Photo: robin

» Forum
» Market
» Buying and selling advice
» First pin: [an almost] 1 owner F-14 Tomcat!

(Topic ID: 138880)

First pin: [an almost] 1 owner F-14 Tomcat!

By Ill87pin

8 years ago

Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

79 posts
23 Pinsiders participating
Latest reply 8 years ago by wayout440
Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

You

You are not signed in!

Find in topic

Linked Games

F-14 Tomcat Williams, 1987

Topic Gallery

View topic image gallery

Previous 1 2

There are 79 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 2.

#51 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

Quoted from wayout440:
Congratulations! I think you got a nice machine at a fair price. My advice is before you start on the cosmetic work, assess the electronics health thoroughly.
Get a DMM.
Read thoroughly the repair docs online (especially section
Before turning on the game for the first time)
techniek.flipperwinkel.nl/wms11/index1.html
techniek.flipperwinkel.nl/wms11/index2.htm
techniek.flipperwinkel.nl/wms11/index3.htm
Have fun, kill Yagov!

I own a few DMMs being an auto tech I'm also fairly capable of soldering wire. But hopefully I don't have to use them too much here! On startup there is some kind of switch adjustment message but once I get it in my place I will start a new forum topic in the appropriate section asking for advice, I will bookmark those links though.

Quoted from Nevus:
Congratulations. You got a working f-14 for $900 bucks. That's plenty good. Now you can have a blast. If you want to enjoy it, just wipe it down and play it for a few days. Get to know the little issues. Then you can tear it down and really clean a it up nice!
Treat your self to about $25 bucks worth of handy items. Some Novus 2, new pinballs, replace burned out lights with cheap incandescents (with the power off!) and a cheap screwdriver that reverses with the built in 1/4 socket.
Have fun!

What is Novus 2? New pinballs will happen once I get the playfield cleaned up. As far as I can tell all of the lights are working right now. And I have a lot of tools!

I will end up putting LEDs in this thing at some point. I also found this protector instead of using mylar: www.pinballnews.com/learn/playfieldprotector/index.html

Uses no adhesive and stays in place because it is precision fitted, can be easily removed and wont stick to playfields. Covers entire playfield so it will help to smooth out the raised inserts.

#52 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

#53 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

#54 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

#55 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

It won't allow me to delete these blank posts ...please ignore them

#56 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

Encore Pinball

Bothell, WA

10y 127K 4,007 13

Quoted from wayout440:
Boooo. Don't do that. LEDs will correct for washed out lenses, and give you all the benefits of low power consumption, immunity to vibration (no filaments) and longer lifespan...and they simply look killer in this game with all the flash lamps
untitled.jpg

I agree with the LED's. I fully restored my F-14 a few years ago...including removing the mylar, touching up the playfield and clear coating it. However, just this week I got around to swapping out the incandescents with LED's. OMG, what a difference, especially under the washed out blue chevron arrows. I used Pinballbulb's basic colored LED's with the domes removed. Frosted Cool White LED's for the GI.

#57 8 years ago

WIL

jwwhite15

Pinside+ Frequent

13y 105K 2,706 1

Glad you were able to get it. F-14 is a fun one. Definitely not HUO, there is no way that much wear would be on a HUO Pin...unless it hasn't been cleaned since 1989. You want to put LEDs in it for sure and new PF decals make it look even better. Let us know if you have any other questions. Good luck and have fun.

#58 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

Quoted from jwwhite15:
Glad you were able to get it. F-14 is a fun one. Definitely not HUO, there is no way that much wear would be on a HUO Pin...unless it hasn't been cleaned since 1989. You want to put LEDs in it for sure and new PF decals make it look even better. Let us know if you have any other questions. Good luck and have fun.

Judging by how much dirt buildup there is under the peeled mylar, it probably hasn't been cleaned ever. The owner turns 75 today, and his kids (who are older than me mind you) were there to show me how to kill Yagov haha so I'm pretty sure this one has been with him for that long.

