Likely joining the club on Sunday! This game has been on my list for a few years now, and a lot of people always comment on how they made a lot of them. The ones that showed up near me were always restored and priced pretty high (for me) but I think I finally found one that I was comfortable with the price and condition on. Great thing is that I have a hookup for a CPR silver, new plastics, and new repro backglass if I decide to go through a partial - full restore.

I was told the game boots, the seller wasn't sure if it plays. She says the game "makes pinball noises." Looking at pics, I can see the displays show a score, and what I assume to be credit and match display showing numbers. Some lamp sockets are flaky, as told from another pinsider that looked at it but passed on.

This will be my first Gottlieb SS. I have good experience with Bally SS and some WMS SS, so I am comfortable going through "all the things." Anything about Gottlieb SS that is unique besides what I would see on Bally or WMS? Really can't wait to get this game home as I love drop targets and have always regarded Gottlieb EMs as the best of the big three. To date, I've only played one or two games and that was at a tourney a few years ago.

Cool, I'll definitely take a look.

As far as backbox removal, I assume it's 4 head bolts and detaching connectors. Anything else I need to know?

The game was dropped off by the seller today, which saved me an 8hr round trip to pick it up. Nice! It was transported with the head on and apparently booted up prior to the trip, but when I plugged it in it turned on but didn't boot up...I flipped the power switch, it still was on. So kind of odd. It's set up in the garage right now, and I'll have to take off the head to take it in the basement, but any preliminary thoughts as to why it turns on with the plug?

Yep, reseated the connectors and it boots up. Still no power switch. I plugged it in and it's on. No way to turn it off unless I unplug it.

Upon closer inspection of the boards, I see that there is one Rottendog Power supply and most of the connectors have been repinned. So someone put some time and money into it at one point.

So it boots, shows credits and match and cycles between HSTD and last score (which is zero).

Can't add credits, can't start a game. I'll have to read around and get help from you fine people on getting this game sorted. I'll likely start a new thread so that way I don't flood this one with questions and whatnot

My Joker Poker thread if you wanted to follow along. The first post is a little long but provides some symptoms and background info. Hoping I'll get some assistance as I work through it. I don't think it'll take much since the game boots. Initially, there is some coin door wiring that'll need to be restored to original, so hoping that'll take care of the no-start problem.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/joker-poker-project-thread

Ran into a problem quoted below. Any thoughts?

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/joker-poker-project-thread#post-6470268

Just finished my swap!

I have one minor problem though. None of the "minor" point switches work. The switches behind the rubbers, drop target banks, etc. Everything else works except them. I've reseated the connectors but can do it again. Is it a problem with the harness somewhere? Do they all share a common return wire? Something else?

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In chasing the 10 point switches problem, now all the coils lock on when I turn the game on. So frustrating! The only think I did between it working (kings the 10 point switches) and the coils locking on is adjust the gapping on the 2 relays on the bottom of the playfield.

After clipping the diodes on the chime box coils and the knocker, did the coils finally stop locking on, but the game still doesn't boot. What a PITA!

Any thoughts would be appreciated, as I'm about to give this game the People's Elbow

Yeah, I saw that in the manual. Unfortunately even knowing that, it didn't help, as I checked continuity all the way through and checked gapping on each switch as well.

I changed the diodes and associated TIP102 on the driver board...it booted and worked for about 5 minutes (still no 10pt switches) then all coils died and the game froze. I power cycled it again and all the coils are locking again. FML.

Well, it worked fine for a little while just before the swap, before that it was blowing a transistor and having boot trouble, but I thought I got that resolved from the chime coil diodes and knocker diodes.

It's got a Ni-Wumpf MPU, ground mods and updated interconnect harness, and rottendog PS. I'm tempted to throw in a Pascal 4in1.

I look at the thing funny and it goes sideways.

It was all done prior to my ownership, I'm pretty sure. They all look pretty new.

OK, did some stuff. Checked connectors (again), replaced the diode on the outhole kicker because the fuse would blow, but now the game boots and plays.

Two new symptoms. The flippers score 10 points, and I noticed that if I flip too often, the game ends, but once the ball drains, I can start a new one. Progress i guess?

Better than all the coils locking and no boot...

I did check all the transistors and they all checked out good. Also did the voltage check at the mechs and they all showed some kind of voltage. I'm not sure what I'm looking for with that test?

I was just going to add that when I pound the playfield with my fist, it doesn't score.

Also add that I just ended a game by doing that. No tilt lamp comes on.

Yes, the lamp is good. I hit the tilt bob and it turned on.

I just smashed the flippers a hundred times and it didn't kill the game. I swear there is no rhyme or reason to anything it does!

The only issue right now is the flippers scoring the 10 pts. I'll have to try smashing the playfield with my fist to see if it does it (again, who knows each time). I'll report back. I'm certain each of the 10 pt switches are gapped pretty far. I did that to ensure none of them stayed closed as to kill all the other 10 pt switches. But even so, none of them work, only the flippers score. It makes no sense to me.

Is there somehow the flipper or EOS switch is somehow crossed with a 10 pt wire? just tossing it out there. At this point none of it makes sense to me lol.

I have a set of diodes coming. Some have been replaced in the past, but these are to spec, so I will replace all of the non-stock diodes. 1N270 germanium diodes.

This trick worked. I found the culprit switch that vibrations from the flipper would cause it to touch the stiff retention leaf. I wasn't able to see it with the rubber on because the contacts were far enough apart. The bend was subtle enough that even though I separated each switch (and read on another post of this problem) that it wasnt visibly obvious, but pulling the rubber in between, I could still score by even gently pushing the switch closed.

I was able to play 2 or 3 games as intended.

Thank you!

Still doesn't explain the other issues that I won't mention for fear of jinxing myself...

Hey guys. I lost displays while my Joker Poker was in attract mode.

It's got a new Janin 4-in-1 board in it so there shouldn't be any board problems. Most of the connectors (if not all) were redone at some point in it's past life. The displays were working when I initially turned it on, we were all playing different games, and the next thing I notice was that all the displays are blank. they are the original displays.

I was planning on replacing them with Wolfpac displays anyway, but wanted to figure out if it was a display problem or something else. it would seem quite odd that all the displays died at once, or if one dead/dying display has any impact on other displays. I'm not sure if they get daisy-chained or whatever.

All fuses test good with a DMM, and all wiring/connectors are good as well.

Thank you! I'll take a look.

The 60/42/8V LED isn't lit, the one that you indicated. Where is the fuse located on the board that you are referring to?

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I think I found it. It doesn't beep out.

Why would it have blown in the first place?

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I found one of the legs of the capacitor on display 2 had broken. I soldered it back on, replaced the fuse with a spare that came with the board, tested each capacitor and display as directed and the displays are working now.

I should probably have a few more of those radial fuses on-hand.

Thank you!

Quench is the best! He helped me out of nowhere when I was a noob with my first Bally SS, Paragon, and has been so helpful with numerous issues I've encountered along the way with SS games since. I've learned so much, but clearly have so much to learn! Such a great person and one of the reasons why Pinside is more than just the negativity that people tend to focus on.

I cut mine out of oak and left it uncoated and natural. I think there are pics somewhere in this thread. I'll see if I can find them.

I guess this was the only one I took and posted. I can take/post more if you want.

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