Ok but for what? The post fix?

Yeah my distributor said when he gets them he will send them to me I dont have any signs of wear as I can tell havent removed them yet but I'm sure I have over 500 games on it

I gave you guys the fix. No one is going to fabricate a new type of star post for you. Just dremmel the double star posts and get on with it. Rather than read instructions on how to correct you’re all just complaining about JJP. they always said they were going to give us a standard star post with some washers. I sent them emails explaining the problems that would create with the slings. I told them they need a post which is wide down the bottom but the groove had to be same height and width as the original post. My fix solves sling strength and no hammer escapes. It is earlier in this thread before it all blew up again. It would be great if a new post and washer is sent to us to resolve, but I don’t think it will. Good luck everyone!

Hey guys sorry if this has already been asked but I may be getting an SE - have a deposit on one - is there anything I should ask the distributor beforehand about this? Like are there particular build dates that are known to have these issues with bad posts / no washers? Thankyou

You may not have an issue. Mine had the supplied posts without washers cause it was an early build. My distributor told me I was the only person in Australia to mention it to him so nobody else had issues. I only had rippling but a chip appeared in taking the posts out to put the clear washers in that JJP have already installed on your machine. If you don’t have chips and rippling, you may never have an issue. If you do then there are a number of fixes you can do such as post protectors around the supplied post or the rubber washer double star post dremmel fix. Just inspect it when you get it, and the play it!!

stern has replaced many pf’s for similar types of damage. Node boards too and even when out of warranty.
Spooky has replaced some of the TNA pf’s.
I mean really folks, are the people with damage in locations other than under the sling posts just supposed to eat it?

This thread has turned into a real shit show, and of course the select few with either no damage or very inconsequential damage have the most righteous opinions.

Thanks to everyone that posted this info. I was waiting on some contact after sending an email the other day.

We all just need to focus on resolving this issue as best we can as owners. The downvotes don't help anyone on either side. We are all frustrated with these issues.

ya and I don't know about you... but 8500+ is a lot of money for me... and yes Im sorry... chipping/cracking/delaminating is NOT ok with me in any capacity at that price, for any machine. SO I'm just trying to make sure I'm asking the right questions. I have never had a NIB JJP, so it's my first time

I've started to assemble my playfield and it seems that my idea to put rubber/washer to under other similar posts of the playfield as well was not that well-thought. The post under the Dauntless prohibits the movement of the Dauntless and cannot therefore have any washer, but seemed to work with rubber only. Putting washer/rubber under the posts under the big plastic that's between the chest and the BP makes the chest lean a bit more to the left. I have not yet put the BP in, but I am afraid that the big plastic with the posts alongside the rubber/washer will harm the movement of the ship, so I think of removing the washers/rubber under the big plastic then.

Well, it was nice to experiment

Since you had everything torn down the first thing I would have done was inspect all the posts for sharp edges. If any are sharp, file them down smooth.

Today I managed to put it all back together. It seems that it was ok to add rubbers/washers to posts, the only problematic one that I had to leave without was the one under the Dauntless. Yes, the chest is leaning a bit more to left now, but I read a suggestion on the board that it would help with multiballs, so I let that be. Also it seems that it did not hurt the BP movement to put the washers/rubbers under the big plastic after all. When dismantling the PF, there were a couple of good posts in the mix - what a smooth surface and a difference to the regular posts in the PF...

I was told by jjp twice now that games ordered from distributors will have to go through said distributor for the washer kits. I have ordered one for every machine I sold and will ship then to the orginal owner (unless the owner has updated me) as soon as I get them.

Been following this thread as I am an owner of a POTC and I feel I want to post my opinion. For me a pinball machine is in no way comparable to any other machine. There are freaking heavy STEEL balls being shot with force into the components of the playfield and over a wooden playfield with just paint on it for crying out loud. If you guys cannot handle the fact that this will damage things, you better should find another hobby or just buy the game and not play it.

As I see how many times I have read the same things over and over again - not only in this thread by the way but in many many many others - it should be obvious by now that this is normal in pinball. Throwing a heavy ball around will damage things !

Of course I am not talking about excessive ghosting or the excessive crackling of some playfields as those were clearly a problem that should not have happened and as such they have been handled. But now I feel you guys are constantly scrutinising every aspect of the game and it must stay perfect. It just does not work that way.

For the clear coat specialists: try throwing the same pinball at your car a few times and show me there is no dimpling or crackling occuring. Good luck with that. JJP is doing more than they are supposed to just to make you guys feel better as they know they need the collector market, but they cannot give away their complete margins just to satisfy people that should play the game instead of looking for things that will inevitably happen. That is the nature of pinball.

Again, my opinion. Play more and just have fun people, just like generations before you that did not mind that the game got some character in its lifetime.

This has been my feeling about the whole thing. You've expressed it far better than I did.

I think when I say this, it’s probably how most of us feel that have damage.

The only comparison anyone can draw is to what other machines we own or have owned in the past.

I can personally say that I have never seen clear coat fall apart like this on ANY game from ANY mfg whether NIB or 25-30 years old that wasn’t routed and neglected.

