Hi everyone. Just picked up a JM over the weekend and have 2 broken plastics.... Right sling and the hooked one that runs up to the gloves eject hole. Pictures included.

Considering these are pretty much impossible to find, figured I'd reach out to the club. If anyone has spares of these, even if used or repro'ed (but not broken), or knows a source that isn't going to charge me 50 bucks per piece plus shipping from Timbuktu, PM me. Thanks!

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I saw that slingshot at pinball.center, but was hoping something else might exist, since I don't need all 3 pieces their kit includes, just the sling.... Plus I don't think they ship to the US (checking).

Thanks for the info on the second plastic not being broken. I am about to tear the top of the playfield down for a full cleaning (really needs it), so I had only glanced at it at this point. As far as the flasher goes, looks like the previous owner switched the red flashers to the top and the blues to the slings... Likely due to the led color scheme they employed.

Thanks. I'll give that a shot next. pinball.center responded to my US shipping inquiry and directed me to https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/german-mail-forwarding-workaround-for-pinball-center

After buying their repro set (not NOS or Authorized/Licensed Repro), you'd have to ship to a mail delivery service in Germany, who would then deliver to the US. Lots of horror stories in that topic/thread from people trying it.... at the very least, really inconsistent results. Plus, we're talking about 80 bucks USD after shipping, just to get one sling plastic I need. Not a viable option, unfortunately.

Thanks for the help. Much appreciated!

Pair of NOS Slingshots, still with protective film, found. What a pain in the a$$.

All: because this process was so ridiculously annoying and it seems that locating plastics for this machine is near impossible, I reached out to Joe at Laseriffic about potentially being able to laser cut the most common 6 (or so) plastics that tend to get broken in JM to their exact original specs so that I could then just scan my pieces and use the nandemoguy method to recreate them any time I want, based on scans of my originals. Definitely much cheaper that buying repro's international after shipping (even 1 piece).

He's on board with doing this. A set of the 6 or so of the 'common" clear plastics (which you'd then have to decal yourself) would probably run around 30 bucks.... Don't know exactly the price until I get him the scans. So I wanted to reach out to the JM community and gauge whether anyone else would have interest in getting their hands on these (ie: is it worth my time and would it benefit anyone else but me) and also to get input on WHICH plastics you believe would be the most important to include in this set. (the 2 Slingshots and the plastic at the top of the left ramp would be a must already... Looking for feedback about others)

Highly unlikely you'd need to worry about the x screw, since the metal of the nut is made intentionally softer that the rod so I won't get chewed up.

Did you re-grease the rod after cleaning it? You should apply a very light coating of white lithium grease (or similar) to it after you've cleaned it. In addition, a very light application of machine oil should be applied to the brass bushings at either end of the rod before you insert it.

On a side note, since I'm rebuilding mine too, what size hex key did you use to remove the set screw in the spider coupler at the end of the rod, near the gear box? I don't have a hex key small enough.... Wanna make sure I get the right one.

Yeah..... I took apart WAY more than I had to on the Y nut/screw to get the nut out for cleaning because of that damn set screw. Once I get to the hardware store, I'll post back if I figure out the right size. Not a deal breaker for the screws/rods, but if you want to open and re-grease the gearboxes (like I am doing), the set screws have to be unscrewed. Fortunately, I've already removed one of the gearboxes with a coupler attached, so I can take it with me and make sure the size is right.

Don't sweat that x screw until you get your new nut. Remember that the old nut is chewed up, so the threads on it are all messed up anyway. Just make sure to grease the rod (VERY lightly) before you put the new nut on and it should go right on nice and smooth.... Plus the grease helps keep it from getting chewed up again later.

I seriously lucked out. By chance, I emailed the guys at Mayfair Amusements and they had a set of NOS, still with the plastic on them. $27 bucks WITH shipping. I must be livin' right.....

For those that were eagerly awaiting my response on this (yes....i realize that is no one. But for posterity's sake):

The set screws used in the couplers attached to the x/y screws, in the couplers attached to the gearboxes, and in the opto-wheels on the opposite side of the gearboxes all used the same size hex key: 1/16 SAE (Non-Metric). You may "feel" that a 1.5mm seems to fit in the coupler set screws. But you'd be wrong.......trust me.

