Just joined the club and brought home a pretty nice condition Night Moves. I think I got it for a reasonable price. The left sling had a broken rubber on it, and I just ordered the replacement rubber kit. I also ordered new pinballs for it as well... As I know those were never replaced.

The display was super nice... Worked fine. Started a 4 player game. Made sure all the main stuff worked, and flipper strength seemed good. Not horribly strong, but I don't think it is meant to be super strong flippers, and I think the flippers are more than strong enough to do the job.

All in all very good condition. Some minor scratches the glass. Cab/body is in great shape.
The playfield... No worn out spots...
But, it was never waxed... So... There is some cracking on the paint or the finish... But, its consistent throughout. Again... Not bad for a 30 year old machine.

I'm going to replace the rubbers. Wax it. Then play it . Maybe post some pictures later.

I asked the owner and he didn't know about the battery... So... I figured it is still original. But, I don't know where its at. But, I do have the manual.

Tomorrow, I hope to open it up and locate the battery. And I also need to check all the connections from the move. Make sure its all fine still.

And I'll look in the nvram module. Hopefully, that isn't too hard to mod out.

I'm not... I'm still learning... But, I'm keen to figure it out... Good way to learn. Hopefully they're are some how to videos online about that... I'm not ready to do that just yet... But, I'll look into it in the meantime. No need to rush into anything.
I did crack open my cab today... And I do think I need to look into leveling it. Not certain how these things do level. But, again I got the manual.

I noticed the center post rubber broke off. Only was able to find half of it in the pin. Will try to find the other half when I replace the rubbers and wax it.
The other posts are similarly dried out and basically disintegrating. Again... Not a surprise or a big deal. I got a full rubber set coming in the mail from marco.
Never replaced the rubbers before. Will be interesting to do so. Just have to figure out how to get those caps off the plastics so I can get to replace the bands. Shouldn't be too hard.

I went to titan pinballs webpage. I couldn't find anything that you were talking about. Could you share the link or the name of the item. I'll gladly check it out.

Well, I've been lazy. I finally got around to ordering the parts. I did count how many replacement post caps I needed and it was 30 something , but they're so cheap I just got 40. Probably won't use even half of them, as I'm only going to remove the caps that I need to to replace the old rubbers.
Still can't hurt to have extra and more on hand if I decide or need to do further repairs.

Been busy, been lazy... And really haven't played any pinball, let alone time to repair any. But, I am looking forward to getting this puppy up and going.

Does anyone have any tips on how to take off these post caps. What tool works best. Treat me as a newb. Because I am horrible with tools and any project. Which is sad as I am a computer tech for my 9-5 job and I do take computers apart... But, it generally takes me a few teardowns to get familiar with the machines I work on.
So any advice or tips or even links to vids or forum posts would be appreciated. I do look for things myself, but sometimes its like searching for a needle in a needle stack. So if anyone knows of a pertinent link, please share it.

Dang... Looks like I should buy that tool. Alright. Guess I'll have to contact that site and place an order. Its really an old site and I wish it had automated checkout. But, I know I'm not the first person to say that about that site.

Update... Not that anyone cares...
I finally ordered the part from Steve. I looked around online and while I did find the tool on ebay, the person wanted 100 dollars. So I decided to order that part from Steve, and also order the manuals that I needed for my Sinbad and Raven. Yes, I could have gotten them maybe a bit cheaper elsewhere, but by the time you factor in shipping and handling(and potentially tax now), it really was a wash and I needed to get around 40-50 dollars for the order anyway.

There was some drama in regards to the money order I sent. I'll save that drama for my llama and just say: I really wish he'd embrace some modernization. Having a payment gateway is not that complex.

But, that is a different story and really a moot point now. In the future I might need to purchase something else from him and I'll go through that laborious gauntlet if need be. For now though. I am super excited to get that part hopefully this Friday in the mail. And hopefully try to replace the bands this weekend!!!!!
I'm sure things will go wrong.
I do hope to also open up my machine and give the battery another look. Replacing the Nvram or whatever its called might be a project that I might want to do sooner than later.
Can't really wait to get my Night Moves up and running!

