(Topic ID: 182397)

Radical! - "I'll just change the rubbers for you"...

By ajfclark

7 years ago


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  • 54 posts
  • 19 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by pacman11
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There are 54 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
#1 7 years ago

A friend of mine is moving house and sold his old place but hasn't built the new one yet so he's between abodes. It turns out he owns a Radical! table which wouldn't quite fit in his storage so he asked if I'd like to look after it while he was building his new place. Sounded like a great idea to me.

When it arrived I noticed that it was a little dirty and a few of the rubbers had degraded a little and there were black rubbers on the slingshots:20170219_175728 (resized).jpg20170219_175728 (resized).jpg 20170219_180645 (resized).jpg20170219_180645 (resized).jpg

The only other table I've worked on is Pioneer and it's not too bad so I said to my friend "I'll just change the rubbers for you, change a few bulbs, etc and give it a bit of a clean". I should've asked when it was last done, but I didn't.

Turns out, he purchased it in 1994 and has never done any maintenance on it whatsoever. It started in Wales, and has ended up in Australia. The most recent move was 350km on the back of a ute. It played ok, but there were a few things awry. The GI lighting in the bottom left corner for instance.

Opening the backbox I realise that I might not need to replace any of the GI bulbs as at least part of the repair to the GI had come loose: 20170220_150509 (resized).jpg20170220_150509 (resized).jpg

I labelled everything and got the Interconnect board out to have a look at the previous repair... and added a few more things to the "parts to order" list.
20170220_154728 (resized).jpg20170220_154728 (resized).jpg20170220_154805 (resized).jpg20170220_154805 (resized).jpg

I start stripping the table to get the post rubbers off. Need to get the ramps off for that. Need to get the Skateboard diverter off for that. The screw in the Skateboard diverter is completely rounded out so at this stage I realise this isn't going to be a quick job at all and pull the playfield from the cabinet.

For the first time in history a #1 easy out was actually easy and got something out: IMG_20170220_174051 (resized).jpgIMG_20170220_174051 (resized).jpg

The rest of the ramps come off ok except the top left one. The top left ramp has a bit of a crack:
IMG_20170220_202344 (resized).jpgIMG_20170220_202344 (resized).jpg

The tops of the screws have completely rusted out, after being screwed into the plastic of the ramp. After my previous luck with the #1 easy out, I gave it another go and 2 more successes.
20170220_202652 (resized).jpg20170220_202652 (resized).jpg20170220_202637 (resized).jpg20170220_202637 (resized).jpg
(Note the awesome repair to the switch wire connector - more parts on the list)

That's where I got to on the first afternoon and the scale of what I'd started hadn't quite dawned on me yet.
20170220_203349 (resized).jpg20170220_203349 (resized).jpg

More to come.

In the meantime, there's an album of photos: https://goo.gl/photos/iHseNRjsnQzcvhB87 - If you see me doing anything too stupid let me know.

#2 7 years ago

This is a FANTASTIC game, I have a great player, but the play field is soon worn. ( another thing to do )
good luck with the service.

#3 7 years ago

Wow cool trade off for both of you!

#4 7 years ago

Day 2 and I keep stripping parts off the playfield and discovering things. Like the an old 3/4" rubber for those two posts in the jet bumper nest:
20170221_183306 (resized).jpg20170221_183306 (resized).jpg
And dirt:
20170221_183325 (resized).jpg20170221_183325 (resized).jpg20170221_183314 (resized).jpg20170221_183314 (resized).jpg
This rubber has nothing left in it:
20170221_190053 (resized).jpg20170221_190053 (resized).jpg
And sadly there's a good bulb under that cap. I was hoping it was unpopulated or blown like the other two, but I guess I'll have to track down why the playfield flashers weren't working:

The top left flipper amongst the gunge (also the first time to really see the damage around the jet bumpers):
20170221_193800 (resized).jpg20170221_193800 (resized).jpg
And underneath reveals why this flipper was a little sloppy:
20170221_193849 (resized).jpg20170221_193849 (resized).jpg

Posts also came off today which highlighted the amount of mess in places:
20170221_203416 (resized).jpg20170221_203416 (resized).jpg
20170221_203233 (resized).jpg20170221_203233 (resized).jpg

A proper look at the Snake ball lock looks suspiciously like bare wood:
20170221_203259 (resized).jpg20170221_203259 (resized).jpg

End of day:
20170221_203146 (resized).jpg20170221_203146 (resized).jpg

#5 7 years ago

Wow I hope you have a lot of elbow grease. I bet it cleans up amazingly though. Good luck!

