Starting up this thread to share thoughts, experiences, tips, history and general info about Keeney pins. Hoping others can chime in, since there is virtually no info about this company out in cyberspace. Since I'm all in with getting a Poker Face up and running for the upcoming Atown show, I'm now bumping into all sorts of issues and roadblocks that require resolution. Hopefully this thread can provide just a bit of info to make future Keeney projects smoother than what I'm currently experiencing.

Keeney put out a bunch of pre-flipper/arcade games, but only 5 flipper pin games that I'm aware of (via info on IPDB)... unfortunately no production numbers are available for any of Keeney's flipper pins listed below:

1959-12 Hi Straight
1963-05 Go-Cart
1963-09 Poker Face
1963-12 Colorama
1964-08 Arrowhead

The general feeling as I work out the mechanical kinks to this game, is that the overall mechanical aspects of the game are mixed; the flipper design is ridiculous (basically impulse flippers, yes for 1963 it's really a joke!).

Most components such as step up units, relays, plungers, and other metal parts aren't as beefy as other manufacturers, same with pop bumper yokes (very thin). Fortunately Gottlieb units are very similar, and with a little surgery like parts can be used in many cases. Score reel mechs feel cheap; those units aren't nearly as well-designed as Gottlieb/WMS/Bally units.

I'll be posting more pix and interesting notes as the work continues.

If anyone has any Poker Face plastics or keeney parts in general please reach out.

That's a fabulous looking game... love the deep cabinet and graphics... backglass not too shabby either... you've no doubt got a rare bird right there! Do you have a schematic for the game? I'm asking because I've heard Keeney game schematics are tough to come by; PBR luckily had it and I scored a copy for the Poker Face. Did you have issues with having to replace any coils, and if so, I'd be interested in how you came up with a replacement(s).

Thanks for posting!

If the show was at the same venue, I'd definitely consider it, but being further towards Boston, that's just too much of a trip for me right now (Baltimore area)... I may try to make it though if timing is right.

Cant be many of those... it would be great to have some production numbers, but that may be info we'll never know.

I talked to Steve Young at PBR and he said that at one time Keeney was contracting some parts work for Gottlieb, but I didn't get any details other than that. I just started doing some work on the mechs of my Poker Face and I see parts that are extremely close if not spot on to Gottlieb. That being said, their mechs are interestingly differebt, in that for each mech type (flipper, kicker, pops) there is a metal frame with the hardware screwed to the frame, and the frame screwed to the playfield (similar to how flipper mechs were changed to in the mid to late 70s by other manufacturers); a much better design aspect from a longevity standpoint.

That shuffle alley is a beauty!

Keeney has an interesting Flipper setup On the Poker Face... uses a flat platform with a metal shaft housing that supports the flipper axle and built in coil stop... and a very odd crank configuration. Same design as Gottlieb with a few minor differences but the crank rides on the opposite side, and rotates on the housing! One of my cranks required a weld, so I used a 60s Gottlieb crank and modified to fit.

The flip configuration uses 2 coils... pressing flipper button enables the hot coil, and the NO EOS switch when closed enables the in series low power , emulating a dual wound coil. What’s wacky is that this game is 1963... why in hell they decided to use this config is beyond me... perhaps they had thousands of single wind coils on hand and decided this way was cheaper.

Photos show flipper config, new fiber links (check out the wear on the metal link)... wow!

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Just to note that my info here is incorrect... there are two coils per flipper., high power and trip coil.. when the EOS CLOSES, it trips the 2nd coil, which in effect drops power to the flipper until the bottom of the stroke (when the EOS re-opens). In effect, an impulse flipper configuration... geez that's about the dumbest thing ever for 63!

another poor quality Keeney part ... check out the broke metal pop bumper yoke... thinner and no reinforcement lip in back... no wonder it’s broken!!!

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Pic shows Gottlieb counterpart from a Mibs parts machine.

Nice looking game... any Keeney game - flipperless/non-flipperless/novelty/bingo/arcade, etc. all welcome!!!