In my case, I injected a little penetrating oil in both cavities for each set screw for the couplers, waiting an hour, and they came right out. I'd recommend doing that before forcing it and potentially stripping your set screws: it's unlikely anyone has removed them for 20+ years and those babies are metal on metal.

If you ever want to clean your x/y screws and be able to oil the bushings effectively at the same time or take apart the gearbox for a rebuild/re-lube, you'll need one of these bad boys. I whopping 50 cents at my local Ace True Value Hardware Store.

Wow. That's some nice work. Color scheme looks very clean.

Anyone have a spare of the clear plastic that goes over the top of the right ramp they'd be willing to part with? It's the last broken plastic I need to replace. PM me if so.

Yet another random question.

I ordered a full clear plastic protector set from pinbits for JM. Matched up each piece to its corresponding plastic and ended up with one piece left. For the life of me, I can't figure out where this is supposed to go. Anyone have any thoughts? (it's clear...just haven't removed the film yet)

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(and yes, I reached out to the pinbits folks, but no response)

Thank you! At least I know I'm not crazy.... Or missing a plastic I didn't know about.

That kit was all sort of crazy. They actually send me 2 of another piece as well by accident.. Guess I just have a bonus spare.....

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Since I'm in the process of rebuilding my JM, I decided today that I would remove and replace the factory mylar between the pop bumpers, since mine was peeling up in a couple spots. Because of the way that piece is made, you don't really see it at all, and I'd rather keep the playfield in the pops good forever. Thankfully, I managed to get the mylar up in only 3 pieces. This piece of mylar has a really distinct shape, and you can't get it anywhere.......so.....

I taped the pieces back together and used it as a template to cut my own from a 3mil sheet. It's pretty darn close to an exact replica. You can download a scan of it at https://www.dropbox.com/s/qbvti7xd8zvzhtv/Johnny%20Mnemonic%20Pop%20Bumper%20Area%20Mylar%20-%20Exact.jpg?dl=0 if you'd like a copy. Just print the image as actual size without margins/borders, cut it out, and you should have a template of your own.

No problem. I was originally going to go the easy route and just use mylar rings chopped up, but the pops are so close together and so tight to the ball guides that I don't think that would have worked. Plus, with them so close to each other, that's a lot of beating the playfield takes right there. Williams factory installed mylar there , and where the glove releases the ball above the rollovers for a reason......

Just re-mylar it Unfortunately, that piece of mylar is clean for me, so I didn't have to remove it, so no template coming for that......but it's a pretty straight forward strip to put in.

Wax the machine before applying the mylar and you can remove it with much less hassle if you decide you don't like it.

Welcome to the club and to the world of owning a.pinball machine Hope you find fixing things satisfying.... Because you'll end up doing it alot

First things first, if you don't have it already, go to ipdb.org and look up Johnny Mnemonic. From there, you can download the manual. An exploded view of the diverter assembly can be found at 2-22.

Which leads to my second point. Never assume when you get an old pin that what you are looking at is right. Especially if the machine was ever on route. Ops came up with all sorts of creative ways to fix problems, and a lot of times, in the cheapest or easiest ways possible. Sometimes, these 'creative" solutions worked great.... Other times, just hacks to get the machine back to earning as quickly as possible. In your case, that applies to the metal washer you see on your diverters. That should not be there. There is a metal drive arm piece with a set screw that protrudes though the playfield. The nyliner (the nylon washer thing) should fit right into that and the diverters should rest right on top of that, tightened in place with the set screw. The metal washer was probably just added to create space, must creates a metal-on-metal movement situation, which as a general statement is not a good thing. Remove the metal washer, set the diverter flush to the nyliner and tighten the set screw. Problem solved. If there is still play in the diverter at that point, the nyliner may be worn out or not fitting snug. Those things cost about a buck to replace.

