Great news man, glad it worked out!

mrm_4 did you ever come up with a topper idea?

No I’ve been pulled away from Mata Hari a bit. Trying to finish up a flipperless restoration in time for the Ohio show and in the middle of doing that I came across a project Gold Wings I just wrapped up.

I’m glad you reminded me of the topper I need to revisit that soon.

No problem. I can’t bring myself to buy that CPR one. I’m just not crazy about it. I’ve emailed Laserific a couple times to see if they would consider making one but they never answered.

Issues with the kick out for the saucer Mata Hari solid state . Ball lands in the saucer increases the multiplier then wont kick the ball out, solenoid not firing. Swapped the coil with a working one, nothing. Checked connections, nothing. Found a blown fuse on the solenoid board changed it, nothing.

Any assistance anyone might provide will be appreciated.

Is the part in the bottom of the kick out saucer going up and down freely or is it too far over to the side and jamming up before it goes all the way down?

Did you verify the coil fires in solenoid test?

Yes mechanism works freely.

Solenoid (#13) not firing in test mode.

That's the solenoid for the saucer. Q2 on the SDB is what drives the coil. With the machine off, check resistance readings between the legs of Q2 and compare the readings to two or three other transistors to see if Q2 is bad. Other things to check, again with the machine off: Resistance reading to the coil from J1 Pin 3 to the solenoid coil to verify the wiring is good.

You might try reseating J1 on the SDB, and if that fixes the problem, then you need to repin both sides of that connection.

I’ve learned that Bally drop target banks suffer from an issue with the lock collars wearing down creating too much slop when resetting the bank resulting in one or more targets staying down... I replaced the far collars (opposite side from the reset coil) on each bank. Case closed, resets nice now... these are going into my Mata Hari EM!!! Collars and springs from Marco; PBR probably has them too.

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Targets look great. Good tip on the new collars.

Hows it going with that Hardtop install? Any progress?

Slowly but surely, making progress. Did a test alignment fit check to get an idea of how many hardtop holes I'm going to have to fix/adjust....most line up, some are a little off, and a couple are way off.

Completed the sanding prep work and put down a couple coats of poly. My first thin coat of clear on the shooter lane/apron/arc area did not go well - when I went to apply the second coat a few hours later, I found the first coat had cracked and bubbled to the point where it looked like crocodile skin. I didn't think I put on too much, the temperature was about right (~65F), so I'm not sure what went wrong process-wise. It was my first attempt...live and try to learn.

So...I went back and sanded everything off again to start over. I masked off the painted areas that will be covered by the hardtop artwork and re-poly'd the shooter lane/apron/arc area this weekend. Going to let it sit for the rest of the week and then mask off a small, 6" square test area on the apron to try the clear coat again (that way if it's screwed up, I just have to fix that small area). If the first coat goes on well, I'll try a second and third. If that's successful, I'll do the rest of the natural wood areas and then also the inserts.
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Here's an alignment test fit I did last week - can't wait to see this permanently down and back in the cabinet!

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So glad you painted the saucer black

After you did the sanding and prep work, did you use a grease and wax remover? Possibly you were applying the clear over a previously waxed or siliconed surface. Sanding alone will not remove the wax, and even more difficult to prep the surface if any silicone product was ever used. What is the clear you are applying? What thinner or reducer are you using with it? Are you spraying or brushing?

I did not use a grease or wax remover. However, and I did not mention this in my original post, I applied the clear only to the natural wood areas (shooter lane, apron, and arc area) and to the inserts after sanding, areas were I wouldn't expect any wax build up. The insert areas of the playfield did NOT crack or bubble, only the natural wood areas. I was wondering if the cracking clear was a reaction to the polyurethane (oil based) I put down? Or maybe too much clear, or both?

Here's the process/products I'm using:
- Sanded natural wood areas and over inserts. 250-400-1000 grit, orbital sander.
- Compressed air and shop vac'd full playfield.
- Wiped full playfield down with Naptha followed by tack cloth.
- 3 coats poly only to the natural wood areas, lightly sanding 1000 grit by hand inbetween coats. Minwax Clear Gloss rattle can spray. Looks good so far.
- Intention is to next do 2 or 3 coats of clear this weekend, lightly sanding 1000 grit by hand inbetween coats, to natural wood areas and over inserts. Krylon ColorMaxx Gloss Crystal Clear rattle can spray.
- Provided the clear goes down well this time, install the hardtop the following weekend.

Any problems with the above? Better recommendations for a clear rattle can product? I'm not trying to do a professional restoration job with 2PAC, just making a trashed pin I picked up on the cheap and got functioning presentable enough that my wife will let me keep it in our rec room.