Not sure what else to say.

My point of view isn’t right or wrong it’s just the lasting impression I have from this particular game.

Trust me I feel your pain. I was the proud owner of a ghostbusters with excessive ghosting and chipping. Stern never made that right but they should have, as JJP should help people with worse than normal problems with their games.

I made my post because we need to get this into perspective. My POTC is doing great and I do not even feel the need to look under the posts as I know they get a lot of hits from the ball and the slingshots, thereby putting lateral stress on the playfield. Cannot do anything about it. As long as no big parts of the playfield are coming loose from the playfield, I consider it to be expected.

Are you saying if the damage was visible without removing parts you would be ok with it?
Are you saying if damage was still visible with star posts and washers still cool?
How about not being able to relocate the movable posts because the hole is damaged? This ok and normal too?

Just curious because if you can honestly say yes to all three, you need to have your head examined. Just sayin.

Sorry but I do not call anybody insain, no need for that. My opinion is just that a pinball machine will never stay in pristine condition. That is not possible. That is why playfields are being reproduced for a lot of old and new games. Every hole, every shooterlane, every point on which the ball falls repeatedly WILL get damaged. That is a fact of life. Otherwise Cliffy would be out of business very soon. And it will be visible. Again: if you think that is not normal than you are in the wrong hobby.

edit: just wanted to add that also where the ball does not physically touches stress can occur of all the things going on on the playfield, just like I pointed out in an earlier post.

If we were talking 20 years down the road I may agree.

Many of the owners are experiencing shortly after taking out of box.

That is what is not normal.

I have around 100 plays on mine, have taken every precaution to care for and protect my game, yet still I see the start of ripples.

A routed game 20 years down the road, yes, entirely understandable.

A new home user game, no, this doesn't make sense, and doesn't instill confidence in future purchases.

But.....

That said, JJP has gotten back to my form from last night, and my kit is being sent out. That's great customer service. Even better would be not having to deal with this issue in the first place.

But...we are where we are, and steps are being taken on their front, and that is a definite positive.

Did you order your game directly from jjp? Just curious as I have not been able get the kits yet.

I think this thread has lost its way. The OP and a number of others reported chipping around their sling posts on machines that are only a few months old.

Let’s be clear. No ball is hitting that part of the playfield directly. It happened because of a different clear coat being used to older machines and that Jjp used thin posts with sharp edges on the bottom overtightened on top of holes that were drilled too large. The metal bolt does not sit snugly in the hole it can move around. These posts bit into the clear coat and the coating has started to unadhere. This appears as ripples on the playfield. The OP and others have warned us that these ripples can turn into chips which are very prominent in their position. The OP has also reported that this has happened around other posts. Yet he and others are being call whingers and should just drink some concrete and harden the f$&@ up.

No other machine I have has playfield damage around the posts. I have not seen this in any pinball parlour. It is not normal wear. Normal wear is around scoops and under ramp exits where the ball is constantly bashing away at the table. My routed bad cats, Tspp and World Cup soccer do not have damage around sling posts.

Another machine that has had the same issues is TNA.

Given that we know this is a new phenomenon we seem to have 5 camps:

1. People who are coming at the manufacturers with pitchforks screaming for blood. They want new populated playfields. While they may be right in theory it would destroy said manufacturer and we would not have anymore great games. Some of these people have chipping or rippling. Some of them have not seen any concerns as yet. But the thought of it concerns them. Some people yelling the most don’t even own the game.
2. Those worried that people from 1 will in fact destroy the manufacturer and pinball as we know it from their unjust demands. They want people to stop saying bad things about the best pinball in the world. They either deny the problem exists or just says Meh who cares. Stop whining.
3. People who accept the problem, have reported it to the manufacturer and are awaiting a response.
4. People that are unaware of the problem or not worried by it.
5. Those who are working through different solutions to try to resolve what is happening. They have found that rubber washers under double star posts hides any rippling and chipping as well as provides a firm stable base to support the slings. They found that the sling performance is altered by the star posts but this can be resolved by altering the star posts slightly.

There is enough help in this thread to assist with making sure damage down the track does not happen to playfields around the sling area.

If JJP’s solution does not work and they just provide star posts which will result in hammer escapes and increased sling power, that’s ok. You can do something to fix it.

I do hope none of the other posts start chipping. It is a fantastic game. People that do not have one, please do not comment.

I have become way too consumed in this issue. I need to give up my pinside addiction and play some pinball. Adios!!

harryhoudini that was a well thought out post and thanks for writing that.

And just to be clear, I’m not calling for blood with JJP or storming the castle with pitchforks! Lol

I just think those that have actual chipping and chipping in multiple places shouldn’t have to shell out another $550 + tax and shipping and then pay someone to swap the entire PF out on our dime.
Repairs are one thing but a swap is a little above what should be expected of the average owner. If I had to guess total additional outlay will be over $1000 to correct this.
They shouldn’t be making money or breaking even on this fix, these pf’s should either be free or at the most $250. Of they are $550 they should offer to perform the swap for the owners as they are better equipped for.
If we are talking 100 or less machines out of 1000 built it isn't that great of a number.

