All part of the learning process. Key advise is always take your time. You did right by drilling it, the rubber hammer probably angled it when you hit it. I just use a very small claw hammer and lightly tap them until they start then go harder to get them to the proper level.

That part of the learning process F..in blows no matter how you slice it.

I'll be over this week to help out again. Gonna glue that thing down with a dab of wood glue and maybe solve the controlled lamp problem as well. Once glued, however, I don't want to do much else that would vibrate the playfield- that means no population for a few days

I sympathize with you. I had something similar happen during a Firepower swap earlier this year:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/how-to-remove-a-broken-screw

It's incredibly frustrating to be so close to the end only to have your project derailed by something completely unexpected. But you can't lose sight of all the good work you've already done. Fix it using the same attention detail you've exercised on the rest of the restoration and enjoy the awesome game you've brought back to life.

Glue and keep going. You've got a beautiful game going there bro.

Looking great Ed.

Looks great, don't forget there is still a playfield plastic that goes over the top too.

^^^^^that^^^^

All part of the learning process... Center of the ball cannot possibly travel on that spot due to the size/diameter of the ball, so hopefully that spot will never be touched at all. (Anything within 1/2" of any wall cannot be stuck by the ball (assuming it's flat), since the ball is 1.06" in diameter, and has a contact patch of 1 point.)

Good times ahead, carry on!
-mof

Hey ed if you still need warning text for backback I have a decal for that if you want it. I didn't use it on mine so its still wrapped up in my closet and totan parts are taking it over so I better move it before it gets ruined.

-Jim

That really sucks, but thankfully you will not notice it on a fully populated playfield. Did you clamp it after gluing? As simple as the artwork is there, I wonder if smoothing it and applying a decal and some clear might have worked well.

Someone here should be able to fix that for you. Tough break though. (no pun intended)

Those are not sheared. That is the correct length. They do not pass through the playfield.

Hello guys, forgot about Richthofen's Taxi restore thread, am slowly doing a resto myself, not nearly as complex as this one but it's going to be a great resource for helpful hints and parts!!

I only had one of the backbox support bolts, what is the diameter of these - I'm going to Home Despot to get a second one - I didn't realize the bolt was missing until I had the first one installed........

Also, when drilling a hole for the spring to upgrade the flippers, I don't have a drill press - can I use a pre-drilled "template" as a guide and tightly clamp that down onto the area that I need to drill??

-Nate

I am really glad this came up because I have a Taxi swap in the line of work to do.

No more hammering! tapping, maybe.

No those are broken. I had a few like that too. Pinballlife had the correct length ones. Drill the river out and pop a new rivet in with the new post. Hand rivets work fine on that too.

This is a really good home made riveter for the price, I bought one years ago.

ebay.com link: Tonka Semi Tubular Rivet Tool w 1 8 set of Dies Rivets squeezer dies

Sorry AFK. Stripped three of the taxis. All threads were that length. I did drill mine out they set in snug. With slight tapping.

Not saying you're wrong, but on the Taxi I had that screw went through the playfield and was secured on the bottom side with a nylon lock nut.

I would say that looks broken, but only from the experience I had with mine.

Chris

Here's a link to the Taxi ball guides pages in the Williams Blue parts catalog if it helps.

http://www.planetarypinball.com/reference/partsmanuals/WMS_Parts_Blue_16-9064-B/index.html#/192/

My sys 11 (roller games) had a nut on the end. There is a reason they made them with threaded rods.

Agree with the others that replacement of that part should be cheap and easy.

I have one taxi left standing. When I get back to Ohio. I will check it out. Could very well be that they all have broke. Just have to wait and see.

It's called a 'spade bolt'

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=2081

It's also available in offset configurations:

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=2080

Hopefully, someone will step up to rivet it for you. I could, if you need, just mail it to me.