What causes the inserts to raise anyway? There is no way to fix this other than a playfield swap? I haven't looked very hard but I don't see replacement inserts for sale if they are even possible to replace.

#59 8 years ago

WIL

jwwhite15

Pinside+ Frequent

13y 105K 2,706 1

OP
Quoted from Ill87pin:
What causes the inserts to raise anyway? There is no way to fix this other than a playfield swap?

Well, a number of things, but the bottom line is if you remove the mylar you can heat them up, knock them out, and reglue them. You don't have to do a pf swap. No one makes the chevron inserts...yet. Any other questions?

#60 8 years ago

DAV

wayout440

Pinside member

Berea, OH

11y 113K 11,267 3 12

OP
Quoted from Ill87pin:
J
What causes the inserts to raise anyway? There is no way to fix this other than a playfield swap? I haven't looked very hard but I don't see replacement inserts for sale if they are even possible to replace.

Nope, don't need to swap the playfield. You'll find the answers to most of your questions here
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration

#61 8 years ago

CDL

crlush

Pinside member

Ray Twp., MI

11y 86,300 2,760 8

If your going to remove mylar you can almost guarantee its going to remove artwork on the inserts, it looks like a really nice tipical f-14, i would clean it up get some deep throat clamps and some blocks of wood and use them to re level the inserts, then glue them with some epoxy from the back side, dont use the playfield kickstand anymore unless you have a piece of wood to prop it level (so it doesn't twist the playfield) or just lean it all the way back agsinst the backbox, add color matched leds to the inserts, wax it and have fun with it Unless you want a full fledge restoration.

#62 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

Quoted from jwwhite15:
Well, a number of things, but the bottom line is if you remove the mylar you can heat them up, knock them out, and reglue them. You don't have to do a pf swap. No one makes the chevron inserts...yet. Any other questions?

I plan on removing the mylar and using the protector in the link above instead.
As asked above, what is Novus 2?

Quoted from wayout440:
Nope, don't need to swap the playfield. You'll find the answers to most of your questions here
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration

Great link!

Quoted from crlush:If your going to remove mylar you can almost guarantee its going to remove artwork on the inserts, it looks like a really nice tipical f-14, i would clean it up get some deep throat clamps and some blocks of wood and use them to re level the inserts, then glue them with some epoxy from the back side, dont use the playfield kickstand anymore unless you have a piece of wood to prop it level (so it doesn't twist the playfield) or just lean it all the way back agsinst the backbox, add color matched leds to the inserts, wax it and have fun with it Unless you want a full fledge restoration.

Judging by other posts and yours, the inserts must be flexible? I don't plan on fully restoring this one. First I want to get the electronics perfect and reliable. Then remove mylar and clean/touch-up playfield, replacing decals as necessary. Then level the inserts and install LEDs. Can't think of any other mods I would want to do, I'm sure I'll find some along the way.

Any quick tips/common fixes for a non-activating jet bumper? As stated before, the tech said the switch keeps going out of adjustment.

#63 8 years ago

WIL

jwwhite15

Pinside+ Frequent

13y 105K 2,706 1

Quoted from crlush:
dont use the playfield kickstand anymore unless you have a piece of wood to prop it level (so it doesn't twist the playfield)

Great advice! I hate those things...don't trust them either!

#64 8 years ago

DUB

horseypin

Inactive member

10y 19,400 270

Nice one! Enjoy.

#65 8 years ago

PVC

patrickvc

Pinside member

Phoenix, AZ

15y 71,350 2,156 22

I removed mylar with freeze spray and when that screwed the pooch I switched to a hair dryer. It worked but messed up a lot of inserts. I've found on this that insert decals are available however it is mylar based so they are not level with the playfield and affect ball travel. I would clean up what you can led it and enjoy. You will hate yourself when you trash those inserts trust me. I had an F14 since 89 as well. Left the inserts alone then 6 months before I sold it I replaced the missing insert art. While it looked great it played bad.

