Just picked up my premium yesterday, and I'm trying to figure out if my switches and gates are working properly. When is a shot to the ecto goggles supposed to go all the way around, and when is the gate supposed to stop it and direct it to the pops? The ball is sometimes getting hung up. I think this is caused by the left controlled gate, but it may also be an issue with the right gate. For example, a hard plunge seems to slow down at the left gate, but I think that could be because the right gate is slightly altering the trajectory. A slightly softer plunge seems to make it all the way around just fine. Does anyone have any insight into what might be going on here?

You put mylar on the target itself?

I'd like to know the answer to this as well. When exactly is the gate supposed to be open, and when is it supposed to be closed?

Is the purpose of the cliffy to protect against the ball striking the edge of the playfield, or to protect against the targets bashing into the playfield after being struck by the ball?

It's easy to test it. Just do a full plunge and don't flip. Most likely, the ball will drain before the hitting one of the skill shots and before the ball saver runs out.

I thought you were trying to test if the left gate opens on an autolaunch if the skill shot is still active. I was simply suggesting an easy method to test this without taking off the glass.

This problem is being discussed over in the other thread:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/ghostbusters-club-we-got-one/page/39#post-3536295

I think there are a couple of factors at play. A fast moving ball tends to get some air as it passes over the drop target. Combine this with the hairpin turn at the back of the orbit, and it's a recipe for disaster. Some have indicated that the problem can be tamed somewhat by increasing the playfield pitch to 6.5 or even 7 degrees, and making sure that your game is precisely level. You should also verify that your drop target is sitting as flush as possible with the playfield. If you're having problems with that switch registering, try adjusting it so it is more sensitive.

There are two flashers on the backboard. I noticed during test mode that the one on the right is not nearly as bright as the one on the left. Is this normal, or do I need to take a closer look at what might be going on?

How much shorter is that than the stock one?

How deep do the threads go? Can one simply take a stock post and grind it down a bit? I probably wouldn't need the full 3/8 inches removed. A hard shot on my game will always make it all the way around. It's just the lighter shots that occasionally get rejected. I'm thinking a very small change will make the shot perfect.

It's the hex post holding up the right ramp? There is a screw that secures the habitrail to it.

See the screw circled in red? It is screwed into the hex post ...

Hex post (resized).jpg

You gotta wake up pretty early in the morning to beat the gweemster ....

I'm about to place an order from Pinball Life. Has anyone installed this captive ball wireform support?

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=4378

Is it necessary?

Thanks for the info! I just checked my game and, sure enough, there is solid piece of metal flanking that entire wire form. That sucker isn't budging.

I finally got around to installing all the cliffys last night. The one closest to the trough is kind of a pain in the ass. You have to hammer those little screw things out from the underside, and then you have to be super careful when you tighten them so you don't bend the cliffy.

While I was at it, I installed the shorter hex post for the right ramp. It definitely makes it easier to consistently hit the shot. I also replaced the original orange shooter spring with a green one. It makes a full plunge more likely to make it all the way around, but it's still not perfect. I really wish there was an easy way to tweak those gates. I'd love to slightly adjust the height of them, but this is difficult because of the way they're mounted.

It's because the two things are registered by different switches. I was confused about this as well when I first got the game. The ghost in the ecto goggles is destroyed when the opto is tripped. The insert won't register a hit until the ball has traveled further and tripped the switch at the far back right of the game behind staypuft. It sounds like your opto is working fine and registering 100% of the time. It's the other switch that is the problem. Unfortunately, it's a bad design. The ball comes ripping around that corner at a high velocity and often with some air. This is why the switch isn't registering consistently. Some people have had luck slightly tweaking the actuator so that the switch can be triggered more easily.

Is there something different about the flipper design on this game? I'm having trouble dialing them in so I can do the little finesse moves like tip passes. The EOS on both flippers seems fine, and I've adjusted both flipper button switch gaps, but I still can't get it to be as responsive as I'd like.

