Don't buy the kits, buy the parts separately. Saves lots of money. Everything is important but if you only want to do the most "important" parts, I would say the spring, the coil tubing and the coil stop. You can clean the contacts on the EOS switches with a business card or some rubbing alcohol.

Plunger, link, spring, coil stop, coil sleeve, EOS switch, flipper shaft, flipper bat, bushing. Also, don't forget the cabinet switches

The flippers are the most important part of the game, and really should be in thr best shape possible.

The kits generally include a lot of extra parts you might not necessarily use such as various screws or even an Allen key, if applicable.

You can save a few bucks by building your own kit only the parts you need.

Link, sleeve, and bushing for me. The plastic parts.

EOS if high power. Nylon bushing the flipper shaft rides in. Plunger assembly. Coil Stop. Coil Sleeve.

LTG : )

Crazy as it sounds I've started to replace the other coil stop as well . This is the one on the other side of the coil. On holder games like pinbot etc I've seen this stops hole get slightly oblong instead of round. This causes the coil to be off center ever so slightly causing drag.

You can't clean EM contacts with a business card.

Plunger, link, stop are the ones that really wear. Switches usually are fine unless they snap a blade (takes a lot to wear the contacts). Sleeves are good to replace simply because 'why not'

It's the plunger action that takes the abuse.

Usually, I'll replace the coil sleeve, link/plunger and then clean and adjust the eos and flipper button switches. This is usually good enough if nothing else is busted. If noise bugs you, get the coil stops also. I've never broken a bushing, but have purchased games with them. It might be a good idea to keep a couple of these in stock..

Slightly off topic, but I usually rebuild the pops too.

The EOS switch contacts? I have done it. Yes you can. Place the business card between the contacts, squeeze them together, pull business card out.

Just saying that crud does get cleaned up with a business card, no need to have a huge debate over this. Everybody has a different way of doing this. Alcohol with a Q-tip works too

Agree.
A good paper business card is essential for EM contact cleaning.
Just don't use the newer style waxy ones.

I've always just used the brown paper bag cut in strips and folded up a few times.

Thank you sir!

What the hell ems do you guys own? Mine have trouble being cleaned with sandpaper even. Business cards only ever work for low voltage contacts for me, and often not even then. *glares at old bally ss games*

Ive had to use a point file from time to time also. Just saying most of the time it wasn't needed.

I have owned over 40 EM's.
Business cards just work.
For really dirty contacts I use a little rubbing alcohol on them.

He was trying to point out high voltage verse low voltage switch contacts. (But didn't say it...)

High voltage contacts you use flex stones to clean. Low voltage contacts you wipe. Low voltage... the flex stone would strip its coating off and ruin the contact. The tungsten contacts used in high voltage flipper switches in EMs you use a file on.

Consider yourself lucky you don't have a bunch of linear flipper Bally those kits are like 76$.

I just learned something new, Thanks flynnibus!

Check pinball life. They just started selling these for a reasonable price

No kit for Bally listed earlier than 5/1980......

These are the linear flipper kits...
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=4101

I've just changed mine to linkages instead. More responsive and more common parts.

Edit: I guess you are saying about the date range. Made me think, not sure what varies in the linkages there... it's probably just the different switch types.

edit- sorry posted this in the wrong thread

Flex Stone ruins contacts? Whoops, I've been lightly using them on badly fouled contacts. So on all of your AG and AS relays just paper with alcohol? (Not sandpaper)

First thing I do to all my new games is rebuild the flippers because tyou know exactly where you stand with the playability of the game. Plungers, links, sleeves, springs, bushings, stops and EOS. If the coil lugs are mangled, new coils, too. This makes sure there's a good electrical path to the windings.

Yes, it can get expensive but it's a small price to pay. There's a reason all my pin friends love to play my games and buy them when I'm done.

Silver contacts (lower voltage) can be cleaned with a flexstone or 400 grit sandpaper. But high voltage tungsten, which is EOS/Flipper button contacts, require a metal file. You simply can't clean them with a business card or alcohol, and you really won't get low voltage contacts cleaned with those either. A brush on a Dremel tool will work also.

Now, you can clean SS games with a business card. You don't want to use any of the above on those. But EM games are a different animal

They don't. You aren't doing anything wrong

I swear by a brush in a Dremel.