Best way is to get a replacement female "socket". What size do you need. Some of us have parts bins from killed off machines, parts needed thread

ebay is a good source if the community doesnt have it as well

If you still have the original pieces you could try soldering them back on. I "tinned" both sides and used a helping hand or pliers to hold it steady while applied heat.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/1970-bally-trail-drive-broken-20-pin-plug#post-3376590

shopping (resized).png

There really is no need, enough games are getting parted out on a daily basis that will keep us supplied, these are so generic spanning 15-20 years that a supply is readily available.

How about PB Resource?

Purchase one a few years back

I considered going down that rabbit hole since I have a few damaged plugs in my 300... But I'm just going to clip them off and replace with modern Molex connectors. There are plenty of things I'll be a stickler about originality for, but plugs that will be seen by no one but myself aren't one of them.

May affect resale to future buyers if you ever go to sell it.

Which is so dumb. If anything it makes the game better because it's more reliable.

Not so dumb. Looking at it from a buyer's perspective, originality has value in part because when a game or anything else has been modified, you can't know how good a job they did.

90% of this forum are going to agree with HowardR. We are sticklers for originality.

Well you fuelled the fire by the words 'so dumb' although I do respect and accept each to their own. To me replacing jones plugs with 'modern molex connectors' is akin to vandalised graffiti on a wall. Art to some but to most absolutely horrid. If you want a modern function or look best to buy a modern game and not destroy the engineering of a halycon era.

I actually agree, modifying the game will lower its value to SOME people, including me. It’s just a pain in the ass I would need to deal with and revert to original and no way to do so seamlessly as soldering and wiring could have been poorly done or whatever. There is ZERO issue with the original. They take 2 mins to clean up and if clean have zero issues. Your not fixing anything by modifying them.

If you can get get the original part then that should be your first pick but if there are none available then go for the molex connector.

If I wanted a game with Molex connectors then I'd buy an SS machine!

There's plenty of Jones connectors to be had, as has been said. I'd keep it stock, original.

Thank God he wasn't also considering fitting Leds or there would be a meltdown here!

So one of my pins just broke off on a large connector. It’s still attached and I can plug it in fine, but to firmly attached it back to the weird little board, how/where do I solder it? What is the board made of? I don’t want to heat it up and burn it.

I've enjoyed working with and restoring the Jones plugs in my EM. Sure they don't alter the external look or the play but the technology of the era is part of its charm for me.

A pic would be helpful but on what you said I would just just replace the male plug. Basic soldering skills needed. Post on the parts thread or approach a seller-pinjunk on ebay is a great seller.

This is the key here - and it defines the type of hobbyist. Many here in the thread are collectors, or at least consider original parts both seen and unseen to be be very important. There is also a segment of the gaming community that just want to have them work well and be playable. I replace a lot of IDC connectors on my solid state games with Molex connectors. The games are simply more reliable with them. I have never had anyone complain when selling a game, but if they did I'd just deal with the next guy. I don't prop up the playfields like cars at an auto show when my guests come over. The just want to play the games.

I do. Most folks have never seen the complexity that is a vintage pin. the rows of relays, & the Rube Goldberg-like score motors amaze them.

And that is o.k. - and I can appreciate the innards as well. I'm just pointing out that there are different types of folks out there that are not going to freak out by a non-original infrastructure part that isn't usually visible. In my opinion about the Jones plugs, sure - they are around. I also wouldn't go out of my way to replace them all with something else, but if the game were down because of one broken connector, and I have the Molex tools an parts anyways, I wouldn't hesitate to get the game running with that if it was the easy available solution. It's just more important to me, and the guests that come to play, to be able to play the games. On my solid state games, for example - I've put in a few aftermarket power supply boards and digital displays. There are hobbyists who place some kind of value on having matching circuit board numbers on OEM boards,,blah,blah... Not everyone is like that.

I use Jones plug sourced at shows and from other generous pinsiders.
I have also installed molex plugs from time to time.
There have been troublesome steppers and score reels that I cut the harness and installed a molex plug just so I could get it in and out without resoldering every wire.
I like original and I do consider myself a collector but sometimes getting it to play perfectly will Trump matching numbers for me.

My friend's Gottlieb King Pin jones plug pins have been sanded so aggressively the grey plating is gone and show as raw brass. I am concerned the dissimilar metals (plug male = brass, female = original (lead solder??) plating) will cause corrosion or intermittent contacts. Have already had to re-seat and clean the female connector a few times to bring the game to life. Have seen long term reliability issues with gold JAMMA PCB edge connectors and lead solder PCB fingers...

Has anyone re-plated the male contact ends and if so, with what process? Or do others also sand down to brass and not have problems?

Thanks!

probably just easier to replace... what size?

To add to this "originality" question, what would the consensus be here to "modularize" some of the playfield components on an EM the way Chris @HEP for modern games.

I am thinking, for example, about using molex connectors to the drop target bank in my Capt Fantastic, flippers etc. While not strictly necessary by any stretch of the imagination, I am going to swap the playfield anyway and I believe that doing so would make reconstruction easier and facilitate repairs/cleaning down the road.

Thoughts?

Dave

See posts at top of thread...

I read all the posts and hence the question. The discussion is whether or not Jones Plugs should be replaced with molex. I think they should not.

I am simply asking opinions on the addition of molex connectors where no connectors exist, such as drop target banks to facilitate ease of removal and installation.

Dave

Ohh. Sorry. Missed that point...oops.

Honest question, what would the benifit be?

Are you thinking it may help for removal and reinstall of targets etc?

Because obviously if it was replaced, then you would have to add connector to new part as well...but I'm guessing you are thinking for service/cleaning.

My main concern would be adding another connection that could burn up/come lose later on. Direct wired/soldered items seem to typically wind up being more secure in the long haul in my opinion.

I will add as a separate thought that, even people that didn't want them (want it all original) would probably have less of a problem at least; versus the early posts talking about modifications to existing connections.

Thank you pacman.

I am thinking strictly from a servicing/cleaning issue down the road. This would be especially so on a unit like a drop target bank. You have a legitimate point about adding another connector into the mix. I am not certain any of it is necessary/helpful as I don't expect to be taking it out again soon, if ever... just mulling it over.

Dave

Both playfield -> Relay board connectors are sanded down to the brass. One is 20 pins, the other is 12 pins. The female connectors on the Relay board don't look great, but after cleaning the brass male pins several times with isopropyl alcohol, the game is alive now. I am mostly worried about long term reliability as this is not my game and the owner is not a EM expert like us.

As an aside, my first reaction to damaged jones plugs was to design a PCB which uses Trifurcon 0.156" male pins with solder and mounting points which perfectly match the female jones plug mounted to the relay board. Then use a standard Trifurcon female cable connector in place of the male jones plug. Enjoyed reading the originality VS reliability discussions here, it gives me some food for thought as both points are valid!