(Topic ID: 89190)

My "new" 1976 Williams Space Odyssey. A couple questions.

By SilverBallKid

9 years ago


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  • 56 posts
  • 14 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 8 years ago by SteveFury
  • Topic is favorited by 6 Pinsiders

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#9 9 years ago

Great looking machine!
Chrisbee is right, there's no swinging target reset.

To fix the "one off" problem with the swinging target, I'd first ensure the swingng target unit itself is operating properly by rebuilding it.
My 1st guess is the contacts on the rotor aren't right. The contacts are located on the end of long spindly flexible fingers. If the fingers put too much pressure against the contact board and the board creates too much friction then those fingers can twist making improper connections. Even drag and twist to a previous rivet which may explain your issue.

At minimum I'd remove the rotor (Slip a screwdriver through a hole in the ratchet to prevent rotation) and clean the board and its contacts until they're smooth and shiny, then pit a **thin** layer of either white lithium grease or superlube grease across them. Then I'd clean the rotor contacts making them also smooth and shiny.

What I do is put the rotor on the unit, snug it down and adjust one finger for proper rivet contact pressure. I run the stepper through all clicks and carefully watch that particular finger for excessive twisting. Once I'm satisfied with its operation then I remove the rotor again and put it on glass or a flat surface, contact side down. I use that one finger as a reference to adjust the others.
The center of the rotor should end up parallel to the flat surface with all contacts touching the glass. This provides a uniform starting reference.

Then I put the rotor back on the bonus unit and check all the fingers that they are making contact with the board and rivets... Using the diagram already posted as a guide if necessary to ensure the proper rivets are contacted. Alternatively, you can use a spring pressure guage to set the contact pressure but I've never really found that necessary.

Then I step it one by one, inspecting all fingers at every step for several revolutions. I am looking for anything amiss, particularly twisting fingers. If one twists to the point of causing question then I ease the pressure a bit on that particular finger until it's right.

Also ensure that the fingers generally centered on the contacts. The alignment is made by loosening the board's mounting screws and rotate the board itself to center them.

#10 9 years ago

If the "one off" problem persists even after servicing the rotor and contact board then we can test other things. Can you use a VOM?

Quoted from SilverBallKid:

Three days in and I’m hooked. Not sure how this will go over with the wife long term, but time will do the talking.

Welcome to the club. None of my family members (5 of us) use any of the arcade stuff except myself. They are only "Tolerated.

#12 9 years ago

Hi Chris.
I noticed this stepper only controls 2 circuits. One circuit switches the PF lights and the other decides whether to trip either the 1000 or 5000 circuit. Since less than half the diameter of board rivets are used for those two circuits my hunch may be wrong, since there's 5 fingers operating. If there were only 2 wipers then maybe I'd be right but I think every other finger would need to be twisted here. Unlikely I think.
Either way that stepper looks like it could use some maintenance.

Hmm...
I am wondering if its possible the OP is interpreting the PF scoring incorrectly? Just a thought. Maybe he can post a video.

#22 9 years ago

I am really hoping the OP can post a video of operating the swinging target scoring feature. Maybe it's as simple as an adjustment plug miss-plugged? One thing I found noteworthy is the previous owner fixing it for a year. It makes me wonder if this was a low priority project without much time investment, or if he really tried to fix it and ended up selling it.
If he spent all that time and couldn't fix it then it is more likely it may have "custom" fixes which may need to be "un-fixed" causing these strange problems. If you know what I mean.

2 months later
#36 9 years ago

Hi SilverBallKid.

