I've verified that the wire has good continuity between those two points, the pins on both boards are definitely connected. Since the wire (yellow-blue and associated connectors) is not the culprit, what else would cause an open circuit?

Possibly not related, or maybe it's a clue. Switch test comes back with a stuck switch 07 (tilt), even with the playfield disconnected.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. When both of those are removed, all lamps light up in test. PROGRESS.

Ok, so what does that switch 07/tilt stuck switch tell me about where to look next? Are we thinking there is a short somehow on that wire, or perhaps I soldered something back incorrectly?

For crying out loud. This was it. This is embarrassing.

Check out this photo:

IMG_2846.JPG

Note the tilt bob. Note the mounting screws for the tilt bob ring. Note the ground braid going behind the tilt panel wood.

COME ON. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THAT.

Ok, so my friends, this is how your tilt bob mounting screw can make an insert lamp not light on your playfield.

The next stage is reassembling the playfield topside! We have a few more parts to polish, but that won't take long. A few little tweaks to work out, we'll definitely be doing a reveal this weekend, for sure.

Isn't it nice, seeing all the lamps light up?

IMG_2858.JPG

No comment on the flippers, we haven't adjusted them yet.

Thanks! We put clear heat shrink (though I think going forward, we'll use tubing, as it's easier to remove) on one switch lug on most switches. I can't believe the mounting screw poked microscopically into the ground braid behind that board. So embarrassing. I got lazy and used a screw 1/8" longer than the other.

Ha! No you are seeing that correctly. I haven’t even gotten to ACTUAL stuck switches yet! LOL. Great idea on the tubing! We are on it. As usual, sage advice. You have what we call in my business (tech) “institutional memory.” Companies have none of this wisdom because they aren’t human. Humans often don’t have it because responsibilities are too distributed and people change jobs. Once in a rare while, you get someone who does a great job long enough...

Good catch, I'll definitely check the plumb bob out when I get a chance.

We spent most of this afternoon with a dremel drilling out the clear around the holes. I don't know what you all feel about the Kruzman kit/method (superglue and all), but after we had one halo around a guide pin, we didn't hesitate to start dremeling. This playfield is definitely cured (passes the sniff test), but honestly I don't think waiting longer stops halos. I can see why most people don't even notice them. Think about it: When you screw into a playfield, even into an existing hole, there is a reasonable chance the threads aren't going to align perfectly, and are going to slightly push up the clear around a hole (less true around a bolt that goes into a t-nut). Sometimes it doesn't matter, because what is going there is a star post or something with a much wider diameter than a halo. However, most holes needed some cleaning anyway for posts to go through, so we might as well do the whole thing.

For anyone interested, Kruzman discusses this here:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/kruzman-clear-install-kit-is-a-life-saver

Well stick a fork in her...

213A51C9-5185-4F93-B5F2-1E2DE82FD262.jpeg

Playfield fits, getting closer:

IMG_3019.JPG

My son finding more bugs:

IMG_3016.JPG

We're getting there, still plenty to do. These bugs are weird. Why would hitting the 2nd drop target make the game tilt?!

The answer is probably that one of the coin switches is stuck, and combining that with the 2nd drop target causes tilt to register. Thank you Internet. I'll see if I'm right tomorrow.

I was wrong. The tilt issue when hitting 2nd drop target was caused by a stuck spinner switch. Now neither 2nd or 3rd drop target registers hits. Slowly but surely...Feel free to throw suggestions as I expose this stuff.

Also, new thing we discovered, hitting the "E" rollover triggers the "U" and "R" next to it to trigger as well. All of those switches are on the same column, but it's only the two next to the E that trigger. Maddening!

Ok friends, I could use some experience solving some mysteries, but let's start with what should be an easier one.

The switch test claims there is a stuck coin switch. It's not stuck. This is with the playfield switches unplugged.

I spent a bunch of time going back and forth between the wiring, the schematics, and what's online. There also were some written notes in the switch matrix in my hard copy manual that were not in the IPDB version. This, in the end, is what I came up with:

future_spa_wiring_info.png

Note the items in RED were written in by someone.

A few things here. First off, when I trace the actual wiring, it corresponds to the cabinet matrix information I placed below. It's not much of a cabinet matrix, really, I'm just trying to put it all together. What I don't understand why the coin switches, credit reset and slam appear in both matrixes according to these written notes? Am I misunderstanding how this works?

Secondly, should the self test button return have continuity to ground? It works fine, but I feel like I should ask that question.

Complicating matters more, when the playfield switches are unplugged from the MPU, it reports the tilt is the stuck switch.

...just noticed my coin door switches have no diodes. That doesn't seem right, if they are on the matrix...?

That’s the thing. As you can see above, the coin switches are listed both in the cab wiring, the playfield switch matrix, and the cabinet wiring schematic. In the switch matrix, there are diodes:

CC42F394-61FD-4DB5-BDB1-5F0799481345 (resized).jpeg

In the wiring diagram, they do not:

84960AF4-FD39-404C-BAAD-CE6A7C919C68 (resized).jpeg

So which is it? If they do, do use use the middle lug?

