Just finished this T2 restoration and thought I'd share with Pinside. I have thick skin and welcome any and all comments lol.

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Here's a video of the topper in action:

And here's my next project. Found it in someone's shed for $2600 about 6 hours drive (one way) from my house.

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Thanks for nice comments guys! I'm being asked where I got some of the parts for this machine. This is who makes them http://www.pinball-dreams.com/index.php?article_id=15&clang=1
Here are some better pictures of the parts on my machine.

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I got it on Ebay from this guy ebay.com link: pugsotoys5zpt

He had like 4 different T2 translites. He actually made them to order, so even though he doesn't have any listed right now, he could probably make one for you. They were like a hundred bucks shipped.

If he hasn't changed anything, you won't be disappointed.

Added the helicopter mod using the police helicopter everyone's been using from Amazon. After a bunch of time with a Dremel and JB Weld, I was able to add a motor to the propeller and a search light like the one in the movie.
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Thanks guys! Unfortunately, I don't have the time to make and sell the helicopter mod. Plus, with all the labor involved, I'd be making about 10 cents an hour lol. If you guys are interested in doing this yourself, I might be able to put a little tutorial together with some pictures though. It might take a while as I need to find the time to do it.

Thanks Scott! Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/Wings-Bell-Jetranger-Police-Markings/dp/B0013SMM22/ref=sr_1_1

Ok here is part of the tutorial I promised. But, first:

Disclaimer: I’m not at all qualified in electronics or modifications. I just like to tinker, so do this at your own risk. I’m not responsible if you cause damage or injury to yourself, anyone else or any property. Anyone, feel free to chime in if you see I am doing something I shouldn’t be. Feel free to also chime in if you have a better or easier way to do any of these steps.

Remove landing skids and set aside.

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Drill rivets out. I used a 5/32 bit, but anything close should work. The way I did this was drill a little at a time and prying lightly until it comes apart. After it pries open, all kinds of parts will start falling out. Don’t worry about the order. Just put everything aside. It will go back together easy later. The windows have a light glue on them. Just pry those off and set aside with the other parts.

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Put the 2 helicopter sides back together and drill a 5/32 (or close) hole on top where the propeller sits. This step might not be necessary but, it gives you some slop or more room for the motor shaft later when you put everything back together. It would suck if you put it back together with JB Weld and the motor shaft is rubbing the original size hole.

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Make a hole at the rear of the helicopter for exiting wires. I don’t have a specific size for the hole. Just make it big enough for 2 wires at about 24 gauge to come through it. The easiest way I found to make the hole was using a bench grinder as in the picture. File the hole so there are no sharp edges that could short your wires. I thought about putting a rubber grommet in the hole, but I didn’t have one. I did this with parts I had laying around the house.

7GrindRearHole.JPG8FileThisSmooth.JPG9FileRear.JPG10Filed.JPG

This next step will depend on what motor you choose to use. If you find a small enough motor, you probably could get away with skipping this step. Most likely you will have to do this though. So, find a small motor. I used one from a birthday card my kid got from his aunt lol. The card had a spinning thing-a-ma-jig when you opened the card. I took the card apart and there was a nice motor in it. For my IJ prop mod, I used a motor from a Zipzap car.

ebay.com link: NEW Zip Zaps Micro RC Performance Booster Upgrade Kit ORANGE MOTOR IS 28 000 RPM

Start grinding with whatever tool you have to do this. You can see in the pictures what I used. Grind and test fit until the helicopter halves seat back together with the motor in it. This is an annoying step because the motor will keep falling out of place when you’re doing the test fits. Find a way to hold the shaft through the top hole as you test fit.

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Clean the area for JB Weld with alcohol. Jb Weld the motor in place and let dry overnight. Do not touch it until the next day.

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Run 3’ of 24 gauge (or close) wires from motor and out of opening in helicopter.
JB Weld the 2 wires exiting the helicopter (ghetto strain relief lol). Let dry overnight.