Side note... How many of you actually use your cocktails as a table? Do you guys have like a tablecloth that you put over it while not in play?
Just curious. I don't think I'll ever put food on mine. But a libation or two... Perhaps. Never while playing the game though, and also coasters.
Want to hear your thoughts on that.

It wasn't lost. Was a money order. I don't own checks and even if I got a cashiers check I'd have to send in secure mail or whatever the sign option is. Also didn't want to wait for a check to post. Just a bit of frustration with some back and forth emailing to get the details all sorted and one phone call.
That's all I will say. Because, I have a habit of pissing people off without really meaning to and trying to be nice.
And lets just say Steve is one of the few people I never want to piss off, as I might want to order more stuff from him in the future.
And really, if that was the worst of it. Then LIFE IS GOOD!
And it will be once I fix that machine. Never replaced rubbers before. Looking forward to it. Then I gotta replace the rubbers on my sinbad. But, I kind of want to take the spinner mech out and clean, same for the drops... But, I suck at that stuff... So who knows when that will happen.

Okay.
So I finally started my work on this machine. The good. All the rubbers have been replaced. The bad. Macro's band set was missing 2 of the I think 5/16th size bands. The ones that go around the plastic posts. None were missing, I just think they don't know how many were needed.
But, lucky for me I had my set of sinbad and there were the same size ones that I needed. So when I order my replacement bands for Raven I'll just tack on 2 of the 5/16 that I need.

I also waxed the playfield. Really dirty. Doubt it was ever cleaned. I might do another quick wax tomorrow, as there was some debris that I missed or noticed when I was playing the game.
Playfield is in good shape considering how old it is. There is no wear, but lines in the paint finish. And the display sticks out a bit here and there, and also some of the inserts stick out a bit.

The good. All the mechs are working. Display is bright and all works.
The not quite so good. One of the flippers I think needs to be adjusted slightly. I don't know if its a power issue, I think its just misalinged and once I correct it, I think the power should be fine. It's already strong enough to hit all the shots. Its just a little wonky and weakish compared to the other one, and its pointing slightly down more than what the other one is. So I think a quick realignment might fix that.

The bad with that... I don't know how to realign a flipper. Guess that is one thing I shall be learning and soon.

There are some lights out. Not a lot. But, man they are hard to change. I can't quite figure it out.

Is there a tool I should buy that will make it easier on me?

.
The N for Night Moves seems to be out most of the time, but then it popped on a few times, but then back off. N never works in attract mode though.
The I seems to be working in attract mode but sometimes it doesn't work in game. And those are on a special board it looks like.
Any idea how to remove that board and/or change the lights on it?

And the battery. I don't think there is one currently in the machine. That is good. Now I just need to figure out which board is the one with the battery. I looked, and couldn't find it. But, I'll keep at it. As I will probably do the nvram.

Lastly. I got to level the game. So I'll look into that. Shouldn't be too hard. Just not a lot of space to manauver in my house.

All in all though. I'm really pleased at how well it now is playing. Its a fun game. Shoots good, plays good. Simple rules... That stinks. But, its fun.
I don't know how many hours I could or would want to play on it. But, I'm just happy its now a pinball machine and not just a table.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give. You guys already helped me out so much. As that Pal nut remover was totally worth the hassle to get, and I would have been doomed without it!

Thank you for the input. That explains why sometimes the N works and most of the time it doesn't, and it also explains the "I" as well.
I was afraid to bend/squeeze the white tabs on the board. I guess I'll just do it very, very carefully.

I'm fine with simple.
My truth I rather have a game like sorcerer than Sterns Star Wars. Yes, I know some people love that game, and I really enjoy playing it too. But, a game like Sorcerer or Space Shuttle. There is a beauty in its simple code.

And of course I do like deep games too. But, not deep for deeps sake. Has to make sense.

But, back to the cocktail thread. I didn't mean it as an insult. Simple is good, and I think the goal of these games was just to get as much of a normal pin feel as possible.
And so I really was pleasantly surprised with the gameplay. I've played worse pins than night moves. So it looks like my purchase will be money well spent.

Gotta finish fixing it up though.

The LED idea might be cool... Might try that later on.