I’ve checked my photos of the original switches, no diodes.

They also appeared to be “normally closed.” Can someone verify that? You can see I’m this photo how I’ve got it wired:

63163056-118B-49B7-9C03-0390E6CB6111 (resized).jpeg

For the record, this is the wiring that worked and cleared the stuck switch issues:

8C66375D-710D-4D38-A422-58F5AC5C9C64.jpeg

I have no idea if the diode is necessary (it wasn’t in the original wiring), and the switches are now N.O., but it cleared everything up. On to debugging mechanical (gate barely moves and have to adjust the flippers).

Everything now works!

F74304B3-2F2B-4344-A829-2496B9FCE693.jpeg

Now for fine tuning. @vid1900, any tips for lining up flippers? We feel like we have it just right, then something settled, and you lose your precision:

A00935BB-278A-4B5B-943C-5E37C3C21E64.jpeg

There must be a better technique.

Just a few more final bits then we will put the backglass back together. (It better fit.)

I find that the wire guides (these are the guides to the left and right of the flippers, leading the ball to the flipper) have a little bend in them from the factory right before it hits the flipper. This makes the ball do a little "pop" right before it hits (or maybe it's my imagination). I'm not sure if that's the goal with that, so I left that as is for now.

I've been using a straight edge with some microfiber cloth around it to avoid scratching the playfield. I put this along the wire guide, and get the flipper perfectly aligned. Then I tighten. Then I lower the playfield, and I swear to you, it moves. I'm sure this is everyone's experience! Something about the play in the flipper as it's being tightened. Anyway, we'll get it closer!

New cards and stickers.

A6BF30E8-1BC5-4EEB-9D5E-B665463BC1E1.jpeg

Almost finished. We've been chasing down one last glitch here:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/bally-as-2518-club/page/25#post-4613339

Let us know if any of you have any thoughts on this one. It's driving us crazy.

Still glitch chasing. Never thought I'd be using an o-scope on this project.

Taking the hunt for the controlled lamp glitch out of the Bally/Stern AS-2518 Club so I stop hijacking the topic. If you want the full history of this hunt you can find it here:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/bally-as-2518-club/page/25#post-4613339

Anyway, Quench ... picking up where we left off.

I had my probe on SCR Q11 and was recording the waveform. This was on the Alltek LDB.

I've tried wiggling, squeezing, jiggling, twisting. Nothing changes anything. I know I wasn't moving the connectors around. It's almost like touching the gate pin with the probe somehow reduced the noise or something.

That's a good question. Let's talk about that. The test points test fine (I'll test again to be certain), but how do I really check for the power and ground to be clean?

Peter, lol, these are ALL your cards. You linked me to them! Also, everyone, donate to Peter's site, he does a ton for the community.

I downloaded your cards, and I edited the to match the originals where they needed it...I print them on retro paper and then I use a Xyron Creative Station to laminate them.

Alltek MPU TP4 is 4.98vdc.
Alltek MPU TP5 (VMA) is 2.79vdc
Alltek LDB TP1 os 5.02vdc
Alltek SDB TP1 is 238vdc

I touch it to the ground braid in the backbox floor, which we re-ran and confirmed during the restoration has proper continuity to ground.

MPU: .002vdc
LDB: .007vdc
SDB: .009vdc

Back to your first point:

We know the SCR doesn't go fully on during lamp test when this problem presents itself. What I wonder about is could noise on the ground or something weird about voltage going to the board result in this behavior on just one or two SCRs!? Wouldn't it effect all of them?

What I like about this theory/direction is that it explains why it would happen to both LDB boards. The only thing that feeds those two LDB boards are the signals from the MPU and the power and ground. We know it's not related to the cabinet and playfield harnesses, it happens when everything else is disconnected...So it must be related to J2 or J3. There are no other options. If J2 is the cause and the MPU isn't broken, it must be a connector or wiring issue. If J3 is the cause, it must be power or ground. What else comes into J3?

One other thing: We replaced the line filter on this game with a new one. That's another thing that changed since we tore it down. Could a line filter cause this somehow?

No problem. I was getting a little self conscious about how much we were hijacking that topic...Though honestly to get folks like you helping it's the right place to go. We are so grateful!

...and just to answer @robotworkshop:

Double checked, although we've tested this with ALL those cables disconnected and still get that SCR not fully turning on, on both MPUs and both LDBs.

Thank you for saying that! It’s really all about my son and I bonding over this process. Today is the day we bring this machine from our garage to our home, after ten months of work. It really brings me to tears! Just a couple more things to work out.

Quench the Alltek LDB also has these test points:

8C286B69-6938-4891-8675-2E24B1E58E42.jpeg

Are they of value in this process at all?