I believe it has something to do with the fact that it was a wide body machine. I check the IPDB and I can’t find it but I’m sure I read somewhere that it was related to the wide body aspect of the machine.

I just bought the paint for my restoration, picked some custom automotive colors and had my local O’rileys auto store mix me up 3 quarts of paint to spray. Doing a metallic gold for the yellow, a dark metallic blue, and a gloss chili red. May start painting this week and will post, but first have to work OT Monday to work on a aircraft, darn real job getting in the way of my fun job!

WOW...that should be enough to paint 10 machines....or more!

You are missing a one way gate and your plastic and metal posts are swapped, as far as the proper position.

I thought I already posted an answer but here it is again. I think it has to do with the wide body aspect of it. I looked on the IPDB but this menton is not there. I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere.

LOL, I should have left over. I also have to paint a high speed soon and I think 3 others so I can use some of the colors. Never want to run out during spraying.

So I guess I am missing a gate as it wasn't in the original game. However as a general question, where are you guys finding part numbers for this stuff. There is very little in the manual?

You have to look in the parts manual. They're online at planetary pinball.

Page 9 in the paragon manual.
https://www.ipdb.org/files/1755/Bally_1979_Paragon_Manual.pdf

Here is a general parts manual for this era of games; paragon starts on pg. 36
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zfs8TKa879gLWwUUtmRMT0Law7SgZq4W/view

Paragon wire gate pic (resized).png

Thanks for this

I ordered my CPR playfield and plastic and I am about to assemble my rotisserie.

I’m starting to be extremely nervous, especially about the re-assembly step: how the heck do you keep track of all the wires to all the lamps and assemblies under the pf?!?

I know I have to document thoroughly but I feel like I’m throwing myself to the wolves here.

Have you guys found resources, video, blogposts about organizing a pf swap for an weekly solid state machine like Paragon?

I’d really appreciate it!

Thanks!

You will be fine. Just take lots of photos. I’d trace the wires and mark the clamps with a sharpie so you have something to reference. If you haven’t bought one, I’d suggest an upholstery staple gun for the wire braids. They are smaller than a normal staple gun and have the reach you may need for certain spots.

1) Get freezer bags and label every thing.. put cluster family of parts in freezer bags.
2) I use masking tape and label all lamp socket wires and solenoids.
3) document everything with pictures...
4) I would review other playfield swaps...
5) prefit/testfit all assemblies!!!!!
6) remember the playfield markings are going to be off!!!
7) remember leaf switches are mounted at a slight angle...
7a) you can mark the angle with a sharpie style pin and use it as a guide.
8) stage step playfield screw holes.
9) this can go on and on ... In all, take your time, check every step... no shorts etc.
Finally, have fun with the adventure.

Also, take pics of the top side before and during disassembly , like what posts have washers or where nails are etc for any game. Especially the gates to the waterfall for their position. When in doubt, take a photo. You will also need a dremel for the pops hole (the small barrel sander works great) and sharp drill bits with a drill stop
For holes to help start your screws.

Photos, photos, photos. Trace the wires on the old pf. The wires pretty much stay in place where they belong. When in doubt. Label stuff. I was nervous as well. It wasn't as bad as I thought. Photos helped me the most.

When you guys mention that I should “trace” the wires, do you mean to trace all wires on the old playfield?
My idea was to number all wires on masking tape and to map this to the old playfield. Each wires and mech would have a number. This process with all photos would probably support this very well.
Thoughts?

I was missing a ball gate in my restore and couldn't find a replacement so I made one. Can someone check that this is the right layout and the ball gates are pointed the right direction? One of the gates seemed to interfere with the small post so I bent the wire around it. I tried to find some pictures online but there was nothing perfectly clear.

0818221633 (resized).jpg

It is all correct!

This is how mine are on my game.
They need to be one-way gates.

image (resized).jpg

It looks like you have captured that in your bends.

Perfect, thanks.

The one advantage I see with the (original?) lower gate on my waterfall section is the plastic will not get beat up from the ball entering from the top. Granted, I don’t like the finishing nail solution from the factory, but that bend in the gate may help protect the plastic in that area.

Can someone help me confirm the light socket part that I would have to order if I intend on replacing all the sockets? If I’m correct, there is only one type.

Is it this one: LAMP SOCKET - MEDIUM BAYONET 3/4 INCH Z BRKT.

Thanks!

009C48AB-E8E5-4B62-87E9-8CD546DADA8D (resized).jpeg

No, there's more than one type, the one you link MIGHT be used in paragon, but most of the sockets are going to be a much longer bracket.

Best thing to do is go to planetary pinball's site and look at the parts manual specifically for paragon and punch those numbers into marco's engine.

Or go to The Pinball Resource and look at all the pictures Steve has there of the different lamp sockets.

Here's a shot from the parts manual with the parts numbers you'll need.

