This thread will document my first playfield swap. I picked up a player’s Fathom, cosmetically very good and working. The playfield was above average, but I thought I’d do a swap for fun.

I picked up a Gold CPR playfield and started sourcing parts from pbresource, pinrestore, Comet, Action Pinball, etc. I knew I wouldn’t get everything I needed right away, so the post office will get a few more bucks from me as I make purchases on an as-needed basis.

I used guides from Vid and mof to start the process, so a huge thanks to them. This will not be a tutorial, but rather a fun thread for me to point out my goofs and ask dumb questions.

The rotisserie gets here next week along with the rails from Taylor, so I’m using a sawhorse in the meanwhile.

CPR Gold:
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Labels:
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Disconnected mechs and wire harness awaiting the wash:
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Lamp sockets and t-nuts installed:
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My chaotic workstation:
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The game before tear down. CPR backglass, CPR plastics and white LED displays with Comet LEDs.

I was also lucky to get a new apron.

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On the to-do list while I wait for the rotisserie:

- Molex the mechs
- Wash all mechs and wire harness
- Rebuild drop target mechs

Once the rotisserie arrives, I’ll start routing and soldering the ground wire. After that, I’ll re-install the clean and functional mechs. Then the tedious process of soldering the lamps...

I picked up a coin door harness from Mk1Mod0. He also sells the complete wire harness for some SS games, and I asked about Fathom, but he’s backlogged. It might be worth getting on his list. I certainly don’t blame him for getting burned out, the wire harness is crazy.

Bally used plastic 555 lamp sockets. On Fathom, there are at least three types. I decided to upgrade everything to 44 type sockets.

I ordered the insert sockets from Steve, but I’ll place another order for the GI sockets and flat insert sockets.

HEP uses a small connector to solder the socket to the braid, so I stole his process.47AB5F1E-F5BC-46D4-B131-1B7D8E09940D (resized).jpeg0FDD843C-007A-434B-8864-86C18660EA6F (resized).jpeg3671DBA6-FEE0-4709-B3BE-2EC4522294EC (resized).jpeg2DC50E11-F669-43B5-BA74-DB3E4FA96386 (resized).jpeg

Wife is out of the house! Quick, throw the harness and mechs in the wash!

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The most nerve wracking part so far has been the molex connections. I suck at them. Lots of practice, but little room for error when I start. One down, several dozen to go.

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Harness and mechs out of the wash. Everything seemed to hold together well. I only lost 2 labels and a few coil wrappers. I zip tied the switches to prevent them from falling apart, so no tiny parts at the bottom of the wash. I’ll call this one a win.

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First of all, thanks for chiming in! I’m honored.

Secondly, I planned to match the donor game with the same route of bare wire. Reading the diagram below on the A2916 socket, the bare wire connects to C, and I was going to solder the harness to A. I was not going to use B. Granted, these are for the controlled inserts and not GI.

Is this correct?

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That makes sense, thanks again!

Good tip!

I’m going to toss the drop targets anyway, but they seemed to have survived along with anything else that was plastic. I kept the harness up top just in case.

All mechs are now molexed and slings installed.

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Yikes! Pinside was down for almost a week, and I made some decent progress.

All lamps were installed, then the bare wire. Routing the wire was a giant pain and took forever. Soldered all connections, then tested with a homemade 6V adapter. All seemed to be working.

I removed the connectors from the middle inserts because they were too close, risking a short.

While I wait for my rotisserie to get powdercoated (overkill, I know), I’m cleaning all the mechs. The drop targets were filthy, so those got a deep clean with new drops. I ordered new brackets from shapeway to replace the improvised versions.

After all mechs are re-installed, I’ll start the wire harness.

Lamps and wire (some connectors removed for space):
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Center lights with connector (later removed):
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Testing the lamps:
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Cleaning the drops:
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Progress so far. Still waiting on the new rails.

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All mechs cleaned, reassembled and installed. I should be ready for the wire harness, but I’ll give it a day or two to think about anything I may have missed.

