There is a "fuse puller" you can buy for a buck or two at Radio Shack. Or just grab them and pull them out (sometimes easier than others).

SealClubber is right - you want to check 2 things. First, the value of the fuse. Is it appropriately rated per the specs in the manual? Never overfuse a circuit.

Best way to test a fuse is with your multimeter. Set it on "continuity" and touch one probe to each end of the fuse (doesn't matter which). You should get a continuous tone from you MM. If you don't get any sound, the fuse is dead. (test only after you have removed the fuse from the machine - not while the fuse is still in the holder)

"connectors are seated" - yep, there are going to be a couple dozen computer style wiring plugs in the machine. You don't need to mess with all of them, really only those that plug into the various computer boards in the back to start. Firmly grasp both ends of the connector and pull it away from the board (try not to "flex" the board any more than necessary when doing this). I'd just pull it until it's about 90% off the plug (in other words, don't remove it completely) - then just "re-seat" the connector firmly. It's basically just an attempt to do a minor cleaning on the pins and connectors and make sure everything is plugged in solid before you start up. Also a good opportunity to look for broken wires, etc.

As to items to look for - have you even seen pictures yet? It's a hard question to answer. I assume the machine is represented as 100% working? If that's the case, it's really just a matter of how much wear you are willing to accept. I would expect a $600 Gorgar to have wood showing on the playfield (if it doesn't and it works 100%, grab and go). But it's difficult to quantify how much playfield wear is the difference between a 700 machine and a 500 machine. That's really a personal call. Otherwise, it's a pretty straightforward machine. Make sure it talks like it should.

good luck!

Gotta start somewhere, we all did. Just be patient along the way and try not to get discouraged. Ask questions just like you are doing - that's what this place is for. Within a year you will be answering questions....

You will need a multimeter. A $15-$20 from any big box store will work fine.

They are the regular "old style" glass tube fuses. Most of them are common values that you can find at Radio Shack, hardware store, etc. You may not find a list of fuses and values in the manual, but if you dig around a bit you will at least see them marked on the schematics. If you are really lucky, the machine will have stickers near the fuse holders indicating the appropriate values. If you have an odd value, you may have to go online to find one, but usually they are available locally.

Please note the difference between a slo-blo (SB) fuse and a regular fuse. Many of your fuses will specificy SB - make sure you follow that requirement. By the same token, don't put a slo-blow fuse in a circuit that calls for a regular fuse.

General question - are you buying the machine from a pinhead/collector, or is it just a machine that a homeowner has that doesn't get used much? A $600 Gorgar being sold by an active hobbyist is going to have some issues. They may only be cosmetic, but there will be issues. A hobbyist should be willing to clearly show you the defects/problems with the machine and then you can decide.

If it's a "regular" homeowner, my experience has been that "works great" can mean almost anything. That's why you need to play the game a bunch before you buy. Displays strong, sound good, all switches score, all lights work, pops, slings & flippers all strong? That's what "works great" means. Anything less should be grounds for negotiation.

That attitude will serve you well in life, keep it up!

Sounds like the owner has some experience, so that can be helpful.

Here's what I'd do, since you really don't have any other option unless you can find somebody to go with you (where you at anyway?):

I'd say "I'm new at this, but smart enough to know that a $600 30 year old machine probably has a few problems (even though it works well). Will you tell me what you know isn't working quite right? It's not going to scare me off, because I expect a few issues with this age of machine".

Then see what he says. If he points out a few things that should be done that you wouldn't catch - maybe a good sign that he's being straight. If he tells you the machine is as good as the day it left the factory floor - I'd take everything else with a grain of salt at that point.

I'd also ask him to walk you through the entire machine (using the excuse you are a newbie...). Show me how to remove the backglass. Let's look at the boards for obvious signs of battery damage or heat damage. Show me how to remove the playfield glass. Show me how to lift the playfield up so I can access the underside.

All of the while he is doing this, I'd check his attitude. If he's explaining, showing you things, answering your questions, etc......I'd take that as a good sign. 99% of hobbyists are interested in introducing new people to the hobby.

Then there is the classic "flipper" who buys an old pin, puts new rubber on it, wipes it down real quick and attempts to sell if fast for a profit. I don't object to that behavior in any way, but those guys typically don't want to spend a lot of time with you going over a machine. Those are usually the kind of machines that "work good" now, but stand a good chance of developing a problem with heavy use.

Being a newbie, not much more I can tell you. Unfortunately, you are at the mercy of the seller to a certain degree, so use your people skills and try to read him the best you can.