#6 7 years ago

Oh, one last thing I noticed late on day 2: The Radical letter targets. One with a bit of extra solder on it and the other missing a rivet so the back part of the stac has been out of alignment with the front:
20170221_204341 (resized).jpg20170221_204341 (resized).jpg20170221_204515 (resized).jpg20170221_204515 (resized).jpg

Day 3 I took the apron off:
20170222_115827 (resized).jpg20170222_115827 (resized).jpg

Think that kickback armature will need to be replaced:
20170222_120746 (resized).jpg20170222_120746 (resized).jpg

Might clean up the soldering on the coil too:
20170222_143731 (resized).jpg20170222_143731 (resized).jpg20170222_144120 (resized).jpg20170222_144120 (resized).jpg

The flippers. Two look to have been rebuilt at some stage. The other two I'm not so sure about:
20170222_182216 (resized).jpg20170222_182216 (resized).jpg20170222_182259 (resized).jpg20170222_182259 (resized).jpg20170222_182204 (resized).jpg20170222_182204 (resized).jpg20170222_182135 (resized).jpg20170222_182135 (resized).jpg

Loving the double broken spring action on the orange one.

#7 7 years ago

What a cool game--really unique layout as well. Glad to see it's getting the TLC it deserves!

#8 7 years ago

Jet bumpers came off next, all four metal yokes are broken:
20170223_150237 (resized).jpg20170223_150237 (resized).jpg

The bodies are filthy. I didn't realise the skirts were white:
20170223_171319 (resized).jpg20170223_171319 (resized).jpg

Nor quite how deep that gouging is:
20170223_171151 (resized).jpg20170223_171151 (resized).jpg

Must remember to clean up the white/grey wire on the target in the Snake Run before I put this all back:
20170223_164602 (resized).jpg20170223_164602 (resized).jpg
(This wire was also caught under the Skateboard diverter assembly and severed when the table arrived.)

And I'll need to do something about this:
20170223_164809 (resized).jpg20170223_164809 (resized).jpg

Took the ball gate assembly off, removed the ball trough and dropped the remaining switches back under the table.

This is my starting point to for cleaning (I might not have dropped the switches when I took this actually):
20170223_183817.jpg20170223_183817.jpg
20170223_183856 (resized).jpg20170223_183856 (resized).jpg

That feels a bit depressing so I might look at those flipper assemblies first...

#9 7 years ago
Quoted from ajfclark:

And I'll need to do something about this

A long machine screw with a lock washer and nut should do the trick. Some aftermarket standup switches come with that configuration rather than a pressed in rivet.

machine screw (resized).jpegmachine screw (resized).jpeg

#10 7 years ago

So two of the assemblies looked fairly reasonable. I added a hole for the return spring and removed the other springs:
20170223_224347 (resized).jpg20170223_224347 (resized).jpg

The other two assemblies looked horrible.
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I couldn't figure out what was going on with the return springs until I took them off:
20170223_234117 (resized).jpg20170223_234117 (resized).jpg

The links are a little chewed and filthy:
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The stops are a little bit off:
20170223_234459 (resized).jpg20170223_234459 (resized).jpg

The plungers don't look great either:
20170223_234527 (resized).jpg20170223_234527 (resized).jpg

The pawls have no gap so don't grip the flipper shafts properly:
20170223_234631 (resized).jpg20170223_234631 (resized).jpg

But I didn't notice until the next morning the best bit... So there's gunk everywhere:
20170224_112856 (resized).jpg20170224_112856 (resized).jpg

Which made it a little more difficult to tell:
20170224_113246 (resized).jpg20170224_113246 (resized).jpg

Just how chewed out the plunger was:
20170224_113421 (resized).jpg20170224_113421 (resized).jpg

You can also pull out the roll pin by hand. I'm actually surprised this hadn't broken.

So, two full rebuild kits for on the list...

#11 7 years ago

Play field looks pretty good for a RADICAL actually. watching with enthusiasm

#12 7 years ago

So after the brief interlude looking at the flippers and finalising the parts list, I put in a couple of orders and then started looking at the cleaning.

