If the post is snapped you may just be able to push out the T-nut and install a new one without doing any drilling.

Do you have the manual for the machine? If not you should be able to download it from ipdb.org

If you have the backbox open what are the three leds showing? One of the first things I'd check is for proper power. Also is there any battery damage on the CPU board?

Does anyone know who carries the plastic .25 coin mechs and the black plastic bracket used to hold them in place on the Pinbot coin door? It looks like the assembly is made by Wico. I have a couple spare metal coin mechs but I don't know if they will work. If they would then I just need the plastic brackets that hold them on. They have been missing since I got the machine (over 18 years) and I'd really like to complete it.

Here is a picture I found in another thread that shows the brackets and the plastic coin mechs. I'm not sure if you can use the metal mechs instead. Anyone have a part # or source for the brackets?

IMG_0421 (resized).JPG

I looked through the parts at the link but so far I can't seem to find a correct match for the wico brackets on the pinbot door. I'd be fine with good used brackets and coin mechs if someone is parting out a pinbot machine.

Does anyone have a spare lane guide for the left side rear of the lights extra ball lane? I just found out that mine is missing and someone made a temporary version that blocks a light. I'd like to put the correct one on if I can find one.

It looks like this is the bracket for the pinbot coin door..

http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/15-808600

Anyone know of an alternate source?

Does anyone have the disassembled ROM code for Pinbot or other system 11 games. That and a memory/port maps would help either patching the ROMs

I'm looking for the two plastic coin mechs and the two retaining brackets that hold them in place on the pinbot coin door.

It seems a bit odd compared to others. Just hope that if someone parts out a machine I can purchase these parts or the whole door if needed.

What ROM images are you using? If you have the latest version off the IPDB or just about any site then you will have missing sound or speech since one of the ROM images is corrupt. The separate image to fix that bad chip is on the IPDB site. I have an old thread that talked about the issue.

I'm surprised that someone like cliffy or otherwise hasn't reproduced that bracket. It is a simple piece and it is missing on a lot of machines.

Any chance you could thermo form and make reproduction toppers for Pinbot? Mine is ok but I think there are quite a few others that need them.

All the kick out plastics on mine were red. I think they were original. Since they were cracked I just replaced them. While I was at it I took apart and cleaned the kick out assembly for all three. I was surprised they were working but now I won't have to worry about again for a long time either.

My Pinbot had a red spring in it and I thought it could break the glass when guests would first play it and automatically pull the shooter rod all the way back. Went to a blue spring and it is perfect. If a blue spring isn't enough then maybe the shooter rod needs a new sleeve or is out of alignment.

I don't think I've seen another Pinbot with a nail like that. WTF were they thinking? You need to add those pictures to this thread:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/worst-hackrepair-you-ever-saw

This part?

http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/02-4268

It may be possible to clean it up with retro bright. I've heard people have had great results with the plastics for old computer cases. Worth trying on an old broken ramp first to see if it really works.

Is the STL file available or is this up on Thingiverse?

Has your board been modified with replacement zener diodes to drop the voltage? If your displays are in good shape that is done to increase the life of the displays. I did that on mine and they are still bright enough.

I missed the part about them from being LED displays. I'd reach out to the people that make the Xpin displays and see what they say.

If you (or a previous owner) happened to burn the latest ROM set off the IPDB.org site then you'll be missing sounds. One of the sound ROM's is corrupt out there. In the list is another ROM image for that chip with the good image on it. I went around troubleshooting speech issues that were caused by that bad ROM image.

I'd have to take a look at mine after work to confirm the hinges but those don't jump out as wrong. It does look like the wood for the neck and base of the neck are not correct don't look like a good choice of lumber. I'd redo that section for sure.

Just ignore the image. Im not sure how that got attached and the editor doesn't seem to let me delete it. If anyone knows a way to remove them from a post please let me know.

FuseUpgrade (resized).jpg

Using a higher wattage resistor should be fine, just not a smaller one. I think you answered your own question. When you wiggle it then it works. Poor soldering and poor repair. Just re soldering may fix it.

Can you test with a ball in several places like in the center and sides of the ramp as it goes over the switch. I've always heard that can be a better test.

Good luck with the pickup. It is a great machine and I think the high score music is the best of any pinball machine.

Totally worth saving that board. I've fixed worse. I would use the small side cutters to just clip all the leads on the two PIS chips then carefully warm each pin to pull out and then use the desoldering station to clean out the holes. Neutralize the alkali damage then some work with to clean off the old solder, etc. Repair any traces and put in a couple sockets for the PIA's.

You did well on that machine. Some touch ups and coin door should fix the cabinet. That playfield will clean up, and you'll have fun with it. My Pinbot was my first machine and I've had it for about 19 years. No plans on parting with it.