1.
"only the second and third are ever awarded to Player One"
Check there are no cold solder joints on the bakelite circuit board on your Player One 1,000 reel and no broken wires. Give them a little wiggle and tug. These Williams games are notorious for cold or broken solder joints. If all the wires on the reel look good then there's likely a problem in the reel itself. The rotor on the reel is probably not contacting with the pad on the bakelite board.
2.
"what is the sequence of operation that causes the two outer upper lane rollovers to light"
On the Space Mission, which I assume will be the same as your Odyssey... There's a switch on the match unit which alternates its closed/open position for every step of the match unit. It's operated by a nylon cam right next to the ratchet on the match unit.
Hint:
Suppose someone asked me "How does this function work" on a machine which I am not familiar with (But have the schematic), the first clue I look for is the indicating lights for that function. I discover which switch or relay operates the lights for that feature and work backward from there.

The opening/closing action operates a "Change" relay under the PF. The change relay operates the lights and scoring for the two top outer rollover lanes, and also alternates the "Special" lanes back and forth when A-B-C is made.
3.
"when either A, B or C is made, it lights eject holes".
Making A or making B or making C lights the two shooters (Near the flippers). Lighting B also lights the eject holes half way up the PF. The swinging target and lit upper rollovers are the only things which can advance the Swinging Target unit. Once lit, both the shooters and the kicker holes remain on for the duration of the ball.

"I am falling in love with working on and EM."
Welcome to the illness.

2 weeks later
#39 9 years ago

I would check the outhole (drain) switch. Sounds like the game might think the ball is still there.

#40 9 years ago

Just some observances: You can help those rusty (Score reel) return springs by working some 3-in-1 oil in them with your fingers. Also, browned score reel solenoid coil wrappers are signs of overheating. It could have simply been a stuck PF switch at some time. Or an EOS circuit went sinister.

Two of my Space Mission score reel coils were burned out when I got it. It was very apparent one even caught fire because the reel's slug was melted askew, all the insulation on the score reel switches was burned away and half the circuit board wires. Melted plastic parts above it with soot stains. The replacement score reel parts were fairly expensive, plus the new coils.

I kept those particular score reels in mind... monitoring them when I played the game just after the game's rebuild project was completed. Sure enough, that score reel began sticking on. The fault was an evil rogue EOS circuit through the player unit.

Looks like you do good work.

#43 9 years ago

Hi SBK:

1) Press reset switch.
2) Score Reels Clear
-Both normal functions
"3) 100 point chime rings."
-Not normal. Since the chime is controlled exclusively by the 100pt relay, I will assume that relay goes on as well. Maybe a closed PF switch.
4) Eject coil fires and sends ball to shooter lane.
5) Bonus steps up once and 1000 light comes on.
-Eject holes are located half way up the PF. If in fact you mean the Ball Release solenoid then steps 4 and 5 are normal.
7) At this point, the ball count stepper steps up for each revolution of the score motor until it reaches Game Over with actions 4-6 happening each time.

Here we can see the ball count step up solenoid is operated by a few switches. Check each of these for proper operation:

Switch "A" on motor cam "1"
Ball Index Relay
Outhole Relay

(Note these switch assignments may be different in your Space Odyssey they belong to Space Mission):

Ball Step up circuitBall Step up circuit
Outhole RelayOuthole Relay
Ball Index relayBall Index relay

#45 9 years ago

Have you referenced the schematic for a possible resolution or just soliciting others to look for you?

"So THIS is why so many Pinsiders don't want to own EMs..."

I guess the same could be said for SS when someone sinks $200 into a circuit board, only to have something blow it again. Knowing and AC coil goes for about $4 or it takes only a few minutes to look at a schematic and locate a maladjusted switch. Sorry, I'm glad to help folks but the post just struck a bad nerve.

#46 9 years ago

I apologize for the grumpiness in my last post. I know learning a new thing can be frustrating.

11 months later
#56 8 years ago

Sorry for the late reply.
For your string of score reel lights photo, I'd first get a good hot iron. Sand a spot on each of the socket bases and apply a dot of solder to the base. Then solder a string of wire connecting all sockets. If necessary, solder a lead from your wire string to the base frame.

On the back side, I'd sand the center contact (Not solder tab) of each lamp and solder a wire to it, and to each center contact in the string. Then solder the wire to the power buss.

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