I'm someone who is struggling to find a plastic set for this game being as a lot of my plastics are either broken or missing.

I was speaking to someone at CPR (https://classicplayfields.com/) about another product and they mentioned that they are currently working on a new mirrored backglass for Apollo 13.

I asked if they'd be willing to do an Apollo 13 plastic set and they said they'd consider doing a plastic set for the game if they can get a hold of a NOS set.

If anyone has a NOS plastic set, even if they don't want to sell it. It would be awesome if you could reach out to them about potentially using your parts to make a new set.

If you do want to sell it, I'm willing to buy it, and I can reach out to them again to try and get them to use it to make another set.

I ran into this when I had high carbon pinballs installed on the machine. Essentially, those pinballs hold more of a magnetic charge than regular pinballs. Meaning, the magnet from the moon, would charge them, then the top 4 balls would have a slight hold and would resist falling down in the time the game allots for all 8 balls to drop.

Switching to regular pinballs fixed the issue for me.

Mine looks the same.

20220724_235510.jpg

Magnetized balls can cause weird behavior in the trough. Did you replace the balls recently, if so, did you use the right kind of balls?

Are the switches in the trough working right?

Do you sell a full plastics set? I have quite a few that are broken.

The big up post in the center between the flippers is supposed to go up when you're in single ball play and the ball is ejected from the rocket.

I'm no expert, but this is how I'd try to diagnose a switch problem.

Firstly, use the built-in switch test. As you already did. If this test passed, it would probably be an alignment issue, with the ball not triggering the switch and the switch needing to be bent.

Assuming that test fails, I'd test the switch with a multimeter in continuity mode. Probing both ends that the wires of the switch connect to and checking to see that a connection is made when closed and not made when the switch is open. If this failed, it's likely either a switch or the two wires being shorted together problem.

If the switch worked fine, I'd pull up a manual and look up the switch matrix. See if anything else in the same column or row is having switch issues. This could point to a break in the wire and more accurately pinpoint where it is. At this point if you notice the next few down a line or horizontally stop working, try using an alligator clipped wire to jump between a known working switch wire of the same type in from the row/column and your problem switch.

If nothing in the matrix is off, I'd probably probe the switch cables from the switch to the plug in the backbox, just to verify there isn't a break in the cable along the full path.

If the cable is fine, I'd check that the connector on the board is clean and making good contact with the plug. Also checking the board at this time for cold solder joints.

If you get that far and still haven't found anything, my guess is a component on one of the circuit boards is wrong.

Good luck.

Edit: As a side note. Make sure your balls aren't high carbon. If they are, they can become magnetized and essentially get stuck in the trough. Not allowing them to roll all the way down to trigger the switches.

I'm assuming you physically pressed the switches when testing, but ball magnetization is a normal gotcha with games that have magnetic mechs.

Also, check your fuses with a multimeter. On some games, a blown fuse can cause some switches not to respond.

If you're seeing different results with the multimeter on that switch versus the others that probably will point you towards the issue. I wouldn't move pass that step.

Check to see that the two switch wires aren't shorted with a continuity test while the switch is up/open. If it's stuck on, we can move on to other tests. Also make sure the signal diode is working (sending current one way and not the other).

As a side note. Here is a picture of my trough. Just to ensure yours is wired correctly.

20240110_100208 (resized).jpg

Do you have LEDs installed in your game? If so, are you sure they're non-ghosting LEDs.

If you're seeing LED lights that aren't supposed to be on ever so slightly lighting up. That is called ghosting. Certain games are subseptable to it, Apollo 13 being one.

You can learn more here. https://www.cometpinball.com/blogs/blog/how-to-fix-ghosting-bulbs-in-your-pinball-machine

Here is a list of games that people have tested to know whether you should spring for non-ghosting bulbs or save money on the cheaper bulbs. Though, personally, I just go for non-ghosting bulbs regardless. https://www.pinballbulbs.com/ghosting-list