Yes, this is exactly what I'm referring to. It's the partial flip you use when the ball is slowly rolling up one flipper and you want to give it some very slight upward momentum so that it will sail over the flipper gap. I can do this on all my Sterns, even on my GoT which is also a Spike game, but it seems much harder to do it on GB. Is there an adjustment I can make to fix this?

Edit: I adjusted the flipper button gap again and made it just a little bit wider. This helped. It's still not quite as responsive as some of my other games, but it's now a bit easier do the partial flip.

I just noticed while playing tonight that the cabinet decal is starting to fray a bit at the left side edge near the front of the game. I assume this is happening because the exposed edge of the decal is constantly being rubbed by my hand while flipping. This is the only Stern I own where the decals don't wrap around the edge. You can see from the photos that there is a gap between the side decals and the front decal on both sides of the game. Are all Ghostbuster premiums like this, or did they mess mine up at the factory?

P1070940 (resized).JPG
P1070936 (resized).JPG

So it looks like I'm not alone, at least not when it comes to the more recent builds (mine is October). Why did Stern stop wrapping the decals? Was it to save money on the extra couple inches? What a terrible decision.

Yep. That's about the only way I can think of to address this problem.

Does anyone make a full set of plastic protectors for this game? I already have some for the slings, but I'd like to protect the other plastics as well. The action on this game is more wild than any other game I can think of.

Did the wire to the start button get knocked loose?

I'm confused. It won't let you start a game if the topper isn't connected properly?

The protector from the factory only protects against a ball coming in from the side and striking the LCD. It offers no protection whatsoever for the mirror.

I received some of the removable mylar from Amazon, and I plan on using it to protect the exposed edges of the decals. Before I can put it on, I need to trim a tiny bit of the decal along the edge where it is starting to fray. What is the best way to trim the decal? Would an Exacto knife work?

GB decal (resized).jpg

All fixed!!!

I trimmed the edge of the decal with an Exacto knife, touched up the paint, and sealed off the entire corner with a strip of mylar. It came out great and should protect the decal nicely.

P1070943 (resized).JPG

I used the exact stuff that chucksmith recommended to fix the issue with my decals. I also installed some on the playfield to protect the area around both drop targets. This is the first time I've used this product, and it's awesome. I have no idea how well it will hold up over time, but it's very thin and very easy to work with. It's also almost completely invisible once installed.

Here's a link to it:

https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Repositionable-Adhesive-Backed-Cutters-Punches/dp/B013Z7DZA6/ref=pd_lutyp_simh_1_1

And he wasn't kidding when he said it comes in a large roll. Holy smokes!!! When the box arrived, I had no idea what was in it. I didn't remember ordering anything that would come in such a large oblong package. I guess I now have a lifetime supply!

That does seem like a better option. It's not only cheaper, but it's also probably easier to work with being half the width.

Try a little Goo Gone. It's my go to product for getting rid of sticky residue.

It's absolutely safe to use on a new playfield. It's a very gentle product.

Goo Gone (resized).jpg

The Pinball Life version fits the pro perfectly ...

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=4255

GB lane heighteners (resized).JPG

What rail are you talking about? Are you referring to the rail between the double inlanes? If so, why would you care if the ball hops over it? I assume most people are concerned about the ball hopping the outer rail and draining.

I've been having issues with this same switch. I've tried tweaking the actuator. It helped a bit, but it's still not 100%. Unfortunately, that switch is just in a really bad location.

That's strange, because if the right orbit switch doesn't register, then the controlled gate should remain closed.

I never get a SDTM drain from the ecto lane. The ball is always delivered to the right flipper. In fact, I can usually do a drop catch and gain control of it.

Is the left scoop bug only on the pro? I haven't noticed a problem on my premium.

I'm surprised this doesn't happen on more people's games. Those targets really take a beating. Because of this, I recently decided to disable both of them in the menu, and I now only turn them on when guests are over. I found that they weren't adding to my enjoyment of the game that much, and this will put less wear and tear on the playfield over time.

