Should the brother drop targets drop when hit from any direction or just when hit from the front?
(Topic ID: 158288)
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Ghostbusters (LE)
Stern, 2016-
Ghostbusters (Premium)
Stern, 2016
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Ghostbusters (Pro)
Stern, 2016
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Stern, 2013
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1 week later
I am having issues with a weak right flipper. It's only weak about 30% of the flips. Just started happening around game 100.
What can I do to resolve this?
Thanks.
Quoted from delt31:How do you reposition the drop target position?
Do you mean as to making them flush with pf?
Quoted from delt31:well kind of. The target is currently sitting a little to the left and leaving a wider gap to the right. I was wondering if there if a way to make the position more in the center. As for more flush, sure how do you adjust that too?
I can't speak on the positioning but I did notice each of mine were positioned different.
The targets ultimately rest on the end of 2 screws. You can turn each screw to adjust their resting position. The 2 screws on the outside in the pic.
Quoted from chucksmith:Start by checking the gap and cleaning your eos switch. When the flipper is up the eos switch must be pressed and making good contact.
I'm a noob with this stuff (I had to google eos switch) so I will take a look - maybe I'll compare it to the working side. Thanks.
Quoted from chucksmith:Start by checking the gap and cleaning your eos switch. When the flipper is up the eos switch must be pressed and making good contact.
I didn't get to this as it seems to have gone away for now.
Quoted from Allibaster:I just got my Pro, installed Art's airball protector, then tested it out. Slimer is not registering hits. Looking at it closer, it appears Slimer is up right against Art's protector. Moving it around manually will not trigger forward, left, or right. If I lift it up and push it back over Art's protector, it registers.
Any ideas? Should Slimer be moved forward?
I am having the same issue on the pro.
Quoted from Allibaster:I took apart the whole Slimer assembly. Probably didn't have to do it. It was a total pain in the ass to put it all back together.
Anyway, there's an adjustment on top under the first cover where you can slide the Slimer assembly around a bit. I moved mine back.
Now, it's working great. Slimer also feels quite a bit looser than before.
Wouldn't you want to move it forward to give the butt room to swing back?
Quoted from omgitsadam:I have a Pro with Art's protectors and I simply dremel'd out some space for Slimer's butt. Took about 10 total minutes to get it right.
What bit works best? I don't have any right now but I could pop one in my drill?
Quoted from Allibaster:I did the same thing yesterday. It was easy enough. I also lengthened the existing drill holes so I can slide the protector back a small amount.
I used sanding bit (?) that was about 1/4" in diameter. I'm not sure of the exact bit name. The material is really soft, so be careful not to get too carried away.
You just have to be care because even though slimer might register, you still don't want him hitting the protector - it will tear him up over time. I took at least a 1/2 inch off the protector. I need to film it in slow motion to make sure there is no contact.
2 weeks later
Quoted from chucksmith:This video is the same shot repeated for your review.
I've been monitoring the shooter lane to orbit with a camera.
I think this may be happening to some people.
It only happened to me once or twice. The ball reaches the left gate but glances off the left edge > ricochet into the right edge > follows through roughly.
Suggestions:
** Reduce the incline of your playfield if its extra steep.
** Next time waxing your playfield... Wax this area and the metal walls with extra attention.
** I'm still using the original shooter spring. I did not switch the orange out for a green and I get like 99% clean orbits.
» YouTube video
I am having this problem as well as the ball lifting and hitting the corner of the bracket of the gate behind stay puft. It's also missing the switch occasionally.
I don't think my game is near the max incline. Did waxing fix the issue for anyone? I have the green shooter spring now and still have issues.
Quoted from golfingdad1:Exactly,
That right back corner is problematic, I ended up removing the one way gate all together.
I just pushed the entire bracket up a little and played 2 flawless games. Shots were 100% orbit and plunge.
I imagine over a short period of time it will settle back down since I really did nothing to permanently keep it up. Give it a try a see if it fixes your issues.
Quoted from golfingdad1:Man I wish it was that easy.
I have even used my dremel to remove and round out that bracket, I've tried washers to angle it , etc. The game plays best with it gone in my case.
I have a theory after closer inspection. My switch rests against the outside of the opening instead of in the middle. Could it be that when the ball first makes contact with the switch, the switch isn't being depressed because of how it's resting against the wood, and is actually pushing the ball into the air hitting the corner of the gate?
The angle of the ball on an orbit shot would make it even harder for the switch to depress.
Today I went into my adjustment setting and changed the default extra ball to 50 ghosts.
It appeared that every time I powered on (over the course of a week), the ghost setting for the extra ball would increase one. Today when I was playing the DMD read extra ball at 57 ghosts. I remember this number being 48,49,51,52,53,56,57 over the last week.
When I manually set it to 50, it was 50 during the next game. Very odd.