But no matter what - remember - you are getting a pinball machine! How freaking sweet is that?

Not a big deal to me personally on a players level machine. I don't drop quarters into my machines.

I think what he means is "if you replaced the coin mech, it would work fine with quarters. But why do you want to do that?"

I don't know that particular machine, but it's common from that era to not have a "free play" option. Easy work around if you want, so it's not a big deal.

But just to clarify, there should be a "start" button on the front of the machine. If that is missing somehow, you need to see why. But if we are just talking about adding credits to the machine - the lack of a coin mech wouldn't be a make/break decision in my mind.

you are correct then.

(for reference, if no free play option - you just open the door, add a bunch of credits to the machine, close the door and hit start. Lots of people will set the "free game replay" level very low so you always win a free game no matter how much you suck. That way, for every game you play, you win a free play and the issue of adding credits becomes moot. There's other ways - like a switch - but that's one way)

So, either the owner doesn't know about the free play option - or the battery is shot and the machine isn't holding it's settings. I guess you'll need to make that determination.

If it's not holding settings in memory, it could be a very easy fix(change the batteries) or it could be the start of something very bad (mpu corrosion).

Hopefully his video will include footage from power up through gameplay. During attract mode, check the high score tables. If they are showing round #'s (like 500,000), I'd suspect battery issues. If they are showing what looks like real scores, most likely the battery memory is working.

or maybe he just doesn't know how to set it to free play. Seems unlikely though.....

most likely!

bad assumption BB. If there are battery issues, you will not be able to keep the machine in free play mode.

You will be able to go into the settings and put it into free play - but as soon as you turn the machine off, those settings will be lost.

And maybe this is all starting to make sense....when he talks about going into the inside of the coin door and pushing some buttons to get it started.

If he actually has to go inside the door to push some buttons to get the machine to start - it probably means it's booting to audit mode. And this likely means you've got RAM or battery problems.

Try to see a video from power up to game start. The machine should boot directly to attract mode. If it doesn't - I'd be extremely cautious even at $550.

I'd sure check. Battery corrosion is the #1 problem with these early SS pins. It's not something that sometimes happens - it's something that usually happens.

Well, you've got a few things to think about. If he sends you a video, post it up for us to look at.

And just remember, as a seller, "acting dumb" can be a pretty effective sales strategy........

basically the game settings and other stuff that is adjustable using the buttons inside the coin door. Settings for things like free play mode (!), free game levels, difficulty settings, etc. etc.

You access "audit mode" by pushing some buttons inside the door - different things show up on the screen to indicate what setting you are currently tinkering with or reviewing.

So to review, a battery damaged MPU may cause the machine to boot into audit mode instead of attract mode. That would be a bad thing.

Ha! me too. no wonder our economy is in such a mess.

good luck, let us know.

Glad it worked out for you, it looks real nice. I think you got a good deal.

Good move to get the old batteries out of there. Inspect the holder carefully for any of that blue-green haze. It looks like a nice machine - you don't want the cpu to corrode away. If there is *any* evidence of haze/corrosion, you really should clean it up. It will continue to eat away at the battery holder and other components even though you have replaced the batteries.

The pop bumper light - possibly the associated transistor on the board is shorted closed (assuming it's not just normal lighting function).

Congrats!

If you settings are holding, you've got the batteries in the correct way, so no worries. If your settings are holding, it also indicates you don't have much (if any) problems with corrosion, so that's also good.

If it was just rust and not exploded caustic crap, another positive.

Based on what you've said, the "standard" repair would probably be to replace the battery holder. The benefit there is you would be able to look underneath the holder, because that's where your traces generally start to get eaten up.

But I know that's not going to happen now (don't blame you - put it on the list for later). So just inspect the holder, and if you see any issues scrub it down with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water (use a toothbrush). Let it sit on there awhile to neutralize the "acid". Then clean it good with fresh water, final rinse with 90% alcohol. Let it dry real well (hair dryer if you are impatient) and you should be good to go for now.

Yes, I'm telling you to put a liquid water mixture on your computer board. I don't go crazy and I try to limit it to the area being worked on, and I try to avoid any socketed chips. But it's standard procedure, and it won't cause any harm. Most of these boards are actually dishwasher safe, so no big deal. (don't put a relay in a dishwasher!). Anyway, just make sure and let it dry before you fire it back up.

based on what you've said, I'm suspecting no big problem here, so just keep info for future reference. Enjoy!