Hi, JY Club

I'm looking at Junk Yard as my next pin and wanted to find out:

1. What common problems to look for. I'm aware that the left ramp is often broken and the sewer probably gets some wear but what other plastics, parts and areas should I be sure to check out?

2. If anyone is thinking of selling or trading a good condition Junk Yard (or trading plus cash for a POTC) please let me know.

Thanks!

Hi Junk Yard Club!

I'm nearly a member! While I'm waiting for the truck to arrive, I've started to put together a ring kit, based on the diagram in the handbook, but I have a few questions:

1. It looks like there are rings in the upper right corner, behind the bus, but they're not called out in the diagram. What's there? What would I need?

2. The kit calls for 3 1/2" rings (F), but the locations called out (behind the refrigerator, under the refrigerator ramp and below the right recycle targets) not only look like completely different size shapes, none of them look like a 1/2" ring will fit. What should go there?

3. Is there anything missing from the kit? The rubber list in my TOTAN manual omits two important rings and at least six other, minor pieces.

Thanks!

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I'm getting Titan Competition Silicone - plenty bouncy and super-durable.

I was thinking that light blue might also look good on the flippers.

Looks like I figured out my question #2 (sort of) by cross-checking the part numbers - the handbook has some errors.

B (black rubber grommet) is a 7/16" OD
D should be .75" ring
E should be 1" ring
F should be 1.5" ring

But that space below the refrigerator ramp still looks too big, even for a 1.5" ring. Maybe I'll get an extra 2" just in case?

That helps me out enormously! It's so hard to tell from the diagrams. Thanks, Jeremy!

I'll be sure to take photos. Right now, the check is in the mail and soon I'll be able to schedule delivery. Titan rings and LEDs are on my list as well as Cliffy's and maybe the Pingraffix inside decals down the road. I've also been talking to pinsider Pinball_Customs about my idea for a custom shooter rod. SO excited!

Nice! I think the "Choose Junk" and "Collect Junk" inserts will be good places for color-changing LEDs. I might put some in the GI by the bus as well.

It finally arrived!
But it was literally frozen when it arrived, having spent the past three days in trucks, so I'll wait until it warms up a bit before plugging it in.

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My game came with this promotional clock. I'm curious if anyone else has one.

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Yes! It has a story with such specific details that it seems like it was based on cartoon that never got made. I love that it references other pinball games.

BTW - has anyone noticed the Doctor Who reference? On the playfield, the building between the DOG inserts and the Sewer arrow looks a little like a Tardis, no?

Williams was probably in the early stages of designing MM at the time, so maybe Knight Mission was an early, abandoned idea. My other thought is that it was an early idea for SWE1.

Here are a few photos of my custom lighting.

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Green around Spike and the sewer.

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Orange behind the wrecking ball.

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Blue leading to white at the toilet.

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Blue under the bus and red in the corner (creating a purple effect in between)

Back flashers are blue and the ramp flashers are red. Under the wrecking ball is white. Lights under the playfield mostly match the inserts, but the toaster gun lights are orange and the recycle lights are green (creating a sort of teal effect).

Yes - I put blue flash bulbs in mine. They should go off during the bonus countdown.

Do you have one of the sample machines? Maybe it's a change from the regular production games? Let us know if there are holes in the back panel behind your domes.

My favorite games are the ones that tell a story, so Junk Yard is a perfect fit. It's been in my collection for 11 months and I have no desire to move it.

However, if I had a say in code changes, I'd want to see:
1. Skippable dog mode intros
2. No video modes while adventures are running

I don't mind the video modes - I think it's great to have an alternate way to collect junk and fireworks from the left flipper and it adds variety to the gameplay - but I agree that there are often too many of them. My record in a single game is Save the Girl Level 16, which got really boring. Also, in my hypothetical code update, I'm thinking one could advance D-O-G during adventures but not start a video mode until the adventure is done.

I think I got to Run From Spike level 3. I usually try to collect the hair dryer last.

I feel like the toilet ramp is one of the narrowest shots in pinball. It can't be more than two inches wide.

I got curious and took out my ruler - it's 1 5/8" wide at the opening. The ball is 1 1/16", which leaves 9/16" margin of error.

The best bet is probably to shoot a little wide, so it hits the left rail and glides up the ramp.

Very pretty, congrats!
Cliffy's hole protector is a must and Titan silicone rings really add to the color of the game.

Welcome and congrats! JY keeps a staged ball under the refrigerator, ready to pop out when the ball in play goes in the sewer, toilet or alley. It speeds up the gameplay a little. So if a ball is missing from the staged setup, the game will launch two, hold one, and send the other one into play.

There's a menu option if you want to turn off the staged ball.

Might be a bad trough opto.

