Here's the issue...

When the ball goes around the magic bus loop with speed and "magic bus" is lit, sometimes the switch will trip and then de-activate, causing the ball to just be sent back to the right flipper. The momentum of the ball off the up-post will cause the ball to trip the switch, then the ball backs up the ramp a bit, causing the switch to de-activate. There is normally a grace period, but sometimes there is not.

And when there is not, it is extremely annoying. When this lack of a grace period happens during "Mamushka" or any mode for that matter, sometime the up-post will just stay up and lock the ball, and the only way to get it down is to shut off the machine.

I duplicate this by manually tripping the switches, then dropping the bus switch. The machine just assumes there was no ball. But I can't duplicate the lack of grace period. This only happens on a hard shot, and it only takes the blink of an eye for it to occur.

I just installed a brand new switch and new diode hoping to fix this, and I am right back where I started. And yes, they were soldered in correctly.

Has this happened to anyone else? And what have you done to fix it? I have already ruined one switch trying to solve this. Bending the actuator this way and that way. I ended up ruining the plastic nubs that hold the actuator.

This is different than the issue I am having. I never have issues with "collect junk", only with "magic bus". Both the switches always trip. For yours, I would assume you never tripped the second switch up by the curve.

I wish this would solve it for me, but this is the first move I made the last time. Issue with bending the switch further down is it will stop the ball after the up-post drops. As it is right now, the switch is maxed out in space just the way it was made. I came up with all sorts of bent angles with the same results.

Should point out that the code in my machine is 1.2 and 1.0 sound. Also, the switch I used was a 5647-12693-21. There is also a 12693-19 switch very similar to this, but it has a stiffer actuator, so I went with the 21 so the ball would travel easier.

Nada...I wish it was that easy but both switches are functioning fine. The game is functioning 100%.

When the ball trips the ramp entry switch with "magic bus" lit, the up post fires up, and will fall if nothing triggers the second switch via a halfway shot or a fall behind the ramp into the doghouse. It is the rapid activate/de-activate of the ramp exit switch that seems to "confuse" (I guess that's the best description) the machine.

Yah, that's a similar issue to mine. And....Wow!!! If you are referring to the halfway hole that awards you a dog shot then that is one hell of a ricochet. I love JY for it's speed game, but damn.

I have had thoughts of adding something back there as well; but being relatively new to the hobby, I didn't want to add something out of fear that it would eventually damage, scratch, or pit the ball and, eventually, my damn near perfect playfield.

Can someone chime in on this? Is this safe to do? I had thoughts of adding clear tape.

I will look into this since the two of you seem to be in agreement. If it is what I am thinking it is, then I can imagine it working.

Thanks for the pointers guys!

For those of you interested in the result of this...

I added felt lining on both the inside and backside of the bus ramp at the curve.

The two pieces came together to almost hug the ball perfectly. Lightly grabbing the ball but not enough to negatively interfere with it.

The result is a positive one, but not perfect. But I did play eight games without a flaw before one hard shot finally resulted with a hard enough ricochet to de-activate the switch.

On an improvement scale of 10, I would give this fix an 8.

Would still love to hear other ideas if someone should have one.

Simple and cheap my friend. A strip of felt at Wally World (Wal-Mart) only cost me 11 cents. And I used glue tape to adhere it.

I tried this first with no positive result. Glad you were able to see some positive impact. Thicknesses of felt lining may also vary?

Probably should have added a pic yesterday, so I figured I would add one now.

DSC00319.JPG