(Topic ID: 66172)

F14 Tomcat Owners Club Fans Also Welcome.

By Hellfire

10 years ago


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  • Latest reply 3 days ago by Jumping-Box
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19 key posts have been marked in this topic, showing the first 10 items. (Show topic index)

There are 5,581 posts in this topic. You are on page 73 of 112.
#3601 5 years ago
Quoted from topkat:

I get balls bouncing back from launch saucer. Is it non standard stop? Or the guid wire you think
[quoted image]

Here's a similar ball deflector on eBay:

ebay.com link: i

#3602 5 years ago

I think this is the part you would need.

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/01-6933

#3603 5 years ago

That one looks a lot thinner than the F-14 one, plus the F-14 one has a bend in it. That being said, you might be able to bend this one so it is at a perpendicular angle to the playfield. "01-8772 Ball Deflector" is the part number in the manual, but Marcos does not have it listed.

#3604 5 years ago

Finally got my project f-14 all up and running 100%. The issue with the garbled display I was having was fixed by replacing U44 and I replaced the SRC's 1-9. I added sockets to all of them and ended needing to jump 6 traces. Sound board issues were fixed with new chips and a cap kit.

still have a few little things to do, like the knocker was taken from this game so need to add one back in, but pretty happy I got a completely dead game that was destined to the parts machine pile from the previous owner back to life!

20190107_163336_2 (resized).jpg20190107_163336_2 (resized).jpg

#3605 5 years ago
Quoted from cletus:

Here's a similar ball deflector on eBay:
ebay.com link

thanks to everyone..
that ebay one looks right, kinda steep for a 3$ item..but if I get stuck
I dont think I could bend that marcos one correctly unfortunately
I put an ad up here in case someone has as well

#3606 5 years ago

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/535-8250-01

this one looks close? but its not williams

#3607 5 years ago
Quoted from topkat:

I get balls bouncing back from launch saucer. Is it non standard stop? Or the guid wire you think

I have one on my parts playfield if you need it. Send me a message with your address if you want.

#3608 5 years ago

thanks to FunkyFresh I will be all set..

ty

#3609 5 years ago

Anyone see anything the need? Breaking down my parts playfield.

IMG_20190112_194805.jpgIMG_20190112_194805.jpg
#3610 5 years ago
Quoted from FunkyFreshWalrus:

Anyone see anything the need? Breaking down my parts playfield.
[quoted image]

I’m looking for a center eject switch. 5647-12133-01 in the manual.
I’m also missing the wire gate in the ball trough.
Let me know if you want to part with those.

#3611 5 years ago

Anyone know how flight insurance would result in a lost ball? Jagov kicker shoots it down the drain, display says you are insured, ball goes into shooter lane, game says you're on next ball. No end of ball bonus. What could cause this? Rom or switch wiring?

#3612 5 years ago

Are you keeping the playfield itself or trashing it? It would make a cool bar or wall art.

#3613 5 years ago
Quoted from megalo17:

Anyone know how flight insurance would result in a lost ball? Jagov kicker shoots it down the drain, display says you are insured, ball goes into shooter lane, game says you're on next ball. No end of ball bonus. What could cause this? Rom or switch wiring?

I had this as well, and it was because I had extra balls set to zero. It's a pain that they aren't separate settings for tournament play.

#3614 5 years ago
Quoted from GoneFishinLvMsg:

Are you keeping the playfield itself or trashing it? It would make a cool bar or wall art.

I am keeping it. It's in pretty decent shape besides being very dirty. I hope to restore and clear it.

#3615 5 years ago
Quoted from FunkyFreshWalrus:

Anyone see anything the need? Breaking down my parts playfield.

My flasher board at the top of the playfield is trashed. Several bulbs snapped off and it's cracked in such a way that a trace is broken. You don't want it. Also, all switches have been claimed.

I do have the wire rails/guides (not pictured). The back is also populated for the most part. The red/blue arrows are lamp sockets and not lamp boards.

#3616 5 years ago

Has anyone put LED flashers in the back panel? Would it be too overwhelming in brightness?

#3617 5 years ago
Quoted from InfiniteLives:

Has anyone put LED flashers in the back panel? Would it be too overwhelming in brightness?

Yes. Totally overwhelming and amazing! I have the clear flash domes on my back panel and I put red flashers in them. I love it. I see spots for a couple of hours after, but I’ll suffer for a great light show.

#3618 5 years ago
Quoted from InfiniteLives:

Has anyone put LED flashers in the back panel?

Quoted from cletus:

Totally overwhelming and amazing!

Me TOO!

#3619 5 years ago
Quoted from cletus:

Yes. Totally overwhelming and amazing! I have the clear flash domes on my back panel and I put red flashers in them. I love it. I see spots for a couple of hours after, but I’ll suffer for a great light show.

haha fair enough.

anyone else do it and regret it?

i absolutely hate having to pull that board out but may just have to so I can test it out and see for myself.