If you can't find the red one there are some black ones floating around for the Jackbot that will work and don't look bad on the machine.

Problem is you can't easily clean under the IC and see what damage is there. The PIA chips aren't that expensive and if you want to ensure you deal with all the battery damage it is easier to cut off those chips, clean, put in sockets and new chips. I'd rather sacrifice an easy to source chip than damage the board. If you couldn't get the chips I'd understand but I'd rather ensure I get it done the first time. I've found lots of crud under chips I've taken off before.

Remove the pins and as much of the solder first. You may need to add fresh solder in order to remove each pin. Then use a de soldering tool to clean out the solder. Sometimes I've had to use a small exacto to carefully scrape off some of the pads. A fiberglass pen also helps clean things up.

I'm surprised no one has discovered and posted that ROM image before. As I recall there are normally 5 ROM images for Pinbot. One is U4 for the sound card, two are the game ROM's (U26, U27), and two on the CPU for sound (U21, U22). In the latest L-5 set the image for U22 is corrupt but someone posted the correct U22 image separately.

I did just look at all the images posted on the IPDB.ORG site and in the L-5 set there is an additional U19 ROM image for the sound board. It isn't on my machine and I wonder if that is the mystery ROM with that other quote. I think I may have tried it once when troubleshooting that corrupt U22 image for missing sounds. It didn't do anything but I may have never hit that solar ramp. I'm going to have to burn one of those and try it my machine.

That will be awesome if it works and will add to the game. Now I know what to try and test for. If it works it will explain what that U19 image is for.

I just looked at that image for (32K) U19 image and only the first 2K is used. The rest is all 0's. That could be enough for one quick phrase.

I'm still looking for a good pair of the plastic .25 coin mechs and the two plastic retainers that hold them onto the Wico coin door. Think those are the last pieces I need to finish my game.

If you end up getting an extra I need the two plastic retaining clips for the coin mechs.

Can you post pictures of the ROM's on your MPU board and also the sound card?

You may want to pull apart the mechanism for the eye ejects and clean them. Mine were so gummed up I was surprised they worked. After a good cleaning they work great now.

I'd take them apart to clean them. The pivotbpoint could be gummed up so much and binding that it won't reset.

I'd double and triple check all the traces to that chip and also look for solder bridges. I've seen cases where a component was removed that pulled out the through hole plating. Ends up with an open on the top side.

Any battery damage to the MPU board?

It is a Wico coin door. I've been looking for a set of the plastic retainers and coin mechs for mine too. I think the coin mechs are standard but even after years of searching on and off I still haven't found the retainers to hold them in place.

If anyone does happen to have the plastic retainers for the Pinbot coin door I would be interested in buying them. I've had my Pinbot for nearly 20 years now and it would be awesome to finally put the finishing touches on it.....

I've had mine for 20 years and it still sees a lot of use. It is a fun game. Sound, music, and lighting fit perfectly together. I've found that games don't need to be overly complicated or have a huge depth of rules to be fun. They just need to play well and this particular game does.

I'd recommend playing one in person if you can and assuming it is a good working example a few games to get a feel for it, Best not to judge a game on one that isn't adjusted or working right since that can make a huge difference.

There should be plenty of YouTube videos you can view and checkout reviews on pinside and on ipdb.org to help you decide.

Ultimately it is up to you and what you like.

Before replacing the PIA you may want to get Leon's test rom and use a logic probe. If you power up the board on the bench that rom will exercise the outputs of the PIA chips. If they are working follow the signal all the way out to the connector. If it is working you'll save the hassle of removing the soldered in PIA chip if it is ok.

Does anyone have an extra set of the plastic retaining clips that hold the coin mechs in place for the Pinbot wico coin door? I'd also like to find a good pair of the original style plastic mechs. I'd like to finish my machine off someday.

Unfortunately they've always shown out of stock when I check:

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/15-808600

I need two (new or used) someone has to have some.

That is a large filter capacitor to smooth out the power. Did they add another one somewhere else? Can you post more pictures of the electronics in the backbox?

Pictures?

I thought it would be worth asking once more time. Anyone happen to have a pair of the plastic retainers to hold in the coin mechs? I believe they are specific to the WICO door used on Pinbot. I need two in order to install my coin mechs. I'd like to buy a pair but would be willing to trade parts or repair work for them.

If you have some please send me a PM.

Are you saying you are running a Rottendog replacement system 11 board and having problems with that? I thought those weren't recommended for Pinbot. Or, do you have a real Williams board and an aftermarket power board?

If you are having problems with a Rottendog MPU then best to contact them.