True, but I bet I get higher scores overall by disabling them. The game is a lot easier when those drop targets aren't constantly blocking your shots.

I tried tweaking the switch actuator, but it only helped a little. We need to come up with a way to keep the ball from gaining air on that shot. I was thinking about installing some kind of cardboard flap that is hinged to the back of the ecto goggles. The cardboard would lay directly over the lane, but it would have some give due to the hinge. This might keep the ball low enough to register the switch more often. I plan on experimenting with this when I get a chance.

I thought about doing something like that, but doesn't it affect the plunge?

Interesting. So perhaps a combination of your idea and my flap idea over the ecto lane might be exactly the one-two punch we need.

Interesting fix. Please keep us posted.

I think people get too hung up on the playfield having to be at exactly 6.5 degrees. Having it level from side to side is much more important.

I was waiting for a couple more people to chime in, but it sounds like removing the mylar is indeed the solution. Can't wait to give it a try.

So once the mylar is removed, the ball never rattles around back there on an orbit shot? It always whips right around?

Got it. So we're just talking about the switch registering consistently. That still sounds like a nice improvement to me. I hate it when I nail that shot and I don't get credit for it.

That's possible, but it still shouldn't be happening. I've slid mine around a lot, but it's on carpet sliders, so not much force is needed. Knock on wood (no pun intended), my game is fine so far.

GB does seem to be louder than my other Spike game. I have GoT set at 15 and GB set at 10. At those settings, GB still sounds louder.

Is it incredibly loud?

He is referring to the cabinet protectors that come pre-installed from the factory. They create a space between the leg and the cabinet so the leg doesn't actually touch the cabinet. These make the kind of protectors you are using unnecessary. Stern started using these a while back. I think AC/DC may have been the first game to have them, and they've been on every game since.

I removed the mylar behind Stay Puft yesterday. It does indeed make a substantial difference. The switch is registering much more consistently now, and it greatly improves game play. Like others have said, it was easy to take off the mylar. I just started it with my fingernail at the edge near the switch, and then pulled it right off with a pair of needle nose pliers. In my opinion, there is no need for the freeze spray method. There was some residue left from the glue, but it came right off with a little Goo Gone and some scrubbing with a microfiber towel.

I've only played a couple games since I removed the mylar. I could immediately see that the situation was greatly improved, but I'll need some more games under my belt to accurately answer your questions.

They are either metal or plastic and look like this ...

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=2711

Cabinet Protectors (resized).JPG

Okay, I just played five long games for the express purpose of testing out just how effective removing the mylar was. I even temporarily disabled the Scoleri Brothers so I could more easily focus on the shot. Holy crap!!! I don't think there was single time in all five games that the right orbit didn't register. Even super hard combos on the fly coming from the left orbit triggered the switch 100% of the time. To be honest, I'm a little shocked by how much of a difference removing a simple piece of mylar made. I can now say unequivocally that this mod makes the game play way better and should be performed by every person who owns the game.

I wouldn't have thought so either, but the ball obviously gets quite a bit of loft when it hits the edge of the mylar. This wouldn't normally be an issue, but the proximity of the mylar to the switch combined with the quick turn created the perfect storm.

I believe it probably would if you extended it down far enough.

Agreed. In a home use environment, I don't think the mylar in that area is necessary at all. At any rate, I played some more games, and I've now come to the realization that removing the mylar not only fixed the situation with the switch not being activated, but it also resolved the issue where a hard shot ball to the right orbit would sometimes rattle around up there and fall back down the way it came. The ball has not done that once since removing the mylar, and it used to do it every now and then on my game. I always assumed it was gaining air when it went over the drop target, but it turns out it was the mylar all along.

I am so fricken happy that we finally figured this one out. I honestly thought it was a design flaw with that upper right corner of the playfield, and we were just going to have to learn to live with it. I forgot who it was that originally suggested removing the mylar, but hats off to them! My game is now playing almost 100%. The only thing remaining that still needs to be tweaked is the upper right gate on the plunge. I've swapped out the shooter spring with the next one down and it helped, but the ball with still occasionally graze the gate. It's a minor issue on my game, though, and I know it's worse on some people's games.

