Hi All,

I picked up a Paul Bunyan a couple days ago:

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Thank you, everyone, thank you.

This will likely be a resto-thread that is slow to update (as I have a couple other projects I'm working on), but while I'm waiting on some parts orders for said projects...why not get this going.

So, I'm starting off with an issue that I'm hoping will be easy for everyone but me. My lockdown bar won't attach to the machine.

I'm convinced that I need to extend the screws so they can be caught by the lock-down mech in the cab:

photo 1.JPG

However, I'm not able to unscrew the the screws. They seem to be stuck in place. So when I turned the lockdown bar around, it looks like the screw has a set-screw (or something?) that keeps it from turning (this little hole near the main screw):

photo 2.JPG

...which I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to unscrew. I tried my assortment of Harbor Freight allen wrenches...

photo (11).JPG

...to no avail. The closer I look at those set-screws, the more I'm wondering...are they even hexagonal in there? ...and how can I get those out? ...and, boy, do I hope extending the lockdown bar screws fixed this problem!

Thanks for any help out there from the die-hard Gottliebers in the audience. This is my first one.

Sincerely,
Ryan Claytor
Elephant Eater Comics
www.ElephantEater.com

Hi Gir,

Great to see you over here. Thanks for the suggestion of the...

I'm still not certain I have the exact right size of allen wrench for the job. I figured I might haul my lock-down bar into a big box store and try a few allen wrench sizes before purchasing, just to make sure I'm getting the right one. However, if that fails me, I might need to look for those...

Having never heard of...

...I poked around and found this handy video about how to use...

...which was actually pretty informative.

However, for those who enjoy their handyman advice with a healthy dose of suggestive music, I would recommend this video:

That second video isn't NSFW, but the soundtrack might be. (God bless the internet. Also, Robin and Mods, please don't send this thread to the basement.)

I also looked around for a set online:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRL3WP4/ref=as_li_tl

...but fear I might not get a bit small enough for that little screw. Maybe if the big box allen wrenches don't work I can search for some big box...

P.S. Do you have any recommendations for lubricants to use on this stubborn little guy?

Mmmmm...I think you're right. Looks like yours doesn't have those little set screws. Here's a few more pics:

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

It seems to be the right size:

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

Hm! The differences continue on the top of the lockdown bar. Yours have the knobby sides while mine do not.

image.jpg

This next ipdb picture corroborates your findings (with knobby sides):

image.jpg

Another issue of note is that my lockdown bar is PRETTY-pretty tight on either side. I can get it to fit on, but it definitely takes some finagling:

image.jpgimage.jpg

I've never experienced a lockdown bar this tight, but initially assumed that maybe it got bent or something.

Now I'm starting to wonder if I have the wrong one.

That's the one I bought. Ha-Ha! ...not for $450, but that's the one in my basement now. I was happy to haul off that ole' "Bally."

PM me the dimensions! In the meantime I'll measure the vertical clearance of my basement.

I swear that machine is now in my basement, and the purchase included the lockdown bar in question. After noticing the absence of the lockdown bar in the ad, I asked the seller if he had it. He told me he did. ...just didn't mention it wouldn't fit. Ha-ha! Puttin' his best foot forward, I suppose.

Anyhow, I was excited about this game, but the seller and I couldn't come together on a price that worked for both of us. Since it seemed like a lost cause for me, I tried giving it away over in Pecos' Pinball Projects thread:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/post-project-pins-for-sale-here-cl-ebay-pinside-and-others/page/5#post-2805873

...by posting these additional pictures I coaxed out of the seller:

pb1.jpeg

pb2.jpeg

I mean, the seller wasn't doing himself any favors with the pic he posted on that initial ad:

pb3.jpg

And as you mentioned...

...his description wasn't exactly spot-on either. Ha-ha!