I don't recall ever seeing any of the spade bolts for a lane guide being a pin only configuration that was threaded. I have seen a few where there is an integral pin in the lane guide that just sticks in a hole and possibly one spade bolt that is not threaded and is only intended to insert into a playfield hole. In my experience if they were threaded they were intended to be nutted on the back side of the playfield. The picture included here sure looks broken.

There should be evidence either on the back side of the playfield of where the nut/washer left an indentation or the broken piece with nut in the body of the game.

Assuming it is a through hole on the playfield I would put the replacement spade bolt on it and nut it down.

Keep in mind that Williams was still feeling their way through to what extent they needed to size hardware on these games. It doesn't surprise me to see a sheared connector like this. I've seen a lot of #6 hardware on System 11 games where it is all #8 hardware on later WPC games.

nice job!

Looking amazing my friend!

Reading this thread has rekindled my love for my Taxi. Personally I would go with warm white LEDs for the GI, that way it goes with the yellow of the cabinet much better. Thats what I plan on doing with mine.

Ed, it's looking good. It should be pretty easy to track down that flipper wiring from the flippers to the back box. Let me know if you want me to take any pics of my flippers or lighting, etc.

FYI, I went to the hardware store yesterday and picked up two bolt/washers for my backbox- 3/8 at 3 1/2 inches. $1.03 a piece with washers.

Ed, no worries. Its most likely as simple as two wires inverted. I can honestly say that more than once I've done that. Walk away, come back and review.Sometimes we mentally think our colors are correct only to find they are simply backwards.

Not necessarily the case.

Have you converted over to LED flashers?

Or are all of the flashers still incandescent?

Also, post good hi-res pics of your flipper wiring and let us take a look.

RussMyers

Can you tell me where the heck you got those leaf switches for the slingshots? Been looking as mine will need to be replaced also - thanks.........

The system 11 flashers have a warming circuit that keeps the incandescent bulbs "warm" so they have better response and longevity (supposedly) but keeps the LED flashers on the verge of firing, so flux in the circuit from the slings or possibly flippers will go over the threshold and the LED flashers will light up. This is a known issue.

Some fixes:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/system-11-flasher-modifications

You may also have luck with replacing just one of the LED flashers in each circuit with an incandescent bulb to add some resistance back.

RussM

I use LED's here and there depending on the theme, but I removed Flasher LEDs from all my pins once I saw how blinding they were. Regular flashers are blinding enough. Since they are not used very often, I see no reason to ever use flasher LEDs. One fix would be to remove them.

-mof

Thanks bud, I saw these but wasn't sure they were the right part - you confirmed so I'm ordering!

Best of luck on you continued re-assembly - looks great!!!

-Nate

Not meaning to hi-jack this thread or anything, but since I'm also working on a Taxi, thought it makes sense to include questions here:

Someone didn't even bother to CLEAN the playfield before slapping down a huge piece of mylar OVERTOP of dirt, crud, and even SAND as you can see in the photos. I'm thinking about cutting out the mylar around the inserts so I can clean the crud out - the inserts are also slightly raised so i want to soften the glue up around them, and re-glue/re-seat them. After they dry, I'd then re-apply a piece of mylar (unless you think the "spreading crazy glue on top" method works pretty well??). I don't want to tackle taking off all the mylar...............

Also, look at the wire ball guide photo, is this supposed to sit that far down on the pf?? This guide is located above the "all passengers" target on the left-hand side. I think I need to pull it up a bit.

Lastly, look at these posts supporting a plastic piece on the right-hand side beneath the spin-out ramp - it looks like these are not the correct posts - one has a screw hole in the top that isn't used, and one looks like a "bumper" post that usually has a small donut rubber over it???

Thanks!

Nate

insert2.jpg

insertwear.jpg

metalballguide.jpg

postarramgememts.jpg

Hold up, hold up -- what are you sure is wrong?

Do you by chance mean where the yellow pole in the artwork doesn't line up right with the post?

-mof