I wasn't sure where to start, but I had Novus #2 on-hand so I figured that on the lower left under the apron was as good as any:
20170224_133131 (resized).jpg20170224_133131 (resized).jpg

Seemed to work so I kept on:
20170224_143031 (resized).jpg20170224_143031 (resized).jpg
Bare wood in the left outlane:
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About half done:
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Snake Run before:
20170224_144833 (resized).jpg20170224_144833 (resized).jpg
Snake Run after:
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While cleaning I noticed this gouge where someone had removed the mylar (Have I mentioned this already?):
20170224_163932 (resized).jpg20170224_163932 (resized).jpg

First pass over the playfield:
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20170224_164255.jpg20170224_164255.jpg

First wax:
20170224_182647 (resized).jpg20170224_182647 (resized).jpg
20170224_182459.jpg20170224_182459.jpg

#13 7 years ago

That brings use pretty well up to date. This morning I had a look through the posts and found the 6 that were really badly crossthreaded and retapped them (without breaking a tap! Again, I'm surprised):
IMG_20170227_113702.jpgIMG_20170227_113702.jpg

I've also gone over the table documenting the bits of damage that I haven't got a plan for.

Weirdly there's mylar all around the jet bumpers, but not under the jet bumpers themselves, so it's all chewed out down to the wood: 20170227_121501.jpg20170227_121501.jpg20170227_121514.jpg20170227_121514.jpg20170227_121456.jpg20170227_121456.jpg20170227_121436.jpg20170227_121436.jpg

Likewise under the Tail Slider drop:
20170227_121117.jpg20170227_121117.jpg

The left outlane/kickback has worn and has some ball swirl:
20170224_143100.jpg20170224_143100.jpg20170227_120917.jpg20170227_120917.jpg
Ball shooter lane is worn and has swirl at the exit:
20170222_114230.jpg20170222_114230.jpg20170227_121051.jpg20170227_121051.jpg
The snake ball lock is worn down to the wood in places:
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The top loop has ball swirl throughout and a little paint loss at the entrance to the Bust A Move ramp:
20170227_120942.jpg20170227_120942.jpg20170227_121423.jpg20170227_121423.jpg
There's a swirl at the upper Snake Run:
20170227_121355.jpg20170227_121355.jpg
The mylar is lifting in a couple of places:
20170227_121716.jpg20170227_121716.jpg
There's swirl around the top left flipper and the alignment rivet sits proud. I think this occasionally results in air balls hitting the left ramp very high:
20170227_121011.jpg20170227_121011.jpg
Thankfully this is hidden for the player's view when the table is assembled. I assume the mylar was lifting and someone gouged the table trimming it back. It's quite deep and wide though. I'm surprised they had to press that hard.
20170224_163932.jpg20170224_163932.jpg
There's also a few dents in the playfield like a screw or post was pushed into the surface. They don't really come up in photos though.

I'm not really sure what to do with these bits of damage yet and I'm very open to suggestions. If wax and regular ball changes are enough to stop it getting worse, that'd be great. Mylar patches in a few select places (like the Tailslider drop)? Mylar around the jet bumpers?

#14 7 years ago
Quoted from mbaumle:

A long machine screw with a lock washer and nut should do the trick. Some aftermarket standup switches come with that configuration rather than a pressed in rivet.

Thanks. I had a handful of 1/8" brass bolts so I've used one of those with two nuts locked off against each other for now. Is a lock washer a better long term fix?

#15 7 years ago

Good work! Radical! is a cool game and most of them are beat to hell. Subscribed.

#16 7 years ago

Wow! That looks like it has been played a lot! Probably with old damaged balls too. Great that you are taking this on!

#17 7 years ago

Your buddy left his game with the right guy. I hope you get to keep it awhile. Great job!

#18 7 years ago
Quoted from ajfclark:

Is a lock washer a better long term fix?

Eh, you'll probably be fine. Lock washers are good insurance against vibration if the targets get hammered by the ball frequently, but I wouldn't worry about it unless you notice it loosening again down the road.

Awesome progress though! This game is a hidden gem, in my opinion.

Quoted from ajfclark:

I'm not really sure what to do with these bits of damage yet and I'm very open to suggestions.

If the game will just be lightly played in a home environment from here on out, I'd just mylar the bits that get heavy use to keep them from further wear (be sure to wax the playfield before applying mylar--makes the mylar easier to remove down the road without removing paint), and just keep the rest of the game clean and waxed moving forward.

#19 7 years ago

Think when your done you can come over and change the rubbers in my pinballs?

#20 7 years ago
Quoted from oldskool1969:

This is a FANTASTIC game, I have a great player, but the play field is soon worn. ( another thing to do )
good luck with the service.

