Stern almost killed me

I always hated the way Stern pins slid out of the cab. The W/B setup is so much better. I was putzing with the speaker on this POTC I sold and I had the PF propped up so I could remove the woofer. The metal slide on the left side actually fell off and the pf fell on my back. It scared the shit out of me and hurt like hell and I had to extricate myself from the machine and then locate the nuts and put the slide back on. I think Stern owes me a Kiss LE for my pain and suffering

#2 8 years ago

ZZZ

inhomearcades

Midwest Gaming

11y 71,800 2,848 27

Ouch, did the pin suffer any damage?

#3 8 years ago

ROB

RobT

Pinside member

13y 129K 21,266 3 40

Stern's slide system does suck.

#4 8 years ago

SMK

TheLaw

Pinside+ Addict

Ann Arbor, MI

12y 162K 48,036 19 30 1

Holy crap! Don't worry, i contacted them and they have some Wrastlmanias laying around for you

#5 8 years ago

ZZZ

inhomearcades

Midwest Gaming

11y 71,800 2,848 27

Quoted from RobT:
Stern's slide system does suck.

In deed, the playfields have to be almost forced back into place. People always think its broke, I usually comment that the design from the start was broke.

#6 8 years ago

T V

Olddragon

Pinside member

11y 66,050 636 4 9

At least you located your nuts! I always know where mine are because my warden keeps them on the mantle.

#7 8 years ago

JWL

zr11990

Pinside member

Quoted from TheLaw:
Holy crap! Don't worry, i contacted them and they have some Wrastlmanias laying around for you

That would be worse.

#8 8 years ago

MAF

Kiwipinhead

Pinside member

12y 78,800 2,213

Quoted from TheLaw:
Holy crap! Don't worry, i contacted them and they have some Wrastlmanias laying around for you

Add insult to injury

#9 8 years ago

DWG

dgoett

Pinside member

Clark, MO

11y 95,650 2,418 14 26

I like breakshot's playfield support system
glad you lived to tell the tale!

#10 8 years ago

SMK

TheLaw

Pinside+ Addict

Ann Arbor, MI

12y 162K 48,036 19 30 1

Quoted from dgoett:
I like breakshot's playfield support system

Capcoms are nice...speaker fold down is great also.

#11 8 years ago

DEF

DefaultGen

Pinside member

11y 123K 2,806

Quoted from TheLaw:
Capcoms are nice...speaker fold down is great also.

Nice menus controlled with flippers too. Capcom games are neat.

-1

#12 8 years ago

TCD

tdunbar

Just 3D Mods

12y 60,800 586 1

Too bad your lawyer wasn't there to witness it.

#13 8 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

Hopkins, MN

12y 191K 56,930 24 7

Quoted from TheLaw:
Capcoms are nice

Unless the screws fall out of one side and when lifting the playfield it turns sideways instead of going up.

Then it gets exciting.

LTG : )™

#14 8 years ago

KHS

ZenTron

Pinside member

Concord, NC

10y 104K 2,292 3

would of been an ODI POTC..

(Owner Died Inside)

#15 8 years ago

JAW

jawjaw

Pinside member

9y 85,550 5,534 5

That sounds painful. Just think of all the money Stern saved without designing proper hinges like on all other pinball machines and that should ease the pain.

#16 8 years ago

LEV

CrazyLevi

Crazy Levi's Pinball

New York, NY

10y 148K 33,522

The stern system blows but I'm sure they were a) working around a Williams patent, and b) trying to do it as cheap as possible as they do with everything.

#17 8 years ago

DLS

bigd1979

Pinside member

Hagerstown, MD

10y 137K 14,191 8 78

Quoted from RobT:
Stern's slide system does suck.

Its cheap compared to the better style

#18 8 years ago

SMK

TheLaw

Pinside+ Addict

Ann Arbor, MI

12y 162K 48,036 19 30 1

Quoted from bigd1979:
Its cheap compared to the better style

Yes I think we all understand Stern is being cheap Service rails anyone?

#19 8 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

11y 158K 58,767

Quoted from RobT:
Stern's slide system does suck.

It has improved a bit from the Data East days.

#20 8 years ago

BOB

0geist0

Pinside member

Royal Palm Beach, FL

14y 60,050 1,778 4

Quoted from o-din:
It has improved a bit from the Data East days.

Not really, now the prop rod is gone

#21 8 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

11y 158K 58,767

Quoted from 0geist0:
Not really, now the prop rod is gone

True. But they did extend the slide rails so you are no longer digging into the wood on the bottom of the playfield. Ever have a mishap on a GnR widebody?

#22 8 years ago

???

Det_Deckard

Inactive member

Houston, TX

9y 27,400 424

Quoted from RobT:
Stern's slide system does suck.

No joke. I thought at first was just SP but when I got WPT I realized their whole system is dumb. I cracked on plastic on my near flawless WPT because of the playfield dropped and caught the edge. You almost have to try to design it this badly.

#23 8 years ago

JRP

320Gigabytes

Pinside member

11y 47,050 874

Quoted from TheLaw:
Holy crap! Don't worry, i contacted them and they have some Wrastlmanias laying around for you

On the Wrestlemania's this is actually an implemented feature.

