Still can't get into test mode. There doesn't seem to be any stuck switch on the door (I assume you mean the ones that are activated when you put a coin).

As for the playfield, I keep it in it's vertical service position because it's a pain in the ass to go back and forth between this position and the playing one. I repainted the cabinet interior sides and it's a manoeuvre that can scratch the paint. So no balls in the game, I just keep the switches closed with my hand to start a game. It works for this so it should work for the test mode (not sure it needs balls anyways).

So, still stuck.

An update : There's a molex on the big 8 drop bank. When I unplug it, I can start a game without blowing the under-playfield fuse. It only disconnects the big bank, but it seems only the loop drop target coil is working, all the others are dead.

Stupid question, but how do I do that ? Do I remove the connector and connect the first pin with a wire to the ground ?

OK I shorted the pin and the machine went into test mode.

It seemed to me that a few solenoids did not work. Unfortunately, after three passes, the time it took me to start understanding the sequence, the only fuse I had left blew. I'll buy some more tomorrow but for now I'm not too sure what to think.

It seemed number 7 didn't fire up. It's the bumper one. It reads 10 ohms, like the other similar coil (loop target one, which definitely works). What else could be wrong with it and how do I determine the problem ?

I should add that the few times I started the game and before the fuse blew, the big target bank acted wonky, which may have prevented other coils from firing (the loop target one or the two other small drop banks) since the game can only do one thing at a time, but I never saw any other coil fire up (for example the ball kickout hole or slingshots).

If I disconnect the big bank and start a game, the loop target coil is the only one functioning. It may be because the big bank coils precede the other coils except the loop target one. It may also explain why an issue with one of the big bank coils may prevent the rest of the coils from firing up.

Let me share with you some strange discoveries.

Dropping the loop target a couple of time seems to blow the under-playfield fuse. The fuse will also eventually blow when there's a new ball or a new game. I managed to "play" (with the playfield in vertical position) a few games, avoiding the loop target, and the table behaves quite strangely.

Starting a game drops targets 4 and 5 of the big target bank, but the ball kicker doesn't activate. Hitting the bumper drops target 3, but no bump. The slingshots don't sling, but the left one drops target 6 and the right one target 7. On some games, the target 1 coil will fire every 10 seconds. Otherwise, the bank coils work correctly when hitting the targets or hitting the dead bumper or the inlanes when lit.

The two small target banks coils are unresponsive. I noticed that the rightmost target of the right bank doesn't register, but it might have nothing to do with it. The leaf switch is correctly set and the wiring seems fine, but it doesn't register.

I've burned through some fuses but I can still do a couple of self-test on the machine. Would it be informative given the wacky behaviour of the coils ?

Damn it dothedoo ! You could not let that J4 go, you had to make me rebuild it ! Well I'll do it, I hope you're happy.

Can I (temporarily) macgyver my way through it to see if it is indeed the cause of my problems, or do I have to yet again order new stuff and wait some more days to sort it out ?

Can it be the cause of the under-playfield fuse blowing, or is it a separate issue ?

I'm sure you can't find this connector anymore. I intend to make an order from Pinballcenter since they have a large catalogue and I may need some coils.

Can I make up a compatible connector with what they have ?
http://www.pinballcenter.eu/catalog/electronics-parts-connectors-c-10_222.html?language=english

It's unfortunately long and expensive to order oversea, even for the tiniest object. I passed on ordering the correct loop drop target plastic from Marco, as it was 3 dollars for the target and 30 dollars for the shipping ...

Can't I salvage the current connector ? Any other way I can explore ?

I see "crimpcontacts" on page 3 of their connector section. Is it what you're talking about ?

Not to be too insistent, but aren't those the 0.093" ones ?

Would they have what's needed ?
http://www.flipper-passion.com/index.php?cPath=50_87_89&osCsid=080a6e760f76ea397be81f5a4ce453ca

They're not kidding with the price of the crimping tool. I'll try to find a cheaper one, or do the work by hand (I'm sure it's tedious). Thanks dothedoo for the directions. Given the number of crimp pins you want me to buy, I presume you imply that I should rebuild all the connectors ...