Thanks. I'd love to see some pics.

Quoted from TKDalumni:

Wow cool trade off for both of you!

I think he's getting the better deal at the moment. He is picking up the tab on the parts, which is a double edged sword. It's hard to spend someone else's money.

Quoted from BrewersArcade:

Wow I hope you have a lot of elbow grease. I bet it cleans up amazingly though. Good luck!

It's getting there. I hope it hopes up apples (and that I can get the whole thing back together).

Quoted from mbaumle:

What a cool game--really unique layout as well. Glad to see it's getting the TLC it deserves!

Yeah, it plays really nice. I really like the way you can chain a lot of the loop and ramp shots together. Shame he didn't lend it to me a few years ago though.

Quoted from oldskool1969:

Play field looks pretty good for a RADICAL actually. watching with enthusiasm

Quoted from dudah:

Good work! Radical! is a cool game and most of them are beat to hell. Subscribed.

That's good to hear! Well, good for me I guess. Sad for the other tables.

Quoted from Marten:

Wow! That looks like it has been played a lot! Probably with old damaged balls too. Great that you are taking this on!

You can probably guess which are the old ones:
20170228_174905 (resized).jpg20170228_174905 (resized).jpg

Quoted from Pinballlew:

Think when your done you can come over and change the rubbers in my pinballs?

If you can help organise the flights, visa, etc, sure!

Was working today so I didn't do much else. Had a proper look at the flipper bats. Pulled off the old rubbers and discovered they were a bit messy.
20170228_175407 (resized).jpg20170228_175407 (resized).jpg20170228_175347 (resized).jpg20170228_175347 (resized).jpg
The plain bats seem to be a fraction shorter than the ridged ones and it'd be nice if the bats matched, so that's at least 2 to order. One of the ridged bats is loose on the shaft and moves a few degrees so that's another. I might be able to clean the other up and hide it at the top left spot where it's not very visible, but I think it may be best to replace all 4. Does anyone other than Marco have them (#20-9592-6)? I thought I'd tracked some down locally, but they all went to planetary pinball over Christmas apparently.

#21 7 years ago

Started polished the guides and rails today. Wondering what I can do with the guide up the inside of the shooter lane. It's a little beat up. The edges of the damaged section are quite sharp and occasionally the ball will hang up in the entrance to the shooter lane, between the post, gate and this guide.
20170301_113914 (resized).jpg20170301_113914 (resized).jpg20170301_113947 (resized).jpg20170301_113947 (resized).jpg20170301_113921 (resized).jpg20170301_113921 (resized).jpg

#22 7 years ago

With the playfield that torn down too bad not to go the extra mile remove Mylar, touch up and clear it. I know it's just a shop job though

#23 7 years ago

leave mylar please on as I did this and it pulled ALL the decals up and you can't get replacements.
nice clean/wax and play. I should have done this too

see, your play field is good compared to mine

As far as rail guides just grind them flat again, won't make any real difference to game play.

DSCN1264 (resized).JPGDSCN1264 (resized).JPG

DSCN1266 (resized).JPGDSCN1266 (resized).JPG

#24 7 years ago

We're those flipper mechs on fire?

#25 7 years ago

A box or two of parts arrived so I can start looking at putting things back together now. The metal yokes are broken on all the jet bumpers:20170301_165036 (resized).jpg20170301_165036 (resized).jpg
I really don't like how flexible the original part was so I thought I'd see if a yoke with a spine would fit. The spine won't fit inside the bracket and on the outside facing away from the fibre, the fibre yoke is rubbing against the bracket:20170301_165051 (resized).jpg20170301_165051 (resized).jpg
With the spine on the inside the holes don't quite line up, and the very tip of the spine touches the bracket before the plunger hits the coil stop:20170301_165246 (resized).jpg20170301_165246 (resized).jpg20170301_165313 (resized).jpg20170301_165313 (resized).jpg
I sanded off around a mm from one of the old fibre yokes as a test and that gets the holes lined up:20170301_165337 (resized).jpg20170301_165337 (resized).jpg
Modified yoke on top off a new one:20170301_170049 (resized).jpg20170301_170049 (resized).jpg
Filed off about .5mm from the spine on the yokes to get clearance there:20170301_165818 (resized).jpg20170301_165818 (resized).jpg
Hopefully that'll be a little more robust that the flat metal yokes.