I tried tweaking the switch. It helped a bit, but no matter how much I fiddled with it, I still couldn't get it to register 100% of the time. Removing the mylar, on the other hand, worked like a charm.

It's not exactly the same. I think what happens is that a fast moving ball is launched into the air when it hits the front edge of the mylar. It then comes flying around the corner and makes contact with the switch at a less than optimal trajectory. Removing the mylar keeps the ball solidly rolling on the playfield so it makes proper contact with the switch wire.

No. You don't have to remove anything. Just lift the playfield and put it into the service position. This will give you better access to the back of the playfield. There is room to get your fingers in there and start peeling up the mylar near the switch. If you need to, you can slightly bend Stay Puft out of the way. Once you have it started, grab the mylar firmly with some needle nose plyers and slowly pull it off. It should come right up. Just make sure to clean up any adhesive that is left on the playfield before you start playing.

Those should both be shorter than the one that came on the game. Are they not?

Yep. Easy fix. Just make sure you put some pressure on the arm with your thumb when you bend it so you aren't stressing it at the point where it attaches to the switch.

Good eye! Those do seem like some pretty big tracks!

As far as I know, that part of the playfield is exactly the same on both machines, so the fix should work equally well on a pro as it did on my premium.

That's a passive one-way gate. There is no switch connected to it, so it definitely isn't the gate itself that is causing the skill shot to register. Can you see on the DMD which skill shot you are getting credit for? I'm guessing one of your switches somewhere is either stuck or is too sensitive. Put your game in switch test and see what switches are closed. If nothing seems out of the ordinary, try slapping the playfield to see if the vibration triggers any switches.

Perhaps the ball is ricocheting off the gate and grazing the right orbit switch?

You'll be happy to know that it's an easy fix. Just remove the piece of mylar that is located right before the orbit switch behind Stay Puft. It's hard to believe that such a small thing causes such a large problem, but it does. I think the earlier runs didn't have the mylar installed, which is most likely why you never had a problem on that shot with your original playfield.

Did you have to remove the gate to do this? I tried removing the gate once, but Stay Puft was blocking me from getting it out. I didn't feel like dealing with it at the time, so I just left it alone. The problem isn't too bad on my machine. With the lower tension spring, a full plunge makes it all the way around almost all the time. A majority of the time I'm going for the "K" skill shot anyway.

I'm not sure about all the modes (I rarely get to the deeper modes on the right ladder), but in normal play the ball appears to almost always go all the way around on a right orbit shot. I wasn't sure about this before, but now that my orbit switch is working 100%, I'm much more confident that this is the case. It's possible that the gate remains closed during some multiballs, as I'm rarely paying attention and am just happy to keep the balls in play.

Thanks for the info! It may have been the ball guide that was the problem and not Stay Puft. Seems like a pain in the butt if you actually have to remove the backboard. I'll try your method leaving the gate in place and removing Stay Puft.

Yeah, that's very odd.

You are going to be shocked by how much of a difference removing that mylar makes.

I have this exact same issue with with the flippers on my GB premium. It makes it very hard to do the little finesse moves like tap passes, post passes, etc ... On most games, a quick release and re-press will cause the flipper to flutter ever so slightly. When I do this on GB, the flipper often doesn't move at all. Like you said, you can even hit the button rapidly many times in a row without the flipper dropping even the slightest. I tried making the gap on the flipper button switches a little wider. This helped a bit, but the flippers still don't react like they are supposed to. My only other Spike game is GoT, and those flippers work perfectly. I sure would like to get to the bottom of this.

The game has always been like this. I've examined both flipper mechs, and I can't see anything that appears out of the ordinary.

Yep. That happened to me a lot when I first got the game. I've learned to play around it, but I shouldn't have to.