#3620 5 years ago

Lighting, of course, is always a matter of opinion. Whatever someone likes it the right answer. For me, I like to keep Tom Cat and these older type machines with their old school bulbs. To me, the LEDs make the play field look odd and they don't flash at the appropriate rate. LEDs are certainly less hassle, but I prefer the original experience I had in the 80's.

#3621 5 years ago
Quoted from SkaterVet:

Lighting, of course, is always a matter of opinion. Whatever someone likes it the right answer. For me, I like to keep Tom Cat and these older type machines with their old school bulbs. To me, the LEDs make the play field look odd and they don't flash at the appropriate rate. LEDs are certainly less hassle, but I prefer the original experience I had in the 80's.

Agreed with GI, although I thing F-14 could benefit from more of it. Inserts, IMO, always look better with LEDs.

#3622 5 years ago
Quoted from GoneFishinLvMsg:

Agreed with GI, although I thing F-14 could benefit from more of it. Inserts, IMO, always look better with LEDs.

Thats very true on both points there is so much dark space in the middle of the playfield and up to the yakov shot. I have played one with pin stadiums that really complemented the look. Has anyone here done the small spot light fixtures? I'm unsure of who makes those. I would be interested to try them before dropping the money on some pin stadiums.

Color matched leds under the inserts makes them so much bolder.

#3623 5 years ago
Quoted from Waderade812:

I have played one with pin stadiums

Was wondering about this. F-14 is one of the darkest pins I have played.

#3624 5 years ago
Quoted from Waderade812:

Color matched leds under the inserts makes them so much bolder.

This is especially true for the Blue ones that are almost always faded on the original PFs.

#3625 5 years ago
Quoted from Waderade812:= Has anyone here done the small spot light fixtures? I'm unsure of who makes those. I would be interested to try them before dropping the money on some pin stadiums.

you can buy the parts to build the spot lights for way cheaper than buying them assembled. Ive put some on games in the past, they work pretty great. Comet sells them assembled, probably others as well.

#3626 5 years ago
Quoted from Waderade812:

I have played one with pin stadiums that really complemented the look.

This is mine with Pin Stadiums installed.

c6a2322c1b2c0b342ce0582c58eae93c46c151a2 (resized).jpgc6a2322c1b2c0b342ce0582c58eae93c46c151a2 (resized).jpg
#3627 5 years ago
Quoted from MadPole:

This is mine with Pin Stadiums installed.[quoted image]

This is the one I played. At the traveling league night you hosted. I got the third ball finally locked and it wanted TOMCAT for the Forth Time!!!! Extra hard settings are a Pain in the butt. Thanks again for an awesome night.

#3628 5 years ago

Extra hard on F-14. Wow super punishment.

#3629 5 years ago
Quoted from cletus:

I’m looking for a center eject switch. 5647-12133-01 in the manual.
I’m also missing the wire gate in the ball trough.
Let me know if you want to part with those.

Marco carries most of the gates used on this machine for a few bucks each. I picked up a set when I swapped my PF, well worth it!

1 week later
#3630 5 years ago

Hi, what exactly am I looking for? Sometimes a ball will bounce the wire gate open from the outside, and enter an already occupied eject. I can see what appear to be a broken bit of spring steel held by 2 screws, presumably the "springs" listed as 01-8615 and 01-8651 in the manual, can anyone post a picture of an unbroken spring, or does anyone know if they are available?
Thanks,
Elliott.

IMG_2178 (resized).jpgIMG_2178 (resized).jpg
#3631 5 years ago
Quoted from Elliott99:

Hi, what exactly am I looking for? Sometimes a ball will bounce the wire gate open from the outside, and enter an already occupied eject. I can see what appear to be a broken bit of spring steel held by 2 screws, presumably the "springs" listed as 01-8615 and 01-8651 in the manual, can anyone post a picture of an unbroken spring, or does anyone know if they are available?
Thanks,
Elliott.
[quoted image]

It has been a while since I dealt with that part of the game but I'm pretty sure there are no springs on them. The gate should have a bend at the end that prevents from over-travelling and sticking up, that is most likely broken off the end of yours and you need to replace the actual gate. They are different for the left and right.

pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).png
#3632 5 years ago

Thanks for the reply Bobukcat, I have replaced the wire gates on both sides, a couple of times now, as they do take a hammering! The 2 screws circled in my picture are holding the broken remains of some sort of flat spring steel item which Williams fitted presumably with the aim of damping the wire gate movement. I suspect these springs are probably broken or missing on most if not all F14s, and as the game plays without them, there has been little interest in replacing them!

11
#3633 5 years ago

Play field restoration: complete. It really deserves a new plastic set, but the originals are decent, so they’re OK until I scrape together the $ for a repro set.

Every insert is a replacement, lots and lots of paint repair, a ton of water slide decals, 3 coats of clear, the works.