Hoping to see these update kits from the distributor I purchased in a week. Till then there be plundering to do.

Is there a specific mfg date moving on forward from which JJP had corrected the defect on their assembly line?

You can’t move a post because a hole is damaged? Shew, I’d have to see that to believe it.....Ive had every JJP, the worst being dialed In as far as PF issues, Even cracking the clear at the inlane switches. Honestly, POTC has been better for me than previous JJP models as far as playfield issues. Expecting a populated playfield seems unreasonable, and comparing it to other manufacturers who had ghosted inserts out of the box isn’t really apples to apples.

Trust me, I wish at 1000 plays I could go over every pin I have and find no damage. Truthfully though, every single pin has damage of varying levels. Stern, JJP, CGC, etc... everyone of them shows signs of use at a few hundred plays, and right or wrong, I’ve grown to accept it as the current state of pin manufacturing. c'est la vie

Indeed there is!

Never asked anyone for a populated PF.

The wood is gouged at the edge of the hole. Post doesn’t sit firmly when put in place, it wiggles.

JJP and distro were given all the photos.

Hey guys so I have an SE coming soon and want to make sure I get the “kit” folks are referring to should I be asking my distributor or JJP direct

No. Through Automated. I used the support form to submit my case Friday night. Got a reply early Saturday morning from Steve!

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Any news on when you're getting some Wonka candy action in?

within the next 3-4 weeks hopefully.

just got this email:

Pirates of the Caribbean™ Post Update Kit

Dear Jersey Jack Pinball Fans:

It appears that some Pirates of the Caribbean™ playfields have an issue at the base of the plastic posts, which may damage the playfield.

To help prevent damage, JJP suggests adding new Nylon washers under the plastic posts. You may request the post update kit: 51-100072-00, via our website, free of charge.

In further support, JJP will sell an unpopulated production playfield at 50% off the retail price, plus shipping. Installation costs are the responsibility of the owner.

For International Update requests, please contact your distributor.

For domestic update requests follow the instructions below.

How do I request a Pirates of the Caribbean™ Post Update kit?

1. Go to our website. https://www.jerseyjackpinball.com/

2. Select the Support tab > then Support Form http://store.jerseyjackpinball.com/Support-Form/

3. Enter all Contact information and the Game Serial number.

4. Select CASE TYPE: POTC Post Update Kit

5. Select CASE ISSUE: Playfield Damage

6. Request: POTC Post Update kit: 51-100072-00

7. There is no charge for the Post Update kit

What is in the Update Kit?

30-009005-13 Single Star Poly Post, Clear Qty 6

92-100004-00 Washer, Flat, Nylon Black, 0.490 OD x 0.281 ID x 0.031 THK Qty 6

92-100005-00 Washer, Flat, Nylon Black, 0.750 OD x 0.443 ID x 0.032 THK Qty 6

How do I request a new Pirates of the Caribbean™ Playfield?

1. Follow the above instructions but for Cast Type Select POTC New Playfield Request

2. Select CASE TYPE: POTC New Playfield Request

3. Select CASE ISSUE Playfield Damage

4. The price for the unpopulated playfield is $550.00 plus shipping.

a. Installation costs are the responsibility of the owner.

b. Pictures of the damaged Playfield must be submitted when opening the case

Contact Tech support at 732-364-9900 or email at [email protected] with any questions. Thank You

So for those of us contemplating a new PF, is everyone happy with $550?

So if your playfield is messed up you have to buy a new one for $550 plus shipping? Dang. I was really thinking my next game would be a jjp but this makes me concerned.

Wasn't the old pf price like 900? 900/2 isnt $550

No guarantee your going to get a better clearcoat on the replacement either.

List at $999 on their site but Frank@JJP told me via phone and email the number is $550. I have nothing else to go off of.

They should have just put the damn price in that email instead of saying an ambiguous 50% off. 50% off retail, how about 50% off whatever their cost is?

Sick of the games and it’s clear they are trying to make sure this costs them as little as possible and maybe break even on the PF’s. So much for caring about their valued customer.

They lost me as a customer going forward...period.

Anyone with half a nickel's sense would send the playfield to a pinball clear-coat specialist before putting said playfield in their game.

Never mind, looks like they were always 1000

Screenshot_20190610-112222_Chrome (resized).jpg

So their shitty QC even while under warranty ends up costing the end user well over $1000 in the end. That’s really sporty of them!

Time and/or good service has a funny way of healing all wounds in pinball, at least for myself.

JJP did right by me with my Hobbit issues, and so far they have also with PoTC.
And Hobbit I had way worse issues than those here have had as playfield goes, and I wasn't even the SECOND owner let alone the first.

Two years have passed since my Ghostbusters-gate.
Even I might give Stern another chance now- for the right game.
And hopefully I'll be able to wait for later production of said game.

Maybe you can ask them if they can source a better deal from Mirco on a playfield that isn't cleared in the first place.
Frankly- I doubt they could- but it couldn't hurt to ask.

Works for me! I like a deal anytime.