The play field physically pins you, and then a ref's voice can be heard counting to 3.

#24 8 years ago

???

kklank

Pinside+ Frequent

Glen Ellyn, IL

10y 99,050 3,483 61 1

Holy crap! Are you okay? I was talking to the POTC. Lol!

#25 8 years ago

WOZ

PanzerFreak

Pinside+ Frequent

14y 123K 12,934 19

Quoted from inhomearcades:
In deed, the playfields have to be almost forced back into place. People always think its broke, I usually comment that the design from the start was broke.

That's for sure. It sucks having to lift the back of the playfield up before sliding it back in. I thought it was bad doing it on an older and newer premium / LE's with service rails but with their new pro's without service rails it's even more difficult...

#26 8 years ago

SMB

Concretehardt

Pinside+ Frequent

Eugene, OR

11y 145K 10,075 2 27

Sorry about your Pinjury!

#27 8 years ago

ARS

thedefog

Pinside member

10y 93,350 5,673 72

Not since SYS9 has there been a more dangerous PF to work on. I Bungie up PFs whenever I work on them. I did a repair on only one Stern and was blown away by how bad the design was. I never trust those prop rods or any propping system for that matter.

#28 8 years ago

DAV

DaveH

Pinside+ Frequent

Boston, MA

11y 121K 7,881 21 13

OP
Quoted from zr11990:
I think Stern owes me a Kiss

Gary has authorized RobT to kiss you to make up for your pain but add to your suffering.

#29 8 years ago

DIK

davewtf

Pinside member

Madison, WI

12y 84,400 9,740 1 114

OP
Quoted from zr11990:
and then locate the nuts

did they crawl back inside ya or what?

#30 8 years ago

KIS

rollinover

Pinside member

10y 83,050 2,094

ouch, major ouch. lucky that did not knock you out. that could have been bad. passed out in the cab body. sheesh that is bad, I can just imagine how bad that hurt!!!!

#31 8 years ago

JWL

zr11990

Pinside member

Quoted from thedefog:
Not since SYS9 has there been a more dangerous PF to work on. I Bungie up PFs whenever I work on them. I did a repair on only one Stern and was blown away by how bad the design was. I never trust those prop rods or any propping system for that matter.

I had it propped up with a rubber tipped handle that I always use but when the metal rail fell off the prop moved and the PF fell on me. I was bending over removing the speaker so it fell on my back. Since it was tilted to the side it didn't want to move. After I got myself out it was a total bitch to reinstall the metal rail. Its a total shit setup that should be changed but I'm sure it won't because stern is fucking cheap.

#32 8 years ago

ZAM

Zampinator

Pinside member

Cheboygan, MI

11y 104K 2,362 1 54

Quoted from inhomearcades:
In deed, the playfields have to be almost forced back into place. People always think its broke, I usually comment that the design from the start was broke.

There is a trick. Push down on the apron/the front of the playfield, it takes the pressure off of the back of the playfield by the pins, it allows it to go in very easy.

#33 8 years ago

PAB

MustangPaul

Quoted from Zampinator:
There is a trick. Push down on the apron/the front of the playfield, it takes the pressure off of the back of the playfield by the pins, it allows it to go in very easy.

Yup and that's why I LOVE the service rails, it makes it even easier. I NEVER use the prop rod.

#34 8 years ago

MSF

marksf123

Pinside member

Ormond Beach, FL

12y 77,650 1,798 13 8

On my TRON game on day I pulled the playfield out too far and it came off the rails. Somehow a corner got jammed under the slide and I could not move it at all. It was completely stuck - I almost had a heart attack. I ended up having to take the rails off to get it out. Thankfully not really any damage but a few nicks that can't be seen.

#35 8 years ago

JWL

zr11990

Pinside member

You cant get to the speaker with it sitting on the service rails.

After all that I cant use the speakers on any of my games so I had to put it back

#36 8 years ago

PAB

MustangPaul

OP
Quoted from zr11990:
You cant get to the speaker with it sitting on the service rails.

I know that, I slide the pf till it catches on the end of the rails then lean it back against the bb.

#37 8 years ago

ABB

Aurich

Mods and Opinions

Torrance, CA

11y 144K 23,395 3

Quoted from marksf123:
On my TRON game on day I pulled the playfield out too far and it came off the rails.

That happened to me too, landed on my PIG2, I was pretty mad at myself. But also, what a crappy design.

#38 8 years ago

JWL

zr11990

Pinside member

Ok I get it. Sterns feel so rickety when you do that because they are not locked into place.

#39 8 years ago

QRK

Deez

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 139K 6,777 13

Stern copied the SS bally design from the 80's.

#40 8 years ago

PAB

MustangPaul

OP
Quoted from zr11990:
Ok I get it. Sterns feel so rickety when you do that because they are not locked into place.

True it isn't locked in the up position but it's leaning back so far that it will never come down and it will never slide off the end of the tracks because of the up-turns on the ends. That's the way I've been doing it since I got started in the hobby and have never had a problem.

