These are the led I use in my Tomcat: http://www.superfluxshop.de/products-mainmenu-64.html?page=shop.browse&category_id=387
(Topic ID: 66172)
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F-14 Tomcat
Williams, 1987
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Having some fun with my game recently. I added some additional lighting... put a blue 12v LED strip inside the diverter (connected to the GI via DK Pinball's GI Buddy board) and added one of Comet's 7smd led strips in the drain area.
Also switched over to Titan Pinball's silicon rings fro the flippers and slings. They really get the ball moving. 
We just want to know what type of bulbs he's using in the diverter. The diverter is housed in the black chunk of plastic up on the top left of the PF. We are not asking about issues with LEDs there.
Pensacola, FL
Help!
Most of the time a ball ejected from the right eject hits the rubber and does NOT go through the orbit, this is getting very frustrating... has anyone seen this or know how to adjust the eject properly? Left side works perfect every time, only an issue on the right.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
IMG_4818.JPGQuoted from kilmarnock1350:Help!
Most of the time a ball ejected from the right eject hits the rubber and does NOT go through the orbit, this is getting very frustrating... has anyone seen this or know how to adjust the eject properly? Left side works perfect every time, only an issue on the right.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.IMG_4818.JPG
Could we get a better picture of the area? Lights on with the machine off. Remove the glass and take a photo straight down at the PF. Make sure to get the right eject and the right side loop in the photo.
I take it is hitting the post rubber behind the blue standup targets?
Thanks, I just have to wait for the new proto-buttons, target decals and then this mission is accomplished! 
Longueuil, QC
Post edited. Problem solved.
Help! Lost all my GI on the lower half of play field. Slings, drains, upper left flipper, left side 'yogav' flasher GI, and lower TOMCAT target GI, and the radar. Everything else is working.
Is the GI one circuit that goes around or multiple that maybe one entire circuit is out? Where is the GI Fuse? back box works 100%. Couldn't find fuse info in the schematics.
Thanks for any info!
Maidstone
Quoted from kilmarnock1350:Is the GI one circuit that goes around or multiple that maybe one entire circuit is out? Where is the GI Fuse? back box works 100%. Couldn't find fuse info in the schematics.
I popped the reply in your other thread :
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/f14-gi-out-help#post-2502335
FYI, the picture is one I grabbed from page 39 of the Tomcat manual. There is also a fuse list in there, but it's easy to miss. Bottom of page 32
Post edited. I figured it out. Hard short between the positive and negative side at a GI socket. (double E majors don't hate on me, I know it's not technically positive and negative on an AC circuit 
And now here they're: ALU-Flipperfingers and brand new ALU-Buttons.
With these fingers you can change the angle from upper playfield without disassembling the whole assembly.
The buttons can be changed in hardness and length by using different springs.
You can get this cool stuff here: http://www.adpin.de/
Here I've used a combination with red housing and polished button - great look.
Three of four fingers are ready.
The left finger in the upper playfield is a bit tricky to change, but it's possible without disassembling the diverter gate.
Installed fingers
Here're the last and long awaited parts for this project:
• Target Decals (selfmade design)
• different Protectors
• Decal for Service-Buttons (new selfmade design)
• different Scorecards (on translite)
Decal for Service-Buttons fit perfect
Custom made target decals - great look.
Noordwijk
After playing my F14 for about a year without any major problems, something was bound to go wrong at some point. The fuse for the solenoids (rescue, ejects, yagov, kickout) had blown. I replaced it, and after a few games it was blown again. I measured all the coils, none of them seem to be shorted, and all affected coils fire fine in the coil test.
Does anyone have some insights? Thanks!
I'm gearing up to do my first playfield restoration on my F-14. First major step is de-mylar-ing the thing, and I anticipate some of the insert decals lifting off. (No pun intended. Really.)
I thought I'd seen a source for a download of those stickers somewhere on this thread, but my computer is slow and I'm having a hard time scrolling through all the back pages of this group. Can somebody send me the file?
Thanks!
This is probably a simple fix but I can't figure it out, while in play, free play keeps showing up on the display and I notice points keep appearing even when the ball is stalled in the filpper?
I'm on my second Tomcat machine and this one does some weird things... I think...
