Today, I lost my soul to Gorgar...
GGOORRGGAARRRR... HHURRRRRRTT...

A good (non-pinhead) friend of mine has been telling me for years that "Gorgar was his childhood favorite," and so I've been on the lookout for an affordable one for <$900 over the last 2 years, and each one that came up had some sort of "issues" I'd have to overcome. Sometimes, just waiting for a local Pinsider to help out pays off...

A local Pinsider sold me his Gorgar to free up some cash/space. It's already been "gone through" and works well. He put a nice sound amp in there and added a small speaker behind the grill as well. I can't wait to hook up the external sub woofer as well. It will sound epic (it already does.) How about those nifty Scared Stiff flipper bats, eh? It wasn't my plan, but the more I play it with them on there, the harder it will be to remove them. It adds fun to the look for sure.

I've already cleaned the PF and waxed it, and logged 30+ games. What a sweet game it is. I had no idea Gorgar was this much fun.

-mof

(PICS are in the next next post.)

EVALUATION:

=====================
PARTS/GRADES (6.5) overall
=====================
* Apron: 6: has a few scratches that are "character flaws", replacement would be "nice to have"
* Boards: 9: Everything seems to be working. Two new Rottendogs in there, huge bonus
* Body: 5: pretty fair shape. Lots of scratches for now, otherwise good wood, and decent shine. bondo/sanding in the future and repaint/stencil no question.
* Backglass: 6: good restore candidate, otherwise need a new one from Mayfair $$$.
* Displays: 9: nearly perfect
* Inner Cab: 8: Looks very good at first glance
* Legs: 7: Legs are ok, and original
* Plastics: 7: has a decent set on there, I don't think there are too many "see-through" holes. Just small scratches
* Playfield: 6: flat, planked, crazed, good enough to enjoy for years. Very little isolated wear. Wasn't played too much.
* Pop caps: 9: aged white, but 100% intact. Very nice!
* Shooter and Assembly: 7: needs a good polish
* Side Rails: 8: Flat and clean, all nails present. Didn't see any major bumps at first glance
* Transformer: 8: Looks good.

=============================
Shopping List ($200 budget, $155 current)
=============================

New parts:
* cliffy lane guides $20
* flipper bats $7
* flipper rubbers $3
* flipper switches $10
* 2 new flipper mechs and solenoids $80
* lamp sockets $4
* leg levelers $5
* rubber kit $15
* shooter spring $1
* solenoid sleeves $10

==================================
SOMEDAY $850: New BG, Stencils and Cab repaint
==================================

==========
TASK LIST
==========
Here's the work required on this baby before I deliver it:

COMPLETE (59.0 hrs)
* Install new leg levelers and floor sliders (.5)
* Legs, set pitch and level (.25)
* Plug, ensure it’s in good shape, or replace (x)
* Playfield, clean and wax (.5)
* Lamp sockets, review that all work properly, and clean/replace any that need it (.50)
* Dipswitches, set them for freeplay, etc and/or set functions using coin door buttons (.25)
* Shooter, ultrasonic, and re-assemble it (.5)
* Reposition both flipper return frames to better score "D" and "E" inlane switches (2)
* Replaced both flipper mechs and upgraded the coils to 28vdc (4)
* Flipper button switches, replace with new parts (.75)
* Flipper buttons, ultrasonic and reinstall (.25)
* Flipper return frames, remove bells, and install new set from Cliffy (1)
* Cabinet, troll it for parts with magnetic wand, and vacuum/clean it out (.5)
* Shooter lane protector, polish and reinstall (.25)
* Backglass, clean both sides carefully (.25)
* Displays, wipe down glass and rubber (.0)
* GI lamp board, remove all bulbs, wash 'em all, and install only 10 (my personal taste) (.5)
* Caps on power board (were already done) (.0)
* Pit plastic, clean it (.0)
* Acorns, install new set to match plastics (.25)
* Ball guides metal walls x 4, polish and re-install (.5)
* Orbit bar, buff and polish (.25)
* Switch test (ensure CPU and Physical switches all register each switch) (.25)
* Ball stop (above saucer), ensure it is polished and clean and reinstalled (.25)
* Posts, tighten, tumble and re-fill all stripped holes (.25)
* Bulbs, install ultrasoniced 44s and a few LEDs where needed (topside) (.25)
* Lockdown bar, de-rust, clean and install new foam (.0)
* Playfield guides and edges inside the cabinet, clean/wax them for ease of movement (.0)
* Plastics, install new ones where needed, and verify you have the supporting hardware (.0)
* Cabinet wires, ensure the 4 harnesses move freely when playfield is rotated up/down (.0)
* Backbox, clean and vacuum it (.25)
* Fixed bad socket (.25)
* Installed 2 new sockets and adjusted wall and starpost (3)
* Drops "GAR" cleaned and reinstalled (1)
* Apron, trough area, and shooter gauge clean it, new sleeve (2)
* Playfield brackets, (that seat in the lockdown bar) tumble and reassemble (.5)
* Added two blue LEDs (.5) to flippers and "cave"
* Ball guides, (wireform) polish x3 (.0)
* Added green LED (.5) to snake pit
* Plastic protector made for "GAR" (1.0)
* "GAR" drops need to reset more frequently after 3rd target drops (.5)
* Backglass, install new grip tape to better hold the backglass to trim (.25)
* Playfield glass channel, polish it (.75)
* Solenoid check, review to ensure they are all to spec, check resistance (.25)
* Switch adjustments (1-2-3 lanes, inlanes, outlanes) (.5)
* Coin door, clean it, replace (.25) plastic (1.75)
* Cabinet sides cleaned and waxed (1)
* Paint pen inside and outside of cabinet, coin door, and head edges (1)
* Legs, de-rust, polish and wax (1) (30)
* Work the GAR drops again until they always reset (1)
* Fuses, review and replace to spec (.5)
* Fuses, review recommended upgrades to improve safety (1.5)
* HV Driver Board rebuilt (2/3 complete) (1)
* Coin door carriage bolts, remove and clean and polish them (2)
* Plastics, clean and flatten (1)
* Lockdown bar receiver, de-rust, clean and reinstall it (3)
* Coin door flap, remove and de-rust it (1)
* Flipper nails re-install and dremel off bottom-side (2)
* Drops, try to make them work well again (1)
* Leveled insert (1)
* install red start button (2)
* de-ruse, clean, and reassemble lamp door brackets (1)
* triple-thick and touch up backglass (4)
* create new instruction cards that are more clear (3)
* replace J2 connector, and sand/clean contacts (1)
* shaved spacers in backbox so displays lay more flat, added foam to protect backglass (1)
* Power, check all board Test Point’s (TPs) against spec (.5)
* Set up clean "away" coin box with extra fuse set, extra bulbs, documentation, etc. (.5)
* replace resistors for flashers: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/firepower-tech-repair-and-restore#post-2276980 (.5) 57.5
* Final touch ups on backglass (1.5)

Pics!
-mof
201503_Gor_-backglass.jpg201503_Gor_1-2-3-lane2.jpg201503_Gor_1-2-3-lanes.jpg201503_Gor_apron-close-C.jpg201503_Gor_apron-close-L.jpg201503_Gor_apron-close-R.jpg201503_Gor_apron.jpg201503_Gor_backglass-cracks.jpg201503_Gor_cab-marks.jpg201503_Gor_cab-wear.jpg201503_Gor_cab-wear2.jpg201503_Gor_cracks2.jpg201503_Gor_flipper-close-up.jpg201503_Gor_flipper-reverse.jpg201503_Gor_flipper-view.jpg201503_Gor_head-flaws.jpg201503_Gor_head-rear.jpg201503_Gor_head-rear2.jpg201503_Gor_head-top-dry.jpg201503_Gor_inlane-L.jpg201503_Gor_inlane-R.jpg201503_Gor_inside-2.jpg201503_Gor_inside.jpg201503_Gor_inside3.jpg201503_Gor_lower-pf.jpg201503_Gor_night-shot1.jpg201503_Gor_ok-coin-door.jpg201503_Gor_oops-resistor.jpg201503_Gor_playfied2.jpg201503_Gor_playfield.jpg201503_Gor_pop-wear-none.jpg201503_Gor_pop-wear-spot.jpg201503_Gor_Saucer.jpg201503_Gor_Shooter.jpg201503_Gor_SNAKE.jpg

Thanks man. I've only played it a few times at PPM (where you can never enjoy the sounds), and it never "wowed" me there either. It won't play like my "blue edition (tm) High Speed", but I'll make sure it feels great.

-mof

No doubt -- I always try for 6.5' and usually get all my games past 5.5', depending on the floor location.
-mof

Grinding right down the list (in random order)

All bulbs working -- always thankful when the lamp matrix is happy.
There are a few old/corroded sockets that may deserve a replacement some day.
-mof

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=pinside+gorgar+club

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/gorgar-back-from-the-dead-and-terrifying/page/4#post-2282612

Shooter assembly polished, ultrasoniced, new sleeve, check.
-mof

201503_Gor-clean-polished-shooter.jpg

I was getting fed up with how I could not score the "D" or "E" inlane switches from a ball with momentum moving back up into the lane from the flippers.

I had never in my life seen a pinball machine where the flipper return frames were placed in completely the wrong location.

The location of these frames made the ball travel so bad, that with "ANY" force weak or strong, I could NEVER get the ball to score from the inlanes (going up). This meant the "back door" way to score the 1-2-3-4 lanes could never be had with an alley pass or ball trap.

