(Topic ID: 54616)

Gottlieb chime bar refresh advice

By manitouguy

10 years ago


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    #1 10 years ago

    Hi all

    I have an older gottlieb chime bar unit from a scuba game that have put into my buccaneer that was missing one

    It works fine but is pretty gunky

    I have bought some new rubber replacement grommets at the bars which should help the sounds

    Question is there to be a strip of foam on bottom.

    What does it do and would a strip of common weather strip work as replacement??

    #2 10 years ago

    If it were mine I'd completely disassemble it and clean all the metal parts with degreaser, then polish them with #0000 steel wool and put some Miniwax paste wax to keep the shiny surface. Including the bars.

    I'd get a new set of (3) solenoid sleeves from Pinball Resource. They also sell your described "foam" part which the solenoid acutators rest. That part is really beat up by the weight of the acutators dropping on it. Foam insulation will just disintegrate.

    I am sure the remanufactured part is available at Pinball Resource, but I just use a couple very thick strips of solid leather cut from an old belt.

    10
    #3 10 years ago

    Try door mutes instead (below), you'll like them better than the adhesive foam rubber strips, they last a lot longer and won't gum up the plungers. The holes are already in the chime unit for them to be installed. I think they may have been eliminated from Gottlieb chime units as a cost cutting measure (time & materials). I like the grey version because they aren't as bouncy (dead rubber) as the black ones.

    You should be able to locate the black type through just about any hardware store. The grey type can be bought through any construction place that sells pre-hung doors with metal frames.

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    3 months later
    #4 10 years ago

    How tight should you run the nut down on top of new bar grommets?

    #5 10 years ago
    Quoted from jasonsmith:

    How tight should you run the nut down on top of new bar grommets?

    Don't squash the grommet. Leave it loose to allow the bar to be jangled.
    --
    Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
    http://www.Team-EM.com
    http://webpages.charter.net/chibler/Pinball/index.htm
    http://www.PinWiki.com - The new place for pinball repair info

    #6 10 years ago

    after collecting em's since 1977 have only recently fully pulled down and rebuilt my chime units..actually surprised at the difference..takes about and hour and is well worth it

    #7 10 years ago

    I like to repair and polish them on all my games. It just looks right when you really buff everything out like a mirror. Almost like having chrome valve covers on an old engine

    #8 10 years ago

    I get the game up to ball 1 player 1
    and activate each tone bar and adjust with a nut driver
    you will hear a big difference going back and forth +/- until it sounds & feels right
    I've tried using an electric tuning device like you can use on a guitar but it didn't work for me,
    I tune by feel - like that tone to last and carry on

    #9 10 years ago

    PBR sells a chime rebuild kit for seven or eight dollars.

    #10 10 years ago
    Quoted from HELLODEADCITY:

    I get the game up to ball 1 player 1
    and activate each tone bar and adjust with a nut driver
    you will hear a big difference going back and forth +/- until it sounds & feels right
    I've tried using an electric tuning device like you can use on a guitar but it didn't work for me,
    I tune by feel - like that tone to last and carry on

    man, why didn't i think of that? going to do this tonight on a chime box i rebuilt... couldn't figure out why it didn't sound as "loud and proud" as a couple other older ones that i haven't rebuilt yet...

    Quoted from Pafasa:

    PBR sells a chime rebuild kit for seven or eight dollars.

    yup, $7.50... that's what i used, all the parts i needed in one bag... i'm going to try some of the other suggestions for the dampers though, i can hear the plungers "bounce" off the beer seal damping when i'm playing the game...

    #11 10 years ago
    Quoted from blownfuse:

    Try door mutes instead

    Why didn't I think of that? Great idea!

    9 months later
    #12 9 years ago

    Was wondering why my Atlantis sounded like it had a box full of rocks every time the chimes sounded. The "rubber" was turned to dust. 3 screws to loosen chime box, 4 screws to open it up. Sanded off residue of old rubber strip, wiped with alcohol, put on new piece of frost king foam tape that I had lying around($5 for 10 feet--use it for lock bars too), put it back together...it's quiet! Took 15 minutes.

    #13 9 years ago

    I don't use that beer seal foam. Cut a piece of solid rubber and glue that in place. Won't gunk up the plungers when they get hot and start sticking to the foam.

    #14 9 years ago

    i posted somewhere else on this again too

    i agree don't use the foam

    i used rubber door mutes - the little rubber plugs for steel door frames

    they work great in the small holes usually covered up by the foam

    regards, Ron

    #15 9 years ago

    I usually use rubber grommets, but I may try the door mutes if available and cheaper.

    http://www.grainger.com/category/rubber-grommets/rubber/raw-materials/ecatalog/N-c1x

    #17 9 years ago

    Door mutes are the bomb. I am sure Gottlieb originally intended to use those but the bean counters found the foam cheaper. Why else the holes?

    #18 9 years ago

    Gottlieb originally use the yellowish grommets (neoprene?) that are very soft and squishy and, as a result, did not hold up very well. Obviously, they later switched to the beer seal.

    There is a difference. The Beer Seal (closed cell foam rubber stripping) doesn't provide any kind of "klunk" sound when the plunger falls. The harder rubber grommets or stops (not sure how soft the door mutes are yet) will let you hear a quiet klunk following each chime. Personally, I don't like to hear the klunk in the home environment.

    #19 9 years ago
    Quoted from CactusJack:

    The Beer Seal (closed cell foam rubber stripping) doesn't provide any kind of "klunk" sound when the plunger falls. The harder rubber grommets or stops (not sure how soft the door mutes are yet) will let you hear a quiet klunk following each chime. Personally, I don't like to hear the klunk in the home environment.

    +1

    #20 9 years ago
    Quoted from CactusJack:

    Gottlieb originally use the yellowish grommets (neoprene?) that are very soft and squishy and, as a result, did not hold up very well. Obviously, they later switched to the beer seal.
    There is a difference. The Beer Seal (closed cell foam rubber stripping) doesn't provide any kind of "klunk" sound when the plunger falls. The harder rubber grommets or stops (not sure how soft the door mutes are yet) will let you hear a quiet klunk following each chime. Personally, I don't like to hear the klunk in the home environment.

    Ahh, the advantages of hearing loss. I can't tell the difference..

    #21 9 years ago
    Quoted from dasvis:

    Ahh, the advantages of hearing loss. I can't tell the difference..

    Between that and just using the rubber strip that comes with the PBR rebuild kit, I won't have to worry about it for another 20 years, and that's if I still own the machine.

    Ken

    #22 9 years ago

    Or you could go this route - even cheaper. This is from part of my Joker Poker fleet.

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    #23 9 years ago
    Quoted from newmantjn:

    Or you could go this route - even cheaper. This is from part of my Joker Poker fleet.
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    Cool! they are even Gottlieb issued.

    #24 9 years ago
    Quoted from newmantjn:

    Or you could go this route - even cheaper. This is from part of my Joker Poker fleet.

    Quoted from CactusJack:

    Cool! they are even Gottlieb issued.

    Ken

    3 years later
    #25 6 years ago

    Felt pads 3/8" diameter 1/8" thick cheap and work great

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    #26 6 years ago
    Quoted from dasvis:

    Ahh, the advantages of hearing loss. I can't tell the difference..

    Me too. It's why I could never get into the newer pinballs with sounds..more tactile feedback with the Ems..

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