I live in a rural section of Central PA and like many here advertise on CL looking for project games and I also offer repair help if not over my head. Bally SS games are what I know best. I get responses now and then to buy games but lately I've gotten multiple requests to fix Gottlieb EM games with score motors running. I've owned a bunch but I'm not an expert with them. I've flipped repair work to Jim at JT Amusements since he's an expert and I am not and he travels here now and then.

In the last month, I got a call on a Super Score which the owner doesn't want to invest in the repair time so I listed it here for him. Next was a Buccaneer which was HUO for 40 years. Score motor running. Looked at it to buy and probably will. Score reels not resetting so I assume they're gummed up or something else. Tonight a Mibs same problem. Score reels reset and credit comes off when started. An hour later and guy called with a Pioneer same problem. Weird. That's more calls then the last 3 years combined.

Having studied multiple repair books I have and looked at everything I could find online, never saw a flow chart type diagnostic for this issue. I realize the start up sequence evolved over the years with Gottlieb Em's and I can do the basic stuff like cleaning switch contacts and so forth. I can follow the schematics some what but the jumper wire tests are never laid out in order. Am I missing a repair source (besides posting here, rather learn by doing)?

Agreed. I've looked at years of those postings and they have good info. But every score motor issue seemed to have a different cause / remedy but the info was informative.

Read that top to bottom. I guess I'm wishing there was a better guide to point me the right direction. If score reels reset, then check this. If a credit comes off when starting the game go to this. If score motor home switch is adjusted properly, check this. If you manually reset the (insert name) relay the game will start normally, check this. Guess my Bally solid state mindset which is used to finding the 5V 1st, moving from there to the rest of the required voltages to start, has me mind screwed on these. Diagnostics on these seems to be a crapshoot.