#26 7 years ago

Yesterday I got a chance to have a look at the drop targets properly. When the table arrived in my care, both the upper and lower targets were very sluggish, with the lower targets in particular not always dropping completely. I cleaned the lower target mechanism briefly and adjusted the spring tension to compensate, but one of the main things that got me started on this whole process of cleaning the table was how quickly the lower targets gummed up again after I cleaned them. This was my starting point:


The other annoyance was the difficulty with getting the targets so they didn't sit proud and didn't catch the ball. It was almost like something was bent out of shape... I dropped a straight edge across the top of the snake targets and sure enough, one sits about a mm lower:
20170304_153609 (resized).jpg20170304_153609 (resized).jpg
When I put a straight edge along the rail the targets rest on, that's still in good shape. Odd...
20170304_155645 (resized).jpg20170304_155645 (resized).jpg
A close look at the targets makes me think they're the problem:
20170304_160243 (resized).jpg20170304_160243 (resized).jpg
Got the calipers out and sure enough, one target is shorter from the latch edge to the top:
20170304_160427 (resized).jpg20170304_160427 (resized).jpg20170304_160340 (1) (resized).jpg20170304_160340 (1) (resized).jpg
Cleaned up the snake targets, put them back together and then had a closer look at the lower targets.
Here's a pic with the two straight edges after I cleaned up the left one:
20170304_173030 (1) (resized).jpg20170304_173030 (1) (resized).jpg
Cleaned the rest up and put them back together. Without any additional tension on the springs, they're retracting much snappier:

I still haven't been able to resolve the issue of the targets not sitting flush with the table. It looks like I have 3 targets that have a 43mm face and 3 that have a 44mm face, but they aren't in the same banks. If I wanted to get targets of the same height in each bank, what my chances are of the decals still sticking if I swap them? Is there a better way of getting the targets to retract to the same place?

#27 7 years ago

http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/31-1463-2015

Quoted from ajfclark:

what my chances are of the decals still sticking if I swap them?

#28 7 years ago

Wow nice job so far.

#29 7 years ago

Attention to detail is so well done. I wish I had the skill and patience.

#30 7 years ago
Quoted from Mitch:

Wow nice job so far.

Thanks!

Quoted from BrewersArcade:

Attention to detail is so well done. I wish I had the skill and patience.

Sensei: "Ed Gruberman, you must learn patience..."
Ed: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, how long will that take?"
- The Frantics - Ti Kwan Leep

Seriously though, I think it's time more than anything. I only work part time so I have some spare hours here and there to use for something. It's like meditating for me - quiet, single focus, etc. Well, my brain is quiet, the stereo isn't.

Yesterday's discovery was that one of the coil brackets was a little bit out of round. This one looks ok.
20170306_124703 - Copy (resized).jpg20170306_124703 - Copy (resized).jpg
This one less so:
20170306_130557 - Copy (resized).jpg20170306_130557 - Copy (resized).jpg20170306_134757 - Copy (resized).jpg20170306_134757 - Copy (resized).jpg
With a clean sleeve in it, it doesn't look like the plunger is going to grind on the bracket:
20170306_124651 - Copy (resized).jpg20170306_124651 - Copy (resized).jpg20170306_130816 - Copy (resized).jpg20170306_130816 - Copy (resized).jpg
I'll put it on the list of stuff to be replaced in future though.

#31 7 years ago

Soldered all the coils today. The kickback plunger was beat, and the coil was a bit weird:
20170307_152808 (resized).jpg20170307_152808 (resized).jpg
A closer look at the coil's tabs:
20170307_153155 (resized).jpg20170307_153155 (resized).jpg
I removed the extra wire that had been added, unwrapped a turn, sanded it and soldered it on. Removed the excess solder from the other tab and it's half missing so I assume the kickback connection was loose at some stage (pic from other end of coil):20170307_155049 (resized).jpg20170307_155049 (resized).jpg
Started putting the apron back on:
20170307_170434 (resized).jpg20170307_170434 (resized).jpg
Had to take a break to go out to dinner with friends, but when I got back I got a chance to do a little work on the guides. Did a quick clean and polish and then started putting things back on the playfield:
Outside doneOutside doneBoth, might have another go at the inside tomorrowBoth, might have another go at the inside tomorrow20170307_213217 (resized).jpg20170307_213217 (resized).jpg20170307_213333 (resized).jpg20170307_213333 (resized).jpg20170307_213235 (resized).jpg20170307_213235 (resized).jpg20170307_213300 (resized).jpg20170307_213300 (resized).jpg
Nice to see it starting to look like a game again:
20170307_213436 (resized).jpg20170307_213436 (resized).jpg

#32 7 years ago

Make sure all flipper bats are the longer Bally type.