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Look closely at the windows in the pictures below. You’ll have to grind them down to fit back into the helicopter. JbWeld the windows into place strategically placing the JB Weld so it doesn’t show from the outside looking into the helicopter. Let dry overnight.

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Grind the seat down to fit. No need to JB Weld the seat. Test fit both helicopter halves. If all is good, apply JB Weld to the motor where the other half of the helicopter is going to make contact. Put the halves together and fill the rivet holes with JB Weld. I used a toothpick. The JB Weld slowly falls into place leaving a smooth finish. Let dry overnight.

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So, If you want to add the spotlight, here is how I did it. I’m not too proud of the spotlight mod because the way I did it seems kinda cheesy lol. I couldn’t think of a better way to add a spotlight.

You’ll need a super bright white LED. Something like this: http://www.pinbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=16&products_id=70&zenid=dq06jdsu6b198bjilaiv0p09i7

You’ll also need some kind of holder for the LED. I was looking all over the house for something I could use and my 9 year old daughter handed me this mechanical pencil which worked out great. Take the eraser part out and cut it as in the pictures. Stick the LED in it and fill with silicone. Let dry over night.

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Cut a paperclip and JB Weld it to the led holder. Let dry AT LEAST over night. I used a paperclip because it will allow me to adjust where the light shines by bending the clip.

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Test fit the paper clip. Cut and put a bend in it like the below pictures. JB Weld it to the helicopter and let dry again AT LEAST overnight.

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Solder 3’ of wires to the LED. Then, heat shrink EACH led lead separately so they are not shorting. Now, heat shrink the 2 led wires with a piece of heat shrink to reach the bottom opening of the helicopter. Finally, attach 1’of heat shrink to the whole wire assembly. If this doesn’t make sense, look at the pictures for a better idea of what I’m trying to explain. Note: keep track of which wires go to the LED and which go to the motor. You can use different colors or mark them because once they’re in the heat shrink, you won’t be able to tell. If you forget, no biggie. Just attach a battery real quick and either the LED will light or the motor will spin telling you which wire is what.

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Cut the propeller top piece as in the pictures below.

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Mark a pilot hole in it as CENTERED as possible. This is important because your propeller will wobble if not centered. It won’t be perfect but, just get it as close as possible.

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Drill a hole into the propeller top piece. The hole size will be dependant on your motor’s shaft size. Start small and work your way up in size until you get a fairly tight fit on the motor’s shaft. I used small drill bits that I bought a long time ago from a hobby shop. I’ve heard them called jeweler’s drill bits, PC board drill bits, modeling drill bits, etc.. Once you get the correct size, JB Weld the propeller top piece into the propeller. A small note, if your propeller has a bow in it when laying flat, you'll want to mount it on your helicopter with it bowing up. That way when it's spinning, it won't hit the helicopter. keep this in mind before you JB Weld the top piece into the propeller. Paint the propeller to your liking and attach it to your helicopter.

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Now, you’ll have to figure out a mounting system for the helicopter. I’ve seen people use zip ties and mounting clamps of different kinds. If you look back at some of my first pictures, you’ll see where I used a piece of aluminum wire like stuff that I had lying around. I just bent it and used it to bolt the helicopter to the ramp.

Now, just run the wires and heat shrink through the hole in the playfield where the other wires come out. Zip tie it to the ramp following the path of the other wires.

When I find more time, I’ll do a write up on how I connected the electrical to my game.

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Thanks you guys. Chitownpinball, JB Weld is super easy to use. You get 2 tubes of adhesive that you mix together and use just like glue. It's super strong stuuf when fully dried. Just remember to mix only a little at a time so you don't waste it all.

Scott, I'll be posting a tutorial, with pictures, on the electronics part of this mod soon.