06D78611-4CC1-42D9-8137-31E2115B3DF9 (resized).jpeg06D78611-4CC1-42D9-8137-31E2115B3DF9 (resized).jpeg528C2AE9-26B1-4684-85ED-363FD0E6C8B3 (resized).jpeg528C2AE9-26B1-4684-85ED-363FD0E6C8B3 (resized).jpeg796287E9-DA3B-4055-A65D-45104C77C8FC (resized).jpeg796287E9-DA3B-4055-A65D-45104C77C8FC (resized).jpegC205053D-CCA0-4466-941B-73FE2AFCCD31 (resized).jpegC205053D-CCA0-4466-941B-73FE2AFCCD31 (resized).jpegD3497B0C-D52C-4910-B4CF-4FCB3D9F249F (resized).jpegD3497B0C-D52C-4910-B4CF-4FCB3D9F249F (resized).jpeg
#3634 5 years ago
Quoted from sethbenjamin:

Play field restoration: complete.

Dear God.gifDear God.gif

#3635 5 years ago
Quoted from sethbenjamin:

Play field restoration: complete. It really deserves a new plastic set, but the originals are decent, so they’re OK until I scrape together the $ for a repro set.
Every insert is a replacement, lots and lots of paint repair, a ton of water slide decals, 3 coats of clear, the works.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

Impressive!!

#3636 5 years ago
Quoted from sethbenjamin:

3 coats of clear, the works.

Its so shiny!

#3638 5 years ago

Thanks guys!
If you know anybody in New England looking for a restorer, I’m seriously considering doing this full time...

#3639 5 years ago

(This one is my game. Probably aren’t too many people who would want to go full restore since the repro playfields became available, but I wanted to save my original and go through the full process.)

#3640 5 years ago

I'm looking for someone to restore a GL playfield since they don't make a repro. I have two of them... both blown out on the upper. Your work looks really nice.

#3641 5 years ago
Quoted from Elliott99:

Hi, what exactly am I looking for? Sometimes a ball will bounce the wire gate open from the outside, and enter an already occupied eject. I can see what appear to be a broken bit of spring steel held by 2 screws, presumably the "springs" listed as 01-8615 and 01-8651 in the manual, can anyone post a picture of an unbroken spring, or does anyone know if they are available?
Thanks,
Elliott.
[quoted image]

Interesting! I've noticed the same behavior but my F-14 has no sign of that spring on it. The tab and holes are there on the main assembly but they don't look to have ever had a leaf spring installed. If you hunt up a source for the parts I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to add those springs on to their machine that lacks them.

#3642 5 years ago
Quoted from stumptown:

Interesting! I've noticed the same behavior but my F-14 has no sign of that spring on it. The tab and holes are there on the main assembly but they don't look to have ever had a leaf spring installed. If you hunt up a source for the parts I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to add those springs on to their machine that lacks them.

Hi, I have trawled the web for close up shots of the playfield, and found a picture of the right hand side complete with spring, but I am still looking for a clue as to what the other side spring looks like.

springs (resized).jpgsprings (resized).jpg
#3643 5 years ago

FWIW mine had no sign of any springs like that when I shopped it. One side had the screws installed and on the other they had fallen out and were in the bottom of the cabinet. Maybe this was something they had on the prototypes that was later removed? I'm not sure why the screws would still be there though.

At any rate, my gates have never flipped open. I do have an issue with the left one now where the ball will launch very slowly and not make the loop or miss it entirely. Happens about 1/3 of the time. It never happened before I shopped it. The outside posts were missing the o-rings, which I installed, so maybe the ball is hitting that on the way out?

Oh, I will say that LEDs almost always make a pin look better, but with F-14 it's wayyy better! No need for pin stadium now, she's nice and bright!

20190129_164527 (resized).jpg20190129_164527 (resized).jpg20190129_235923 (resized).jpg20190129_235923 (resized).jpg
#3644 5 years ago
Quoted from Elliott99:

Hi, I have trawled the web for close up shots of the playfield, and found a picture of the right hand side complete with spring, but I am still looking for a clue as to what the other side spring looks like.
[quoted image]

This made me remember finding a piece of spring steel on my machine when I first got it. I only found one picture that shows the remains of the spring.
Maybe it was a thing on the early production machines that the factory cost cut out on later runs. My machine was also an export machine.
My wire gate was also a crudely bent piece of coat hanger, but that doesn’t help solve the spring steel mystery.

2A0ABB76-7BDA-476D-9E92-261D3725AF93 (resized).jpeg2A0ABB76-7BDA-476D-9E92-261D3725AF93 (resized).jpeg

#3645 5 years ago
Quoted from GoneFishinLvMsg:

Oh, I will say that LEDs almost always make a pin look better

If you think LEDs always make them better - you should try one of the britecaps from PBL in your F14. The color match is nice but not a big deal - however the ring of downfiring natural white light really brightens up the middle section nicely. I can get a pic of mine when I get home if you'd like

#3646 5 years ago

We always like pics!!!
I can’t wait to install mine. But it will be awhile as I am still waiting for my PF to return from being CC.

#3647 5 years ago
Quoted from statictrance:

If you think LEDs always make them better - you should try one of the britecaps from PBL in your F14. The color match is nice but not a big deal - however the ring of downfiring natural white light really brightens up the middle section nicely. I can get a pic of mine when I get home if you'd like

Link please.

#3649 5 years ago

PBL, nevermind. Missed that the first time. It's hard to drive and watch porn and read Pinside all at once!

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