I was able to install my support rails today. Thanks to the many folks who gave me advise and posted their pictures. I ended up reusing a hole on the left side and it fit very nicely.
After installing the rails, it was much easier to install the shooter lane cliffys, which I just did. My only option was to line the edge up with the edge of the shooter lane - basically so the ball sits on the cliffy (which is how cliffy told me they should be). If I tired to move the edge of the cliffy back a little, the holes didn't line up. Tested the shooter lane switch and it still works perfectly.
It's amazing just 3 weeks ago I knew nothing about the inside of a pinball machine. I couldn't imagine owning this GB without this forum and the help all you fine people.
Quoted from swinks:could you post a few pictures with the playfield lifted up looking square on showing both support rails and then close up of the installation points as this will help others.
This is how mine look.
My weak right flipper is back. It happens maybe 3 times a game mostly during multiball. Could it be a power issue because so much else is going on?
Would should I check here? Should I post a few pictures of the EOS switch?
Keep in mind that you might have to dump down your response. 
Thanks.
Quoted from chucksmith:So Todd Tuckey recently told a tale of a weak flipper issue for a customer. The cause was a sump-pump kicking in sucking the house power causing just low enough voltage to impact the flippers. This could be caused by freezers, Air conditioners, anything that draws a lot of power on initial start up.
Wouldn't they both be weak if that was the case?
Quoted from PanzerFreak:I wonder if changing the plunger spring to one with less tension would also be a potential fix for this issue. Is this occurring on all games?
I changed mine to green and still have the issue. Sometimes a full plunge is smooth and sometimes it smacks the corner of the gate.
It does seem like my shooter is not quite centered but I don't know how to adjust it. I see that I can take all the screws out to remove it, but I don't see how to adjust it so when I put it back together it sits in a different position to the ball.
Quoted from chucksmith:Start by checking the gap and cleaning your eos switch. When the flipper is up the eos switch must be pressed and making good contact.
Can someone post a picture with arrows pointing to the 'gap' and what I am supposed to clean for this?
TIA.
Quoted from pinden007:Can someone post a picture with arrows pointing to the 'gap' and what I am supposed to clean for this?
TIA.
Quoted from Who-Dey:No you will still get that but the shots that weren't registering were the really hard fast smooth shots through the ecto goggles. Now that shot will register no matter how fast and smooth of a shot that you send up through there.
Did you have an issue with the ball hitting the corner of the gate on orbit shots and plunges? Was that also resolved? Is this for premium/le only?
Thanks.
Quoted from Sinestro:Best bet for rough plunges is to replace the springs for both the manual plunger and auto plunger.
Easy and cheap. Did this the first week I had it.
I did switch the orange to green. Full plunge with green spring makes orbit about 50% of the time and falls in 'P' the other 50%. I do need to confirm the plunger is lined up in the middle of the ball.
Quoted from pinden007:It appeared that every time I powered on (over the course of a week), the ghost setting for the extra ball would increase one. Today when I was playing the DMD read extra ball at 57 ghosts. I remember this number being 48,49,51,52,53,56,57 over the last week.
When I manually set it to 50, it was 50 during the next game. Very odd.
Bump for anybody else that might be experiencing this issue. Today I put it back on the factory default and it was 63 as seen in the picture.
Also, can any one confirm the extra ball should be lit every x ghosts. I can only get it to light once per game no matter how many ghosts I catch.
The one on route that I played lights at 50, 100, etc.
Thanks.
Quoted from gweempose: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.
I play GB at 25-30.
Quoted from gweempose:Is it incredibly loud?
Yes. It's awesome. Lol
At 10 I can hear the stuff rattle when the shaker kicks in.
Quoted from Who-Dey:I have payed many games since removing my mylar piece and that shot has not failed to register one time since removing it. Its the best thing ive ever done, makes the game way more fun.
How about the plunge shot. Does that ever hit the corner bracket?
Quoted from Who-Dey:It's hard to believe that this actually fixes the problem but it does. I don't see how the Mylar could have possibly affected the switch from registering but it damn sure does.
I wonder if the problem could also be fixed by extending the piece further down the lane.
Can someone confirm for me either way that if you have the factory default light extra ball at 50 ghosts that it also lights at 100 ghosts?
Thanks.
Quoted from jar155:Since I never had the problem before, I've not looked into the fixes out there. What are people doing to improve the reliability of the right orbit shot? This is on a GBLE, by the way.
Removing the Mylar before the switch was the fix for that.
3 weeks later
Can someone explain or link how to adjust a flipper higher?
My left flipper is sitting at least 1/8" lower than the right. Definitely noticeable.
Thanks.
Quoted from scooter75:the tip pointing higher / lower than the other
This.
I'll take a look underneath.