NinJaBooT, my biggest complaint on the pinball-dreams kit is the cost. You have to really like T2 to invest so much money in it. As far as quality, I actually have only one complaint. The decals are finicky to work with. You don't have much wiggle room when applying them.

spfxted, thanks for your support of T2! It was my first ever machine which I sold in 1992 and missed. So, I bought this one and went all out on it

Edit: I sold T2 in 2002 not 1992

So, here’s the electrical part of this mod. Again, do this at your own risk and I won’t be responsible if you damage any property or cause injury. I hate saying that but, CYA lol.

There are several ways to get power to the motor and led. The way I did it is a lot more work but, in my opinion the best. Several years ago, I saw this design online where a guy was using it on his IJ propeller mod. I also did this to my IJ and in my opinion, it’s far better than just connecting the motor and led to an insert light. The problem with connecting to an insert light, is the motor will only activate when the insert light comes on and will continue to run until the insert light is off. The circuit I copied from that other guy, will activate the motor and led for 7 seconds every time you hit the helicopter ramp.

This is the circuit you will be attempting to accomplish. The resistor value you use will depend on what motor you use. Your goal is to slow down the propeller enough so you can actually see it spin when activated. 270ohm 1/2watt worked perfect for me. I don’t have the led in the circuit but all you do is piggy back it to where the motor is connected using its’ own resistor.
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In order to get that 7 second activation, you’ll need a Gottlieb pop bumper driver board like this: ebay.com link: Gottlieb Pinball Pop Bumper Board Refurbished Guaranteed To Work

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Once you get the board, you’ll have to update it to this. Don’t be intimidated. It’s really simple and you can practice your soldering skills. If you’re lucky, it might already be updated for you. In case the picture isn’t clear you will basically reverse polarity of C3 (which ever cap you use from the chart below), remove CR1 (IN4148 diode) and replace it with a jumper wire.

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Then you’ll have to solder a jumper wire across pins 2 and 6 like this

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You will also have to modify the R2 and C3 values to get the motor to turn on for the right amount of time. I have mine turning on for 7 seconds. Use the chart and diagram below.

R2 Value C3 Value "ON" Time
-------- -------- ---------
12K 4.7 mfd Normal (pulse)
12K 47 mfd 1 Second
12k 100 mfd 1.5 Seconds
12K 470 mfd 5 Seconds
22K 470 mfd 7 Seconds
56K 100 mfd 7 Seconds

Once you’re done with the board, this is where I mounted it. The big thing to watch out for when mounting it, is DO NOT use screws that are too long that will go through the other side of the playfield. Also, you might want to hold off mounting the board so you can test your circuit on your workbench using different power supplies than your pinball machine. I did this to be sure my circuit was good before connecting it to my machine and risk damaging it. I highly recommend you do this.

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Add a rollover switch to the helicopter ramp that will be activating your motor. Look at the pictures below for an idea how to do this. I just made an extension using a piece of aluminum that attached to the existing switch already on the ramp. Just mount a switch anyway you can. I didn’t want to attach this mod to the existing switch because I was nervous about messing with the switch matrix so, I decided to just add a separate switch.

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Now you’ll need to find a 12 and 5 volt source on your machine. If you want to make it easy on yourself, you can use this http://www.dkpinball.com/DKWP/?page_id=641
In fact, I recommend the power tap that dkpinball sells because it’s fused. What I did was just tap into J117 on the driver board. You can see ground, 5vdc and 12vdc silkscreened just below the connector.

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That’s pretty much it. Just run all your wires as in the circuit and clean them up with zip ties. I suck at tutorials and hope I got everything. If you guys see anything I left out or doesn’t make sense, let me know.

The 2 main things I want to reiterate, is test your circuit out of your machine first and remember to use screws that will not go through your playfield when mounting your pop bumper board.

No problem. Let me know if you have any questions.

Nemesis, lol sorry, man.

http://www.pinball-dreams.com/index.php?article_id=15&clang=1

Send them an email. Not sure if they still make them.

LOL it's really not as bad as you think. You can build this circuit on your workbench to test it before it ever touches your machine. If you decide to do it, feel free to PM me and I can help you out.

http://www.pinballdecals.com/PartsByGamePages/T2_Page.html