I did manage to change out all the burnt bulbs(think they're all changed out...).
I wound up taking the light board out by unscrewing it, and I did disconnect the wire connector as well. I figured trying to get the white things off, might be a tad risky on a 31 year old machine. That plastic could be a bit brittle and I tested it, and it didn't seem to want to come off. So I went the screw route. Took longer. But, I got it done. And I wasn't messing around. I just replaced all the bulbs in both the N and I, just to err on the side of caution.

I also worked the right flipper mech a few times. To see if I could notice something wonky about it. I couldn't. It seems to respond or function much the same way as the left one does.
Then I closed the playfield and put the balls back in, and fired the game up.
And the game is working pretty dang good right now.

Not 100%. The right flipper seems to now be behaving better. Not 100%, but a good bit better than what it was(and htat was acceptable, so its more than decent now).
Just think 2 switches need an adjustment. As they're not working. I can't remember if they were working before and now stopped. But, they're the O and one of the L rollover switches. So that should be an easy adjustment. I hope.
More than a bit exciting to be honest. This is the most work I've ever put into a pinball.

I do need to sort out the battery.
I think TNT amusements might be the way to go to figure out that issue. I'll just watch a video on Night Moves. They should have one, and they're generally pretty informative vids.

Thanks. I actually watched a TNT video about Night Moves yesterday and he pointed out the battery.
But, what really is strange.
The owner who I bought it from is not a pinballer(I detailed it in my first posting in this thread). And so the machine was left alone since he owned it, and his mother was the one who bought it. Because, they wanted a "Franchise". And of course it was never placed.

So, I'm a bit shocked that the battery still works. As I know its never been replaced(or if its been replaced not for the time the man has owned it). I'm going to be taking it out probably later today.
The rubbers were all dry rotted and I don't think the playfield was ever waxed.

All in all the playfield is in good condition. Not great. The display has risen up a few from the playfield and a few inserts are no longer flush as well. But, really while those issues slightly impact the game. Not enough to really hurt the enjoyment.

Now the next thing I will look at will be the battery replacement options. I want dependable and easy to install.

Thanks again for all the help and input guys.
This machine might have been one of my best pinball purchases for the buck.

I'll look into adjusting the display. Its not horrible and I only had one time so far where a ball fell into the groove and then moonwalked around the display. My dad say it and was like how did that happen, and I had to explain the lip in the display or groove that the ball traversed itself on.

So... The story about how I got my night moves.
I always search offerup a few times a week. Just to see what is available.

I spotted this machine quickly after it was posted. It was really, really close to my house of course. Which was amazing. The listed price was 900 dollars.
I really didn't want to spend 900 on a machine. As this was Christmas and my funds were a bit low at the time. But, this is a machine I wanted, 900 is a very fair and reasonable price. So I contacted the seller and made an offer for 700 dollars.

My reasoning was he'd say no and then I would keep my money and wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of moving a pin. But, he then countered, "Why don't we meet in the middle at 800". And I had to agree to that.
Just too good of a deal to pass up.

I've bought 2 machines from around my area. But, the Sinbad I bought was a pain to get load up and get into my house(buyer wouldn't let me spend the time to figure out how to disconnected the ground wire. I should have just cut it and then replaced it later...

Back to Night Moves... Yeah... Really too good of an offer to pass up. Super close location, very, very reasonable price. I think reasonable for the seller and the buyer.
I had to put about 80-100 dollars of work into it. I'm counting the shipping and handling of the parts that I had to pay for. As 8 new bulbs, new rubber set, had to get the pal nut removal tool, and had to get titan rubbers post caps for the machine and of course new pinballs.

And I'm happy to say machine is working great. I was going to adjust the rollovers, but those started working again, and stayed working for the 1 that I played it last night.
So I think I said it before. But, this is probably one of my best bang for your buck purchases ever, and it'll be hard pressed to get another one like it. And I learned a few things while working on this.

Great experience... Now, one day I do hope to get a Caribbean Cruise to pair with this one.

Okay. Looks like I will pop out the battery later tonight. I booted it up, and my scores where gone. So it looks like the battery is old and failing. Not a shocker. Not a big deal, and I doubt this machine ever got any real action. The playfield would be super worn as they never cleaned or waxed it.

You should have seen the bands on this game. Completely dried out and crumbling. I was going to just replace the broken sling. But, then I realized this game would be stiff as a rock, and the bands would crumble from the hits and lead to debris on the playfield which in turn would lead to wear.