#33 7 years ago
Quoted from MRG:

Make sure all flipper bats are the longer Bally type.

Yup, there's 4 new ribbed/ridged in the post already (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/20-9592-6).

It could be another 5 weeks though so I'll probably still clean up the old bats and put them in until the new ones arrive.

#34 7 years ago

There were two issues with the GI on this machine before I started, and I was hoping that at this stage I'd have fixed one: the right side of the insert didn't light and half the playfield didn't light. As the GI connector on the interconnect was burnt and there was some interesting wiring to fix it (which weirdly never connected pin 7 to the power at all) ordered some parts to replace the header on the interconnect and the plug and connectors.

Parts for replacing the GI connectors and a couple under the playfield arrived earlier this week. I foresaw much swearing in my future...20170308_124728 (resized).jpg20170308_124728 (resized).jpg
Surprisingly, I managed to get the old connector out of the interconnect without too many problems and replaced it with a new one. Also removed the various extra wires the previous repairer had added, the remnants of which can be seen in the background:20170310_160903 (resized).jpg20170310_160903 (resized).jpg
Wired up new trifurcon connectors and plugged the interconnect board back into the backbox:
20170311_091304 (resized).jpg20170311_091304 (resized).jpg

Sadly, as I mentioned in another post (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/insert-only-half-lights) the right side of the insert still doesn't light. I did some continuity testing in the machine and found things going awry at the insert relay. Popped it out this morning to have a better look:
20170311_084943 (1) (resized).jpg20170311_084943 (1) (resized).jpg
One side tests fine. The other less so. Walking along the trace from the pin:
Good:20170311_083558 (1) (resized).jpg20170311_083558 (1) (resized).jpg
A bit odd, but still connected:20170311_083651 (1) (resized).jpg20170311_083651 (1) (resized).jpg
Open circuit:20170311_083725 (1) (resized).jpg20170311_083725 (1) (resized).jpg
Looking just between the header and the NC pin of the relay, open circuit:20170311_083812 (1) (resized).jpg20170311_083812 (1) (resized).jpg
Between the relay pin and the pad, open circuit: 20170311_084110 (1) (resized).jpg20170311_084110 (1) (resized).jpg
Looking closely at the soldering, it's all a bit nasty, but that pin in particular is completely free of the pad:20170311_083902.jpg20170311_083902.jpg
So hopefully just a resoldering job I thought for a second, but while I'm here, I'll just check the other components on the board... The switching coil itself should measure as connected, right?
20170311_084912 (1) (resized).jpg20170311_084912 (1) (resized).jpg
Poo bum.

#35 7 years ago

Nice write-up.

#36 7 years ago
Quoted from terryb:

Nice write-up.

Thanks.

Quoted from ajfclark:

The switching coil itself should measure as connected, right?

Poo bum.

Well, it would measure right if the DMM was on the right setting... After desoldering it from the board I retested and realised that it's all good and at ~650Ω it didn't register on the meter measuring resistance up to 200. Oh well, it needed to be resoldered anyway and now I have a spare.

Cleaned the board up and soldered it back up. Popped it back in and the insert lights fully.
20170313_161325 (resized).jpg20170313_161325 (resized).jpg

Since I was looking at the insert GI relay and had a spare relay now if I needed, I had a look at the playfield GI relay board too. The normally closed circuits looked ok:
20170313_152229 (resized).jpg20170313_152229 (resized).jpg
20170313_152301 (resized).jpg20170313_152301 (resized).jpg
The coil doesn't though:
20170313_152125 (resized).jpg20170313_152125 (resized).jpg
The coil itself is ok (and the meter is on the right setting this time):
20170313_152549 (resized).jpg20170313_152549 (resized).jpg
Looking closely, again the soldering looks at fault:
20170313_152345.jpg20170313_152345.jpg

Desoldered and resoldered the relay and everything tests correctly from the header pins. Glad I checked the playfield one as I'm not sure I ever would've noticed if the switches never opened.

#37 7 years ago
Quoted from BrewersArcade:

Attention to detail is so well done. I wish I had the skill and patience.

Hang on a minute... Does that mean you don't pull your machines apart, covering an entire room of the house with parts for a month, buy loads of tools and parts, spend hours locked in a room (working on your anger management techniques), etc? What do you do with your machine(s)? Just play them?