After some experimenting and 'surgery', I ended up using a a Gottlieb bracket, Gottlieb A-1496 coil, Williams metal yoke, and the remaining Keeney parts to complete the assembly.

Again, not a big fan of Keeney pinball parts quality right now... I'll report back later as I continue to knock out additional mechanical component work.

A few pix of the Poker Face playfield - slowly things are coming together - advance bumps, the single pop and new left side target faces... these from PBR are nice replacements. I don’t like the new clip that comes with the target faces though. The old clips, if you can get them off without breaking the tabs, work fine.

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Well, the Poker Face playfield is complete...

Now finishing up shopping the head mechanics; decent shape overall so not a big problem... however there are additional quality issues with this Keeney game:

1. Score reels are entirely plastic. Odd, considering Keeney used metal score reels on their bowlers, at least from the photos I've seen... I had to epoxy one spindle as it was cracked.
2. Score reel coils have a fiber frame, and when trying to remove the metal coil sleeve, the entire coil comes apart as shown... I may just replace with all Gottlieb coils here.
3. Knocker plunger - nylon tip separated from plunger... no biggie, just epoxy in place.

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Poker Face relay bank and associated relay contacts cleaned, steppers rebuilt and working properly, new fuse holders.. reinstalled this evening. Moved the playfield into the game, plugged it in, clicked the toggle switch and BAM, we have lights - sweet!!!

Backbox mechanics are done; I'll attach it once the backglass is cleared to inhibit further flaking. Here are some pix:

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Not sure what you refer to, can you provide a pic?

I posted this info on another thread, but wanted to include it here for Keeney 'posterity'...

Keeney Poker Face came out in September of 1963. During the shop job, I pretty much dealt with all the little design and part nuances with little grumbling and fanfare, until I noticed that the flipper circuit is basically an IMPULSE design... REALLY? YUP!!!

The flipper setup uses a single wound coil (no low power) with a cutoff relay in the circuit, and a NO EOS "make" switch, so when the player hits the flipper button, at the top of the flip stroke the EOS switch trips the cutoff relay, cutting power to the flipper until the EOS switch opens again at the bottom of the stroke (flipper at rest).

I did confirm that the next pin Keeney produced 3 months later (COLORAMA - 12/63) sports a dual wound coil /NC EOS switch configuration similar to other manufacturers of the period.

Blows my mind that a pinball manufacturer in 1963 would in good conscience produce a game with an IMPULSE FLIPPER design... no wonder they couldn't make it in the flipper pin market and after a 5 pin run, dropped out to produce other game types.

Schematic showing the old-hat crappy impulse design follows:

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Need to note here that Gottlieb coils are way too hot for Keeney pins (A-1496 as an example)... the Keeney coils run on 50V, about twice that of Gottlieb, so they are being taken out and replaced with Bally coils, since they run at approximately the same voltages.

A few interesting notes:

1... the original flipper pawl assembly is similar to Gottlieb, but installed differently (upside down compared to other manufacturers). Since I had to use a Gottlieb replacement pawl as the original was broken, I had to shorten the tab that holds the spring and drill new spring hole; nice to have a decent drill press!

2...installed new fiber links; originals were cheap thin metal that had elongated linkage holes and way too much slop.

3... the original coil wrap paper on almost all of this game's coils flaked off over the years, and/or ineligible or faded part no's. Used painter's tape for temporary solution.

4... check out the NO EOS switch, and associated cut-off relay; FUBAR.

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On the home stretch with Keeney Poker Face... Got rid of the inferior impulse flipper setup and installed Bally dual wound coils; high power roughly same resistance as the original coils... had to perform surgery on the coil support brackets... she’s done and the playfield is ready to be popped back into the cabinet. Psyched to play a game on it soon.

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Yes, it's 50V AC.

My nicely working Poker Face is heading out to the Pacific Pinball Museum, where it will be placed with other Keeney pin games of the era. Larry is still looking for a decent or better COLORAMA to complete their Keeney flipper pin line-up.

Could you post a pic or two of your flipper setup once you have it in place please? It would help future Keeney pin owners. Also curious what the flipper coils used in that game, are they stamped with some type of Id No?

Awesome, thank you.