#66 8 years ago

PVC

patrickvc

Pinside member

Phoenix, AZ

15y 71,350 2,156 22

I'm sure playfields will come eventually. When they do I will full Monty a f14. Too many games with sub par playfields. Easy money for PPS if u ask me.

#67 8 years ago

JRP

320Gigabytes

Pinside member

11y 47,050 874

PPS announced they aren't doing F14 playfields. It's in a F14 Playfield thread. Nobody is doing them apparently. There's some catastrophic license failure or something.

#68 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

Quoted from patrickvc:
I removed mylar with freeze spray and when that screwed the pooch I switched to a hair dryer. It worked but messed up a lot of inserts. I've found on this that insert decals are available however it is mylar based so they are not level with the playfield and affect ball travel. I would clean up what you can led it and enjoy. You will hate yourself when you trash those inserts trust me. I had an F14 since 89 as well. Left the inserts alone then 6 months before I sold it I replaced the missing insert art. While it looked great it played bad.

Again, that protector I linked to should remedy any minor insert level differences. I have to try, because it plays bad (in regards to insert level) right now as is.

Quoted from 320Gigabytes:
PPS announced they aren't doing F14 playfields. It's in a F14 Playfield thread. Nobody is doing them apparently. There's some catastrophic license failure or something.

Maybe a REAL General Yagov preventing this??

#69 8 years ago

CDL

crlush

Pinside member

Ray Twp., MI

11y 86,300 2,760 8

If the inserts are high you can press them down level, some tap a wooden block over the insert with a mallet, i use a clamp and flat piece of wood and press it down. Before you remove mylar i suggest you read the other threds on f-14 mylar removal it might make you change your mind. Mine has some raised inserts but they dont really bother gameplay for me.

#70 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

Quoted from crlush:
If the inserts are high you can press them down level, some tap a wooden block over the insert with a mallet, i use a clamp and flat piece of wood and press it down. Before you remove mylar i suggest you read the other threds on f-14 mylar removal it might make you change your mind. Mine has some raised inserts but they dont really bother gameplay for me.

The mylar on this one affects the ball travel quite a bit, and it's peeling up from all of the dirt. Like I said I have to at least try. If it's a nightmare from the beginning, I will likely stop peeling. I will try to start peeling in a non gameplay affected spot to test.

That being said, I will likely read those treads first before I really get into it.

#71 8 years ago

DCT

pinmanguy

Inactive member

Melbourne

11y 45,400 1,538 24

Congratulations, doesn't look too bad.

Guess I'm wrong but I thought the back glass lock could just be unscrewed on a system 11. I know on my whirlwind I don't have the key but there's 2 screws to remove the lock and if you loosen those there's more than enough room to take out the back glass without having to open or take out the lock completely.

#72 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

Quoted from pinmanguy:
Congratulations, doesn't look too bad.
Guess I'm wrong but I thought the back glass lock could just be unscrewed on a system 11. I know on my Whirlwind I don't have the key but there's 2 screws to remove the lock and if you loosen those there's more than enough room to take out the back glass without having to open or take out the lock completely.

Not in this case. There is no outside access to the lock mechanism.

#73 8 years ago

DCT

pinmanguy

Inactive member

Melbourne

11y 45,400 1,538 24

OP
Quoted from Ill87pin:
Not in this case. There is no outside access to the lock mechanism.

Must be different. I assumed it would be or else I imagine someone would have already mentioned it but thought what the hell. Whirlwind has a metal plate around the lock that comes off.

Anyway looks like a decent purchase, f-14 is a great game enjoy!

#74 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

Quoted from pinmanguy:
Must be different. I assumed it would be or else I imagine someone would have already mentioned it but thought what the hell. Whirlwind has a metal plate around the lock that comes off.
Anyway looks like a decent purchase, f-14 is a great game enjoy!

Thank you! I can't wait to get it home and start having fun playing and fixing it.

