Good morning,
New account here. I had a little scare with my Gottlieb 4-Square machine, thankfully I was able to figure it out. I found where a contact underneath the ball kicker wasn't meeting, preventing the game from starting. A slight bending with my needle nose pliers fixed the issue. But it did take me a bit to diagnose online. I ended up getting a good hint on reddit. Anyway, it's made me think about how long I can keep this machine running myself. I've been trying to research EM machine maintenance, but a lot of it gets pretty technical. I've played on this machine as a kid and inherited it from my grandma when she passed. It has a lot of sentimental value and my own kids like playing on it. I don't know for certain but I'd wager it's never seen maintenance. Just going by the fact that the "ball 3" light has never worked in the 38 years I've been alive. I almost don't want to fix it.
I've replaced the rubber and polished the playing field. I know how to lift it up and look inside. I can identify some parts like the fuses, tilt sensor, and chime box. I see a circular wheel that must be one of those stepper units I've been reading about. The game counter is around 11k. The game itself functions normally, the only obvious issue is a couple burnt bulbs.
- I've read about disassembling stepper units and oiling them. I'm looking for a laymans guide or video, preferably one for Gottlieb 4-Square.
- What other maintenance items can or should I be considering? I don't solder very often but can manage if I need.
- Is there such a thing as hiring someone for an EM tuneup/inspection? If so, how much would that cost?
