I have usually found on my machines that when Gottlieb drop targets hang up and fail to drop down completely, it is because the switch blades on the sides of the bank are exerting too much pressure on the metal slider cams and thus causing too much friction.

The mechanism can get gunked up also, but I'd look at the pressure exerted by the switch blades first and if it appears to be the culprit, adjust the long switch blade away from the slider a tiny bit more.

The position of the drop target bank underneath the playfield also has a little bit of wiggle room for adjustment when installing. There is also the possibility when you reinstalled the bank, the plastic drop target may be hanging up against the sides of the hole in the playfield?

To add to other thoughts mentioned, there can be ‘gunk’ built up on the blades. Check, clean, and adjust as needed.

What game is this? The only Gottlieb game I remember that has three standalone targets like this is Bronco/Mustang, but this is not one of them.

Like the previous poster mentioned, the switch behind the target bank can exert too much resistance on the trigger lever when it wipes across the blade. That’s metal-on-metal friction, so I polish the blade with a Dremel and apply a drop or two of Super Lube for smooth operation.

If you are using a Gottlieb bank in a game from a different manufacturer, those alien switch blades might have more tensile strength than the Gottlieb springs are rated to overcome.

Check to see if both springs are intact on that target. Could also be gummed up/dirty underneath.

Since you already cleaned it, though, my guess is that one of the springs wasn’t put back on correctly, or has maybe come loose.

Each target has two springs; one spring pulls the target down, the other pulls the target forward. They are different in strength and not interchangeable.

If my memory serves me correctly, the stronger spring is for pulling the target down and the looser spring is for pulling it forward, holding it against the playfield edge. If these springs are installed backwards: (1) it takes a very hard blow to overcome the stronger spring and push the target back far enough to start dropping, and (2) the weaker spring will barely pull the target down any distance at all. Don’t ask me how I know this.

What game is this?

Ahh, so it’s a re-theme. I can’t see much of the new artwork in that picture, but what I can see looks dynamite. Can you share more pictures of the playfield?

Superb work! I’m agog at the design excellence on display here. The shapes, lines, and colors are all razor-sharp stuff. Ol’ Gordon Morison would have been impressed.

PBR repro drop targets should be way stronger than originals. Maybe you got a defective one.

If it broke at a point away from the target face I bet they would replace it.

Also, nice work on the retheme. Your work looks outstanding.