#75 8 years ago

DAV

wayout440

Pinside member

Berea, OH

11y 113K 11,267 3 12

Make sure to add fuses before the bridge rectifiers if this has not been done

160029-i.jpg

#76 8 years ago

MDB

Mbecker

Pinside+ Frequent

Seattle, WA

10y 104K 4,313 5 14

If pop doesn't activate at all could be as simple as broken or disconnected lead on switch or selenoid. I believe those are transistor controlled so if the switch was stuck on it could have blown the transistor easily. Just some thoughts on where to look..

#77 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

Quoted from wayout440:
Make sure to add fuses before the bridge rectifiers if this has not been done

160029-i.jpg

Do you have an example picture of what you did?

Quoted from Mbecker:
If pop doesn't activate at all could be as simple as broken or disconnected lead on switch or selenoid. I believe those are transistor controlled so if the switch was stuck on it could have blown the transistor easily. Just some thoughts on where to look..

Hmm, I will have to look into it. I can't remember if it worked 1 time when I played it and then stopped or if it wasn't working at all. I'll have to throw some balls at it to see what happens.

#78 8 years ago

BTN

Ill87pin

Inactive member

8y 23,650 56 9

Posting will continue here:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/new-to-pinball-101-questions-wf-14-tomcat#post-2700324

#79 8 years ago

DAV

wayout440

Pinside member

Berea, OH

11y 113K 11,267 3 12

OP
Quoted from Ill87pin:
Do you have an example picture of what you did?

Example photos can be found here
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-bulletproofing-williams-system-6/page/2#post-945742

Promoted items from Pinside Marketplace and Pinside Shops!

$ 18.95

Eproms

ROM F-14 TOMCAT -CPU

Pinballrom

$ 18.00

Electronics

Williams Pinball System 11A Fuse Kit - 11 Fuses

Yorktown Arcade Supply

$ 170.00

Displays

Led Display Williams Sys 11A 11B 2x7Alf+2x7Num

Digipinball Shop

$ 95.00

Cabinet - Sound/Speakers

The Pop Eliminator v2 - Bally/Williams

Pinball Mod Co.

$ 35.00

Cabinet - Other

3D Coin Reject Buttons - F-14 Tomcat

Rocket City Pinball

$ 5.00

Playfield - Decals

F-14 Tomcat Chrome Cap set of 1

Metal-Mods

$ 12.50

Lighting - Led

10 Warm White SteadyStrips for Williams Sys 3 - 11

RoyGBev Pinball

$ 39.99

Eproms

F-14 Tomcat Pinball - Sound/Speech Rom Set

Matt's Basement Arcade

5,000 (Firm)

Machine - For Sale

F-14 Tomcat

Vandalia, OH

thegorton

$ 19.99

Eproms

F-14 Tomcat Pinball - CPU Rom Set

Matt's Basement Arcade

$ 1.00

Pinball Machine

F-14 Tomcat - To be Restored

Pinball Alley

$ 69.00

Gameroom - Decorations

Williams F-14 TOMCAT Pinball Banner (H) Officially Licensed

Pinball Pimp

From: $ 100.00

Cabinet - Shooter Rods

F-14 Tomcat Pinball Shooter + Keytag

Super Skill Shot Shop

$ 2.50

Lighting - Led

LED #89 TOWER FLASHER -24V

Pinballrom

Wanted

Machine - Wanted

Wanted: F-14 Tomcat

Fort Lauderdale, FL

VINCE

$ 36.95

Eproms

ROM F-14 TOMCAT -SOUND

Pinballrom

$ 25.00

Playfield - Decals

F-14 Tomcat Target Decals Set

Pinball Invasion

$ 10.00

Playfield - Protection

F-14 Tomcat Slings and Center Target Plastic Protectors

UpKick Pinball

$ 65.00

Playfield - Toys/Add-ons

Pinbawlers Williams F-14 F-14 Shooter Lane Mod

arcade-cabinets.com

Hey modders!

Open a free Shop and start selling on Pinside

Your shop name here

Previous 1 2

There are 79 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 2.

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!

This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/possible-first-pin-1-owner-f-14-tomcat/page/2 and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.