There were sound issues that I heard about and there may have been other issues as well. At one point when I was looking for a replacement I looked at them and was told they didn't recommend it for Pinbot. That was a couple years ago so perhaps they have changed their stance on that.

Luckily I was able to find an original board for mine without battery damage that I was able to rebuild. If original boards are available I'd prefer to rebuild those vs installing any after market board unless I can't avoid it.

I do repairs on many of the Pinball boards but limit them to machines that I own or ones close enough that I can run the boards if needed. Also try to keep parts on hand for them. Not fond of dealing with battery damage but just about anything else is ok. Lately a lot of projects were fixing prior repair work where people ripped out through hole plating, pads, and often traces. Lot of system 6 boards, system 11 like Pinbot, WPC CPU, sound boards, some system 80 like Haunted House, and early Bally/Stern including some of the Bally home games.

You are missing the two odd retaining brackets that are specific to the Wico coin door. They seem to work better with the plastic coin mechs.

Unfortunately those are extremely hard to come by and it took me years to find a pair so I could finally add coin mechs to my Pinbot.

Are you running NVRAM? If not can you pull a battery and let it sit for a while? That should clear out the scores.

It looks like that could be touched up easily and would clean up.

At $2999 I think those legs need a date with a brillo pad or a fresh set of new legs. From the pictures it looks like the front was drilled for a coin door bar and the plastic under the visor is broken. Are these old or current pictures?

I'm not knocking the playfield on your game. It does look nice. Couple minor bubbles in the Mylar but I don't think that really takes away from it. However the broken plastic, cleaning the legs (or replacing them) are pretty simple to do and for the price I'd expect those to be done. That is taking away from it. Those aren't expensive. Pictures of the inside of the back box would help. Does it have the update to add fuses on the inputs of the bridges?

Replaced that same plastic on mine and after 20 years of owning my machine treated it to a fresh set of legs, bolts, and levelers. Totally worth the investment. No complaints about my playfield. Just a liittle wear around one of the pops but it's really hard to see unless you get right on top of it. Player never sees it. Boards are super clean with no battery damage and after going over the boards it is a reliable machine. No plans on selling.

I use the L-5 in mine. Just be aware that one of the ROM's is corrupt in most of the images floating around. I had a thread about it a couple years ago.

Incorrect voltage (low or high) can cause all sorts of things and is typically one of the first things you check. Otherwise you may be hunting for problems that don't exist.

Just be careful on the replacement ROM's. The main set on IPDB has a bad image that lacks some sound effects. The corrected ROM is a separate file. Ran into that issue firsthand.

If they are all there and drop out it may be something else. Mine would lose sounds and had to replace a DAC and audio amp on the MPU board.

In the L5 set U22 image is bad. IPDB has a separate U22 image that is correct. I you just use all the L5 images only you'll lose sounds. I ran into that first hand and had to make another U22 to fix it.

I just ran into a bad 20 amp fuse on another game. Just looking at it you would swear it was ok. Was open right at the end cap. Could pull it right out and see where it was detached. A visual inspection means nothing unless you can see that it is burned open and bad. If not you need to test.

I'd be interested in a set too.

Pinbot is my first machine and one of my all time favorites. For those of you that haven’t tried the new PEMBOT code you are really missing out. It is an awesome upgrade and really well done. Makes a great game even better!

Does anyone have a spare original translite or know who may sell them? At one point my game must have had a flash lamp locked on for one of the eyes. Many people may not notice but I do and would like to freshen it up. Also thinking about the new back glass option but that isn’t in the budget at the moment.

There is a PEMBOT thread that talks about it. You can’t buy the code but if you know someone with a programmer you can get a set made. Just the two main ROMs on the MPU.

Adds features like a ball save similar to newer games that can really make a difference for casual family players. It’s just a fantastic upgrade.

There is also the Williams System 11 section on pinwiki.com that will help.

Definitely just buy the fresh set of legs, new levelers, and leg bolts from pinball life. Did that for my Pinbot and very happy with the results.

Get the new PEMBOT code for the game. It is pure Pinbot but better. I've have my Pinbot over 25 years and it is just a really good game. Love the music on it and the High score theme is just the best. BOP is awesome too.

Could be time to replace the caps on the power board, sound board, and the sound section of the MPU. You can so them one at a time to see which one helps clear up most of the noise.

Definitely look into the PEMBOT upgraded code. It's awesome. Adds a ball saver (shield) that is nice for home use.

Can you post the actual measurements of the glass you received? Also did you have the original one to compare it to?

I’m not surprised that the giant filter cap is still original.

If I were ever to use an overlay I would get one of the thin playfield protectors. I know people clear over the overlays but I’ve always been skeptical on how long it would last.