But my GoT is Spike, and it's fine. That's what's so confusing. Is it possible that Stern made some sort of change after GoT? I've never played a BM66 or AS. How are the flippers on those games?

My GoT is an LE. Did they run those first? Maybe the change was made midway through the run? I'm obviously speculating here. There has to be some logical reason why the flipper feel completely different on some games.

Did you check the connections to it? It's also possible that the leaf switch needs to be adjusted. It might be stuck closed.

I would try to bend the top of the scoop up a bit so there is more clearance.

Easy. Just go into the menu and disable both drop targets.

I think what some people have done is replace the auto shooter spring with a higher tension one. This makes the auto shooter fire the ball more slowly. This is different from replacing the manual plunger spring, which is generally swapped out with a lower tension one.

Correct. This is the one you want ...

http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/10-437

I think you are looking at the photo wrong. The way he has the wedge installed would definitely make the target lean forward (towards the flippers).

I was over at my buddy's house yesterday, and I played his LE for the first time since I bought my premium. A couple observations:

1) The LE playfields must be made out of a different kind of wood, because his game doesn't have nearly as many dimples as mine.

2) His flippers are exactly the same as mine, where it is difficult to flutter them and do finesse moves. What is it about GB flippers that makes them fundamentally different than other games? It is definitely not a SPIKE thing, as other SPIKE games are fine. I went right from GB to Arrowsmith last night, and the flippers on Arrowsmith were great. Same with Got, KISS, etc ... Did they change something up with the flipper circuitry on GB, realize they made a mistake, and then change back on later games? I truly am stumped on this one.

I'm less concerned about the flipper alignment than I am with the fact that they simply don't act like they are supposed to. Has anyone been able to figure out why the flippers on GB feel different than any other Stern game? I've looked carefully at the entire flipper assembly, and I can't spot anything different. I've also tried adjusting the switch gaps to no avail. I'm curious to know if this is a problem that affects all GBs, or just some. Does anyone have a GB with flippers that they consider to be perfectly normal? I'm talking about the ability to easily flutter them with a half press of the button so you can do tap passes, post passes, etc .... No matter what adjustments I make, I still find these finesses moves to be extremely difficult on my game.

It's not as easy as it is on older solid state games, but I generally have pretty good success with the move if the flippers are adjusted correctly. On GB, however, it's extremely difficult.

I own both GB and GoT. There is no comparison. The flippers on GB play like s**t. It's something I've gotten used to, but I sure would like to know why the flippers are so different on this game. If we can identify the cause, then perhaps we can come up with a fix.

That is not normal. Is your playfield protector not sitting flat?

I'm pretty sure it's supposed to kick out to the right flipper. Have you closely examined the mech to make sure it's working smoothly?

Sounds like some weird glitch. As long as it doesn't happen again, I wouldn't worry about it.

I think he just aligned them so they are parallel to the ball guide.

I think the best solution would be a slight tweak to the software. As it stands, if the game senses the switch being closed and then immediately opened, it doesn't award the shot. This can be rectified by adjusting the switch, but this shouldn't even be necessary. All they need to do is insert a very short delay into the code to give the ball a chance to fully settle onto the switch.

Sorry to hear about the ghosting. I'm surprised to see it happen after so many plays. I guess no playfield is immune, even if you think you are out of the woods. Unfortunately, I don't think mylar would help at all. The problem is the insert pulling away from clear. I don't think there is anything you can really do to prevent this. Hopefully, it won't get much worse.

With the heavier compression spring installed, does the ball still easily make it all the way around the orbit when the gate is open?

Leave the mylar off. I removed the mylar on mine and never looked back. I don't think wear will be a problem on a home use game.

This happened to me as well shortly after I bought the game. I wonder why it's a more common occurrence on this particular game. I don't recall ever having one of the little black screws come loose on any of my other Sterns.

Blown fuse?

This would indicate that the spring is probably too tight.

I agree. That's why I normally leave mine turned off.