Third point: avoid lube of any kind unless specifically called out in the manual. Generally, you will only use lube/grease in the gearboxes and around metal bushings and where metal-on-metal action is required. In the case of JM, this is only in the gearboxes, metal bushings and the x/y screw rods of the glove assembly. Lube works its way into stuff and should not be used elsewhere unless you want to create other problems. In any case, avoid dry lube. That sh&*, especially if applied too thick, turns to a powder dust that can really dirty up your machine...which then causes wear.

Last, what to do about the sratches/gouges in the playfield. The simple answer is that this all depends on you, how much you care, and what you plan to do with your playfield. Sounds like you are a player and don't care as much about having the scratch so much as you don't want it to get worse. If that's the case, clean it out good, fill it with a wood filler of sorts, sand it smooth (don't sand paint/diamond plate off the field around it, paint over it (if you don't want to see it as much, and slap a small piece of mylar over it to keep it from getting worse. There are a million threads on pinside about repairing playfields and gouges..... Read up on those. If you don't care at all, you can just fix the diverter and play. Those spots aren't in super high-traffic areas of the playfield, so with the diverter fixed, it probably won't get worse anyway so long as the machine is clean and you are using good/new balls (which I recommend you get anyway, if they are not relatively new, since they get pitted and worn over time).

Good luck Just take your time and it'll all work out fine. Working on machines will teach you patience. You'll have plenty of days where you are just waiting for parts... Only to find something else in the meantime that you need to order I've had my JM disassembled for 6-7 WEEKS now doing a complete rebuild while waiting on its cliffy protectors to arrive...which are still probably a couple weeks away.

There are 3 types of ways all of the ball guides connect to the playfield to hold them down and to hold their shape. 1 is the "tab" you refer to that you just insert a screw into to tighten them down from the topside (one is in your picture near the bottom). There is also a small metal peg that extends off the guides that will slot into holes to help it maintain shape. The third is a long screw riveted to the backside of guides that will go all the way through the playfield and be tightened with a nut from underneath.

If the hole is for anything, it would be one of the second 2 types. (likely the 3rd type... Definitely if the hole goes all the way through the playfield), but it would be really obvious if this is the case. So baring anything attached to the guide that would slot into this hole, I'd say it's just a cosmetic thing. Having just rebuilt mine in this area, I'm confident nothing else goes there at the very least.

JM goodie bag with NOS slingshot plastics is up on eBay right now. I don't need them but figure someone here probably does.

ebay.com link: Johnny Mnemonic Pinball Machine Slingshot Plastics Goodie Bag FREE SHIP

Good call. I got lucky.... bought the last available full protector set that pinbits had for JM

Since the shaking is happening with movement on the Y axis I'd say you likely have a bad/worn Y Nut....

Check out http://quinndunki.com/blondihacks/?p=1615

Anyone have or seen a good alternate translite for JM? The only one I've seen is the one that is basically the same as the original, with just the pictures rearranged. Since the backbox lighting is so vanilla with no flashers, I'm really surprised no one has produced something else, since no real serious need to sync up the art with the lighting.....this machine would be a million times more desirable if the translite wasn't a total turd.

A hand-drawn comic style would be incredible. Something more akin to the JM Laseriffic topper.....which is one of my favorites.

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What happens when you push in the plunger with your finger? Does it slide into the coil with little resistance and raise the matrix? It should.

Also, the return spring you are using on the plunger looks odd. Almost like its already compressed. There are a ton of turns in your spring that are very close together but the normal ones have way fewer and farther apart I think....If you look at the other pictures people included, the spring looks quite different. Maybe it simply can't compress enough to allow the plunger to go far enough into the coil to raise the matrix.....

Test fire the coil in solenoid test. Anything happen at all?

t's not a rocket science device so if pushing in the plunger by hand works without significant resistance, it would seem to me the problems would likely be the coil, or the power getting to it.

Make sure:
1. The nuts previously shown are loose enough to allow the lever to move without being restricted.
2. The coil sleeve isn't damaged and slides in and out of the coil freely (ie: the coil isn't swollen.
3. The end if the plunger and coil stop are not mushroomed.
4. Solder joints are good on the 2 wires attached to the coil.
5. Coil itself doesn't have failed winding.

