It was out of an old Polaroid 600

Dimples???

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Just gotta say: Flash Gordon is easily one of my favorite games of all time. I can't emphasize enough how cool it feels when you've got both spinners lit, multiplier 4x lit on the upper playfield, just about everything ready to light the 15-second playfield multipliers, and you just sent the ball back down to the shooter. After having exactly that happen on my 2nd ball a little while ago, I finished the game with a respectable score of 2,138,590 (5 ball game, w/ 1 extra ball earned).

I really feel like FG and some of my other favorite SS games have a sort of 'wizard mode'. When you've got multipliers high/maxed, bonus high/maxed, everything else lit at max awards (especially spinners!!!), when you're really in the zone and the sound effects are seemingly never-ending because there's *that much* score to calculate--that's the ultimate rush in pinball for me, and about as near to a wizard mode as I can think of on these older games. It's very difficult to get to that stage on my games but when I do... it's so damn satisfying!

Cheers to all fellow FG owners and fans out there!

Never trust the dimples.

Want to have some fun? Compare your scores to my random pinball league!

Rules- The very next game you play is the one that counts... this is for all the marbles. You can have a max of 1 extra ball per game... if you get more than that you must plunge without hitting. It's not about your best score... it's what your next game is. This is what makes competitive pinball or even pinball league fun.

http://fspa.league.papa.org/meetResults/196/1

Flash without dimples is a fun swap. Did that one in November. Enjoy.

Love it! I did that maximum x25 bonus thing to the shooter lane once. It was amazing!

I agree with your sentiment. I have older and newer games, but there’s nothing like the simple scoring rules of these old Ballys that gives you that extra thrill when you cash out on points. The newer games — which I still love — don’t have the same feeling of constantly building towards some big payout.

Ditto ditto ditto. FG is my favorite game. Sold TZ. Got rid of AFM. Many others have come and gone, but FG stays. However, I don’t know how to activate the x25 bonus shooter lane - at least on purpose. I’ve collected bonuses in the lane, but not that. How does one activate that? I’m gonna be at out my manual to check it out, but curious to get your take.

You need to get bonus up to x5 and then be lucky enough for both 15 second playfield multipliers to be lit at the saucer for x2 and x3 scoring. Hit the saucer and then hit the shooter lane before time runs out. (x2 + x3) x (x5) = x25. If your lower playfield bonus is up to max, you will get the bonus x25. Again, really difficult to do. I’ve only done it once and am not sure I’ll do it again.

Ah. That makes perfect sense. Thanks! That’s awesome.

I just noticed this wire isn't connected in my backbox. Game was restored but I must of missed this. Looks like the same wire to the strobe rear cover. I'm guessing a ground to the display board mounting bolts.

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It's screwed to the side of the backbox:

https://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=874&picno=64120&zoom=1
https://o.pinside.com/c/38/e3/c38e386230e3e4ecbe61f47dc8c4eedd86c49b2c.jpeg

Thank You!

My right lower flipper gets caught up sometimes. It’s not electrical, something in the mech is binding - like the plunger or??? Any tips on how to fix this?

Yeah, sounds like you should take it apart. Look for any material coming out from around the tip of the plunger, maybe file it so there is a bit of a bevel.

Check to make sure there is a small amount of play between the flipper and the crank up/down?

Check to make sure the coil stop is nice and flat.

If the stop is not flat, consider replacing that.

Replace the nylon plunger bushing

If you have a spring around the plunger, check to make sure the spring is not broken, and that it cannot get caught on anything.

Check to make sure the crank is not getting hung up on the EOS

try go through this, lots of good tips
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-upgradingrebuilding-flippers/page/15#post-2235465

Possible that the coil stop is magnetized and is holding the plunger for a couple seconds. When it happens and you turn it off, will it drop after a couple seconds or when you slap the cabinet? Had this happen on a Viking when I had it.

No, it stays up. I can sort of feel the point at which it binds right at the end of the stroke. Going to disassemble now and see how I go.

Found the culprit…… as nice as it is having og brass sleeves in, I’m guessing they’re not as forgiving. Replaced with plastic sleeves and also replaced the plunger for good measure. Very smooth action now.

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That era game shouldn't have brass sleeves yours came with them??

Ok, good to know. I imported the game already restored from Europe, so I don’t know its history or how they came to be in the game.

Game was playing great. Changed the other flipper coil sleeve. Went to boot and now it doesn’t start.

