Hi phototamer
I also have an Surf Champ. In post-1 You write about an very strange fault. I do not yet have a thesis to explain the fault. May I ask some questions so with Your answers I try to narrow down on the problem ?
Do You have the pin in "5 balls per game" or in "3 balls per game" ? You write about "In a four player game ..." - does the fault always happen when the pin in a 4-player game changes from player-1 to player-2 ? After player-1-ball-1 ? Always (means in every 4-player-game You play) ? --- after player-1-ball-2 ? always ? - after player-1-ball-3 ? always ? (in a 5 balls per play: ) - after player-1-ball-4 ? always ? - after player-1-ball-5 ? always ?
How about You play a 3-player game ? How about You play a 2-player-game ? How about You play a 1-player-game (does some strange thing happen) ?
Player-1 looses a ball with Zero bonus - does then the fault happen ?
Player-1 looses a ball with 1 bonus - does then the fault happen ? - player-1 gets exactly 1000 points for his 1 bonus ?
Player-1 looses a ball with 2 bonus - does then the fault happen ? - player-1 gets exactly 2000 points for his 2 bonus ?
Player-1 looses a ball with 3 bonus - does then the fault happen ? - player-1 gets exactly 3000 points for his 3 bonus ?
Player-1 looses a ball with 4 bonus - does then the fault happen ? - player-1 gets exactly 4000 points for his 4 bonus ?
Player-1 looses a ball with 5 bonus - does then the fault happen ? - player-1 gets exactly 5000 points for his 5 bonus ?
I believe to read in post-1: The fault happens when the ball is kicked-over - rolls over to the shooter alley. Williams and Bally handle it different --- Gottlieb has a switch on the playfield - but under the apron --- the ball rolls over to the shooter alley, closes this switch - the P-Add-Player-Relay pulls in and makes the Player-Unit in the Backbox to step. At end of a ball (player-1) do not let the ball roll in the Outhole between the flipper bats - YOU park Your finger there and wait until the bonus is counted down - the ball-kicker will kick Your finger - NOW take out Your finger.
Doing this: There is no ball rolling over to the shooter-alley --- but does something strange happen ? lift the playfield - see here https://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2459&picno=46683 the switch in the upper right corner of the picture (on the way from the Outhole to the shooter-alley): This is the mentioned switch (called Trough-Switch) - You now have the playfield lifted (some time has passed when You were raising the playfield, the motor does not run) - press and let go on that switch, close the switch and let it reopen --- the motor should run and the pin should change to player-2 --- do You get the faulty 1000 points on the Score-Drum of player-2 ?
Ask a friend to play a 4-player-game - YOU stand at the Backbox and watch the "relay controlling the thousands" - watch it - see how it pulls-in then let go (when the friend makes points playing) - watch it when player-1 looses a ball and the bonus is counted down - see how the relay does rhythmically pulls-in and then let go --- AND THEN the fault happens - does / did the relay actuate in the same way as before ? or does / did the relay stay pulling much longer ? Greetings Rolf