The flyby orbit at times awards a bonus multiplier with the ball going the wrong way... ie... with only the left BonusX lamp lit, going through the orbit by entering through the right entry and out the left (the opposite of the arrow) awards a bonus.
Also, I tend to get a lot of balls that go around the orbit, that do not lite the lamp, but it awards the bonus anyway. Could be a Lamp issue.
Anybody know for sure if the bonus is supposed to be awarded only in the arrow specific direction? I have to assume that is the intent.
Quoted from koen12344:After playing my F14 for about a year without any major problems, something was bound to go wrong at some point. The fuse for the solenoids (rescue, ejects, yagov, kickout) had blown. I replaced it, and after a few games it was blown again. I measured all the coils, none of them seem to be shorted, and all affected coils fire fine in the coil test.
Does anyone have some insights? Thanks!
Most of the time a solenoid fuse is not blown because of a bad coil, but often because of a switch problem (something in the game "telling" a momentary coil to stay on too long - which hopefully will blow the fuse before damaging the coil driving transistor or coil.)
Always run a good battery of switch tests, repeatedly - both the levels and edge tests - before assuming something else.
First Update of the axes, you can see that they're knurled now.
This is necessary to prevent that the fingers twist in the assembly.
I hope this solution works with the weak Williams clamps.
Another idea is to change the clamps and use newer massive ones from Stern.
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1 week later
FYI... There is a F-14 apron on eBay for a decent price if anyone is looking for one or wanting to upgrade theirs.
ebay.com link: Williams pinball F 14 Tomcat apron
Coil info -
My slings, VUK, pop bumper, eject holes all use a 23-800 coil. What does the last 2 numbers mean? i.e. 23-800-11.
Are all 23-800s the same strength or do the last numbers mean something? I'm working a weak pop bumper issue and I'm curious about this.
thanks!
Quoted from kilmarnock1350:Are all 23-800s the same strength or do the last numbers mean something?
They're all the same strength. The suffix on the end is used to denote things like whether a diode is fitted and if so which way around, placement of the wire lugs. Generally providing you make sure the diode is there if needed and it's connected the right way, you can sub one 23-800 for another. Some more information here :
http://www.pinballmedic.net/coil_chart.html
However that said, the pop bumper on F14 is quite well known for not being very powerful. If you put in a new coil sleeve and get the gap on the switch under the "spoon" as close as you can make it without it firing when it shouldn't, then that's likely as good as you'll get it
Quoted from Snux:However that said, the pop bumper on F14 is quite well known for not being very powerful.
I have heard this was intentional, along with less powerful choice of upper flipper coils. The reason being the close quarters of the target area, and the potential to break targets there.
No,
the reason is, to prevent danger of a short circuit to the switch line board if the prototype flashers are installed.
Just take a look at the service bulletin SS41 and you'll understand.
You can see how my solution works one page before.
You can use more powerful coils, but you have to make sure the problem mentioned above!
I also have modified the flipper board with a stronger capacitor to get the speed Tomcat is designed for - it works and it makes the machine much more attractive to play.
Quoted from Averell:No,
the reason is, to prevent danger of a short circuit to the switch line board if the prototype flashers are installed.
Just take a look at the service bulletin SS41 and you'll understand.
Yes, I have read it, and if you read the service bulletin - it says clearly:
Yes, it's right.
But this is not the reason - in fact, this improvement is just to keep warranty for Williams and take the game as long as possible in play with low costs to earn money!
The design of the playfield with the prototype flashers was wrong and took effect in the short circuit of the switch line board, caused by contact of backside target and lamp socket.
I never saw a F-14 with damaged targets, I only know damaged machines due to short circuit.
Trust me and try my modification and you'll see - it's impossible to destroy a target or the switch line board.
It doesn't matter if with or without the flasher installed.
Quoted from Snux:However that said, the pop bumper on F14 is quite well known for not being very powerful. If you put in a new coil sleeve and get the gap on the switch under the "spoon" as close as you can make it without it firing when it shouldn't, then that's likely as good as you'll get it
Pop bumper strength - so the coils on my Tomcat are 23-800, eject, slings, and pop bumper. What "full strength" coil do other system 11 games use on the pop bumper?
My getaway uses 26-1200.
Quoted from Averell:I also have modified the flipper board with a stronger capacitor to get the speed Tomcat is designed for - it works and it makes the machine much more attractive to play.