-mof

201503-Gor-return-frames-bad-L.jpg

201503-Gor-return-frames-bad-R.jpg

I then had to fill all 6 holes with super glue and bamboo toothpicks, and pack them good -- especially the middle ones -- since I would be drilling up against that middle hole in a few minutes. I let that sit for 15 minutes and then came back to win the fight.

I then took the NEW:
"Enhanced Gorgar flipper return frames" from Cliffy, and measured using it, starting with the ideal location for the inner (of the 3) bells. I took a poker, and pushed down and made my "starter" hole. I then took a flashlight, and shined it in there to ensure I had the hole in the right place. I did. I then drilled with a 3/32" drill bit, and then I set up the hole with by screwing in a hex screw to get all the threads started. Once complete I screwed in the screw for the first bell. Next, with one bell complete, I aimed the curved end of the frame to the best position on the "inside" of the ball guide, and then poked my hole. I was off a little when I checked it with the light for best "middle" position, so I dug another hole just next to it and dug between the two -- drilled it, and screwed in the second screw. Now the third one was easy, since the frame was holding itself in place for me. I poked, removed the 2 screws and frame, and then started the hole with the hex screw. I then screwed all 3 screws back into place and then play-tested it.

I took a pause, and bent the switches a little bit to get the switches to lay a hair lower in the switch, to enable easier pass-through of the ball. I also took some 400 grit, and shined up the switch a little. (Repeated on both sides)

I repeated steps for the other side.

Now I can score on an alley pass from either side, and I score many more D's and E's when trapping a fast-ball. This is how it should play.

Success!

-mof

You can see how far off the original frames were from where I decided to put mine. I only had 1 NEW Gorgar prototype from Cliffy, so I decided not to install it. I re-installed the old ones instead, which had very little wear on them, but I very much look forward to the newer set with 1mm more height and a few mm more material covering the "hinge" of the flipper.

201503-Gor-return-frames-comparison.jpg

201503-Gor-return-frames-good-both.jpg201503-Gor-return-frames-good-L.jpg201503-Gor-return-frames-good-R.jpg

And once again my favorite pinball proverb comes true:

"The more you restore, the higher the score" (tm)
-mof

Just got my first ever free ball on Gorgar with 345,000. F I N A L L Y...

Yes, it's even better with the new enhanced return frames with the extra 1mm on there.
-mof

Tonight was a triumphant night. 4 hours on the flipper assemblies -- best 4 hours of the entire shop job.

The grody-to-the-max original flipper assemblies were removed and put in a coffin.

New mechs were installed, and they worked like a charm immediately after install.

1. I did have to remove both plastic clips that keep the wires in place.
2. I invented new orientations for both brackets and just started using hex screws (2) to install each assembly (before I install another 6 each)

Game now plays like funnn smash-mouth 1979 pinball should feel.

-mof

Here are the pics...

OLD
201503_Gor_old-coil1.jpg
201503_Gor_old-coil2.jpg

NEW PARTS
201503_Gor_new-parts.jpg

NEW
201503_Gor_new-coil1.jpg201503_Gor_new-coil2-installed.jpg201503_Gor_both-new-installed.jpg

HAVE FUN!
201503_Gor_new-flippers.jpg

You can order the kits pre-made from Terry at PBL. That's the best route.
I recommend being ready to go with molex'ing as well. (That way you don't have to remove the PF, or practice "vertical soldering", and most important -- you can easily remove the assembly some day for inspection/cleaning)
With Terry's site you simply order the L and R brackets and the whole assembly, then there's a drop-down menu for the correct coil, and then you EMAIL him that you want a specific switch type on there instead.
Also, there's a drop down menu for the coil stop. I am pretty sure I have been going with all: 12111 on all my solid states and system 11s.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/system-11-club/page/6#post-1019065
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=172
The coils should be: Williams SFL-19-400/30-750 Flipper Coil
Coil stop: 12111

Note: There is an extra set of steps when doing a flipper assembly upgrade on a 1979 machine.
See this post:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/resto-gorgar-mof-20150301/page/3#post-2484072

-mof

Worth the cost? No question.
I've done new flippers/assemblies/mech upgrades on all of my pins. It's the first thing I upgrade, and the most rewarding thing to improve.
-mof

When you combine:

1. new flippers

with

2. new enhanced flipper return frames (also re-aligning them within the game)

with

3. well-aligned inlane switches that allow the ball to travel in both directions smoothly over the switch

you now have a really nicely playing game. I like trapping a fast ball that then rolls through the inlane and flies up through the switch (D or E) and BACK up into the playfield, then back down into the inlane (scoring D or E twice) and then back into the flippers. If your Gorgar doesn't do that (like most of my 80's Williams pins can do), I'd consider upgrading your pin to do so.

