I fooled with this for a couple more hours today (thankfully I'm on Christmas vacation and can waste extra time on it )and made some progress, but it's honestly hard to tell whether it's dialed in correctly. I put another washer just below the magnet (per the factory document) behind the ramp to move it out more. With the better ruler, I was able to tell it was not out far enough. Now it seems to be out about 1/32" or possibly even 1/16" or so, like it is supposed to be. The diverter is just about 1/32" below 2" and the distance to the wall is right at 25/32". This seems to be about the best combination, as it sometime works a few times in a row, and I was able to lock 3 balls to the wall a few times. But then just when I think it's dialed in, I'll get a few failures in a row after that.

I'm leaving it where it is for now, and will just have to do without the feature working reliably it seems, or I may end up pulling what hair I have left out of my head. Honestly, I have a 51 year old Mustang that is less frustrating to work on than this feaure .

The only other possibility I can think of might be that after testing for 2 or more hours, that the flippers were fading a bit, but it's hard to know if that was a factor. I'll have to see if it works well after its cold again tomorrow, and if so, maybe get the fans?

Or, would it help to just turn up the power on the flippers a little? Would that compensate enough if flipper fade is the issue? It does seem like if you get a particularly good shot up the ramp with good power behind it, is when it works well. Maybe the flippers after warmed up just don't push the ball hard enough up the ramp?

You’re divertor rod is way loose. Too much play. That sucks the energy out of the ball momentum. Tighten the nut at the base of the rod. Do not overtighten. I’ve spent a lot of time on this ( and picking chuckwurt brain)to get mine dialed in. Pulling the ramp out to much isn’t good either. You want it slightly out from the back wall. Have the divertor less then 2” from the ramp really helps as well. I turned the TK lock power all
The way up and that also dramatically increased my success locks. Finally the divertor plate when actuated should barley let the ball through and when it’s idle it should be just off the ramp. Doing all these has given me a 100% success rate with a solid shot. Also I highly recommend PinMonk fans. That was the finishing touch. Lmk how you make out.

Just when I was getting comfortable with failure, you send new hope my way. Thanks? I think? . Seriously, thanks for the tips, I'll try them. I assume turning up the TK lock is somewhere in the settings, but do you know which menu, offhand?

These are all great posts. I can’t wait to get home to try these recommendations.

Okay I turned up TK lock power all the way, and the flippers were already at 255, which I assume must be the default. I also tightened the nut at the base of the deflector rod, which did seem less snug than it should have been. The deflector seems more sturdy now.

It seems at this point that if you get a ball going up the ramp with good speed, it hits the wall. But, if you get one of those times where the ball is not going as fast up the ramp, it sometimes does not have enough juice to make it onto the wall. I would assume there must be times when it won't go simply because of not enough momentum - just like those one-offs where the ball only goes halfway up the ramp because it was not a direct shot. I'll try it out again tomorrow when its cold again to see how it goes.

In the meantime, does anyone have the link for the flipper fans that you all recommend? Might as well get that going. Thanks!

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1170-pin-monk/04203-tibetan-breeze-flipper-coil-cooling-kit-spike

thanks!

No problem!!
I have not bought them yet. I have not noticed any issues with my flippers.

Sounds like you are getting close---mine is now nearing 100% and everyone has a little different situation.
1. Get the fans
2. 255 flipper default
3. Moving the ramp did nothing for me--I know it helps others.
4. I adjusted diverter to sweet spot--open just enough for ball to clear--it does not touch though. No up and down needed for me. Roll the ball up with you hand at various speeds to see if you are making progress after adjustments until you hit it.
5. Wax the diverter rod and balls--it does help quite a bit actually for me. Goes up faster/smoother.
6. You are correct--weak shots probably won't make it--nor should they. Just like any game/ramp. That is a rewarding shot--you should have to execute it well to get rewarded.
7. TK power up all the way.

Added a Premium Apron to my pro

C9F4D772-62BF-4AC1-BFB8-49C0A4EEFE8E (resized).jpeg

I wish I had done that when I ordered my UV kit. I didn't know the holes were pre-drilled. Some games don't have the pre-drilled holes for a metal apron (IMDN, Met). Oh well.

my game has the UV kit

But the trade off is I am using 2 Comet UV strips tied into the UV circuit

Works fine and unless you look for it it’s out of players POV

Metal Apron adds a nice touch

Thanks for the additional tips. I will say that when I removed the shim (washer) in testing, the locks went to almost never, so in my case moving the ramp forward is definitely needed. Without that step, the back wall actually sticks out past the ramp.

I think I have the height and width about right, but I could narrow the width another 1/32". I'll go back to that if it still needs some improvement in future testing. Right now I'm at 25/32".

I waxed the balls but did not think of waxing the diverter. I'll give that a try - interesting.

I also plan to order the UV kit, and I have the art blades on the way. And I guess I'll be adding the fans too, soon.

Quick question: should I wait for the UV kit to install both the art blades and UV kit at the same time? Or are they totally separate procedures to where I can install the blades now and UV kit later?

Great mod, I also added a premium apron with a premium UV kit. I closed out the apron gap with a modified Stern center drain ball guide bracket. https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/535-8393-00

84EEF94A-D6F1-42AA-8D15-6A056248AA55 (resized).jpeg

You can install the art blades now. I always wait to make that one of the last mods I do just because of the playfield constantly moving up and down for various reasons. But if you are careful you should be fine.