What coils are you using in the pop bumper after the modification? I too have modified these original flashers. No short circuits here, I don't care how hard you hit the targets!
I use later EL 11722-50V (green) - but with capacitor switched on the EOS-contact will be fired with ~70 Volt and burns down much stronger and quicker.
Quoted from Averell:Yes, it's right.
But this is not the reason - in fact, this improvement is just to keep warranty for Williams and take the game as long as possible in play with low costs to earn money!
The design of the playfield with the prototype flashers was wrong and took effect in the short circuit of the switch line board, caused by contact of backside target and lamp socket.
I never saw a F-14 with damaged targets, I only know damaged machines due to short circuit.
Trust me and try my modification and you'll see - it's impossible to destroy a target or the switch line board.
It doesn't matter if with or without the flasher installed.
Williams removed the flashers when the early games began to have problems with the target switches shorting them out. With the flashers removed, there was no possible way the targets could short them out - regardless of which strength of coils are used....so with the troublesome flashers removed, why would you then bother to change to weaker coils? Williams intentionally chose the weak strength coils for close in upper flipper shots on many games, not only F-14. Games such as Grand Lizard and TZ are also designed specifically with weaker version coils in these positions to avoid target breakage.
Hobbyists including myself, have reversed the original mod which adds the prototype flashers back to the game, but using proper insulation methods, and leaving the coils at the weaker version for correct playability...but if you want to juice up your game and change to higher powered coils - by all means go ahead...It's your game.
My assemblies and bearing are modified, too.
In my case it's regardless what type of coils I use, because when I switch on the capacitor the coils become stronger and the game gets very fast.
I have improved the whole pinball machine to make it steady and playable.
The playfield is protected everywhere and I have produced special bearings for the axes and I use clamps from Stern to prevent twisting the axes into the clamps.
Also, I have installed ALU-Flipperfingers - I know what I do, and I bet there's no F-14 that makes possible a stable powerplay like mine.
Are these new balls after playing a while, or are they still old balls?
You should use new balls and check the playfield and the ramps, it looks that the surface is not only dirty... do they have grooves or scratches?
First clean your pinball machine - the most dirt appears from rubbers, smoke and bad balls, of course - they wear out the surface of the playfield!
Don't play with these balls anymore!
And don't use lubrications on the playfield or assemblies, because remains of it stick on the balls and close up with the wear.
And be sure to get rid of superfluous wax, that causes the same problems.
Today we finished the new modified axes for the adjustable flipper fingers.
In combination with the much more better Stern clamps, it's impossible that the axes will twist again into the assembly.
And here's the clear evidence - Stern clamps fit perfect with the Williams assembly.
Now I change all four assemblies for a steady gameplay.
Thinking, and let me emphasize that word. Thinking about getting my F14 all cleaned up. The left side of my cabinet has some chips in the paint on the cabinet and backbox. But only the left side. The right side looks great. Also, my legs have some rust that needs to be cleaned up. I'm a newbie and also have some switch issues I've never been able to figure out. The best way to fix the left side of the cabinet? I'm almost wanting to leave it like that for the feeling that its supposed to look like that after being played so much. Anyone have any suggestions about the best way to fix paint chips on the pin? Like I said, I'm a newbie so I don't wanna do anything stupid. Any suggestions or tips on all of that is much appreciated. Thanks.
Quoted from graystarsfan1:Thinking, and let me emphasize that word. Thinking about getting my F14 all cleaned up. The left side of my cabinet has some chips in the paint on the cabinet and backbox. But only the left side. The right side looks great. Also, my legs have some rust that needs to be cleaned up. I'm a newbie and also have some switch issues I've never been able to figure out. The best way to fix the left side of the cabinet? I'm almost wanting to leave it like that for the feeling that its supposed to look like that after being played so much. Anyone have any suggestions about the best way to fix paint chips on the pin? Like I said, I'm a newbie so I don't wanna do anything stupid. Any suggestions or tips on all of that is much appreciated. Thanks.
Show us some photos if you can. Might be a lot easier to evaluate what can be done.
Yes, show us some pictures, maybe it's not so much trouble.
For example, I've cleaned my cabinet and used complete new decals.
You also have the choice to restore the cabinet with stencils.
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