I would expect the shooter lane, arc, and apron all to have been waxed in the past. I have not used naphtha as a wax remover prior to clearing (or painting). Not to say it won't work....I don't know. I use a product from the automotive paint supply called "Wax and Grease Remover" prior to painting. Even then, there have been a few times I got "fish eyes" and had to repeat the prep process and respray with successful results. Wax and silicones can be a b**ch to completely remove. Probably you had good results on your inserts because they are plastic (and easily cleaned) and the wax didn't seep into the pores like it would on wood.

You don't need to sand to 1000 grit. Better to stop at 400. I have had good results stopping at 320, especially if I am using rattle can paints. The 320 or 400 will leave more surface area for the applied paint to adhere to.

Spraying the sanded dust off with compressed air may actually be hurting you depending upon the compressed air source. Is it an oilless compressor? Has anyone ever put an oiler in the line to lubricate air tools? Has the air tank been drained of water? Do you use a coalescing filter to trap water and oil? You just want to avoid the possibility of spraying even the minutest (is that a word?) amount of oil or water onto your surface prior to painting.

Finally, mixing products (oil based, lacquer based, polyurethanes, etc) can be tricky. If you are using Krylon products, call the 800 number on the can and ask for Tech Support. They should be able to offer specific troubleshooting advice. In general, oil based products can take a long time to dry, and if you apply over a surface that has been previously coated, and not COMPLETELY dry, then you will get a defective finish. You will note on some manufacturers instructions to apply additional coats within an hour, or after 48 hours. I have found that 48 hours is not always enough time. I have waited as log as one week to apply additional coats to avoid problems.

Finally, I don't have any recommendations for a clear rattle can product. I use rattle can colors, but for clears I use automotive two part mix.

JethroP - thanx much for your feedback! The air compressor I'm using is oilless and fairly new (less than 7 months old) so I'm not too worried there. When I first attempted it this last week, I waited less then 24hrs between poly and clear coats....the poly can says 2hrs between coats but in retrospect, that's 2hrs between poly coats and I probably did not give enough time for that to cure before starting the clear coat. For the second attempt, the last poly coat was put down on Sunday and I'll give it until this Sunday (1 week) to do the first coat of clear. Between that, and being very conscious of putting down only thin coats of clear, I'm hoping for better results.

Cool. Looking forward to your updates. Jethro

FINALLY got the hardtop installed this morning....between work, family, etc. I'm getting only a couple hours a week to work on this. No issues with the install but spent an hour or so with the Dremel opening up some hardtop holes that didn't quite align with the playfield holes. I screwed in the red frame box doing away with the wicked long Bally staples....will be easier to remove if I decide to recondition/repaint that wood.

I'll be working on the pop bumpers and apron area next. Hopefully I'll get some time tomorrow!

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I finished the playfield last weekend topping it off with new plastics and popped her back in - I'm VERY pleased with how it turned out. I played about 10 games working out the dialing-in of the switches and have played 30 or so games since then. Talk about smooooooooth....wow, I love this hardtop. Between the hardtop, rebuilt flippers, rebuilt pop bumpers, and new rubbers the action is FAST and FLOWING.

Right now, I'm really enjoying the game. Next up after a few weeks of playing her again is to put in clean, new drop targets and start making plans for repainting the cabinet. After the targets are done, I'll post some good close-up/glass-off pictures of the playfield.

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Oh, and here's the CPR reproduction backglass. Happy accident - in the upper right corner, you can see the reflection of three of my other pins from across the room (EBD, BK, and STPro).

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Looks amazing!!!
How does the transition from the saucer to the playfield do with the lip of the hardtop? Is it still kicking out to the appropriate spot (left flipper) or does it go different directions?

I was actually very worried about that transition myself, especially since I felt like I got a little over aggressive in sanding down the wood epoxy patches I did to fill in the worn spots of the saucer, and I'm glad (relieved) to say it works seamlessly. The ball consistently kicks out to the left flipper, time and time again. I've probably done it 50+ times, no mis-fires or SDTM occurrences. This table totally rocks, and now I'm energized to take it to the next level with a cabinet repaint.

I picked up a Mata Hari a few years back.. was HUO.. I know people say that, but check out the pictures:

http://pinballhelp.com/pinball-porn-1977-bally-mata-hari/

I may decide to sell this. It's current location is in central Arkansas. Not listing it right now though..

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That is sick!

Wow....just when I was feeling good about mine.

I'd believe HUO based on the condition of the top saucer alone. Sweet - love the extra pictures at the link.

Looking for a Mata playfield. Anything out there? Thanks

Sometimes you've just got to jury-rig something when all else fails.

I replaced all 8 drop targets in my Mata Hari with fresh new Tombstones, springs, and lock collars from Marcos this weekend. Now, unfortunately, Right Drop Target "B" does not always stay up when the target bank is reset. About 4 times out of 10, the target will drop on its own immediately after the bank is reset.

