(Topic ID: 167230)

Eight Ball - need help please

By jrkitty

7 years ago



Topic Stats

  • 10 posts
  • 6 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 7 years ago by klr650
  • Topic is favorited by 3 Pinsiders

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#1 7 years ago

about a year ago I repaired and shopped my Bally Eight Ball that had been sitting broken since I purchased the game in non-working condition. I installed a new Alltek CPU board, and new Rottendog PS Driver, and a new Rottendog rectifier board near the transformer. I also installed new Rottendog LED displays. The only original board left is the lamp driver. The game was then placed on my route powered on 24-7 and has worked fine for the last year.

A few weeks ago I noticed the game was occasionally resetting itself for no particular reason. Then a few week later it was off and would no longer boot, however the playfield and back box GI is lit. I powered the game off and on a few times, with same result.

I changed the Alltek CPU, and same result so I puuled the game from location and brought it back to my shop. Here is the results of test point voltages, all with the ground lead of meter on board ground test points:

PS Driver
+5v = 5.003
+12v = 16.61
+180v = 188.2
+300v = 257.7

Rectifier Board
5.4vdc = 7.34dc
230vdc = 10.75dc
11.9vdc = 16.7dc
7.3vac = 7.22ac
43vdc = 50.64vdc

while testing the voltages occasionally I would hear (what sounded like a solenoid click) and the game would boot for a few seconds, then go off again with on GI lit. This happened several times.

Any ideas????
thanks in advance for any help

#2 7 years ago

When you put in the new boards, did you rebuild the plugs that attach to those boards? These plugs are one of the weakest points in these early Bally SS machines.

#3 7 years ago

yes they are all new molex

#4 7 years ago

Does that power supply have a huge cap next to the transformer? and have you changed the lamp and sound boards? may not help, but sounds like the only things still original?
any switches loose or mangled from years of hammering?
bad diode across a switch or coil?

#5 7 years ago
Quoted from jrkitty:

about a year ago I repaired and shopped my Bally Eight Ball that had been sitting broken since I purchased the game in non-working condition. I installed a new Alltek CPU board, and new Rottendog PS Driver, and a new Rottendog rectifier board near the transformer. I also installed new Rottendog LED displays. The only original board left is the lamp driver. The game was then placed on my route powered on 24-7 and has worked fine for the last year.
A few weeks ago I noticed the game was occasionally resetting itself for no particular reason. Then a few week later it was off and would no longer boot, however the playfield and back box GI is lit. I powered the game off and on a few times, with same result.
I changed the Alltek CPU, and same result so I puuled the game from location and brought it back to my shop. Here is the results of test point voltages, all with the ground lead of meter on board ground test points:
PS Driver
+5v = 5.003
+12v = 16.61
+180v = 188.2
+300v = 257.7
Rectifier Board
5.4vdc = 7.34dc
230vdc = 10.75dc
11.9vdc = 16.7dc
7.3vac = 7.22ac
43vdc = 50.64vdc
while testing the voltages occasionally I would hear (what sounded like a solenoid click) and the game would boot for a few seconds, then go off again with on GI lit. This happened several times.
Any ideas????
thanks in advance for any help

Looks like the only voltage way off is for high voltage / displays...which will not prevent boot,

As mentioned ALL the connectors MUST be rebuilt or you will be chasing ghosts in the machine till the End Of Days.

After that is done, power up while watching the MPU board and see what the diagnostic LED says.

#6 7 years ago

there is no sound board on eight ball, and I do not think the lamp board can keep it from booting, but correct me if I am wrong about that. As stated above, every molex (3) on the rectifier board is new.

for those of who that really know this era of bally solid state, which connectors are necessary to actually boot the game? Maybe I can undo the others not needed to boot and see what happens.

As for diagnostic LED's, on the Alltek board the top (MPU self test) and bottom (+5v) are lit, the middle (power voltage) is out.
on the PS Driver board, the LED 1 and LED 2 are both lit.

My gut tells me its a power supply issue, please help

#7 7 years ago

The J4 connector is the only connector needed to boot the MPU. I have no idea on the Alltek boards though. I have only struggled through the original MPUs.

Congrats on keeping such a great classic title on route, it is a favorite in my collection.

#8 7 years ago

My guess, the same as others, is that if two MPUs both keep resetting it is probably a bad/marginal connector.

I know they were rebuilt once, but if you can't find any other issue I would repeat the rebuild, perhaps a marginal connection at one of the crimps. I have had test points have the correct voltage, but that is only part of the story, a bad connection might not be letting enough amps through because of a marginal crimp or one where the wires have corrosion on them, thus the reset.

I know many think it is bad form, but I have soldered the molex connectors onto the wire after crimping them for critical areas like these, that way I am certain the wire to connector issue is solid. Also, I know if the wires are clean enough to wet with solder I know the wire was clean enough to have good contact with the connector. Some of the old wire in these harnesses has such bad corrosion for the first inch or two from the end of the wire that good conductivity is not possible without diligent scraping/sanding of the wire.

Best of luck

#9 7 years ago

thanks for the suggestions, I will investigate this tomorrow

#10 7 years ago

Regarding the extremely low voltage at test point 2 on the rectifier board: Can you compare that DC voltage to J3 Pin #5 on that board? Just want to make sure that test point 2 is ok. There is a resistor right before the test point that could be fried.

Assuming the voltage is legit (low), can you then check the DC voltage on your soldered wire connections E5 & E6 on the rottendog rectifier board? Each wire should be delivering ~100 volts DC from the transformer. Both of these will contribute to the Test Point 2 voltage. If these voltages are OK (and the connections are solid) then you might have a bad diode on the rectifier board. If voltages are Not OK at E5 & E6 then it's time to work upstream. Check transformer solder connections, then check the 115v AC pin connections (pins 6 and 7) on connector J2. Good Luck!

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