They are, and it annoys me. Is there a source for Stern bats?

Pinball Life started remaking both styles.

Type 1 - https://www.pinballlife.com/classic-stern-shoe-and-shaft-flipper-bat-assembly-1977-1980.html
Type 2 - https://www.pinballlife.com/classic-stern-flipper-bat-and-shaft-assembly.html

you bought part for the whole assembly and it ended up being the bats themselves that was making it sticks? I have used them on many assemblies but i assume it may varies just enough in some cases...

Yes, I tried everything I could think of, including what you mentioned of putting a washer between the bat and bushing. Right side worked fine, not the left. I finally just swapped both bats to the originals since having one new white bat and one older discolored bat would look stupid.

Found some targets. Just need the reset bar that connects everything for a 5-bank. Anyone know where I can find one?

Well one successful spinner redone. Thanks TractorDoc for the decal upgrade!

F6327576-0E17-4DB7-BB21-AADCE3C16B20.gif

Ha! Nice, I just installed my galaxy spinner too! Glad Doc sold a few already

Re flipper drag: remove the coil stop and see if the bat has free movement with the coil being held in place with your hand. It's possible to have the coil misaligned slightly when tightening the stop. If you can get it to move freely even with the stop just loose a little bit this might be the issue.

yes definitely, i'll keep playing with that.

Well this is an unexpected bummer. I bought a shooter rod from Pinball Life and didn't realize Stern shooter rods are longer than the repros. Not long enough to reach the ball.

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I just bought a Meteor and I'm looking to rebuild the flippers. One of the mechs has a double eos switch. The rebuild kits don't include that and I can't seem to find where to buy one. Anyone know who sells a 4 pole eos?

Have you tried PBR? Steve’s got a good selection of a la carte switches to build up a stack.

i feel like we often answer this question

I always end up using the Bally equivalent from PBL, works great. https://www.pinballlife.com/bally-end-of-stroke-switch-normally-closed.html

right- that one!

When did Stern switch from "Quarters" to "Quarter" on the coin door?

My Seawitch has "Quarters" on.

MY F2K has "Quarter" on.

Between Seawitch and F2K there are:

Cheetah
Quicksilver
Stargazer

Does anyone know on which of these 3 pins the coin door swap was made?

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About the only thing you can do her is take the shooter rod to a weld shop and have a tip extension welded on. It looks like the rubber shooter tip would be long enough to cover the welded tip. But the slot for the lock ring is in different position requiring you to get creative with plunger spring; A spacer might be a way to correct that.

I have one I may have to do this to. Everything about it looks like a Stern shooter rod, but it is 1/4" too short. It works for shooting the ball but it just does not work well.

My Cheetah has “Quarter”....That said, multiple options may have been available at the time depending on what pricing the op was going for....

My F2k has Quarters (2 slots are “Quarters”, one “Dollar Coin”)

I completed a ground up restore on a Meteor earlier this year and an issue with the feature lamps have just resurfaced. Initially this was fixed when I replaced a shorted bulb. Did spend a lot of time on this so could be a deeper issue. In attract mode all lamps that should light up do, but some are solid, other flash in and out of sequence.

When in the lamp test, some are solid some flash and some that light in attract mode don't work.

So machine has worked for 10 months with no issues, has Weebly MPU, original serviced Lamp driver board, new rectifier board, repinned connectors, new lamp PCB boards, all incandescent bulbs except 2. I have removed all bulbs, half of the machine a time but the issue remains. Do this sound familar to anyone?

Check wire continuity... cpu to lamp board a strobe line is off.

Re-crimped J1-11 on the MPU and now all good. Can't thank you enough vec-tor , wish I knew this a year ago.

Happy New Year Pinside

I'm looking to buy the coin door entry bezel for a Stars machine. Willing to buy the whole coin door if needed but thought maybe someone would be parting one out or had some parts laying around. Thanks

That's what happens when you get a machine from a CL ad, "been in the family for 20 years, turn on but hasn't worked for 10 years"...

Starting with quite the hack on the rectifier board, nothing that a couple hours and a repro PBL board couldn't fix...

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Looking for a classic stern outhole ball kicker assembly. I should have realized I needed one of these along time ago. Any help in finding an assembly, or another alternative would be appreciated.

Bally style assembly won’t work, but would a Gottlieb? They look somewhat similar, but IDK.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/wanted-classic-stern-outhole-ball-kicker-assembly#post-6055090

The drawing you put up looks like a saucer kicker, not an outhole kicker.

I may have one but I think it is a Gottlieb unit. I thought it looked the same as Stern. I’ll dig around in my parts box tomorrow.

What game exactly? Fight 2000 uses a Gottlieb style.
What you have pictured is a Kickout hole/Eject hole.
Other Stern's have something that matches Williams.
Is this a classic EM Stern? CDI, EM game?

Since HoakyPoaky linked it to the Quicksilver he’s building, I’m assuming he needs the playfield saucer mech and not the outhole mech since QS used ball trough mech that mounts under the apron and not the saucer style. Added confusion from the mech in that drawing being the old style saucer mech used on games like Wild Fyre, not the style used on QS.

Am I on the right track, HoakyPoaky ? Is this the one?
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I might still have one. I sold 2 boxes of stern parts and I have 1 box left. I will try to remember to look tonight

Hope you can help him. I thought I had one but I don't.

Yes I believe so. It’s been confusing for me because I don’t have a close up photo of the original saucer mech on a Quicksilver. But that pic of yours is probably correct.

The 1980 parts catalog only shows the old style saucer kicker mech (the diagram I posted). That style mech was used on Stingray I think? So now I’m thinking the mech on QS is similar style as the one on Flight2K?