Changed f4 fuse and a couple of games in and it’s blown again. Since that’s the flipper coil fuse (I think) must have been something when I was playing around with the flipper coils.

What could it be?

Check all the wiring to make sure nothing is touching something it shouldn’t. No stray wires touching lugs that they shouldn’t. Also check the EOS switches to make sure they are opening and closing properly when you push the flipper shaft with your finger (power off of course).

Metal sleeves were the norm for high use coils until the early 70s when Bally and most others began using Duralon coil sleeves which were heat tolerant and self lubricating. FG should never had metal sleaves. Your game is probably the product of an overzealous restoration.

Or operator using whatever was on hand.

Worst part of those can be that they actually cause plunger wear... might be worth checking...

Here's a plunger from a Flash I was working on that had a metal sleeve.

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I don’t think that’s an original linear plunger. Looks like someone did a flipper rebuild and substituted an older style flipper mechanism. This is pretty common since the original linear flippers were not popular with everyone.

Anyone have a FG hard top laying around that they don't need?

Yes, will PM you

Narrowed the problem down to the rhs flipper(s) - Fuse only blows when activating the rhs flipper(s). But can’t for the life of me see any problems with the flipper mech/wiring itself. Switches are fine. What else do I need to be looking at to narrow it down?

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Are the coil diodes installed? Looks like their ends may be wrapped around the lugs but they don’t go through the holes in the coil bobbin, maybe one is in backwards. How about the upper right flipper? Does the fuse blow if you manually move the lower right flipper plunger, upper right flipper plunger, or only with the right flipper button?

Diodes are installed, just on the other side. And they’re correct. Everything has been fine until I replaced the coil sleeves - so I assume I’ve dislodged/damages something.

Tried again with the pf up and the eos switch actually sparked and then the fuse blew on first flip.

If you swap coils with the other flipper, will the problem travel with the coil? Just wondering if there’s a problem with the coil itself. That happened to me once and a new coil fixed it.

Big Daddy has replacement strobe boards back in stock. They are $20 more expensive if you by them on Ebay rather than the Big Daddy website.

Ebay has free shipping on it, BD website is $22. So a wash.... but I needed it so thanks for posting. Did not know someone else was making these after the other makers stopped.

Thought I'd mention here, even though I don't see him represented on the backglass or playfield, that Chaim Topol, "Dr. Hans Zarkov" in the movie, has passed away.

Is that spring shorting on the back of the eos switch?

Hard to tell if it is just perspective or if they are touching/arcing?

I have one that im debating on using. I got it with the game when I purchased it. My playfield really isnt that bad.... which is why I have not installed yet.

I swapped in a coil from another game that I know is good, and still happens.

Optical illusion.

Next I’m going to swap in another power board just to eliminate that.

Swapped the replacement power board in and no different.

Now I’ve run out of fuses lol. Off to buy some more and then…….????? Keep looking for shorts. But where should I be looking??? If it’s only the right flipper causing it do I just follow the high voltage wires to/from there? Will it only be something on that circuit (not sure if that’s the right word)? So only the rhs lower and upper flipper causing it?

Get out your DMM and look for shorts to ground with the power off. Yes, start with that circuit.

How do I do that? DMM’s not my forte unfortunately.

You should watch some YouTube videos of how to use one, but basically, you set it to measure resistance and want to make when you touch a part — lug, wire, etc. — that is not supposed to be connected to ground with one probe and touch the other probe to ground, that you are getting the same reading as when the two probes are apart and not touching anything. Some DMMs have a setting to make an audible beep when continuity is detected. You don’t want continuity between a part that is supposed to be getting power and ground because that would indicate a short to ground.

Continuity I’m semi familiar with. So if I touch all coil lugs to ground I get no continuity.

Only continuity is flipper switches and bulbs and f5 which is gi I think.

Does that sound right?

Just to clarify, the f4 fuse only blows after holding the rhs flipper up for 4-5 seconds.

Right flipper would also activate the right upper flipper on FG.
Check the switch /wiring /diodes there as well. That would be my next step once I triple checked the lower.

That indicates your EOS switch isn't opening.

You’d think but both look good.

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So if the low voltage coil was not working on one of the coils, I’m guessing that would blow the fuse? I’ve swapped the lower flipper coil, but haven’t swapped the upper.

What do you mean by "low voltage coil". They both essentially operate at the same voltage but different current levels.
On the lower right flipper mech, the secondary switch activates the upper flipper. Put something between that switch like some card to stop the switch closing denying the upper flipper from operating. That will help isolate which flipper has the problem.