IMO, MGC tends to set the standard for the quality of games and pride that owners show in bringing and maintaining a game for a show.

I am sure everyone does things differnetly, but for any game I am bring in to a show:

1. Full tear down and cleaning of topside.
2. Rebuild all flipper mechs.
3. Resleeve all coils and general preventative maintainence cleaning/inspection
4. LEDs installed throughout (game will be on for extended hours and that cause heat; incandescent heat is even more; heat kills games/ leads to more failures)
5. Silicone rubber installed (why not? you have the whole game torn down for cleaning)
6. Play the crap out of it for weeks coming up to the show to try and reveal any bugs.

That is pretty much the minimum.

I bring all my general tools and standard parts to be able to fix something when it goes down. Don't worry, stuff will break and that is what the community is for. Others will happily jump in to help fix and diagnose.

Not sure what you are looking for. Take a game that's not caused you any issues. Set it up, put your cell number on it and keep an eye on it if someone shuts it off. I might clean it once in-between if it looks dirty. But not much to it really. If something happens I fix it at the show. Usually been easy stuff like pop bumper yokes or broken flipper links. Catastrophic failures you just shut the machine off and wait and repair once you get home.

I take just about everything as far as parts are concerned including DMM, desoldering station, soldering station, etc. Sometimes it's for other people to borrow if they need it..

Once it's home, set it up and clean it again.

1 - Don't let any marginal item left unattended - it will break
2 - Don't feel the need to fully shop a game - you want it RELIABLE, not necessarily perfect
3 - Clean the playfield and ensure the balls are reasonably fresh... the biggest killer of playfields is dirt/grime. If you put a dirty game out and let it take a few hundred plays, its going to get significantly more wear than if the game were clean and took the same plays
4 - if you don't have your plastics protected, consider adding protectors (at least on slings)

For tools, make sure you have all you need to pack the game back up, set it up, and at least a small toolset for troubleshooting. Volt meter, lamp, screwdrivers/nutdrivers, wrenches, and a small version of your soldering stuff if you can. Broken wires, etc are common failures and a quick solder job will be the difference between a dead game and bringing it back online. Spare rubbers for flippers/slings are helpful if you have them.

Good advice above, check out also
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/what-you-need-to-know-to-prep-a-game-for-a-show
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/adjusting-your-game-for-taking-to-a-show
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pros-and-cons-of-taking-a-game-to-a-show

Here is a thread that goes over this...
I will say that I generally bring everything I think could possibly go wrong...and then some! Then something that I didn't bring breaks...like at Expo 2015, my Congo actually blew a flipper bracket...of course I didn't have one of those it isn't too often a piece of metal breaks in half! I did manage to get ahold of one from another Cincy pinhead and was able to get it back up! As far as cleaning, I clean them before I load them in my trailer and then I try to do a quick cleaning while at the show. Then once they get home and get unloaded and set back up they get another good thorough cleaning as they are usually pretty dirty. Like I said in this other thread, don't sweat it...if it happens it happens!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/what-you-need-to-know-to-prep-a-game-for-a-show

Phoebe

>edit>> see someone else beat me to the thread I had mentioned....

Make sure the darn game works. It just seems crazy to me that people will bother lugging a complete load of a game to a show. If anything is marginal, fix it before the show. After you setup, people may seem a bit "rough" with the game, but that is just the way some people play. Unless the game is a pristine example, it will be fine. They are commercial games.

Strongly agree.

And put some new balls in it, just buy 'em at the show. Nothing says "lack of care" like dull,grey pinballs.

Bring some Windex and paper towels, you have to clean the pf glass a couple of times a day to get rid of all the smudgy finger and butt cheek prints.