Long story short, the seller and I kept in contact and last Sunday he asked if I could come pick it up that day. Patience paid off and after getting it home, I was pleased to see some great lookin' plastics under all that dust on the glass:

pbPlastic01.jpgpbPlastic02.jpgpbPlastic03.jpgpbPlastic04.jpgpbPlastic05.jpg

Some cleaning to be done, for sure, but I'm thinking it should be a pretty decent game once gone through! I'm looking forward to starting in on this project (after my other couple projects). *LOL* For now...here's hoping I can get this lockdown bar to fit.

Let's see, the machine is almost 6' tall. If I build a platform on top of the backbox to accommodate the 25' recommended "topper" that brings us to a 31' (or 3 stories tall, whichever you prefer). Looks like I may have finally found the right accessory for my basement with 4-story cathedral ceilings.

Well, one side could be used for putting. The other side would be good for dealing with the frustration of those QUADRUPLE OUTLANES(!??!).

The seller knows next to nothing about pinball machines. This was his only pin, picked-up in a package deal along with a jukebox (which he's still trying to sell...I took pix if anyone is interested, just PM me), and a car(!??!). Anyhow, I'm 99% certain he does not have it, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask.

A must have for any 4-story basement.

The_Price_is_Right_1975-1996_Door-3.gif

LOCKDOWN BAR MYSTERY
----------------------------

Okay, so I took my lockdown bar to the local big box store today.

We tried every allen wrench they had. No dice. Either too small, too big, or the wrench just spun without being able to catch any edges. Nope.

We tried jamming a small flat-head screw driver in there in an attempt to catch an edge and unscrew it that way.

We looked for a...

...that was small enough to work on that little set screw. Their smallest one was too big.

We were kind of at a loss for what to do. The employee's only other suggestion (besides taking it to a metal/welding shop) would be to superglue an allen wrench in there and hope it provided enough security/torque to unscrew it at that point. So, I bought...

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...a crappy set of allen wrenches and some Gorilla Glue. I haven't attempted this "fix" yet, but thought I'd run it by folks in here first to see if you have any thoughts/alternate suggestions/etc.

The employee had one last thought, perhaps the tiny screw could be drilled out, and just, like, drill it away?. I guess that could work too? Is that tiny set screw really needed? Or is it just to keep the main screw from moving (screwing/unscrewing) slightly? I mean, I really have no idea what the set screw looks like and how it interacts with the main lockdown bar adjustment screw, but I'm guessing it just sort of screws into and bites into the main screw(?). So, I suppose I could do my best to drill into the little set screw up to the main screw, but do my best not to penetrate the main screw. Maybe then I could unscrew the main screw? I guess I could attempt this even if the gorilla glue method didn't work.

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Also...

...so I took a look at those (courtesy of Pinball Resource):

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...and they look pretty much like mine. The description said (among other things):

- -- ----- -- -
Reproduction Lockdown Bar

These are reproduction lockdown bars(Front Moulding Assembly).
They are a single piece, flat bar!

This lockdown bar can be used as:

~1967 King Of Diamonds - ~1971 Four Square
A replacement for Gottlieb® games. Note - this will change the look of the game versus the welded on end caps!

~1971 Astro - ~ 1976 Surfer
An exact reproduction!
- -- ----- -- -

So, from that description, I'm assuming that even though my lockdown bar might not be stock, it sounds like it should at least fit.

As usual, I'm open to being educated.

Is there any reason normal drill bits should be avoided?

Oh my god, we both cracked-up at this! Nice choice of animated gif. (You know that compliment doesn't come without experience.)

...also, thanks for the drill-out suggestion.

Sounds like the same principle as a...

I'm getting really close to just tossing a good ole' 'merican red-blooded right-handed drill all up in that set screw. ...but it is late. Time to sleep on it.

Admittedly, I've been a little pre-occupied. So...no, not yet. And, no, I'm not sure they're not roll pins instead of set screws. These are the first roll pins/set screws I've ever seen. Ha-ha! So I'm open to any suggestions. What exactly is a roll-pin?

Thanks for chiming in, Electric Squirrel!