I think your photo there is correct. That’s the style I need. I just need to find the entire complete mech, because I don’t have a diagram or part numbers to go off of.

But yes, this is for my Quicksilver build. Need the complete mech that kicks the ball out of the saucer. Mainly the bracket, the arm, the coil stop brackets, the plunger & linkage, the pivot bracket, etc etc. I can source the switch, coil & even the plastic cup with the slit later.

That same assembly is also used Big Game. I'd have to lift my Nine Ball play field but I think the saucer kicker is the same.

I think this is what you want.

Pretty high price with the shipping. But....

ebay.com link: Stern pinball flight 2000 out hole kicker assembly solenoid J28 2300 playfield

They switched to the red plastic saucer for Magic and every game (that either had a saucer or multiball) has that style. That eBay listing is correct but overpriced, it's not a super uncommon part. There were 3 or 4 of them used on Lightning alone. I think Gottlieb parts do work in a pinch. If woody76 doesn't have one I can check the parts I actually got from him since they were Big Game parts.

I forgot to look last night. There is a good chance you got it in your box.

Thanks everyone. I was able to source the part I was looking for

My next dilemma is sourcing some specific parts for building B-695 Thumper Bumpers. I'm sure I'm not the first guy to attempt to recreate these, so I'm curious how others have tackled this issue. Has anyone found suitable replacements for...

The Coil Mounting Plate - B-695-9
The Plunger - B-695-11
The front coil support - B-695-10
The Coil Stop - A-186-1

I'm pretty sure I can source the coil stops & the mounting plates. I have the rest of the parts. I suppose it would have been easier to use another pop bumper drop-in assembly, but I want to keep as original as possible, considering I already dropped the cash on the 3D printed ring & yokes.

I've reached out to Steve Young at PBR, but he doesn't stock these parts I mentioned above. So any suggestions appreciated on the plunger & front coil support. I have to build 3 of these assemblies.

I can't find the diagram right now. I can post later tonight with the items circled...

EDIT: Parts I’m missing in diagram

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Screw that. Take the easy road, man. Order these Pinball Life pops in black with the AE-26-1200 coil, add a diode that will not be there and get it put together. $50.00 bucks a pop and you are done. Just don't forget to add the diode. If you don't like the black color then paint them off-white.

I love these pop assemblies with the switches as part of the assembly. Install with molex connectors and you can remove them from the play field and make accurate adjustments to the switch and spoon out in the open.

But I think you can buy all of the other parts on Pinball Life except for the coil mounting plate. You will have to make that.

https://www.pinballlife.com/desega-pop-bumper-assembly.html

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and if you want the more original feel with plastic ring, you can get those from https://www.shapeways.com/product/LFF3VSN2N/b-695-3u-classic-stern-bumper-parts-3-piece-kit

Just to add to this, drill out the rod holes in the base and use your plastic rod/ring and yokes.

Stern Big Game backglass for sale
$200
Melbourne, FL
Pinsider Droogpunk
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/108192

Hmmm. Well I already purchased the black housings from pinball life already. And I also purchased the 3D printed ring & yokes from shapeways. They fit that housing already. I guess I can just buy the rest of the parts separately from PL.

Question: about that DE assembly, what type of fixture is used for the LED bulb, and how is it connected to the GI string if the entire assembly is able to be removed? I know I have to use a molex connecteor to connect to my third coast harness.

I was able to get this piece special ordered by emailing Margaret at Pinball Life. They weren’t selling the full assembly at the time (early in COVID lockdown, which was fine since I have a good number of coils already) but maybe she’ll still sell them separately if you ask.

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I’m going to have to contact them directly. Might be easier to return the 3 housings I bought & just buy 3 assemblies.

Wish I could see a better photo. Are the pop bases & caps similar to the old stern design? Or does it look like a 90s pop thrown into a classic stern?

I’m fairly certain they’re the same with the only difference being the color. I vaguely remember I had to use coil stops from PBL instead of the “classic stern” brass coil stops. Otherwise I don’t see any difference between the originals on my F2K.

PBL doesn’t have the correct opaque yellow mushroom pop caps, but Marco and PBR do.

Seawitch playfields & Star Gazer playfields in ready supply over this winter. I am now retired & working almost everyday on pinball stuff. Glass is available also, had some problems with supply over the last 5 months. Looking to move into a larger workshop March 1.

The pop caps are generic replacements. The housings are a direct replacement for the Sterns that had them. Just different colors. I put some of these on my Seawitch but they were too tight to fit so I had to use a sanding drum (Harbor Freight) to open the holes up a couple of thousandths of an inch.

https://www.harborfreight.com/sanding-drum-kit-20-pc-60741.html

They come wired with a half-assed 555 socket that just flops around inside. You will want to consider buying these Data East style of 555 harnesses as they can be locked into position with 2 screws.

https://www.pinballlife.com/pop-bumper-lamp-socket-with-centering-bracket.html

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As far as making the connection, it is just two wires that go thru the assembly and down below the play field, like factory. Whenever I do any pop bumper work, I just use wire nuts to connect the pop lights to the pin's power and return wire. That makes for easy removal and reinstall of the assembly.

Here is the cap they come with.

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I used a 6 pin Molex to make my pop bumper connection. This takes care of the switch, solenoid, and lamp wires.

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OMFG!!!! You just saved me! I put together my star gazer a few months ago and the everything worked as far as lighting, coils, and displays, but I had some freaking switch issue and it was driving me crazy. I definitely didn't add diodes to my pops and now everything makes sense. I want to punch my screen and scream right now!

Oooooh, I like that you added the light wires to the Molex connector. I am going to have to redo mine to match yours. Nice !!!