The bare wire seems clear of everything, so hopefully no shorts. I had to do some light Dremel work on the two kickouts because the playfield wouldn’t allow the arm to swing. Sanded, then applied liquid clear. Looks factory and functions well.

I’m nervous about the drop targets because the drops are new and the entire mech is super finicky. I’m sure with 15 drop targets, something will go wrong.

No major issues so far, and only a few silly and easily fixable mistakes. Hopefully all goes well with the wire harness.

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Wire harness back on the game. I’m working from the bottom up, no soldering yet. Just reattaching switches and making sure everything lines up.

The labels were critical. I left about 1/4” wire to each socket and coil, and combined with the pictures, everything seems pretty straightforward. The soldering is going to take a while, but there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.

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You’re right! Likely one of many more silly goofs. Thanks for heads up, will fix.

Wrong:
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Right:
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I also bought the plastic protectors. Glad to know they worked out, I haven’t put them in yet.

I’m not sure to be honest. The previous owner rebuilt them, and they work great, so I haven’t touched them. Clearly I’m not a purist.

Hey Kevin! The plan was to retire, but like all plans, life happened. I got promoted, so we’re on the move again this summer. I do pinball stuff on the weekends for fun.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/resurrecting-tftc-a-clearcoat-powdercoat-adventure

^^ I did that one during R&R after a deployment, and it was gorgeous. I ordered parts over 6 months and had a fun project waiting for me. I wonder where that game landed...

Hope you’re doing well!

The rotisserie is ready tomorrow, so that will make everything a bit easier.

I was going to connect everything and then solder, but I changed course to keep the wires tidy. Most of the soldering is done on the lower half of the playfield. I’m still finishing the molex connections to all the coils.

So far, it’s going well and I’m waiting for the first big hurdle.

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Rotisserie in hand, freshly powdercoated and ready to go. I added drop dead foam to the bracket to protect the playfield.

From the bottom, all mechs are molexed and everything is soldered. I’m pretty much finished through the midline. There are some tight spaces to deal with toward the pop bumpers.

I’m using a 3-pin molex from Amazon. They’re super shitty, but work okay. Several of the coils have 4 wires, so I’m splitting the connections between 2 Molex connectors with 2 wires each.

Molex Connector Lot, 4 Matched Sets, (3-Circuits) w/18-24 AWG .062" Pi... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074XM27RP/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_SZPA3G9MSAT3PBTHKCF8

I can’t speak to Great Plain products first hand, but I’ve heard good things. I’m using cheap connectors because of the convenience of ordering through Amazon. They work and function as expected, so I don’t think I’ll have any long term issues.

They’re called solder lugs. 8 for $1 on pinrestore.

https://www.pinrestore.com/Hardware.html

The funny thing is that it came with the house. I didn’t want it. “What the hell am I going to do with this thing?” Hmmmm...

Anyway, I replaced some yellowed zip ties to mix things up. The top half of the game still needs a lot of work, but the bottom is mostly done minus the cable clamps.
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Troubleshooting drop targets. This will likely be the bane of my existence.

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All done with soldering and molexing except the pop bumpers. Slowly replacing all yellowed zip ties. Next up is wire clamps and gapping the switches.

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I’m ready to declare victory against the underside of the playfield. All labels gone, all soldering done.

I thought the pop bumpers would be the worst part, and I was right. I fumbled through the first one before I learned I had to remove the entire mech, de-solder and then carefully route everything back. I won’t win any awards for my soldering, but it should hold up.

Cable clamps are done, and next is switch gaps and finishing the zip ties.

New rails get here Monday, so I may do a few things on the top side before then. That’s the fun part anyway!

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Playfield cleaned and waxed. One plastic added for fun!

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Populated a handful of posts and some metal. I’m missing a few screws and I need to tumble and whiten the white posts, so the topside may be slow going.

Ball guides are next.
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Good night Fathom!

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Yeah, and it seems you guys collaborated on them!

Topside white plastics get the hydrogen peroxide treatment. Steve didn’t have replacements, and they were $2.50 each at Marco. They’ll go in the tumbler after sitting in the sun for a few hours.

