I'm relatively new to the hobby, but am learning fast and really LOVE this site. You guys are very helpful and extremely knowledgeable and have already made my experience with owning a Pin (and more to come!) even more enjoyable.

Question: I own a 1977 Gottlieb Bronco that's in good condition but has a few small aesthetic things I'm wanting to improve. One of them is replacing the 3 old, dirty star rollovers with new ones. I talked to the owner at PB Resource yestrerday and he's expecting a new shipment of star inserts in a few weeks, so I'll order those and the new rollovers at the same time.

I'm wondering if you guys can help me with a step-by-step guide to replacing them correctly so I don't damage the playfield or the switches underneath. Thanks so much, and if there's already a thread on this, happy to have you redirect me. I have found some threads similar but nothing that exactly fits my question. Thanks again!

#2 9 years ago

MFS

goldenboy232

Pinside member

Alamo Heights, TX

9y 79,300 1,816 4 15

Bump. Anyone able to point me to a good online tutorial on this process, or just suggest the key steps / do's and don'ts for doing this? Thanks in advance!

#3 9 years ago

REC

Cash_Riprock

Pinside member

Woodstock, NY

11y 51,050 1,782

Been a lonnngggg time since I've done that but as I remember...

I used to just clean them...another option. But I have replaced them also.

You can move/take off the switch so that's its out of the way. Since you are getting new 'star inserts I would cut the bottom of the old one off(has like a thick pointy tip on it) and remove thru top of pf and then insert the new ones in. Carefully push down thru the pf as to try and not break any of the little tabs on insert that holds star rollover in.

When I replaced them, I used to take them out by using a Jewelers screwdriver and very carefully spread 2-3 tabs of the insert so that it would 'let go' of the star insert end and then push thru the top of pf. Even as careful as one can be there is still a good chance of some tabs breaking. Depending on how many one may break, : ) it still would work. Too many broken tabs time for new insert. Fortunately I never had to do that!

Good luck and enjoy the hobby.

#4 9 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Sana'a

12y 169K 40,258 18

How to remove insert:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration#post-548585

How to remove Star itself:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/19#post-1762057

How to install new star insert without getting it gunked up with clear coat:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/19#post-1762011

#5 9 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

Encore Pinball

Bothell, WA

10y 127K 4,007 13

Quoted from Cash_Riprock:
Since you are getting new 'star inserts I would cut the bottom of the old one off(has like a thick pointy tip on it) and remove thru top of pf and then insert the new ones in.

Absolutely the only way to do these. Almost any attempt to try and remove the old one intact will result in the old brittle plastic of the insert to break. Just snip of the nub, then push them out through the top of the playfield. Insert the new from the top of the playfield until it "clicks" into place.

#6 9 years ago

MFS

goldenboy232

Pinside member

Alamo Heights, TX

9y 79,300 1,816 4 15

Thanks, guys. Vid, apologies for asking a total newbie (and probably ignorant) question, so bear with me, but if I'm replacing the inserts and the stars, but wasn't planning on doing any new clear coat, is that the wrong way to do this? In other words, do I need to add new clear-coat as well as part of this process? I ask because you were kind enough to include the link about installing without getting them gunked up, but I wasn't thinking I'd need to add any new clear-coat. Thanks for bearing with the new guy!

#7 9 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Sana'a

12y 169K 40,258 18

OP
Quoted from goldenboy232:
Vid, apologies for asking a total newbie (and probably ignorant) question

Nope, that's a good question.

You can replace the entire insert without clearing. That's the easiest thing to do.

But, there is often a black keyline around the insert, and that will be missing on the new one.

Now, if the playfield silkscreening is well done, the "bare" insert might look totally fine.

But if the keyline silkscreening is way off, the insert may look offset.

If I was doing a full restoration, I'd replace the insert, put down a black keyline waterslide decal, and clear over the entire playfield to protect the decal.

You can always decal and clear sometime in the future, so don't worry too much about it.

#8 9 years ago

MFS

goldenboy232

Pinside member

Alamo Heights, TX

9y 79,300 1,816 4 15

Thanks vid, good advice. Are those keyline decals easily purchased at one of the online pinball supply houses?

Also, thanks for the links to all your restoration tips -- that's awesome and will be immensely helpful. Do you have (or can you recommend) a series of videos that are similar on the mechanical side of things? I want to learn how to make repairs but need to SEE them being done to really "get" it.

Thanks!

#9 9 years ago

REC

Cash_Riprock

Pinside member

Woodstock, NY

11y 51,050 1,782

http://www.pinrepair.com/top/

#10 9 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Sana'a

12y 169K 40,258 18

OP
Quoted from goldenboy232:
Are those keyline decals easily purchased at one of the online pinball supply houses?

You just make them at home.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/3#post-633591

#11 9 years ago

MFS

goldenboy232

Pinside member

Alamo Heights, TX

9y 79,300 1,816 4 15

Thanks, Cash! I was looking at those the other day -- with your recommendation I'll pull the trigger on them. Vid, thanks as well.

Every day I learn 10 new things about this fascinating hobby. Seriously, thanks guy!

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!

This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/em-how-to-correctly-replace-rollovers and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.