-mof

Tonight I need to clean out the cabinet flipper buttons in the ultrasonic, and replace the flipper button switches. Then we'll be really rocking and rolling here.

-mof

Shazzam!

(1 quick hour)

Someone beat me to the punch, and the flipper buttons were already clean.

I tell you what, there is no better feeling than brand new flipper button switches, set up perfectly.

Here are the pics of before and after...

-mof

OLD
201503_Gor_olf-flipper-switch1.jpg201503_Gor_olf-flipper-switch2.jpg

NEW
201503_Gor_olf-flipper-switch-new1.jpg201503_Gor_olf-flipper-switch-new2.jpg

GOOD GAPS / PARALLEL SWITCH LEAVES
201503_Gor_olf-flipper-switch-gap-good1.jpg201503_Gor_olf-flipper-switch-gap-good2.jpg

TY man...
I'll take a movie when I'm done so you can see the play action for yourself.
-mof

Cabinet was actually pretty clean. Now it's all cleaned up. Makes it much easier to find screws when they fall.
-mof
201503_Gor_cabinet-clean.jpg

Thanks!
-mof

Trough kickout plate (or whatever it's called) all polished up, and the screws too.

(15 minutes)

100 baby steps, and we'll be there! Dang it sure is a pleasure to work on a 1979 machine. Easiest game I've ever worked on.

-mof

201503_Gor_kickout-plate1.jpg

201503_Gor_kickout-plate2.jpg

TY,
Look forward to seeing you enjoy it.
-mof

(1 hour)
Pulled ALL bulbs from backbox, rinsed all bulbs in water for a few seconds, dried 'em off by hand, threw out the 20 that were bad, and re-installed ONLY 44's in the controlled lamps around the perimeter, and put TEN 47s where "GORGAR" and the lovely lady are. Rest is bulb-less. My #1 goal is limited glare on the PF, since it's for home use.
-mof

"The more you restore, the higher the score..." (c) mof 2015.

201503_Gor_10-bulbs-new-hs.jpg

Previous owner put a pre-amp in, and then included a new speaker and then put a small speaker up top in the backbox to push some high end ut up there. Also has ports and wires ready for an external sub (can't wait to try that)
-mof

She's REALLY starting to play like a gem.

I removed both ball gates. I like the challenge of not getting all the "easy" 2x 3x bonus multipliers now. AND when you rip the lit spinner, it coughs it right back at you, without adding tons of bonus, which dares you to strike again. This puts more points on the spinner, and less on the bonus. I like that.

Rusty gates...
-mof

* Acorns, install new set to match plastics (.25)
* Ball guides metal walls x 4, polish and re-install (.5)
* Orbit bar, buff and polish (.25)
* Switch test (ensure CPU and Physical switches all register each switch) (.25)
* Ball stop (above saucer), ensure it is polished and clean and reinstalled (.25)
* Posts, tighten, tumble and re-fill all stripped holes (.25)
* Bulbs, install ultra-soniced 44s and a few LEDs where needed (topside) (.25)
* fixed a broken lamp socket (.25)
* installed a missing T-nut (.25)

Enjoy the pics!
-mof

DIRTY ACORNS
201503_Gor_dirty-acorns.jpg

DULL METAL
201503_Gor_dull-snake-metal.jpg

BLOWN SOCKET
201503_Gor-blown-socket.jpg

LOOSE POSTS
201503_Gor-fill-and-screw.jpg
201503_Gor-glue-hole.jpg

MISSING T-NUT
201503_Gor-missing-t-nut.jpg

Can't see in this pic... trying RED colorbombing the 1-2-3 lane plastics. It's ok... We'll see.
Playing really sharp, can't wait to take a vid of the action...
-mof

201503_Gor_sitting-pretty.jpg

LOL !!! WTF is going on there, haha nice catch !
Is that from factory?

-mof

I'm pretty sure these are working properly in both directions. I'm all for being prepared and having 2 new switches ready. Can you link the ones you like?
-mof

Put in a few fun hours tonight. I had a few problems that were bugging me:

1. The "cave" on the left, has a starpost that sticks WAY out, when a slow-roll comes back out, the ball bounces off that in a very unsexy way.

2. The "cave" left wall is too far off the paint, and should line right up with the edge of the starpost.

3. The "cave" should have more light on the right edge

4. The "cliff" on the other side should have more light

Got my drill and vacuum ready and got to work...

-mof

1. Moved starpost back.
2. Moved the wall out.
-mof

Starpost sticks out:
201503_Gor_starpost-sticks-way-out.jpg

Wall moved out:
201503_Gor-new-cave-wall-location.jpg

Checking alignment for perfection:
201503_Gor-starpost-rubber-equals-wall-edge.jpg201503_Gor-starpost-rubber-equals-wall-edge2.jpg