OK, still doing lots of grunt work: had to repair lots of gouges and planking and a missing neck ply on the cab and backbox, getting ready to repaint it hopefully this weekend. Playfield is stripped and almost cleaned, unfortunately it seems all the new colored inserts are a bit too large so I've had to bore the holes... whew that's a scary job. Did I mention I don't know the full extent of the boards? I know I have some work ahead of me but GPE is on vacation til June 8... so it's still day by day. For $300 I'm already having fun, will be nice to see if I can actually pull this off.

Anyway, I do have a few questions / requests:

1) Does anyone have any pictures or scans of the various labels, stickers, and warnings that would have been stuck to the machine? The only ones remaining on mine are the white "use a grounded outlet" sticker on the cab rear, and half of what was on the lockbar receiver. There's not even a serial number or manufacturer sticker or anything else, anywhere. Barely any traces of such either.

2) I need to redecal my new inserts. I have an ALPS printer so I'll be making my own. Anybody have scans or something that might save some time? I have the font and that's simple enough so I'm mainly concerned for the keylines and sizing, though I might just paint them...

I've attached all the playfield insert labels. Open it up as whenever I post, PDF files look wonky. If you look back a few pages, I posted target and spinner decals. These are courtesy of the guys at www.firepowerpinball.com.

For anyone interested in straying away from an original machine have a look at the video of my machine. I've changed all bulbs to LEDs and added a few other customizations. Nothing crazy and probably all done before. Everything can be swapped back to original with no issues.

Have fun! I'd love to see a thread with your work!

Dino Z.

Ah sweet, that pdf is just what I was looking for! Will be a great shortcut / start for now. Thank you!

Does anyone have insight into adding in drop targets?
-mof

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/firepower-drop-target-retrofit-wiring-question

I started stripping my playfield to touch up and clear coat and I noticed two of my stand up 1-6 targets have that back support bar bent toward the target. (And two of them are the wrong "bullseye" targets) Which targets are correct? Straight backing or bent backing? Is there a source for the correct stand ups (Williams part no A-8305)? I read some Gottlieb targets work too, is that correct? Thanks!

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Those targets take a huge beating due to the location, so expect a lot of maintenance on them. I've seen them with either the reds or the bullseyes.

Honestly, I wouldn't replace with the original targets. I'd get the newer style with the switch foam, maybe even try one of the PBResource 'enhanced' targets. They carry them pre-made with the red faces, and also sell the bullseye faces separately.

The first flyer shows drop targets in front and bullseye along the sides.

firepower-pinball-machine-flyer-williams.jpg

One gameplay difference between the proto & stand-up target version according to the flyer is only one bank of three drop targets needs to be made to light the shield as opposed to both banks of the stand-up targets needed to light the shield feature on the regular production version.

Unless it is a factory setting that can be changed for only one bank needed to light the shield?

I just bought the drop target mechs for mine. System 3-6 with wiper contacts. Your playfield needs to be a CPR or an early run with the 10pt switch routed out.

I got lucky and have a early production playfield that not only has the routed area behind the standups, but also has the 10 point switch already installed and wired up for scoring.
Problem is we can never hit the switch because it is behind the standups.
I purchased the drop target assemblies to install someday, but not brave enough to tackle that big of a project.

I too have a post on each bank of targets that is bent backward but in different positions than where yours are. I always wondered why they were bent the way and the others not. I'll have have to post a picture.

I just need to pick up a junk harness to get enough unique wire colors for the new mechs.

Both of my Firepowers had a mixture of target styles like yours. I always figured it was from operators replacing them with whatever they had in their parts box. I believe that the bent ones are the correct, original target brackets since the straight ones scrape the plastics above. Also, the bent ones were the most common type in both my Firepowers and the type in the spot that takes the least beating, the target at the top of the PF.

Just curious, I've read Williams installed many switches in early SS pins that had one leaf reversed in the switch. Have any of you found this in your Firepower's? If so how many did you find?
Question #2... Does the gap on the cabinet flipper switches affect flipper strength like the EOS switch does? If so, what is the proper gap for the cabinet switches?

Jack

They are messed up - all over the place in many different games. It's amazing how well some of them work ok in backwards. Others not so much.
-mof

The photo in the following post below is what I have. Note the bent post to the far right of the left bank. What does that mean?? Should I change it out to make it like the other five?

IMG_20150610_224546.jpg

So my project seems to be a very interesting survivor. It had so little wear in many ways, but was beat to hell in others. The cab and backbox came from different units. The playfield had almost no paint wear but every single insert was shot. And there was a film of sticky powdery red dust on everything that makes me wonder if it had been stored in an abandoned slaughterhouse.

Yet most tellingly, going back to that minimal play wear: target #3 is missing, but all the others are intact with their original stickers! And all the switches are there, too.

So, as it happens, they are all the bent bracket versions. That includes the center target, and the POW bank.

Pics FWIW...

FP_TargetStickers.jpg

FP_Targets1.jpg

FP_PowTargs.jpg

FP_Targets2.jpg

Has anyone heard anything about a run of plastics being done again by anyone?? I don't care who does it, I just know that I need plastics for my machine in the worst way possible.

I just realized that I need even more help.I need to replace every bulb in my machine and need to know the types that I need, quantity I need of each type, and the locations where they go.

Thanks

Almost every bulb in the game is a #44 incandescent. Except the two #89 flashers. If you do have to replace every bulb (which has me worried) you would need probably 130 of the #44's.

When I rescue an old game from the wild, I'm used to about 1/3 of the bulbs being out. I remove them all, buff each socket, clean each bulb, test each bulb, and replace them all with 44s, and then about 10 47s in the backbox.

