Help with Mods on Solenoid DriverBoard

Hello everyone. I recently got a Bally Rolling Stones project pin from 1980. It currently doesn’t work. When you plug it in all of the gi lights works but none of the controlled lighting. The displays don’t work nor any if the coils. I noticed that every now and the coils will attempt to work abs a random sound will pop on.

I’m in the process of traded out some of the recommended capacitors on the solenoid driver board. I’d also like to do the recommended mods that pinballhelp.com posted about. I recognize this might not solve the problem and have fully reserved myself to the thought that I probably have to replace this board and the mpu but I thought I’d give it a shot.

I’m curious if I can do those suggested mods on this board. It looked to me that it might be a little different than the pictures I saw. Also I believe I bought the correct capacitors but I thought I’d ask if it was wrong.

Once again I’m giving this a shot fully recognizing I might need to upgrade and do more tests the rectifier board.

Thanks for any thoughts. Here’s the pictures.

Also why Do you all feel this was previously jumpered?

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#2 1 year ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Sana'a

10y 159K 37,359 18

Is the game even booting?

How many flashes do you get on the MPU's LED when you first turn it on?

#3 1 year ago

DNH

Knxwledge

Pinside member

Start with your power supply, it sounds like the power supply isn't sending the voltage to the driver board. If you're not getting voltage at the driver board the MPU won't get any power.
http://retroflip.savonet.be/pinballs.slashdirt.org/pinrepair/bally/index1.html#cap

I had an issue with my Bally Lost World driver board where it had suffered some light heat damage and those traces leading to the JX pins pulled up like string cheese. I had to run similar jumper wires like you have on your board.

#4 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member

Quoted from vid1900:
Is the game even booting?
How many flashes do you get on the MPU's LED when you first turn it on?

No it’s not booting. There’s one solid green light in the MPU board.

#5 1 year ago

???

slochar

Pinside member

5y 72,800 4,414

Those jumpers replaced those fried traces from the transistors to the header, likely because someone overfused the rectifier board solenoid circuit, solenoid locked on due to bad solenoid/diode, hosed traces.

You are on the second step of recommended upgrades on the solenoid driver board. Do the rectifier board first, get that solid, move to the solenoid driver board, then the mpu board. Leave the sound board and lamp boards disconnected until you get the mpu booting. Disconnect all the displays as well. pinwiki.com has a good set of directions for this type of troubleshooting/repair.

The GI lamps coming on mean zippo except that the transformer is putting out AC to the recitifier board through the GI fuse and it's passing it directly to the lamps. Absolutely nothing to do with any of the boards except that tiny portion of the circuit.

#6 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member

Quoted from slochar:
Those jumpers replaced those fried traces from the transistors to the header, likely because someone overfused the rectifier board solenoid circuit, solenoid locked on due to bad solenoid/diode, hosed traces.
You are on the second step of recommended upgrades on the solenoid driver board. Do the rectifier board first, get that solid, move to the solenoid driver board, then the mpu board. Leave the sound board and lamp boards disconnected until you get the mpu booting. Disconnect all the displays as well. pinwiki.com has a good set of directions for this type of troubleshooting/repair.
The GI lamps coming on mean zippo except that the transformer is putting out AC to the recitifier board through the GI fuse and it's passing it directly to the lamps. Absolutely nothing to do with any of the boards except that tiny portion of the circuit.

Really great suggestions that’s making me totally rethink this!!

So would you all suggest I test those fuses, refer to the manual, and switch anything incorrect? Or do you suggest getting a new rectifier board?

#7 1 year ago

DNH

Knxwledge

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from Gnrwarkfc:
Really great suggestions that’s making me totally rethink this!!
So would you all suggest I test those fuses, refer to the manual, and switch anything incorrect? Or do you suggest getting a new rectifier board?

New rectifier board won't fix any potential problems you're having with your power supply. Rebuild your power supply first, verify voltages coming off that are good before proceeding.

#8 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member

Could anyone comment on if those replacement parts were correct for those capacitors?

#9 1 year ago

GPE

G-P-E

GPE

Omaha, NE

12y 69,300 2,705 4

The CDE part will work for the blue vertical cap.

The TEC cap will work for about 3 seconds before a big boom if you use it to replace the silver axial 350V cap.

#10 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member

So I did a little investigating today and with my multimeter I determined the following:

1) the transformer itself is getting 120 v from the wall.

2) the test points on the rectifier board itself aren’t getting nearly the amount of bolts they should be (each one seemed to be less than 1)

Does this mean the fuses are bad and I should change em out and see if that makes a difference? Or should I start thinking about getting a new rectifier board?