Using the wet method, it's really not that hard, and very forgiving. I've never taken a playfield out to install them and I've done dozens. The only one that sucked to install was the Houdini one because it was basically paper and not the thick vinyl like Stern uses.

I have done a lot with playfield in, and the last ones I did I took it out. I will be taking the playfield out from now on, much easier.

If it's dry, yeah, an accident waiting to happen. From personal experience, I do NOT recommend that approach.

But using the wet method it's super-forgiving and you can slide it around until you get it exactly right and squeegee out the liquid.

Does everyone know about the Brian Eddy easter egg hidden on the playfield?

I did art blades first because I got them first. I would do the art blades now. It’s not hard but can be a pain in the neck because of lack of space between the sides of cabinet and playfield when trying to get the art blades level and in the right position. I don’t enjoy doing them tbh.

I did mirror blades on my Monster Bash remake, Powerbladez on my Black Knight SOR premium, and Stern art blades for Stranger Things. Didn’t want to go to the extra trouble by removing the playfield since I did well on the first try and so on. But each time I did it I wished I removed the playfield.

Man I had no idea it would be so difficult to put in some art blades on the side. Guess I should have done some research first. Removing the playfield sounds very daunting!

No need to remove the Playfield. Stand it up
all the way and push it to one side. Pull the blade tight and slide it between the cab and Playfield. Use the head bolt to align the blade and the rail were the glass slides in then go from top to bottom to push the air out. The pin graphics ones allow for adhesion and realignment. I’ve done them in all my machines without a hitch. Having someone help makes it easier.

It's not hard with the wet method. Here's someone doing a wet method install. Easy because it's very forgiving.

Nobody else answered, so I will: No! What is it?

My single New Year's resolution: Fix the f**king TK lock once and for all a year after I got the damn thing.

cheers to that. im rooting for you!!

When I was watching Deadflips stream for the 1.0 code Brian Eddy was in chat and he mentioned that there is a cow hidden on the playfield. I thought that was funny so I looked for it and sure enough. I like it when artists or designers throw in weird shout outs like that.

Ever since I found the cow, my tk lock has worked perfectly.

Thank you I’ll
Look into this

Is Clelands 1.0.1 code out already? Can't wait to get it installed

Not yet. Pinball Browser didn't work until last night.

Did art blades for Christmas, removed the playfield entirely and did a wet install by hand-wetting the rear of the decals before applying. Easy peasy.

After watching the video, it doesn't look too bad at all. What type of soapy water do you use for the wet method? A little liquid dish soap?

Yeah. I use a few drops of dawn in a spray bottle, then shake it up to mix it. You want it to be a bit sudsy so it's slick and not just damp.

Excellent, thanks!

While I was in there waxing the diverter rod, I decided to try some more variations - currently at 11/16" from the wall, even though it doesn't look like its pinching at all, and 1/32" below 2" in height. Thought I had it because I got 2 locks in a row. Then of course, once I put the glass back etc. back to failures. Maybe I'll try again when I get the art blades. But it's to the point where I think I just don't care about TK lock anymore, and will live with the roll of shame back down the ramp after the white rod lets it go...

I found it's best sometimes with the TK to just let it go for a little while and come back with a fresh perspective after the anger subsides. Keep adjusting and trying different things. Keep looking at it and sometimes it just hits you to try something or adjust different. Don't just blindly follow all the instructions and measurements---I never measured anything. They are all a little different and don't require the same fix. Just trial and error rolling the ball up the ramp--over and over- adjusting the mech until I got it pretty solid. Bend that metal guide up too.

Agreed, and that is why I set the width to 11/32", out of factory spec - because it seemed like the right width just beyond touching the ball. It's also hard to judge that though, because the weight of the ball on the rod changes it a bit and pushed the rod out. Assumedly, the factory specs are not factoring in the weight of the ball, and the pictures certainly don't show a ball on there while measuring.

To your point, I've tried literally every suggestion so far, and I'm maybe at a 50% success rate. I also think there is a slight break-in after adjusting (someone else mentioned this earlier and I agree with them), because several times I've gotten repeated success followed by repeated failure. The problem with that is that its hard to tell what changed after the break-in. Logically, you'd think that the change would be a slight give in either height, width, or both of the diverter. But at the same time, I've noticed that those 4 bolts really hold the diverter tight. If the screws are not really loose, I can't even move it by hand, so it seems like it would not give at all.

I think I'm going to do some slo-mo recordings again also because that was really helpful earlier. I had gotten two 3 locks in a row, and then of course, repeated failures again.

I agree with your advice and I'll take a break. It's hard for me because I'm a bit of a perfectionist with these things, and maybe I should have researched the known issues before selecting a machine. I'm sure all models have their own glitches, though. So much mechanics involved, plus the constant friction of play - it's inevitable. Like my obsessive chasing down of fluid leaks in my '70 Mustang, I finally had to settle for an occasional oil drip - almost perfect but not quite. In this scenario, we have modern technology involved, but these machines do use a lot of mechanical parts that get beat up by the ball in play.

Honestly, with this issue being so wide spread and visible, it seems to me that a TSB would be in order from Stern. Perhaps a small redesign of some sort to widen the tolerance but still allowing the TK lock to work correctly? With mechanical parts like this, it should be more tolerant of variances and still be able to work, imho.

Yeah, it's a bad design. I would have thought even a pop-up jump ramp angled slightly toward the backboard would have been much simpler and more reliable, but who knows? What it has is all it's gonna have, unfortunately. It IS fixable as Chuck and some of the others have demonstrated. It's just not easy.

A good time to come back to it might be when you get Pin Monks fans.