Quoted from swinks:this is a drawing that I just quickly found of a Sega flipper mech with the relevant naming on it so the design will be slightly different but the general parts are correct.
Thanks. That was perfect - made it very easy.
1 week later
Quoted from CaptainNeo:I saw it first hand from the new Premium off the line from one of our guys in our league. Don't know if he ever posts on here. I know he reads it, but don't know if he has an account. Anyone in our league that was there when he hosted this last weekend can confirm it.
Can confirm what? I think the previous post wanted confirmation that it changes the shot geometry.
Quoted from CaptainNeo:confirmation that it changes the shot geometry? that would be a dumb ass question, as every fraction those flippers are set up or down completely changes the geometry on every game.
Right- but for better or worse on GB?
2 weeks later
Quoted from PinMonk:1. I made my own, but I had to decrease the plastic area over the ramp entrance by cutting more out of the midsection "U". The airballs happen on the sides with the target, so the plastic in the middle is just a connector. I haven't got it quite right, but it works with 95% or more of the shots. Only the occasional really fast one will go slightly airborne and hit the plastic on the way up, slowing it or rejecting it. I've attached a pic of one of the early ones I made.
2. That's not your problem. I had this issue, too, at the very beginning. I don't remember 100%, but I *think* it was the shooter lane switch not registering right so it didn't know you had plunged the ball. Check in switch test mode to see if it's registering the resting ball as it's kicked out of the trough.
Exactly what king of plastic is that? thanks.
4 months later
What was the fix for slimer on the pro? It's not registering hits (almost none) during the game but works during switch test. This is the original slimer that came with the game which I got in March of this year. Might be a nov 2016 build.
Thanks.
Quoted from chucksmith:Are you sure its the original slimer? I have a Sept 2016 Premium with 2nd gen slimer.
The official fix is to upgrade to Slimer 2.0 which Stern will provide through your distributor.
See john's arcade for the install.
» YouTube video
Chuck
Original in terms of it's the one that came with my GB - I never changed it. Whether it's the newest one, I don't know.
So is '2nd gen slimer' considered the 2.0 version?
I will call disto today.
Quoted from chucksmith:You can tell which slimer you have by watching John's video. The top (connection) is different amoung other things.
Based on the video I do have the newest one. What should I do now? Still contact distributor?
Note: It works in switch test mode when slimmer is up. I saw in the video it's possible to test while it's down using SLIM test to lower it and then go to switch test mode. I can give that a try when I get home. Probably won't matter either way.
Thanks.
Quoted from chucksmith:Well no need to contact the distro since you have the new one.
The switch works as you tested it.
Next you need to make sure the switch is closed when slimer is at rest.
But the switch needs to open when a ball hits slimer.
The manual test needs to use a ball.
Adjusting....
While adjusting... Make the steel cable "just touch" metal ring in front.
This is a normally closed switch.
When the ball hits slimer the cable will move away from the ring's edge and open the switch.
If slimer to pressed too tight against the rings edge, it wont open with the ball.
You need to adjust the series of plates on top of slimer-mech so the cable moves away from the ring and then move back so the cable just contacts the plate. test with a ball in play mode.
This is what I found during testing...
It works every time in switch test mode when slimer is up. When it is down it works about 1 in 10. Here is the thing, when I take the ball and roll it at slimer or use my finger and flick him straight back it doesn't register. If I take my finger and just move it back a fraction - but hold it back for a split second longer, it works every time. So it would seem to be a timing issue where as the break in the connection is too short to register. Soft ball rolls work every time.
I have no idea how to fix that. 
Quoted from chucksmith:It sounds to me like the steel cable is pressing too hard on the inner ring contact which makes it harder to break contact.
The steel cable should be barely touching the inner ring so it can break contact easily with just a tap.
Also.. you do need to 'hit' slimer. he should not register a hit if the ball brushes or bumps into him.
It needs to be a real strike on the green-guy.
I don't know it that is the issue because I can take my finger and move slimer a hair, but hold it for a split second longer, and let go and it registers.
How do I adjust the cable back a little? I assume I have to take the whole thing apart. Here are a few pics of how it currently sits.
Quoted from chucksmith:Its basically right, I cannot tell if slimer is actually touching the ring or not in those photos.
I played around with part 8 in different positions until the sensitivity seemed right. It's much better now, if anything, it's slightly easier then it was before I started have problems. I'm ok with that.
Thank you.
1 month later
Quoted from Trekkie1978:Do I adjust it by moving the top of #7?
Thanks!
I just adjusted mine. It pretty difficult to find the sweet spot where it's not over or under sensitive. I think I adjusted #8. Lots of trial and error.
2 months later
My slimer mechanism seems to have trouble registering hits every few weeks and I have to adjust it. It also seems to work better the first time it drops in a game compared to subsequent drops later in a game - very strange.