I didn't realise that was an option. Don't tell my wife.

Spent this afternoon getting some of those parts from around the room back into the table. Started with a bit of polishing... The posts had a little surface rust:20170314_135658 (resized).jpg20170314_135658 (resized).jpg
Came up ok:20170314_140133 (resized).jpg20170314_140133 (resized).jpg
Plastic posts got some attention too, left was cleaned up with Novus 1 and a toothbrush, right is uncleaned:20170314_151732 (resized).jpg20170314_151732 (resized).jpg
Started putting posts back in:20170314_164126 (resized).jpg20170314_164126 (resized).jpg20170314_164110 (resized).jpg20170314_164110 (resized).jpg20170314_164209 (resized).jpg20170314_164209 (resized).jpg
Rubbers started going back in:20170314_164203 (resized).jpg20170314_164203 (resized).jpg
Polished the plastics:20170314_185524.jpg20170314_185524.jpg
Then fitted them:20170314_182907 (resized).jpg20170314_182907 (resized).jpg20170314_190902 (resized).jpg20170314_190902 (resized).jpg20170314_191208 (resized).jpg20170314_191208 (resized).jpg20170314_201916.jpg20170314_201916.jpg
Cleaned up the lower two ramp sections:20170314_210000.jpg20170314_210000.jpg
Ran out of time for the evening. Hopefully get it all back together tomorrow.

#38 7 years ago

You are gonna end up with a ball tearer machine Dude. Fantastic work and looking forward to when you get to play her.
SKATE OR DIE!

#39 7 years ago

Some new parts arrived yesterday, flippers for Radical! and drop targets for Pioneer: IMG_20170315_142838_857 (resized).jpgIMG_20170315_142838_857 (resized).jpg
Swapped out the old busted flipper bats for some new hotness:20170316_110328 (resized).jpg20170316_110328 (resized).jpg20170316_112505 (resized).jpg20170316_112505 (resized).jpg
The left ramp switch had been mauled by the top left flipper pawl and repaired at least twice that I could find, perhaps 3 times:20170316_144649 (resized).jpg20170316_144649 (resized).jpg
Replaced the socket and added a little length to the switch cable. Also replaced the under playfield plug and routed the cables away from the flipper pawl rather than rubbing them on it:20170316_155034 (resized).jpg20170316_155034 (resized).jpg
Cleaned more ramps, and had a think about the crack in the top left ramp... I'm still unsure what to do with it. At the moment, I've just put it back as is:20170316_180307 (resized).jpg20170316_180307 (resized).jpg
With the last of the ramps back, the parts bin is empty bar 2 washers (which have been chewing out the sides of the cabinet) and a few screws that I replaced with new. I'm freaking amazed that I have managed to get this thing back together and don't have 54 parts left.

Lifted the playfield back in without hurting myself (much) or hurting the machine, reconnected the playfield to the interconnect board, the aux power board and the knocker. Moment of truth - the machine powers on without blowing a fuse:
20170316_223145.jpg20170316_223145.jpg
Testing:
- The insert GI works.
- The playfield GI works except the lower jet bumper, of course the hardest to get to, but 3 jet bumper lights is better than 0.
- Run through the lamp test, the right inlane bulb doesn't light but everything else does.
- Run through the coil test, the left slingshot machine guns (lower switch is too closed) and the kickback coil won't fire properly. Kickback fires just fine when I test the switch though.
- Run through the switch test, everything passes.
- Start a game, ball kicks out, flippers work

There's a bit to tidy up (including the games room) but it's official - I have broken less than I fixed, a net gain. Just testing the kickback with a ball and the playfield is now frighteningly fast.

A few pictures... 3 is better than 0:20170316_224236 (resized).jpg20170316_224236 (resized).jpg
Snake Pit entry:20170316_224246 (resized).jpg20170316_224246 (resized).jpg
Lower drop targets, spinner and upper right flipper:20170316_224312 (resized).jpg20170316_224312 (resized).jpg
The entry to the Vertical Ramp: 20170316_224301 (resized).jpg20170316_224301 (resized).jpg

Obligatory lights off picture: 20170316_224339.jpg20170316_224339.jpg

Thanks for the encouragement here and especially to vid1900 for his guides. I'll do a few more things and take some final pictures in the next couple of days.

#40 7 years ago

Well done! It's great to see this Radical get the love it so desperately needed. Your mate owes you a few beers I'd say.

