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You can unplug your game while working on it. The only reason to leave it plugged in is so the service outlet will still work.
A circuit breaker is helpful for this. Use it in place of the fuse until you find the issue. You can make your own or buy some.
http://actionpinball.com/parts.php?item=CBSET http://firebirdpinball.com/circuit-fuse/ https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/making-and-using-a-fuse-breaker
Pinball Resource has the manual, and everything else you might need for any Gottleib: http://www.pbresource.com/pfplayfSS.htm
I'm not quite following this part:
Quoted from Lunchbox90909:if i connect to the loose wires and any socket chassis i get a circuit.
This is where a manual will be helpful, so every reader of your post can understand exactly what you disconnected and where it should go.
The General Illumination circuit uses one wire for voltage and a different wire or braid for ground. There are multiple "strings" of GI, so one string might be fine if there is a break in the wire of a different string. All the bulbs on one string will have the voltage wire daisy-chained from bulb to bulb. If there is a break in that wire none of the bulbs past the break will work.
If you're testing your voltage wire with a multimeter you should have continuity between every GI socket but no continuity to ground. If you have continuity to ground I'd disconnect the connector for that GI circuit (use your manual) to isolate that from the voltage source. Then disconnect one socket at a time until you don't have continuity from voltage side to ground side. The last one you remove should be the problem socket.
Quoted from Lunchbox90909:I did notice one more connection using the same wires i disconnected from the sockets which is on the leaf switch operating the ball save gate
This could also be shorted, you'll want to test and or disconnect it.
It's possible a small wire fragment or piece of solder is shorting one socket. Examine each one closely.
Let us know how it's going. Post pictures if you need to.