(Topic ID: 263125)

Gottlieb Baseball, last couple of issues - striking out

By DCRand

4 years ago


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  • 14 posts
  • 4 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by DCRand
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#1 4 years ago

Refurbishing a 1970 Gottlieb Baseball which was a complete mess, except surprisingly for the play field. Got it working, except for some scoring issues, then did all the cosmetic repair - refurbish. Down to two issues.

Run scoring: the first, second, and third base lock relays were seriously gunked up, and out of wack. Have them mostly working except for the occasional stubbornly sticking third base relay. And a semi random problem which I think is related to the base runner unit. Will eventually get the third base relay dialed in. But the other problem, I have no clue. I think there is either a serious problem in the run unit, or the discs are out of alignment. When the top roll over switches are triggered, it is supposed to score 50 points, and lock the appropriate base runner relay in the on base position. Depending on how the base runner unit discs are aligned, the lock relay either works fine - or as the 50 points are scoring on the reel, the unlock side of the relay pulses 5 times, resulting in the relay not locking in the base runner on position. Have tried realigning the discs with no success so far. Also, and I think related to this problem, base runner positions are not correct a fair amount of the time, and triggering a double, triple, or home run does not score runs for the runners ahead of the "new" runner. ie: A home run with bases loaded scores 1 run, and not even that sometimes. Pics of the unit attached.

Notes: Have schematic, and all other original game paperwork as far as I can tell. Nothing gives real insight into how the run unit is supposed to function.

Hundreds / Thousands scoring issue: When the game is supposed to score 100 points, sometimes it scores 1000 instead. The 1000 point relay doesn't engage, the 1000 point reel just fires when the 100 point is supposed to fire. This is most common when the pop bumpers are lit for 100 points and very oddly are directly triggered by a ball. When I trigger the pop's by touching the skirt with a finger, scores fine. When a ball triggers it, sometimes scores 100 and sometimes 1000. My guess is there is a switch just slightly out of alignment in the 100 point reel. Or it has something to do with the ball triggering the point contact for a shorter time than when I use a finger. Have tried adjusting the switches below the pop, and in the pop relay, and in the 100 point reel, with no affect. And btw, no surprise to anyone here, these decagon reels are a pita.

Thanks in advance for any help.

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#2 4 years ago

Update: suspected some of the scoring problem was too short or weak an electrical impulse to the 100 pt relay or score reel. High tapped the machine and problem resolved. Of course this didn’t solve the actual problem. But should I really care?

#3 4 years ago

Bumping this: second issue solved. Really stuck on run scoring problem and could use a little or maybe a lot of Pinside help.

#5 4 years ago

Mark,

Thank you thank you thank you. This exactly the explanation I was looking for and need, as while over the 4 years I have been working on pins, my schematic reading skills have improved, trying to figure out the set of electrical paths you describe from the schematic, was seriously hurting my brain.

Performed a number of tests so far, and yes the score motor always runs. And the A, B, and C, latching relays are almost as fun to get right as the score reels. But have two of three performing reliably, and think I am narrowing in on getting third base relay working well soon.

Now with your info, can run the tests you recommend. Already know that none of the runs score reliably. The closest is 4 singles will score a run, but continued singles will score either 1 run, multiple runs (up to 3), or no runs. Home runs, will almost always score 1 run, regardless of how many runners on base. Now just have to go through the tests again in a more orderly fashion.

Based on your info, I am thinking maybe the problems are more in the single, double, triple, and home run relays. Rather than the hits unit or the A,B,C relays. Will see. Thank you again.

#7 4 years ago

Mark,

FIXED!!!!!

Thank you for help and suggestions. Key was that the hit unit was not always advancing 5 steps. Sometimes 1, or 2, or none. After chasing down the switches from start motor on, the last switch I checked, the hit unit switch (I forget the name of it, its late) that follows the disc and opens when it falls into a trough in the disc. It looked solidly closed, but was just making contact so as it rode the edge of the disc, it would lose connection randomly.

Then of course, the first and second base lock relays had issues and needed careful adjusting, testing, and readjusting (what a pita), and then the 100 point pop light switch on the second base relay stopped making contact after adjusting to get the runner working. But finally, all done. Played 6 games and worked flawlessly.

Not sure what part of the country you are in, but if ever in Sacramento CA or at Golden State Pin Fest. I owe you a beer or the beverage of your choice.

Thank you again.

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#9 4 years ago
Quoted from pintechev:

Any chance you bought that game from the Pacific Pinball Museum? If so, that’s my game! I owned it before they got it from me.

Thanks for asking, but no. I bought it in Sacramento from a man probably in his 30's who's dad had bought it for him as a teen. It also had a big hole, almost the size of the coin box in the bottom of the cabinet about where the coin box would sit.

#13 4 years ago
Quoted from MarkG:

I'm glad you got it sorted out. The run scoring calculations are pretty elaborate and interesting. I find that the game can often do the math faster than I can.
I'd like to get to GSPF. I'm curious, do you think there would be any interest in an EM repair class at or near the show?

If you do come out for it, please PM me ahead of time. And I for one would be interested in a class if can fit it into my schedule. Have some personal situations that might make it difficult this year to be there the entire weekend.

#14 4 years ago
Quoted from Dono:

Enjoyed this thread. I played Baseball a LOT in a ZAYRE department store in my home town of Alexandria VA.. l remember enjoying the game quite a bit. It doesn't get much love from a lot of EM folks, but I like it!

Thanks. I played it as a kid at my local roller rink. Not sure if it is a keeper though, it is a bit of a love hate relationship with me. But always glad when I can bring a classic old game back from the dead, and this one was very close other than the play field.

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