#41 8 years ago

ARS

thedefog

Pinside member

10y 93,350 5,673 72

I heard if you turn off the lights in your bathroom and splash water on the mirror at midnight and say "Gary Stern" 3 times, a playfield will fall on your head.

Seriously though, glad you're okay. People get seriously hurt from PFs falling on them.

#42 8 years ago

JWL

zr11990

Pinside member

Quoted from thedefog:
I heard if you turn off the lights in your bathroom and splash water on the mirror at midnight and say "Gary Stern" 3 times, a playfield will fall on your head.
Seriously though, glad you're okay. People get seriously hurt from PFs falling on them.

Not lolled but smiled a little bit. Yea, if it had fallen on my head instead of my back it might have been bad. What is funny is my dog was in there with me, as usual, and he stuck his head in the coin door to see if I was alright.

#43 8 years ago

GIC

goingincirclez

GIC Pinball

9y 116K 2,835 27

Quoted from thedefog:
Not since SYS9 has there been a more dangerous PF to work on.

Whew, I'm glad to know I wasn't just being overly paranoid, because the entire time I was working on my in-cab Space Shuttle restore I was terrified of that damn thing. As if SS's particular design risking damage to the ramp while raising it wasn't bad enough, the prop rod is an absolutely useless effing joke. Of two nesting locations provided by Williams on the pf bottom, only one is just slightly less than a guaranteed accident - the other is just comically bad - I guess liability suits weren't yet in vogue then.

I finally cut a length of 1" PVC to use as a prop on the left side. Stores inside the cab too so it's always handy; does wonders for stability but still requires care.

"But", I told myself, "that was 1984 and they were almost out of business...." And indeed, the system for WW (Sys11) was much better. But sheez, the industry as a whole didn't learn and this is still a risk THIRTY YEARS LATER? For shame.

#44 8 years ago

ARS

thedefog

Pinside member

10y 93,350 5,673 72

Quoted from goingincirclez:
Whew, I'm glad to know I wasn't just being overly paranoid, because the entire time I was working on my in-cab Space Shuttle restore I was terrified of that damn thing.

While working on the Comet WITH the bungie cables connected, the prop bar snapped off. The issue isn't the prop bar, it is the weak single screw that holds on the prop bar, that, and the fact the PF doesn't stay straight in place (wants to lean to one side). If the screw is old and even slightly oxidized, it is probably not going to be able to withstand the weight of the PF. I connect a bungie to any good place I can find on the front of the PF and I hook the bungie onto the back box on something metal (usually take the back glass off and stick it on something inside the BB.

#45 8 years ago

GIC

goingincirclez

GIC Pinball

9y 116K 2,835 27

Hmm, a bungee might not be a bad idea. Probably easier using common items on hand.

I agree on the prop screw, and did inspect mine while questioning just why Williams left servicing to such a flimsy mechanism. I felt much more comfortable with my PVC tube in place: one end resting solidly square (flat) on the cab bottom, and the other end hooked into a convenient sturdy bracket on the pf. Not perfect on its own, but helps level and balance the pf and share the load with the stock prop.

313395-i.jpg

#46 8 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

9y 107K 8,986

Quoted from goingincirclez:
Hmm, a bungee might not be a bad idea. Probably easier using common items on hand.
I agree on the prop screw, and did inspect mine while questioning just why Williams left servicing to such a flimsy mechanism. I felt much more comfortable with my PVC tube in place: one end resting solidly square (flat) on the cab bottom, and the other end hooked into a convenient sturdy bracket on the pf. Not perfect on its own, but helps level and balance the pf and share the load with the stock prop.

313395-i.jpg

You really need to clean your playfield.. You have weeds growing out of your outhole.

#47 8 years ago

CDY

cody_chunn

Inactive member

Mobile, AL

9y 64,800 4,520

Stern shoulda tried harder.

#48 8 years ago

PAB

MustangPaul

Quoted from goingincirclez:
Hmm, a bungee might not be a bad idea. Probably easier using common items on hand.
I agree on the prop screw, and did inspect mine while questioning just why Williams left servicing to such a flimsy mechanism. I felt much more comfortable with my PVC tube in place: one end resting solidly square (flat) on the cab bottom, and the other end hooked into a convenient sturdy bracket on the pf. Not perfect on its own, but helps level and balance the pf and share the load with the stock prop.

313395-i.jpg

Am I missing something here? Why not take the balls out and tilt the pf all the way up and lean it against the bb so it's at an angle like this.

IMGA0907.JPG

Sure the newer Sterns have a stop at the end of the rails but on an older game you could make your own.

IMGA0908.JPG

#49 8 years ago

BOB

0geist0

Pinside member

Royal Palm Beach, FL

14y 60,050 1,778 4

Quoted from MustangPaul:
Am I missing something here? Why not take the balls out and tilt the pf all the way up and lean it against the bb so it's at an angle like this.
IMGA0907.JPG (Click image to enlarge)
Sure the newer Sterns have a stop at the end of the rails but on an older game you could make your own.
IMGA0908.JPG (Click image to enlarge)

That makes it a little hard to work on the lower flippers

#50 8 years ago

PAB

MustangPaul