Todd

#41 7 years ago
Quoted from ajfclark:

Cleaned more ramps, and had a think about the crack in the top left ramp... I'm still unsure what to do with it. At the moment, I've just put it back as is:

The problem with all clear ramp repairs is the stronger the repair the more obvious the repair.

For the crack along the bend in the ramp I would first glue it together with Weld-On. This solution works well when you have a crack that will fit tightly back together. The glue wicks into the small gap and melts the plastic. More info in the following link.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/best-solvent-to-repair-pinball-ramps-and-plasticsend-of-story

The next step if you want to strengthen the joint would be clear epoxy. Lightly sand the inside curve to give the glue some tooth. Only sand a narrow area like 1/4" since it will show unless covered by epoxy. Then apply 3M Instant Adhesive Primer (AC77) to the area you just sanded. This will help promote adhesion between the epoxy and the plastic. Use a clear epoxy like Epoxy 330--optically clear--or Devcon 2 Ton clear. Apply a small bead in the corner and smooth out.

That should give you a pretty good looking repair and good strength.

It's always a good idea to practice on a scrap piece of plastic since there is some technique involved (especially with the Weld-On, where less is better).

#42 7 years ago

Send your buddy an invoice for $1000...great work man. Maybe one day when I'm retired I'll be this dedicated to the hobby. For now I'm just trying to keep em working!

#43 7 years ago

Wow. Great job! We need a reaction video!

#44 7 years ago
Quoted from BrewersArcade:

Send your buddy an invoice for $1000...great work man. Maybe one day when I'm retired I'll be this dedicated to the hobby. For now I'm just trying to keep em working!

Yeah, he'll just give me an invoice for machine rental. I've got it until his house is built. I don't think the plans are finalised yet, let alone permits, building, etc... He might even end up in front.

Quoted from Otaku:

Wow. Great job! We need a reaction video!

I've been posting regular updates on Facebook so I'm sure he's got some idea what I've been up to.

I should've got one when he found out I'd disassembled the whole thing though. That would've been gold.

#45 7 years ago

Great work! I love the look of this game, amazing how much nicer it looks cleaned and well taken care of.

#46 7 years ago

This is just such an awesome thread!

#47 7 years ago
Quoted from dudah:

Great work! I love the look of this game, amazing how much nicer it looks cleaned and well taken care of.

It plays completely differently now too. The spin on the ball and the speed have both become major factors and there's so many flashing lights that weren't there before.

Quoted from Pinballlew:

This is just such an awesome thread!

Thanks. I wish I was as good at playing pinball as I was looking after them.

#48 7 years ago

Added this thread to my favorites.
I just picked up a Radical and I will be doing the same tear down soon.
I'm going to put new cabinet decals on and have all the stainless steel stuff and hinges powder coated.
Great job and thanks for all the posts!

#49 7 years ago

Great job! Thanks for taking the time to document the whole process!

#50 7 years ago
Quoted from ajfclark:

Testing:
- The playfield GI works except the lower jet bumper, of course the hardest to get to, but 3 jet bumper lights is better than 0.
- Run through the lamp test, the right inlane bulb doesn't light but everything else does.
- Run through the coil test, the left slingshot machine guns (lower switch is too closed) and the kickback coil won't fire properly. Kickback fires just fine when I test the switch though.
- Run through the switch test, everything passes.
- Start a game, ball kicks out, flippers work
There's a bit to tidy up (including the games room) but it's official - I have broken less than I fixed, a net gain. Just testing the kickback with a ball and the playfield is now frighteningly fast.

Did some tidy up, including completely reorganising the room:
- Reseated the jet bumper bulb and it came good.
- Likewise the right in lane and a handful of GI bulbs and a couple of controlled bulbs. Only 2 were actually blown.
- Adjusted the left swingshot switches and it behaves itself.
- Kickback works during play so I'm not concerned that the coil doesn't completely fire during the test. Should I be?

The last issue I'm poking with is the adjustment of the right ball shooter guide. It seems to drift back against the post which eventually makes the skill shot impossible and cannons every ball into the bonus targets:
20170319_180935 (resized).jpg20170319_180935 (resized).jpg
Tweaked out a bit and re-tightened, again...
20170319_181555 (resized).jpg20170319_181555 (resized).jpg

Did manage to beat the owner's highest recorded score. He tells me he's scored higher before, but the batteries died apparently. That reminds me, I should move the batteries off the board... and perhaps replace the missing plastic.

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