I tried the following:
- Adjusting the tension on the new spring. I even went back to the old cruddy spring.
- Eyeballed for gaps between the reset bar and the little swingarms that push the target up...seems ok. There is slop in the linkage, but no more than the other target bank and that one is working flawlessly.
- I swapped the offending tombstone with another in that bank want to see if the problem stayed in the "B" location or followed the original "B" tombstone to its new location. The problem stayed in the "B" location.

I watched the resets carefully from the top view of the targets. It happens fast (I thought about filming it and watching it in slow motion) but near as I could tell the target maybe didn't get pushed up far enough for it to always be able to rest on the little plastic nub just under the target face. Now to find a way to get it to raise higher during a bank reset.

I took some HVAC metal tape and applied a couple strips to the bottom of the swingarm for the target thinking the reset bar would then raise that target a little higher. It seemed to help, but my sample size was small. I put a few more pieces of HVAC tape and again, it seemed to help, but gradually it gets back to its 4 out 10 failure rate.

Then I started applying HVAC metal tape to the reset bar itself where the "B" target swingarm meets the bar. I tried a few strips at a time and each time it helped for a bit but eventually worked its way back to a 40% failure rate. Then I realized I really need something stiffer in there as the swingarms are eventually making little grooves in the tape after a dozen or so resets. I cut out a little square piece of PETG plastic I had leftover from a playfield protector install on another project, and secured that to the spot on the reset bar that meets the "B" swingarm.

Time will tell, but so far so good - 100% pass rate on 100 resets.

After I'm sure this jury-rig is the solution, I'll go back in and pretty everything up. I've taken this bank out 4 times this weekend and disassembled/reassembled twice in the last 10 hours...I'm going to enjoy it working for a while before I do that again!

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Common problem. See this thread. Sometimes the linkage is worn out and needs to be replaced. I got lucky and fixed it by loosening the allen screws on the bushings and adjusting the lift bar. It’s a trial and error thing. I have one end of the bar slightly higher than the other because that’s what worked for me. If your solution seems to be working, leave it be.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/mata-hari-drop-targets-only-partially-resetting

Anyone have an Em mata hari for sale or trade im located in virginia. Any leads would be awesome projects are fine as well. Thsnk you.

Restored by yours truly.....

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Would you sell PM me please

Sorry, not for sale, it's my wife's machine and she loves it. Don't want to end up in divorce court. LOL! Good luck in your quest.

I’ve always hated that red button being there. So until I can get another door skin...thanks Gatecrasher for the idea. It didn’t quite fit right so I bent the tabs backwards to make it work.
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Just joined the club! Picked up a nice Mata Hari this afternoon from a friend with a CPR playfield, CPR plastics, and a new main board. The original backglass looks great from what I can tell. Saw and played this same game 5 years ago and really enjoyed it. I asked the seller if he ever went to sell it to let me know!

Still need to find out what model of main board was installed. Seller told me theres dip switch settings on it to change game back and forth between 3 and 5 ball.

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Looks beautiful! Congrats and welcome to the club. Your backglass even has the German writing on the dagger. Nice!

Congrats on joining the club! If you got a Bally MPU or an Alltek replacement, Switch 16 is for the ball count ("on" for 5 Balls, "off" for 3 balls).

Thanks!

Ok cool, thank you!

Small project, restored lockdown bar receiver.

Before

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After
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Nice job!

Nice! Mine is on my to-do list. How did you clean up yours? Elbow grease, dremel, or something else?

Thanks. After removing all of the parts I used the finishing sander attachment below with an electric drill . Afterwards I just wiped it down with a damp cloth and went over it with some metal polish. To clean the crease in the small vertical trim section I used a dremel. Other then that I polished the handle, receiver tabs (attached to playfield) and nuts / bolts using a tumbler.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004Z4DK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00

Thanx for the process - will certainly be doing this (and other pinball housekeeping projects) over my holiday break later this year. Once my MH receiver lockdown bar mechanism is all nice and shiny again, I'm thinking about adding this decal:

https://www.titanpinball.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=63&product_id=133

I posted this on another topic, but wanted to also ask this group of fellow Mata Hari owners..

Would love to see a Mata Hari apron score and instruction card set...

There were something like 15000 of these games produced in the SS version, and another 170 or thereabouts in EM format... I’m restoring an EM version now trying to get it ready for the York show in a few weeks... anyone out there willing to share custom cards for me to adorn on my game at York???

This is what I have Don, rules and scores seem to work for beginner to expert. Don't have any other cards. I have never hit the 3rd replay mark as I am only an average player. Ken

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Reproductions of the original cards can be downloaded from the IPDB: https://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=4501

The ZIP file contains both PDF and modifiable DOC versions to print out on your own card stock.

These are the reproductions. The original score and instruction cards were the same, just turned out the previous owner had the right cards that worked for us. I just wanted a fresh looking set and not yellowed.