Btw, I hooked up a sub to this game yesterday and it sounds amazing!
Quoted from ArcadiusMaximus:Loving this game so far but those gozer SDTM drains are for the birds... Has anyone ever added a 1 way gate up there to allow the ball to pass to the gozer target, but feed the return ball to the pops?
Put a center post in it if you think it will make it more fun for you (and your guests).
<Do you guys recommend installing all the cliffy protectors? do I really need the drain protector? Last, I was wondering whether it is a good idea to install the Scolari Bros protectors>
I would highly recommend the shooter lane AND the drain protector cliffys. After doing the shooter lane, the ball drain is a piece of cake.
I would not install the Scolari Bros protectors as they have been known to cause air balls. If your drop targets are properly aligned, there isn't too much wear.
3 weeks later
One new issue and one old issue. (pro)
It seems I cannot get my slimmer to work properly no matter how much I mess with it. I can hit it 6 times and it won't register, but the next time I shake the machine, it registers. Sometimes it works fine and other times not. No consistency and it's really ruining the game. I'm out of ideas on that one. (yes I have the new mech)
The new issue is it seems the Stern 'cliffy' on the left scoop is starting to lift off the play field ever so slightly that when the ball comes down the left lane it will sometimes catch the corner of the cliffy and change the trajectory of the ball. Anyway to fix that?
Thanks.
Quoted from PinMonk:Are you sure that's happening at the scoop edge? Film it with an iphone with slo-mo turned on. I bet it's happening at the spinner on the left orbit. Happens on the GB Prem here sometimes, too, but it's always around the spinner area that the redirect happens.
Actually I think I have the issue at both places. I thought it was catching the back of the drop target as well, but since I leveled the machine, it's not hitting the target.
I will try to capture it in slo-mo. I can almost stick a playing card under the corner of the cliffy in question. I can take the ball and put it past the spinner and let it roll and it catches the corner of the scoop.
Did you do anything to fix the ball getting caught on the spinner?
2 weeks later
I'm sure this has been addressed somewhere in this thread but what do I check if my auto plunge is weak?
It's weak about 80% of the time at various levels of weakness. Started happening about a week ago.
Thanks.
Quoted from PinMonk:Manually check the auto launcher by moving it with your hands and make sure it isn't binding or feels like it's dragging in the coil sleeve.
Check the ohms (resistance) of the auto launch coil to see if the coil is weakening. There's a chart online with "normal" resistance ranges for most kinds of coils.
Slo-mo film an auto launch with your iphone and see if the auto-launcher is hanging up on something OR if the ball is launching unevenly and bouncing off each side of the shooter lane, slowing it down.
Everything looks and feels good when I manually check the launcher.
I can physically see the launcher snap slow and weak when it happens
The resistance reading for that coil (23-800) was 3.9.
Does this link suggest I should be getting 4.2? http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/AE-23-800
Is a 3.9 reading mean it's causing my issue and needs to be replace?
I know nothing about this stuff - today I opened my multimeter package I bought over a year ago. lol
Edit: found this link too (3.6): http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/090-5001-00
Maybe someone could check their reading for me?
Thanks.
Quoted from pinden007:Everything looks and feels good when I manually check the launcher.
I can physically see the launcher snap slow and weak when it happens
The resistance reading for that coil (23-800) was 3.9.
Does this link suggest I should be getting 4.2? http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/AE-23-800Edit: found this link too (3.6): http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/090-5001-00
Is a 3.9 reading mean it's causing my issue and needs to be replace?
I know nothing about this stuff - today I opened my multimeter package I bought over a year ago. lol
Thanks.
Quoted from PinMonk:The coil chart here suggests 4.2ohm is the usual resistance for that coil:
https://www.flippers.com/coil-resistance.html
But 3.9 isn't that far off (less than 10%), and also wouldn't explain why it's intermittent. If the coil were bad/weak, you'd expect it to be consistently so. Does this happen more once it's warmed up (later in a session)?
Hasn't happen the last 2 sessions. Maybe it was a fluke.
3 months later
Quoted from HookedonPinonics:So I was able to flatten the protector so that it stays flush
How did you do that?
4 months later
Quoted from johnny77:Thats it thank you
There's been much discussion about that since that 2 year old post.
You could try swapping out the shooter spring (orange for green) or get one of these protectors from this post...
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/ghostbusters-club-we-got-one/page/112#post-4706192
Quoted from Mitoska:I posted a thread a few weeks ago with no response, Ive searched and talked to stern, no results. I have GB pro, my midnight madness does not work, yes its turned on at feature option 45, Ive tried it many many times, clock is set and working.. but still never works.. any ideas?
Try setting your clock now to 11:55pm and start playing and see what happens.
Every time mine never worked it was because the clock was off usually because of daylight savings or getting a little out of sync over time.
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