(Topic ID: 278579)

Solved! Flipper weaker on Stargate after rebuild (Gottlieb System 3)

By mystman12

3 years ago



Topic Stats

  • 9 posts
  • 4 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by Lathroum
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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#1 3 years ago

I recently rebuilt the left flipper on my Stargate in an attempt to alleviate the issue I've previously discussed here: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/gottlieb-system-3-solenoids-get-weak-after-a-few-minutes-of-play

I was hoping that a fresh rebuild would finally fix the issue, as I've never rebuilt the flipper since picking the game up about 4 years ago, and I lent it to a friend's arcade earlier this year so it's been seeing a lot more play than usual. I got a rebuild kit from Marco and the rebuild went smoothly, but then when I went to playtest the game, it was *weaker* than before. The right ramp is now nearly impossible to hit even after letting the game cool down, and besides that I can just tell the ball doesn't come off the flipper with the same speed as before. One mistake I made was not testing it before I did the rebuild, and the last time I played the game was a couple weeks prior, so there's a possibility that something happened during that time that caused the flipper to become weaker, but I have no way to know for sure.

On a (probably) unrelated note, the DMD had failed about a week prior.

I've made sure that table's slope is at the right angle, that the EOS is working properly and is adjusted to open at the end of the swing, that the flipper bat is slightly above the bushing, and that everything in the mech is tight and not moving around (Except for the parts that are supposed to move of course, and those all move very smoothly). At this point I'm wondering if I should just get a new solenoid. I know that solenoids are pretty much either working or not with no in-between. I'm also wondering if I should check to make sure the solenoid is getting the proper voltage, and if so how would I do that and what values should I look for?

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone has. I hope I can finally get the flipper strong once and for all!

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#2 3 years ago

Bump.

#3 3 years ago

did you check if the solder splatter on the side of the coil melted through the outer cover shorting wires in the coil weakening it...

#4 3 years ago

Well it would seem the problem has been solved! A tech at the arcade discovered the the e-clip had partially fallen off. He put it back in tightly and says it's now working great!

#5 3 years ago
Quoted from mystman12:

the e-clip had partially fallen off

What's that?

#6 3 years ago
Quoted from mystman12:

A tech at the arcade discovered the the e-clip had partially fallen off.

I don't even see it in your photos?

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#7 3 years ago

Would that even cause weak flippers? I would think it would work just the same and then not once it fell off.
I'm just curious as I want to make sure my Stargate flippers work the best they can. I sometimes have trouble making the ramps.

#8 3 years ago
Quoted from Atari_Daze:

I don't even see it in your photos?[quoted image]

I think it's on the other side, which is why I didn't notice it as I didn't look there.

Quoted from xamindar:

Would that even cause weak flippers? I would think it would work just the same and then not once it fell off.
I'm just curious as I want to make sure my Stargate flippers work the best they can. I sometimes have trouble making the ramps.

Well, all I know is that the flipper is now working as expected, although it still has the issue it's always had where it gets a bit weaker after about fifteen minutes of play.

#9 3 years ago

If it is getting weaker that is usually a coil problem... where the coil is rated too small so it heats up and loses power. Gottlieb had a fix on some of their machines with kickers to swap the coils around. (I know Waterworld had it to fix a kicker problem) I would check to see if that is the correct coil on the flipper. Also the EOS should kick in to lower the coil voltage to hold the flipper up... if this is not happening you are putting a higher voltage through the coil all the time and heating it up and weakening it. Sounds like a coil issue or an EOS issue... needs to be fixed before the coil burns up.

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