Thanks again!!

#11 1 year ago

DNH

Knxwledge

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from Gnrwarkfc:
So I did a little investigating today and with my multimeter I determined the following:
1) the transformer itself is getting 120 v from the wall.
2) the test points on the rectifier board itself aren’t getting nearly the amount of bolts they should be (each one seemed to be less than 1)
Does this mean the fuses are bad and I should change em out and see if that makes a difference? Or should I start thinking about getting a new rectifier board?
Thanks again!!

It sounds like fuses are blown (if you're measuring the test points correctly). Chances are you will have to rebuild the power supply, and if you don't feel confident in doing that then the better option might be to get a new one (or hire a tech).

#12 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member

Quoted from Knxwledge:
It sounds like fuses are blown (if you're measuring the test points correctly). Chances are you will have to rebuild the power supply, and if you don't feel confident in doing that then the better option might be to get a new one (or hire a tech).

Is it very difficult to get new power supplies? And how much ch do you think it will more than likely cost?

#13 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-quick-bally-driver-board-repair-bulletproofing/page/2#post-2113931

Also do you all feel it’s worth it to try to find new fuses and see if it fixes it?

#14 1 year ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Sana'a

10y 159K 37,359 18

You have to make sure your meter is set on the correct setting AC or DC

You have to go through each voltage, one by one and take notes:

#15 1 year ago

DNH

Knxwledge

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from Gnrwarkfc:
Also do you all feel it’s worth it to try to find new fuses and see if it fixes it?

You can check the fuses with the continuity test on your multimeter. Ensure all fuses in your game are the proper rated fuses. Fuses are dead simple to change but fuses blow for a reason, and you will need to track down that reason to ensure they don't keep blowing. I personally prefer to rebuild the original boards if I can. I would check out pinrepair.com and read through it from top to bottom if you haven't:
http://retroflip.savonet.be/pinballs.slashdirt.org/pinrepair/bally/index1.html

#16 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member

Ok update!! I was wrong! I got the test points correctly tested on rectifier board and it’s getting the correct voltages.

However due the mods and replaced cap 23 and there’s no updated progress. So I wonder if that means that board is bad? Is the next step check all those test points?

#17 1 year ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Sana'a

10y 159K 37,359 18

first check rectifier board, then the test points on the regulator board, then the MPU board

Every board needs to see the proper voltage

#18 1 year ago

???

pins4u

Pinside apprentice

Gaborone

1y 28,400 880

Reading your posts it sounds like you have a complete lack of understanding exactly how the machine works? You are just randomly checking this, that and jumping all over the place like a chook with its head cut off!

It is IMPERATIVE that you know exactly how this machine works, what the voltages are for and where they go, what is likely to happen if they are wrong. You also need to understand (and know HOW to use a multimeter to confirm) the differences between AC and DC voltages. Where they are used and WHY!

Before you end up making a massive mess of this machine please sit down and do some READING and research. Put down the tools, step away from the machine and do some study PLEASE!

#19 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member

Quoted from pins4u:
Reading your posts it sounds like you have a complete lack of understanding exactly how the machine works? You are just randomly checking this, that and jumping all over the place like a chook with its head cut off!
It is IMPERATIVE that you know exactly how this machine works, what the voltages are for and where they go, what is likely to happen if they are wrong. You also need to understand (and know HOW to use a multimeter to confirm) the differences between AC and DC voltages. Where they are used and WHY!
Before you end up making a massive mess of this machine please sit down and do some READING and research. Put down the tools, step away from the machine and do some study PLEASE!

Thank you all so much for tips. Yes I’m in the studying phase.

#20 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member

Here’s a look at my mpu board.

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#21 1 year ago

DBS

Skidave

Pinside member

4y 54,050 1,020 7

Update your location and maybe someone close by can assist.

1 week later

#22 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member

What’s up with this connectors? Is it common to have some pins where the pins go directly into the board amd other connectors that are different? Is it possible to repin so they’re all the same connectors?

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#23 1 year ago

???

pins4u

Pinside apprentice

Gaborone

1y 28,400 880

They are exactly the same electrically.

One is a crimped pin style (the most reliable) and the other is an IDC type (Insulation Displacement).

The IDC works by forcing a knife like contact through the wire insulation to make contact with the wire hence "Insulation Displacement".

Both were used extensively in pinball construction and I wouldn't sweat too much about there being both types in the machine.

If they are working, my advice is leave them alone.

#24 1 year ago

HDH

Gnrwarkfc

Pinside member