(Topic ID: 113955)

Left flipper sticking on Flip-A-Card

By flipacardguy

9 years ago


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#1 9 years ago

Well, now that my Flip-A-Card game is back and at least semi-operational, now begins the fine tuning! One of the first things I noticed, which I remember from before it packed in a year or so ago is that the left flipper sticks in the UP position quite frequently. There ARE some drag marks on the board face, indicating that there might be some tight tolerances there, but I cannot make the flipper stick when I "flip it" by hand from underneath. I tried loosening the collar on the underside of the flipper shaft (the one that connects it to the coil/plunger assembly) and dropping it down a bit (thinking perhaps it was too tight and was binding), but that didn't seem to help. I pulled the coil and plunger out, cleaned them off and dropped some teflon spray on them, and that didn't help. Should there be a nylon bushing or something of the like between the flipper itself and the game face? I also thought perhaps I could move the bottom end of the return spring over one screw on the flipper base, in case that spring is getting weak...

(oh, and my wife wants to know if there's bigger, aftermarket flippers I could put on this game... Apparently my flippers are too small for her! )

#2 9 years ago

Flipper too small? Sounds like a personal problem to me

You could have a magnetized coil stop, replace it (I always have a stock of coil stops). As to the pf scrape, I have put a nylon washer under the flipper to raise it up a bit. Available at home depot.

And I have doubled up the rubbers on the 2 inch flippers, closes up the opening by a 1/4 inch.

Ken

#3 9 years ago
Quoted from flipacardguy:

Should there be a nylon bushing or something of the like between the flipper itself and the game face?

Definitely. The Nylon bushing that's underneath the playfield should have a tubular part that sticks up through the playfield a bit to let the flipper shoe rest on. They can get worn down, or break off.

#4 9 years ago

I figured it might be something magnetized in there, it didn't feel like something binding... Thanks for that! Okay, I guess thats something else for me to order from Marco Specialties... Any idea which of the many coil stops they have listed is the one I'd need for my machine? Since I'm up in Canada, I gotta get this right because between shipping and duty/brokerage it gets expensive quick...

#5 9 years ago

Try swapping parts between the left and right flippers (e.g., the coil stops are easy) and see if the problem stays or follows the part. Sometimes just mixing the combination reduces the sticking (if it's magnetized). Filing the ends of the plungers (to resurface them flat) can also help.

Also make sure the flipper button switch is opening reliably after letting go the button.

#6 9 years ago

Thanks for the great info you guys! Really appreciate it! Will keep you posted with what I find out (once I get time to pull it open again).

#7 9 years ago

Well, I've got a workaround in place for the left flipper. Finally figured out how get at the coil stop (yes, you're right, its easy... If you realize that the whole assembly doesn't have to come off the play field, that you can just undo the flipper linkage and the front bracket that holds the coil in. I know that... Now. ). And I don't see anything like that style of coil stop on the Marco Specialties site. Looks like the coil stop on this machine is just a circular plug with a stud threaded into it, and what they have on the site is the entire rear bracket including the coil stop. Do I need to buy the whole bracket, or can I just get the stops? I didn't try flipping everything around from left to right as that was a bit more than I wanted to dive into on New Years' Day. I did file a bit (that didn't help), I added another 1/3 turn to the return spring (that didn't help), I finally just stuck a small piece of electrical tape on the coil stop and voila! Problem solved. Or at least worked around. I suspect that's not a good long-term solution because I can hear the left coil working harder than the right one.

Oh, also figured out why my Queens aren't binging. Seems like the rack of play relays/switches is bent in its mount or is shorting against something when its secured in place. If I try to make sure that both sides are done up, I immediately see several lights go off and several switches on the play field become inoperative. If I leave one side undone and hanging down slightly, those switches work fine. Hmmm... Other than that, we're green for go!

#8 9 years ago

You can also just remove the two screws on the bracket that holds the coil stop and remove it from the coil mounting plate. Then there's no need to touch the flipper linkage at all (and can get direct access to the coil stop in hand).

Pinball Resource sells just the coil stop.

#9 9 years ago

Yeah... I was going to try to remove the two screws that hold THAT bracket on, but somebody, in the deep dark distant past, had replaced one of the screws with an oddly sized allen bolt (its not 5/16ths, its not 1/8th, its not 4 mm). Doh! (it was NOT me!)

I will look at Pinball Resource... Thanks!

#10 9 years ago

Do your self a favor flipcardguy and go through the motions to open an account at PBR. These guys are excellent with EM stuff. Bit of a pain on first order as you have send a money order first but it is smooth sailing after that.

#11 9 years ago

Well, I ordered from Marcos Specialties, mostly because of the extra $13 service charge for being Canadian that PBR had on their cheques. That made my items cheaper from Marcos, who took my Paypal no questions asked. I also had no idea what the part number would be for a coil stop, but found a picture at Marcos on one of the back pages, of what I THINK I need.

#12 9 years ago

Being a former Regina resident, I can help you out if you need something from pbr. I order 2-3 times a month. Down to my last coil stop too

1 week later
#13 9 years ago

Well, just a quick update, my new coil stop came in

pinre06.jpgpinre06.jpg

Had a heck of a time getting the old one off because of THIS bolt

pinre05.jpgpinre05.jpg

And I actually had to take off the entire assembly to get the new coil stop installed. But yay! It works without sticking now!

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