Well, my LED kit came in from Pinball Heaven today, so it is finally time to do my full teardown and cleaning!!!

In actuality, I am about half way thru the teardown. I have been taking TONs of pics, so I can attempt to re-assemble it.

Wish me luck! This thing is filthy! and I have a lot of warped plastics.. But I am not worrying with those at this moment. This summer I will do it again and use the sun to flatten them back out.

As a Federal worker... I know all too well about Scope Creep It haunts every project I am put on!

I am going to have to wait on the plastics. Mine are in motly good shape, but since I just spent a few grand on the wife's dream oven.... I am NOT allowed to bake plastics in it. So this summer I will take it down for the next cleaning... Trust me it will need it as much we we play... 1200 games in 3 weeks so far...

And Then I will use the two pieces of glass and sun method. But it is not warm enough now to pull that off.

I am off until tuesday and home to be done by then. I put all new rubber on few weeks ago, but they all need to be cleaned again.. So I will likely toss them in the dishwasher with the plastics.

I am ALMOST done with the tear down, but I can seem to get to the screws holding the back most right plastics in, so I can get them out and take off things box. So I gotta go route around the tool chests to see what I can find to reach them with. Also, the under playfield ramp was a PAIN to get off!!!

I may try that after I wash the plastics..

I assume that the wires and switches which are riveted tot he plastics will be fine to go thru the dishwasher? Since there is no electricity going to them, theoretically, the water shouldn't hurt them....

How do I get the flippers off?

Thanks everyone for the encouraging and help!

Thanks crash!

TAF is my first... Well second Pinball, but the first, didn't work. I had planned to fix it until I bought TAF. So I sold it to fund my Digi Pinball Sim I am planning later. I wasn't sure if I had to remove the entire post, or if the flipper was supposed to come off the post somehow. Glad I didn't wrench on it

Well, it is all apart, aside from the upper right corner. I just could not get to it. But since there is no bulb there, I cleaned it while still attached. All the parts have been washed, so I will let them dry over night. Currently I am working on installing all the LEDs. I am replacing every bulb in it with LEDs. I did the backbox and flashers before I started the teardown, so I could see how I liked it... LOVE them!! But one of my Red Flasher LEDs is not working quite right, so I will have to get a replacement for it. No matter which socket I put it into, it is very weak. Barely lights at all. No biggie.

Tomorrow morning, while my wife is still asleep, I will go out to the garage and polish all the metal bits from the playfield. So with a little luck, we will be trying to beat each other on it again tomorrow afternoon!!

For the record, the dishwasher did my plastics no favors. They are more warped now. I set it to it's gentlest setting, thinking that would not use too hot of a water, but alas... It seems it did.

No biggie. I will either heat them tomorrow, or as originally planned, this summer for the next cleaning. I also need to order different balls. My brand new ones I put in 3 weeks ago are already magnetized. I thought I ordered The ones that would not magnetize, but I guess I didn't.

I will post up some pics when I get it all back together. For now... This is it when I had it almost disassembled...
teardown_1.jpg

Ok.... 6 hours later and All the bulbs are replaced with LEDs. I have one socket that doesn't work.. The one under Mamushika, so I have to look into it. And I am short 3 LEDs. So I will get ahold of Pinball Heaven and have them send me the missing ones.

Tomorrow I will polish the metal as planned and start putting the playfield back together. The LEDs look GREAT!! They are not too bright and my whites are no longer yellow or beige. I can't wait to play it! The complete LED kit from PH was I think $120 so, not bad at all! The flashers under the PF for the graveyard and for the Magnet power bolts and the "The Power" are all Tower SMDs So they are BRIGHT!!! I like it! All the white 555's are frosted and look great as well.

The PF is so smooth and slick! The ball is just going to fly!

Still a whole lot of work to go, but I am pleased with the progress so far. I was told this TAF was a HUO. Based on what I have seen in arcades and such, I tend to believe it.

They are not there now
They were there whilst I washed my hands and took a picture.

Fortunately, I cut my teeth by repairing laptops for several years. So I know all too well about order of dis-assembly/reassembly.

So far I have made a lot of progress. I installed new EOS switches on all the flippers. I have a flipper rebuild kit on order, but it has not arrived yet. Ever since the hurricane hit the NE, mail has been dreadfully slow. But it will be no biggie to do that after the fact.

I have all the metal parts cleaned up and back on, The bookcase has been fully disassembled, scrubbed and reinstalled. Now to get onto the plastics. I was also going to install fuse holders on my magnets today, but it seems I forgot to buy fuses. So I will do that when my flipper rebuild kit gets here.

Well..... Back at it!

Hot dog!!! It is finished and everything works!!! Pictures to follow in a few minutes..... After we play a game

Ok the wife took a few pics before we put the glass back on Here are a couple......

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Still more work to do in order to fully restore it... But no more big purchases until I buy furniture and curtains for our new home

YEa and I plan to go with Blue LED flashers for the cloud topper too. I have one white flasher in there now, but I need to order two new bulb holders. So I will get the flashers then too.

Thank you It was a LOT of work, but oh so worth it. To give an idea of the difference the LEDs make...

Here is Before....
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And here is it after.....
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Ignore the butt ugly homemade Rotisserie. I wound up not using it and will make it better for the next time I DO need it.

Yea, I read his teardown before I started. If I had another pin to play, during the month it would take me to do all that... And had the grand or so to spare on parts... I would LOVE to do one that far. But as is, I am very happy with it!

Thanks!

And feel free to stop by for a game

Wow it sure plays nice now! Not that it didn't before, but holy cow!

I have a couple switches I have to check out, because they report an error, but other than that and needing a couple LEDs that were left out of my kit, everything is working well!