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Good progress today. Replaced all star posts and polished ball guides, wire frames, etc.

One of the challenges is solving micro-problems related to screw length, bulb size, etc. For example, the Comet LEDs take up more real estate than 555 incandescent bulbs. I added a few washers to clear a plastic.

In another case, I couldn’t source Philips head 6 screws at the right length, so I used the single slot screw. I’ll likely replace them down the road but they serve the purpose now.

Shiny:
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Progress:
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Here ya go!

The topside is pretty much done minus the new rails. They should be here any day, so while I wait, I’ll adjust the switches, sand the rollover inserts, finish the zip ties, and anything else left.

I should be ready to plug in this weekend. Hopefully the game doesn’t explode.

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Switches are gapped. All zip ties replaced. Spinner installed. Now to sand the rollover inserts and install the rollover thingys.

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Yes. One of the biggest keys to success is prep on the top and bottom.

For the bottom, I pre-drilled the pilot holes and compared to the donor game. For the top, I was more hesitant because this was my first swap. Routing the holes to clear the topcoat was critical. I used a drill in reverse to route the holes, then a smaller pilot hole.

I made a few mistakes up top which I’ll document later. I’m upset about them, but I try not to beat myself up too much. First timer here...

My rails are now officially lost in the mail. Nine days after shipment and still ‘delayed but in transit.’ I’m done minus the rails, so I’ll try to be patient.

Rails arrived today! I spent the better part of the afternoon fitting and drilling. Taylor makes a great product, so please check out his shop.

Tomorrow the plastics get installed, then a final QC before I drop the playfield back in the cabinet.

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It’s alive!!!

I’m so excited, everything is working minus a few switch adjustments. I started with the inserts and GI, no smoke. Then displays, no explosions. Then solenoids, no fire.

Flippers, pops, drops, kickouts all working. The game looks gorgeous, but I’m sure I still have some troubleshooting in my future.

For now, I’m thrilled!!

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Weird behavior #1.

When locking a ball in the Cave Trap, the game says ‘mermaids captured’ but another ball doesn’t kick out, and the drop targets don’t engage.

The switch tests are good, nothing stuck. Drop targets test normal and pop up/down when starting a game. I’ll troubleshoot, but any ideas are appreciated.

New apron installed with some new instructions cards.

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Working 100%! Kudos to RobertWinter for pinpointing my problem. My cave switch was gapped just enough to register on ball lock but then break contact. I also had one switch in the back that needed some tweaking.

I’ll call this a huge win. No flames, no blown fuses, all lights and switches working. Plays awesome.

Next up is the cabinet restore, then onto Medusa...

I do! Pm me with details, thanks. Pinball Pimp, I’m assuming?

Some lessons learned as I close this thread out:

1. Pre-drilling is paramount, but the underside of the playfield may have some misaligned holes. Next time, I’ll pre-drill the lamp socket holes but not the mech holes. CPR is great, but I had to do tons of drilling on the top and bottom.

2. Triple check the screw length. I was paranoid about piercing the playfield, and I came close because a random screw 1/16” too long got mixed in with the rest.

3. The labels were the most important thing I did. I didn’t even really reference the pictures because I labeled everything. I also left about 1/4” of wire to each lamp and switch which helped me identify color.

4. Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes. Fix them and move on.

5. Even after all is done, switches won’t line up 100% and things will need adjusting.

I had a blast doing my first playfield swap! So much so that I’m ready for number two. Look for my Medusa playfield swap thread soon.

Finished product:
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Original playfield:
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Next up!
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We finally got moved and set up in the new house. Medusa is out of the garage and Fathom is still playing great.

The cabinets are a bit rough on both, so each game will get re-painted and re-stenciled. I had to get a new head for Medusa because that one was disintegrating. Pinball Pimp stencils on the way.
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True, neither game needed a swap. I just thought it would be fun, and I wanted a challenge.

I was able to pass along each playfield to someone who needed a better example of an original, so the games live on.

I bought it from a third party who purchased it from someone else. So, I have no idea. I wish I knew, though, because the woodwork is amazing.