Glad I replaced them and decided to not be lazy.

If you wait and keep an eye out, practically any pin will surface. Just have to make sure you're in position to act. Now, whether or not it's local or will need to be shipped is another story.

I want at least 1 more cocktail pin. I want Caribbean Cruise, the sister pin to Night Moves. If its only just as good as Night Moves then I'll be really happy with it. Not in hurry though as I don't have a space for it right now.

But, I am really surprised with how good Night Moves is. The rules while not super amazing, are really still really dang good and fit both the machine and the layout. And that is what rules should do. It shoots really well also. I've played a lot of regular pinball machines that do not even come close to being as good as Night Moves.
So far super pleased with my purchase. I know I'm still in my honeymoon phase. But, I don't see my opinion of it dramatically changing.

For me beggars can't be choosers. I like the art on CC better. But, there was a Night Moves for sale for a great price only a dozen miles or so away from my home... Doesn't get much better than that.

If history repeats itself, or if lightening should strike twice. I will of course pick one up.
I guess the good about a cocktail cab. They're easier to ship than a normal pin. Just got to make sure the top is well protected.

Guys, I need you help. Went to sort out my battery issue with my Night Moves.

There is a big hulking thing where the battery should go. its called a circuit guard and I think it has the letters 1188 on it.
Its a rectangular cube that is black with a white label. It sticks out about 2 and a half inches off the board.
Just wondering what that guy is.
And if I should remove it or leave it be, as that is where the battery is located.
I know nothing about this thing and anything anyone could tell me would be appreciated.

I figured it was a battery of some kind... Just know nothing about it or how to remove it.
So... The only way to remove it is to desolder it off the board...

Fun... Not the easiest place to get to...

So my question now is... Can I disconnect all the wires to the board and then easily take the board off, so that I can solder it?
And when I do so... I guess I should put a Nvram on it instead correct?

Okay. So I know none of us can know the future.
But, I just want to know how urgent or dire should I make it a plan to remove that battery pack from my night moves.
I generally keep my games unplugged when not in use.

And the scores did reset after I let it sit for about a little over a week. But, the strange thing is. It kept my current replay level. Which has been going up automatically after every couple of games or so.

And when I posted new high scores. The old GC score showed back up. So just curious what should my urgency for getting it off and replacing it should be.
Because as it stands now. While it is a project I want to do. Its also not something I currently have the best understanding of and I'd like to kick the can down the road a little bit... Not too long, but I'd prefer to wait and get more knowledge and get more comfortable. And also get all the parts and tools I'll need. (I can/should be able to desolder it as I have all those tools).

Again. I know no one can know 100% what will happen. Just knowing what you all know and your experience. What would your suggestions be?

Thanks.

I don't think you realize how slow I am when I work on anything. Not very good at this kind of stuff... I don't want to damage or break anything. and not certain how to really go about doing either the removal. or the nvram install. Trying to find videos of similar stuff online.

I thought i did ask for help on how to remove it. That's why I posted here.

I'll just do the work myself. Been watching a lot of videos lately on soldering. And I did fix my iron madien flipper issue. A joint broke on the upper right flipper and I had to solder it back into place.

Better job than the person who soldered my hardbody coils.

Anyway... The trick isn't just desoldering the old battery off. Sure... I probably can manage that. But, I'm not certain how easy the board will be to remove.

Is it just disconnect all the wires and then remove the screws that hold it mounted in place? I don't know... Never removed something like this before. And I will say... Not going to enjoy the confined space...

So then... Once its off... What type of socket do I put on for the Nvram and then lastly what type of nvram do I buy... Are there videos or detailed instructions on this process...

Words are easy... Actions are not. Its easy to say what needs to be done. But, the reality of doing them is far more difficult. I don't mind trying to do this. As if its successful then I can do it on my other machines too. I don't mind learning. But, I can't run before I walk...
And I sure as heck can't sail across the air before I've learned to fly... I'm just a lost children of the sea... yeah.

That sounds reasonable.Do you have links to something that would work. And also instructions on the install. I think your idea makes the most sense.
I'm not too hardcore about high scores. But, its nice as bragging rights and social features to have on a machine.