problem I have found with these single drop target mechs is that the spring angle does not pull the drop target in the forward direction with enough force to hold it on the metal lip. I consider it a small design flaw with these single drop target mechs. If you look at multi-target drop target mechs, the lower spring attaches at a point further from the stem of the drop target creating more of an angle and more forward force. On Atlantis’s 4-bank assembly there is a second position for the bracket for the lower spring moving it further from the stem creating more forward tension. Unfortunately, on EBD the single target mech which is the same as yours does not have an adjustable point. The problem I had with EBD is heavy pop bumper action would eventually cause the eight ball target to drop on its own without being hit. Here is the ONLY solution I have found that corrects it after spending countless hours trying to find a solution. It’s a strange solution but has worked flawlessly...let me know...good luck!

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#9 5 years ago

Wrb might be on the right track with the spring suggestion. I would be careful to put something under the spring so that it doesn't chafe the solenoid and eventually short it out.

That spring's function is to keep the target pulled forward and on the half-moon shaped "ledge" when the target is up. Your picture looks like you have different springs than those on my EBC.

Also, it looks a little bit like the spring on the drop is touching the edge of your solenoid. If that is the case, that is working against you. You might have a little bit of wiggle in your solenoid bracket mounts to rotate it counter-clockwise and take that out. My spring in the front (pictured) drop target just barely clears the lip on the solenoid and does not "bind up" against the drop target when the target is up (you can see our back targets look similar when down but the front targets look different when up). I wonder if someone substituted a slightly different size of spring in your assembly and the geometry difference is causing the problem. I know it is hard to find parts for EBC since nobody cross-references the goofy Bally Midway part numbers in the manual. The solenoid and flipper assemblies seem to be fairly unique.

I wonder if you could experiment by taking out the spring and using a section of rubber band in its place to see if using a smaller diameter spring (along with more or less tension) fixes it.

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#10 5 years ago

Thanks for the reminder...as you can see in my photo I put a few layers of masking tape over the coil wrapper to avoid it from wearing thru to the coil windings. The spring actually moves very little on the coil and won’t be an issue. Like I said before, it’s just a touchy design on the single drop target mechs. The spring angle is just not great enough in some cases to do what’s being asked of it. I do agree with the above post that a smaller diameter stronger spring may also work...trying to find a spring that fits those requirements along with the correct length may be a challenge? Keep us posted!

#11 5 years ago

I would try swapping that target with another mechanism and see. Also swap that spring around to try to get it away from touching the coil plastic lip. Also carefully move the mechanism up and watch exactly what happens. Even watch it when the coil pops it up or take a slo-mo video. You should be able to get it to work without rigging it up funny. Could be the actual target lip needs a little filing/Dremel to make it work.

#12 5 years ago

Your drop should look like the picture, and it looks like the drop that is down in the background has the correct shape. There is only a small half-circle where the drop is flat and holds it in the up position. I don't know if I'd go too crazy with a Dremel there unless the half circle is not quite squared off. It only gets smaller with filing or wear.

I like the idea of maybe shaving a little flat spot in your solenoid to allow the spring to clear. There is maybe 1/8" of "takeup" in the target and your spring might be taking half of that up because of interference and the spring is surely vibrating all over the place for a moment after your solenoid forces it up. The bouncing spring might explain how the target locks in the up position manually but doesn't reset by the solenoid.

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