Coil is proper size? Per manual, should be a AE-25-1000. Last thing that immediately comes to mind is that coil may be too weak to raise the matrix cover.

Question about the spotlight attached to the top of the left ramp that illuminates the glove area: is that spotlight always on (normal GI) or is it only on when the glove is active in some way (controlled GI)? If the later, how can that light be tested? I don't see it in the lamp matrix. I picked up a JM a while back and did a full rebuild and that's the one piece that doesn't seem to work....although the spotlight assembly itself and the cable attached to it tests good to the connector with the green/white-green wires under the playfield. Just don't know if I'm clear about whether I'm testing it appropriately.

Thanks cynric and @Flynnyfalcon. Based on your input, and lack of detail about the spotlight in the manual, I decided to just trace the wires for the spotlight back through the wiring harness. For posterity, the wires trace back to pin 10 (white-green) and pin 5 (green) on the IDC connector attached to J121 on the power driver board.

In my case, the wire at pin 10 was loose. I repunched that wire in the IDC connector and now the spotlight works as it should.

Fuse F111 is listed as the Flasher Secondary fuse. Should not be a problem with the hand itself, but the vibration/movement of the hand may be causing a short in the flasher mounted in the hand's back panel and cause that fuse to blow. Check the flasher wiring to make sure you don't have any insulation missing or a short in the cabling somewhere.

Also, have you read the Manual Addendum #1 and applied that fix? It directly relates to what I'm talking about.

https://www.ipdb.org/files/3683/Williams_1995_Johnny_Mnemonic_Manual_Addendum_1.pdf

Since JM doesn't have flashers in the backbox that would require a translite layout to align to anything important, and since the translite is just so god-awful (and no good alternates seem to exist), I hacked together some materials I've collected to build the basis for what will soon become my personal replacement translite ....sort of a merge of computer generated and anime/cartoon style images, with the focus being on Johnny himself and the interaction with cyberspace. Still needs a lot of cleanup, sizing and layering, but here's the basic mock-up. Thoughts?

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Lol....I hear you. Just so happened that the best pic I had to serve as a solid base for the design has that baked in. Maybe I can do something about that before final...

May also try the name a few different ways to better tie in to the cabinet art.

Possibly. Since I am using images gathered from various sources to do this, it may have permission implications at that point, but is something I am investigating. If it's doable, and there is enough interest to make it worth the effort, I would definitely be interested in making it happen. JM is such a great machine but it's value and long-term collectability is held back (in my opinion) by a really weak art package. Anything to improve that helps everyone who wants to (or does) own it

Figured I'd pass this on , since I already have a spare set and they are very hard to find.....

NOS set of Slingshot Plastics on eBay. I've bought a couple things from this seller......he's legit:

ebay.com link: Johnny Mnemonic NEW NOS Williams Pinball Slingshot Plastics

As long as the switch leafs aren't broken, I'd say fix it. It's there to improve the life of the game. Takes about 10-15 minutes to take it apart (2 screws attaching the magnet to the assembly, 1 screw to remove the hand plastic cover and 1 screw to remove the switch from the magnet), bend the leafs with a switch adjustment tool, test and reassemble.

Tips:

1. Make sure when you put it back together that the square piece is perfectly centered with the round metal stop in the middle so it doesn't get hung up on it when a ball enters the hand. Bend the leaf with the square metal piece if needed so the ball hits that before it hits the stop.
2. While it's still apart, go into single switch test and test the ball in hand switch. Just hold the magnet upside down when you are doing this. Switch should report open until you drop a ball in it. Swirl the ball around in the magnet and make sure the switch reports closed the entire time and then goes back to open when you take the ball back out. If it jumps between open and closed while you swirl the ball around inside it, further adjustments are needed.

For those that have LEDed JM: I just added a GI OCD Board to mine and let me tell you.....right out of the box, that thing is an absolute MUST for JM. So nice to actually be able to watch dimming effects again and not have to turn them off due to flicker.

Haven't, and probably won't install an LED OCD....I'm really happy with the plain Comet SMDs in the inserts as-is.