Lockbar receiver position not correct?

Hello,

I'm building a pinball machine from scratch, not a virtual one, but a real pinball machine. I've ordered an official Williams lockbar (D-12615) and lockbar receiver (A-16773-1), but when I align the lockbar receiver with the cabinet, the lockbar is too high and doesn't rest on the side rails.

5 - components (resized).jpg
1 - too high (resized).jpg

When I find the "correct" location of my lockbar receiver where my lockbar is in the correct position, the lockbar receiver is too low and is pushed off the wood by two metal lugs, which I have never seen before on a lockbar receiver.

2 - metal lugs (resized).jpg
3 - correct position (resized).jpg
4 - distance (resized).jpg

What are those metal lugs for, and what can I do to fix my problem?

Thanks,
Raymond

#2 3 years ago

KPC

Gornkleschnitzer

Pinside+ Frequent

The metal lugs should be straightened to be directly parallel with the front face of the receiver - not sure why or how they got bent forwards. With the lugs standing up flat, the top edge of the lug should be flush with the top edge of the cabinet front, and your lockbar should fit as intended.

Edit after I looked at your photo again - you may have to mount it slightly higher than that, as your cabinet front's top edge is not angled with the sides. Mount it with the lugs sticking up maybe 1/16" above the cab front.

#3 3 years ago

RAY

Raymond175

Inactive member

@gornkleschnitzer, I think that I would damage the metal if try to straighten them. Do you think it works better if I screw/bolt the lockbar receiver to the cabinet, which will pull the lockbar receiver towards the cabinet and pushes the metal lugs backwards? In that case the metal lugs are stil dented :/

Your mention about the metal lugs needed to be 1/16" higher than my cabinet top is about right, that is the position that my lockbar is resting correctly on my side rails.

#4 3 years ago

KPC

Gornkleschnitzer

Pinside+ Frequent

That might work. I imagine it would make divots in the wood before it would ever bend the thick metal, but as it will be hidden under the lockbar, I imagine nobody will care.

You could even file or grind a bit of wood down where the lugs are so that it fits in place better.

#5 3 years ago

RAY

Raymond175

Inactive member

But is it "normal" that such lockbar receiver is not aligned with the top of the cabinet?

#6 3 years ago

KPC

Gornkleschnitzer

Pinside+ Frequent

Regarding alignment, I assume you're asking about the 1/16" overhang. Normally, the front panel of the cabinet is cut at an angle - the top edge slopes downwards, with the back a little higher than the front. The receiver is mounted flush that way. In your case, the panel is cut straight (back face is not higher than front face), so the receiver needs to be mounted higher to compensate.

If you're talking about the bent lugs - I honestly don't know. I've never seen a receiver, new or old, that had the lugs bent like that.

#7 3 years ago

RAY

Raymond175

Inactive member

I wasn't talking about the overhang, I get that. Since this is my "practice cabinet" I did not cut the angle for simplicity. My real cabinet will be CNC sawn, which will have the angle.

I was actually talking about the fact that the lockbar receiver is lower (not taking into account those lugs) than the top of the cabinet front. The machines I have seen don't have these metal lugs sticking out of the lockbar receiver and are aligned with the top of the cabinet front.

However I literally just watched a video about lockbar receiver restoration, where one of the two cabinets had a lockbar receiver with the lugs (but straight!) which was aligned lower (as what we are talking about), and the other cabinet had a lockbar receiver with no lugs and was aligned to the top. So apparently those are just two different types with two different mounting instructions :/

#8 3 years ago

KPC

Gornkleschnitzer

Pinside+ Frequent

Ahh, I see what you mean. The style you are using is the style that has been used on Williams machines from at least the 1970s until they stopped producing games (and Bally from 1989 onwards, and several modern manufacturers now). Other brands used alternate versions of the design, some of which had the receiver mounted differently.

#9 3 years ago

RAY

Raymond175

Inactive member