Paragon Panel Parts (resized).png

and here's a snippet of what The Pinball Resource is selling....

Screen Shot 2022-08-20 at 8.14.17 PM (resized).png

Thanks @foxxstone_80! Where can I find this manual? Is this a specific manual for the Paragon?

http://www.planetarypinball.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=BOOK

https://online.fliphtml5.com/vrtyz/wjsc/

I posted a link to it previously; see post #1409.

That’s gold! Thanks.

Ref from above: All used for #44/#47/#455 lamps
#2916 = insert lamp sockets.
#6413 = rollover button Gottlieb +long stem.
#2913 = lay-down insert/rollover buttons.
#1363 = staple GI style lamp socket.
------------------
Misc: GI sockets...
Stern/vintage Bally/Williams
#4762/#2914/#2915/#3561/#10704
#15858 = Gottlieb coin door
#16002 = Gottlieb eject hole

As I moving forward with the restore, I am starting anticipate parts purchase.

This is my first full restoration solo and I'm wondering: do I have to figure this out the hard way or can I rely on the community?

For example, I'm wondering: how many tee-nuts will I need? How many of each size?

Where do I get to purchase some ground wire?

Foxxstone_80 shared an amazing booklet of parts but the number of each parts if not listed.

For people who restored a Paragon, how did you proceed about this?

Screen Shot 2022-08-23 at 13.17.33 (resized).png

1) Do you have excess to the actual Paragon playfield?
If so then:
2) Scrutinize the underside for the components you desire.
2a) Make a list of the quantity of each components.

That makes sense. But, at the same time, I’d make sense to replace all teenuts and washers, right?

#6-32 "T"nuts tend to get destroyed when trying to reuse them.
#8-32 "T"nuts tend to survive the removal process.

If you can’t source one or more of the gates you can do what I did….

Marco sells a wire bending kit with a jig and some wire stock. I used that to bend myself a replacement gate (the topmost one that lets the ball into the waterfall but prevents it from coming out). I traced the gate from a friend’s paragon and bent it as best I could. The result is not perfect, but very functional (hasn’t failed yet!)

Two observations:

T-nuts: New t-nuts may be the same thread size but the outer diameter of the shaft/cylinder is not necessarily the same as the original, so you may wind up have to drill all those holes in your new CPR playfield just a little bit larger to accomodate. I've never had a problem with reusing old t-nuts as long as they are removed carefully. Give them a bath in Evaporust or a day in a tumbler and they'll look like new.

Wire guides: the Marco jig will give you corners that are much more rounded than original wire guides. If you want them to look just like the originals, use a pliers with a layer or two of painter's tape around the jaws, so the pliers don't dig into the wire, and bend by hand. They'll look just like the originals. Do a couple of practice pieces till you get the hang of it. I just had to redo a couple on my Space Invaders as the originals broke where the tang was, and a few weeks later I can't tell which were the ones I made.

Easy way to remove tnuts.... put a sacrificial screw of the correct size into it, then tap it out with a hammer, remove screw, go to the next one.

I usually just use new Tnuts though, I'm cheap but even I draw the line somewhere (assuming I can get the correct sizes of tnuts)

I have this weird ground wire between one leg of the GI circuit on the backboard to the metal backing in the backbox. It doesn't look right to me. Can someone show me how it should properly be done?

0824221918 (resized).jpg

That looks like a quick hack to fix the power supply GI wire problem.
If, the GI circuitry from the transformer power supply connectors are fixed,
Then no need for the hack.

I have an odd problem with my Paragon. I dont mind starting a help thread but figured I would toss it out to owners to see if it sounds farmiliar first.

My right pop bumper is firing randomly during game. Ive checked the switch and even opened it a little more to make sure its not just vibrations closing the switch. I also went ahead and changed out transistor Q10 for a tip 102, and replaced the associated diode with a 1n4007 as well.

The problem is still happening. Not sure what to do next. Any ideas?

open it's switch a little bit, that should cure it.

I'd suspect the .05uf capacitor might be on it's way out, as my next step. Replace with .047uf. You can clip one leg to test the theory.

1) Check playfield switch strobe connector.
2) Check problems as above.
3) Odd phenomenon: impurities can short switch stack.
3a) remove switch and dry clean spacers and center plastic support tube.
3b) as well as the metal leaf switch blades and solder lug.
3c) reassemble and test/adjust switch assembly.
Note:
3d) you can put switch together and put game in switch test,
---- [switch should not register].

Thanks for the tips! I will try these first chance I get. I had heard about the possibility of the capacitor going rogue. So that's an easy thing to check.

You guys ROCK! It was the capacitor. Clipping the leg stopped the problem completely. I have the .047uf caps on have so I'll install a new one next time I have my iron hot.

Thank you!

Sorry but what the fix on the transformer and how would I know if it is done?