Nice! Whatcha got there is one of the rarer sample games with the wrecking ball magnet! Later production models replace it with a flasher. Looks like it's in good shape overall. But is something weird with the display or is that just a reflection?

Correct side but a little lower, towards the flippers. It's a scoop hole and there should be a plastic piece with a Manhole cover over it.

That's it. The sewer hole is an important part of gameplay, so the edges tend to get worn down. Cliffy's makes a metal protector which is a challenge to install, but which I recommend.

JY's have recently been going for $3500 to $3800. If you fix the leg and DMD issues and add LED's, a good condition sample game might go for $4000 to $4300.

I know, right? JY is often looked down on, but I think its reputation is slowly growing. There should be 4 balls total, but one is often hiding in the VUK under the refrigerator. They all go into play during Outer Space wizard mode.

Looks like a little wear on the sewer, which isn't uncommon. The Cliffy would cover it up.

Multiball is 3 balls, Wrecking Ball hurry-up is 2 balls and Wizard Mode is 4 balls. Check the trough first - it should have at least 3 balls. To find the 4th you'd have to lift the playfield and check the subway (or do a ball eject via the menu options). Usually the game won't start if it senses too many or too few balls.

If there's a problem, you'll likely hear BONG BONG BONG on startup and it will tell you to check the diagnostics - which could be anything from a bad switch to a fried coil.

If you see a period after the CREDITS display (or after the words FREE PLAY if it's set to free play), that also indicates a technical issue. But if you got through a few games, there's most likely nothing to worry about.

There should be a nylon spacer on that screw (maybe 1/4" or 5/8") to prevent it from going too far. But yeah, that plastic is frequently cracked.

But who wants a minty Junk Yard? I think they look better with a few dings and bumps.

The bus ramp does all the re-lighting for both. Shoot the bus ramp a certain number of times to light Magic Bus, Collect Junk, Choose Junk and Window Shopping. Some day I'll write down how many it takes for each.

Mine has orange around the crane, blue under the bus, green by the sewer (with a pink flasher in the doghouse) orange on the sides, blue under the left ramp and warm white under the toilet. I use warm white in the slings and purple in the lane dividers. It's a game that can handle a gaudy color scheme.

I'm thinking of trying Comet's "fire" bulbs behind the crane.

I used mostly warm white, but orange and blue behind the logo and different colors for the window shopping lights.

Showing off a little craft project I've been working on.

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I installed my ColorDMD today and it is awesome. 100% recommend.

ColorDMD put together their own preview video - it's on YouTube.

I sometimes have friends over to play but when I try explaining the objectives and rules, their eyes glaze over and they can't keep track of anything. So I made this video, showing the basic goals of the game - hopefully, demonstrating the game like this will help them to understand. Also, it shows off the new ColorDMD!

I know it leaves out a lot of the nuances and several features, but it's just intended to give the uninitiated a general look at how to play.

Enjoy!

Agreed. If the flashing lights make it harder to keep track of the ball then they're doing their job.
Maybe Junk Yard isn't the right game for you. May I suggest Walking Dead or Stern Star Trek? Both have bright-as-day GI.

Make sure it's anchored to its post behind the scoop - that hex bolt is a pain to access but it's super important because it sets the pitch of the bus ramp. I accidentally left it off after my last big cleaning and had problems with the ball flying off the ramp or bouncing back down when the stop post goes up.

I'm having a weird switch issue on my game and wonder if someone here can help. I've described the problem in a separate post:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/help-flippers-trigger-playfield-optos-junk-yard

Thanks!

More junk = higher bonus
Alley scoop + ramp combo = bonus multiplier (maxes at X6)
Build the toilet value before playing GTA
Always go for fireworks
Outer Space is the biggest scoring opportunity

Mamuska and Saucer Attack are the only Time Machine games worth playing. The others are too dangerous. Skill shot awards are pretty random and shouldn't be relied upon.

It's the rare game where playing in order and advancing the story results in the highest score.

A few more thoughts on scoring:

- If possible, start Crane Multiball or try for Mamushka right before the Great Toilet Adventure. All three are "every switch is X points" modes, so stacking them can be lucrative.

- If possible, stack a Multiball with Air Tactical Combat. Mostly so you can wail on the crane without worrying about draining. That crane is unpredictable and the out lanes are cavernous.

- If you're going for high scores, get the hair dryer first - Save The Girl awards way more points than Run From Spike, even in the later levels.

I've recently decided to change up my collection and have posted my Junk Yard on the Marketplace. So if there are any fans out there who are looking for one, this is a beautiful example:

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/62186

I've updated my listing on the Marketplace. Have a look:

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/62186

After fighting Bob, you get to keep all your junk. It's just a matter of playing through the Adventures again for a re-match.