Now regarding the coils situation, is the test mode reliable to determine coil malfunction with (presumably) the J4 connector jumbling things ?

Yeah, the big target bank coils fire several times during the test, so J4 seems to be the culprit. I'll rebuild the connectors, but is it necessary to also rebuild the headers on the boards ? They look really fine ...

During the test, the fuse blows consistently right after the loop target coil is activated (it's the last one, since there isn't the coin door coil mentioned in the manual). That coil's resistance is normal, so what should I look for ?

The ribbon cable that goes from the mpu board to the sound board also needs to be repined. I'm sure you need other specific crimp pins and tools to to so. Can I replace it with 0.1" molex connectors and a bunch of wires, since I'll be doing the other ones and have the tools and supplies ?

While I wait for the connectors to arrive, here's a fun mystery. My new shooter assembly seems too short. I believe it's a universal size (7-7/8 inches rod) and I think I installed it correctly, but I miss 2cm.
Shooter rod.jpg
I tossed away the rusty original one, and didn't take pictures of that specific part. Opinions ?

Oh boy ... Well I threw the original away a few weeks ago, so there's no chance to get that one back. As far as I can tell, no retailer is carrying it.

You say 1/4 inch, but I need at least 3/4 additional inch. I could remove the small spring in front of the beehive, but the knob would bang against it.

I feel a bit bad about it. It was stupid of me to not match the two rods ...

Lesson definitely learned.

Now, is it ok if I replace the outside spring with a dampening pad ? It would allow me to get that a-bit-less-than-an-inch back. Just thinking, you know ...

So, I replaced the exterior spring with a small white silicone ring (Titan) and stuffed a bit the rubber tip. The ring looks nice with the beehive, the tip is just a bit wobbly but I'll find a way to secure it better. It makes a bang if I pull the plunger all the way, but half-pulled (no need for more actually) is fine.

It'll do, but I'd be happy to find the correct length rod.

I pulled the boards out of the machine to assess how many connectors related material I would need and work on it when I'll get the materials.

I couldn't do it with the rectifier board, as you can see :
Rectifier Board 1.jpg
Rectifier Board 2.jpg

Seems rather hacky to me, but I'm certainly not an expert. Should I leave it like that and just replace the connectors on the bottom of the board ?

The three square things at the back must be heatsinks. They were pressed against a metal plate and there was some white residue. I suppose it's thermal paste and that I should add some new paste when putting the board back.

Ugly indeed, and it means you can't remove it and you have to make the soldering job while leaning inside the cabinet, right ?

Regarding the rest of the connectors, I read that they should make a tight seal to avoid future corrosion, so I'll probably buy new housings for the connectors because some are slightly warped. In that case, do you guys just cut the wires (and strip them again) or do you painstakingly remove each pin from the old housing ?

To stay on the same subject, should I bother redoing the connector on the displays ? Two of them are not showing every number, but I didn't investigate the cause yet.

Oh, and that thing literally fell of the rectifier board when I touched it.
That thing.jpg
I should probably worry about it and replace it. What is it by the way (some kind of capacitor i would guess) ?

Does it need to have exactly the same specifications ? I'll order a few things from the following retailer and they only have this :
http://www.flipper-passion.com/product_info.php?cPath=50_153&products_id=3911&osCsid=080a6e760f76ea397be81f5a4ce453ca

That's alright, I bought the correct one in the store where I bought my (many) under-playfield fuses, here in Paris.

I started working today on the boards headers unsoldering/soldering. It's rather unpleasant I must say.
Here's the first header I soldered. It looks rather dirty. Can I continue like that or should I do better ? (How ?)

Soldering 1.jpg

What product should I use for the cleaning ? Isopropyl alcohol is surprisingly hard to find in France, so anything else ?

I can't say I really care about the finish of electronic cards, inside the machine where I'll hardly ever look once I'm done with the work. Then maybe I shouldn't care about a bit of crap or flux excess in the first place. A good thing that I'm really slow and didn't do anything yet ...

On a totally unrelated subject, I've been wondering about the two pinholes below the flippers. There's no pins on my machine, and I don't know if there's supposed to be ones, or if those holes are just there to help align the flippers (if so, with or without the rubbers ?).