You could leave the connector off that connects to the solenoids and then with a logic probe check the inputs and outputs of that IC. Logic probes are pretty inexpensive and it a pretty useful tool. Shows if a signal is high/low/pulsing or none.

You can get all sorts of odd readings in circuit. Many times you can tell if they are probably ok in circuit. Other times you need to unsolder one lead to isolate it to be sure.

For your next upgrade checkout the new PEMBOT code. It is an awesome upgrade to the machine.

I’ve never seen that one before. If you find a source for those please post here. I’d like one too.

What ROM version are you running now? For the stock ROM it seems that L-5 is the best as long as they burn it with the correct U22 sound ROM.

I think the best version is the new updated PEMBOT code. It refreshes the game and makes it better.

Mine is set to 3 ball but is running the PEMBOT code with the ball saver.

Cats in space.

Then recheck all your work and the wiring. Is there a diode broken loose, an open connection that intermittently touches? Or something too close and an intermittent short?

Definitely check power first. The 5V supply is probably low. If the power board is original and never been serviced you probably need to have your power supply rebuilt. There are quite a few people on the forums that can help with that. Even if you get a new replacement power board I’d still get your original board rebuilt and keep with the game.

I don't see any difference because of MDF or plywood. You'd just need to prep the playfield the same way,

I'd be more concerned about the differences in inserts, parts layouts, etc. Since it is a different playfield I would seriously consider trying to save the original and clearcoat instead of hardtop.

Definitely great sound effects and it has my favorite high score music.

You should checkout the upgraded PEMBOT code. It is an awesome upgrade.

These small pry bars work really well to help remove ICs from sockets:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0875LSTD3

A couple things. Are you running original known good ROMs? Or did you burn a set based on the images on IMDb.org or the ones on the planetary site? Both are flawed and when using those there wil be missing sounds. There is a separate image for the U22 chip on IMDb.org that has the correct image for that chip. I ran into this myself and could explain the missing sounds.

Can you post pictures on how the wires for the sound are plugged in? Also of the Rottendog board. There are a couple versions of that board. I believe the latest has a couple multiturn potentiometers to adjust the sound section. Did some testing with that in a Grand Lizard and worked perfect. Never tried it in Pinbot but may at some point if I get a Rottendog board in for repair.

Well U22 is messed up on all the official ZIP file images of the latest Pinbot ROM's so if they used them that may explain why you're missing sounds.

Without knowning the history of the machine who knows if the external sound board is working correctly or not or what the history is of the replacement MPU and what the original board was doing or not doing.

The only ROM image that I am aware of that was bad is the U22 sound ROM on the MPU board. The images for the external sound board should be fine.

If there isn't much battery damage it is totally worth repairing the original MPU. I have rebuilt many System 11 boards and do repairs on them.

We all have our own way of doing things but I straighten the legs too and have a few different tools specifically for straightening the leads.

There are several reasons to straighten the legs of the chips. One it does seem easier to insert the chips in the sockets. This is critical if you happen to have machine pin sockets as the alignment is not very forgiving on those.

The other reason is that I've found just the thin part of the lead ends up bending and the upper part doesn't. So when the chips come back out the leads are bent like this:

\
/

Less likely to happen when the leads are straight.

This is the first I've heard of leaving them flared out to keep them from coming out. I can understand the reasoning but if the sockets don't have enough force to properly hold the chip by the leads then it is usually time to replace the IC sockets.

That is an early version of the Rottendog board. The newer one doesn't have that daughter board and also has a couple different precision multiturn potentiometers to adjust the sound section. I don't believe that one has any of the sound issues you describe.

I think I recall seeing a post where someone added that. Nothing factory that I am aware of.

Welcome and enjoy Pinbot. It is a great game!

My suggestion would be to start small and enjoy it for a while before getting carried away. Start accumulating parts that are broken and need to be replaced.

LEDs can look great but are often over rated. You don’t NEED to put all LEDs in the game. Most of my games still use bulbs. If any are out try removing and reinserting the bulb to see if it is a bad connection or socket. Any bulbs that are blackened should be replaced.

For games that I’ve installed LEDs in I used ones from COMET. It is good to get a variety and see what you like. For GI behind the translite frosted ones help even out the lighting. Personally the super bright LED are too bright for me and I only use a few where really needed.

I’d avoid the LED kits on eBay unless you want a horrible looking purple game.

LEDs can look great in a game if done right. Done wrong they can make it look awful.

I’ve also seen people cause issues installing them as the move thing around and disturb things under the playfield. Like moving things that cause shorts, etc. be careful.

The cutting of resistors has to do with the warming resistors (one of the two resistors) used for the large flash bulbs. If you leave those as lamps you don’t need to cut or unsolder a lead.

Probably time to clean it and new shooter plastic sleeve.