In your case, I'd remove them all and test them. If you don't have one already, make yourself a little bulb test station with a socket, a battery holder, and few a wires. (I just mounted all mine on a little block of wood with a 44 and a 555 socket.)

-mof

Change as many as you can to LEDs. They use less current and produce less heat which in the long run is better for all playfield inserts and plastic pieces as well as your backglass. They will also last a lot longer than regular bulbs. For your backglass, if you place specific coloured LEDs in the right places you can create a cool effect. You can even leave bulbs out of your backbox. I have at least 10 empty light sockets in mine.

Check post #352 in this thread for a video of my game. Every original playfield bulb has been swapped for LEDs and most of the bulbs in the .

Dino Z.

No worries from me. Every bulb except for maybe 8 of them have completely chromed on the inside or have blown filaments.

I have a problem with my FIrepower. During Attract mode, everything lights just fine, but during gameplay the bottom left bumper won't light when it should. So the bulb is fine and power can get to it, but something is wrong with the logic during gameplay. Thoughts?

Anyone know what the correct length is for Firepower legs front and rear minus the feet? I'd like to verify that mine are correct. Also, being that the game has no liquid level, is there an ideal setting that this game likes to be set to for optimal play performance IE: Angle/ Foot height setting??

Thanks Wiredoug. You have any opinions on setup, or is it just based on owner preference?

I have my Firepower set at 6 1/2 degree angle. Plays great.

Jack

I'm in, came today CPR playfield and plastics, would love to get a new backglass but its not bad. I need to get into the electronics now as little problems are coming up quickly, might just change all the boards as I will never sell this game mine as well bring it to full blown collectors quality. DSC01796.JPGDSC01797.JPGDSC01798.JPG

Question: Option 34 in the menu is for Attract Mode. I set mine to option 2, which I believe is Attract Mode w/ Sound. I've let it sit for and hour in attract mode and still don't get any sound. Any ideas on this?

Jack

Beautiful FIREPOWER stencils are available on my site. You will not find any better on Planet Earth! Make your machine look better than new!

http://pinballpimpstencils.com/?page_id=1224

Pimp

J_Cutler: Option 34 also controls when you can lite the Extra Ball feature. You need to pick either 10, 11 or 12

You're a lucky guy!!! I wish I could find a Cpr plastic set. You happen to find it, or you just had it in your possession already? I really wish that they would do another run, not like the game isn't popular.

The guy who sold it to me had a set and I grabbed it for 200 bucks. I think they will make them again and I'm really hoping for a CPR backglass.

Quote from the CPR page: "As for re-runs, they will barely ever ever ever happen. So pretty much, no. It's new releases for the next many years.". Maybe we should start a petition to see how many people would purchase a set of plastics. I for one would purchase a set.

I'm in for one!

I don't even have a FirePower and I'd be in for a back glass, Playfield, and plastics.

Finally joined the Firepower club.

I've had this rag dog since about 2004. When I got it, it was sitting beside a garage in a barren back yard in South Dallas. I don't know if it ever was rained on or not, but by the mold growing on the inside of the insert, I'd guess at least once.

The glass and backglass were intact.

Of course, the mpu wouldn't boot and only "a few" of the solenoid drivers still worked.

The save solenoid didn't work.

The battery corrosion involved the entire lower right quadrant.

The plastics all ok, rubbers hanging out like a dogs tongue on a hot day.

Many hours of repair, both mpu board and driver board, rewarded me with a functional game that only occasionally reset or blew fuses.

Then I moved in 2005. Finally, last summer the game was brought inside the house, from storage in my shop.

The machine wouldn't leave audits.. Dead 5105. Now running again, no feature lamps.

Found bridge rectifier harness lugs falling off wires.. Now all is good, and restoration will begin soon.

I have enjoyed reading ya'lls posts in this thread.

Thanks.

That is some story. Glad the machine has someone to care for it.
Sounds like a labor of love if you have brought it this far.

I read up on this thread for awhile yesterday. I so wanna do this for my Firepower but I have no knowledge in doctoring the artwork like they are speaking of. I can cut my own plastics no problem though

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/my-guide-to-making-your-own-reproduction-plastics

Does anyone have a source for flipper return frames? Cliffy's set will only work on the right side.

This isn't even possible. Explain please? The pics on my page show the left side B-8239 fits dead on http://www.passionforpinball.com/FlipFrames/FP-B-8239-1a.jpg

Seriously, you sell the correct left side!!!??? I looked all over the site and all I found was these two. I was so looking forward to buying these and I've already bought a NOS set.

http://cliffysprotectors.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=19

http://cliffysprotectors.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=20&zenid=0jqh9od21mo8q6raddr9l67de1

It would appear there are two different web pages.
Cliffysprotectors that only has 18 items for sale and passionforpinball that has much more.
Weird.

Awwwwww well. Now I know where to go when I need my second set.

my shopping cart site is woefully unfinished but passionforpinball.com is and always will be my main site

So I finally got my machine finished!!!! I owe a massive amount of Thanks to fellow pinsider Vid1900. Using his guidance and outstanding guides I was able to completely teardown and rebuild my pop bumpers, install target faces, and install all new updated flipper assemblies. Thanks again Vid!! Now I've got two questions for thefellow owners here. Do any of you have the balls smacking the glass when rebounding from a target face? I've got it going on and it's bad. Is it because I don't have the foam backing on the metal standoffs behind the targets? Also I've got increments of numbers missing on two of my displays and the one that says 1ST is flaky on the first digit. Could I remedy these issues by rebuilding the main display board and if so which components are the most problematic?

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That's exactly what it is. Add the foam pieces to the targets and that will stop it.

Done!!