Hello All

I created a post about a year ago about trying to get an old '71 Firecracker pinball working (a pinball owned my late friend who passed away far to early) I'm clueless on pinball etc. but looking to try to do it myself.

Fast forward a year and I'm FINALLY about to get started on this project (I have little don't ask ha)

Stupid question hopefully - is it safe to work on these old pinballs? I'm assuming as long as it's unplugged I'm ok but I wanted to check as I wasn't sure if some of the parts held significant electrical charge like old TV's etc. - last thing I want to electrocute myself.

Appreciate the thoughts and any overall suggestions you have.

The machine isn't in terrible shape, but it got shipped across the country and is definitely beat up. Just hoping to do a good cleaning, swap out fuses, bulbs etc. and get it playing (not looking for a museum piece)

Thank you all for the confirmation and recommendations. I'll try to document some of it and share on the board.

I have been lurking throughout the 9 months and enjoy this site, marveling at all your setups machines. I'm not a pinball head - but can see how you could become that.

I do hope to get a new machine next year potentially for the kids and actively watching the Willy Wonka and Jaws threads (thinking those themes may drive me drive me there)

Thanks again for the feedback - finally took the first step, plugged it in swapped out the fuses and turned it on.

At first nothing.

Press the left flipper and all the lights pop on (or those w non burnt out bulbs) if I hit the various targets etc they are all registering on the score dial, chiming etc. Left flipper also moves - great I thought!

Try the right flipper - It immediately blows the fuse and everything cuts off (lights etc) switch out fuse and I’m back to where I was.

I realize I should try to hit start button (it’s wired to free play) hit that and hear what sounds like a mechanical click near the back is the machine and nothing - lights continue to work but all targets, bumpers and flippes don’t work.

Any words of advice or thoughts.

Also does anybody have or know a person who will do EM pinball repair on site. I will try to do some but think a lot of this is over my head ha and I should new myself to cleaning, bulb and rubber replacement etc.

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Thanks - sadly since I hit the start button the first time I can’t seem to even replicate the original behavior I had with the left flipper (I.e. no targets score, no chimes etc. I have lights and that’s it)

Left flipper turns on lights, right is doing nothing (not even blowing the fuse) and start appears to do nothing (since the first time it reset the score real)

I’ll continue this in my original thread around the specific machine firecracker to not combine the specific machine questions with my original question on this one around safety...