I'm rebuilding my flippers on my 1971 Gottlieb Playball using a rebuild kit from pbresource. I was able to get the left flipper aligned without issue - but the right isn't cooperating. I think the spring is pulling the plunger-link assembly just enough to cause it to stick. I thought a stronger spring might do the trick, but after creating a little more tension on the spring the problem is still there. I've spent the last 2 hours trying every thing I can think of without success.

Anybody out there ever experience the same issue?

TIA

Allen

#2 10 years ago

ARF

AlexF

Pinside member

Edgerton, WI

11y 116K 5,763 8 8

Are you saying the problem is it's sticking? If your bat isn't moving freely or sticking in the up position you'll need to make sure you have some up and down play in your flipper shaft. If you position the pawl up tight to the bushing when you tighten it down it will not move freely.

If you are saying you can't get the flipper bat positioned where you like it. Often times the shaft will retain a memory based on the divots in it from previous pawl position. Adjusting it slightly can be maddening as the allen screws want to keep finding that same low spot in the shaft. Swapping left and right flippers may give you an unmarred spot in your flipper shaft to tighten against.

#3 10 years ago

ALB

alb0711

Pinside member

Denver, CO

11y 40,900 464 8

Hi Alex - nice to hear from you!

The flipper bat is sticking and once energized it won't go back to "off" position. I've tried increasing the play thinking maybe it was rubbing against the plastic bushing on the playfield, but that doesn't appear to be the source of the sticking. I've even got a working flipper to compare alignment to, but can't seem to get it right. I think somehow the spring is causing the plunger link assembly to misalign. This old Gottlieb flipper is a lot different the modern Williams and Bally's. It looks really simple but it's thrown me for a loop.

#4 10 years ago

ARF

AlexF

Pinside member

Edgerton, WI

11y 116K 5,763 8 8

Hmm, ok well it would just be a guess but is the plunger binding in the coil sleeve. There are some screws that hold the coil bracket onto the play field. The bracket holes sometimes are slotted for adjustment. You may be able to play with that a bit to make sure the plunger and coil are lined up just right.

#5 10 years ago

CCC

ccotenj

Inactive member

11y 77,150 7,231

what alex said... i think you are barking up the wrong tree with the spring... i would wager that it's almost certainly an alignment issue with the mounting (i'm assuming you changed the coil stops and not using the old ones that could be magnetized)...

i had one that was being a pita like yours, and after fiddling a bit with the mounts, finally got the plunger to travel "straight"... manually actuate the flipper assembly, and if it is binding, you'll be able to "feel" it (as well as see where it is travelling "crooked")...

keep in mind also that the return spring should have as little tension on it as possible... it should have "just enough" to return the flipper bat when the pf is down (if it doesn't return it when the pf is up, that's all to the good)...

#6 10 years ago

REC

Cash_Riprock

Pinside member

Woodstock, NY

11y 51,050 1,781

As ccotenj wrote in his last paragraph, that flipper return spring should have just enough tension to bring flipper back. Sometimes if you can't get the right tension you can move the return spring to a different screw(3 of them)that hold the flipper bushing in. Also, make sure it's not getting hung up on a blade from the EOS switch. Good luck.

#7 10 years ago

ALB

alb0711

Pinside member

Denver, CO

11y 40,900 464 8

After another hour or two, I finally got it working. Instead of leaving a gap between the bushing and flipper, my machine needed the flipper to be as close to the playfield as possible. Having even a small gap would misalign the coil and plunger.

Thanks for the help!

#8 10 years ago

REC

Cash_Riprock

Pinside member

Woodstock, NY

11y 51,050 1,781

Great...enjoy the game!

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