I need to find that person, I don't have room for my Abra Ca Dabra anymore.

Any idea when? Where did you hear about Wade doing an Abra Ca Santa playfield?

i agree if i need to move something the good games always sell faster and for more $$$
if you want another down the road it isn't a title that can not be replaced

Wade and I are friends and live a few miles apart. I gave him my extra ACD playfield as a templet. I know he has it in his computer and its in the que to be done after Sky Jump. I have a list of people that have committed to buy this PF. I could add you to the list if you're interested. Just let me know.

I have a question about the gameplay for this game as I have one and im just wanting to know where exactly you score increased bonus. my machine doesn't give me any bonus when ball drains.. should it? I can increase value but hitting center target doesn't score bonus other than 500. is that right? game instructions tell me special works and mine does as it should. when targets are lit, hitting them gives me the added bonus . is this correct? am I missing something here?

thanks in advace.

Nope, the two side out lanes will score bonus or the lit drop target will score the bonus, no other way...

Finally got around to painting a game for myself and not every body else.

Rustoleum Heirloom white, Montana white "Sunflower (the yellow) and Rustoleum Colonial Red for the...

Krylon black Lava cut with lac thinner. Pinball pimp stencils and a warm but windy day in Texas last week.

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Not the best examples but are awesome players... and, drop target heaven. ACD is my fav among these 4 but High Hand is a very close second.

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Really? High Hand? Interesting you say that. I guess I just havent played it enough. High Hand artwork is awesome. I have a ACD and a Jacks Open. I love both of those games. Now I want to play High Hand!!

Excellent job on the webbing. The whole thing looks great.

I just finished re-assembling my ACD, after I removed the lower board. The score motor was removed, dis-assembled, and hand polished as well as all of the relays. All of the contacts were cleaned with a quick swipe of the dremel with a wire wheel. All Jones plugs were cleaned the same way.
Play field was cleaned and waxed, with new rubbers, and all stainless was hand polished. I like the Mothers Wheel Cleaner paste with 0000 steel wool for that.

So fast forward to today. I have this machine next to my Team One and I am trying to see which one I prefer. I have ACD set on hi-tap which improves the action greatly.

One problem just arose though. After 2 days of playing, occasionally a 500 point target or rollover will not score, and the ball remains in the drain hole.

Thoughts?

Very nice work. Thumbs up!!!

Have you ever tried a Wagner paint sprayer? I may try it for my next restoration. Those Rustoleum colors also come in quarts.

When I got this machine the ground at the coin door was not connected. After i connected it, as soon as a rollover is activated my GFI trips. Happens every time. I then disconnected the ground from the door and find the machine plays fine. I followed the GR-Y from the coin door lead to the power switch and then back to the transformer. No signs of a cross.

Any ideas?

check the fish paper on the start button and the coin drop switches
the door has a ground

I found the fault. The spring contact, (?), was rubbing the side of the switch causing it to ground out. Slightly bent the spring to allow the blade and fish paper to not contact it.

Cheers.

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Whoo hoo, I'm in the club! Well, not really, just borrowing an Abra Ca Dabra from a friend for a few months.

Great game, loving it, my first EM. Will need to decide if I want to buy it or not, which means moving out another game to make permanent room for it.

Anyway, the game does have some issues, I've created another thread for them, please see https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/abra-ca-dabra-questions-and-issues

One of my issues is the bonus advance not working, sounds the same as the one Wickerman2 had earlier in this thread. He said the fix was related to "sagging switches", though didn't state which switches exactly were involved.

Its been about a year I have this Abra Ca Dabra in my collection. The game needed a lot of work from top to bottom, but came out very nice, after I put my magic touches on it. Game play stands up to all the compliments it gets from people who have the game in their collection.

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You forgot to replace the start button with a nice new red anodized version...

Maybe I throw on one of these for the time being.

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What paint are you using for those, Vic, and how well does it hold up?

It was over 15 years ago that I used this paint for the credit and flipper buttons. I have to look over my games in my collection to see if I have any machines left with these painted buttons to evaluate how well they held up. I do remember giving them some coats of clearcoat too.

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It's got a bid.

The one on the left looks really close.

I've painted a few of them waiting for a PBR order to come in. At least for me, they didn't hold up really well. But for a short term fix they were ok.

Did you clear coat them afterwards?

No, but they were just a short term fix because I had new ones on order anyway.

I am restoring my ACD playfield and could really do with some pics of the pop bumper areas without the pop bumpers installed. I will be repainting that area as it is worn down to wood and I can't find any decent pics. Thanks!

I found this but it is a redraw and is the best I have so far...

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how about this

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Perfect! Thanks boilerman

I wish my playfield was as nice as that one

I've had my Abra ca Dabra since 1982 but am new to Pinside. Gottlieb released the game while I was in high school and it quickly became my favorite machine. When the Surf Side Arcade in Rehobeth Beach, DE put the game for sale, I used the money I had gotten for a college graduation award to buy her. The arcade was asking $150 but knowing they had paid the license for the year I offered them a hundred agreeing to let them keep the machine til the end of summer so it could make money for them all through beach season. We shook hands and I picked up Abra Ca Dabra on Labor Day.

Besides replacing all the burned out bulbs and putting on a new rubber kit when I got the game home, she hasn't asked for much to eat these last 35 years. A friend broke the glass when he picked up the front and slammed it on the ground (dumb) and the speaker I had on the head (dumber) toppled forward. Fortunately the playfield wasn't damaged and $75 for a used glass ACD was rolling again. The machine went wonkers not long after that. A week of pulling out my hair trying to make sense of the schematic and she just started working fine again. Shrug. I figured a chunk of tempered glass got stuck somewhere and worked itself loose.

The machine fell into disuse as I got older but was always ready to play if you had a spare quarter. I have always made everyone pay to play. It keeps the incentive high and I used to break open the cash box for an annual party. I was really bummed when I fired up the game while we were getting ready to move two years ago and the flippers and play field were dead. After my last attempt at trouble shooting 30 years before I couldn't muster the effort to look at the machine til last weekend. I got lucky again this time. An afternoon of head scratching narrowed things down to dirty contacts on the ball count unit.

I have basically had the old girl since the end of her original arcade service, so the machine is virtually untouched (the counter shows right at 50,000 plays). She shows her age, but we have sort of grown old together. Other than a light bulb here and there or new bumpers I would never change a thing.

My playboard info sheet only specifies color, but I've had my machine since 1982 and the guides are all opaque. The upper green guide is single sided.

Joined the club yesterday. Had to rebuild the headbox as it had been dropped at some point. Almost perfect backglass, missing all its reds. 1 loose insert, Mylar on the pf. Generally really good with a little ball swirl and wear around the bumper.
Missing its chime unit unfortunately
Rusted coin door and legs but beautiful mechanically.

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Rust removed from legs and door. Cleaned up. Rollover for 4 won’t I light, will score points but stays lit. I’ve cleaned the rollover relay switch with no effect. Next steps? I don’t have a schematic and it’s my first em to trouble shoot through.

Number sequences are usually handled by a trip or relay bank (located on the underside of the playfield). Which you may have already known based on your stating you already cleaned the rollover relay switch.

What there will normally be is the switch on the playfield, would energize the "Trip" coil on the relay. There will be a normally closed switch that is supposed to open when the relay gets tripped so it doesn't have to trip over and over each time you roll through the 4. This switch could be dirty or out of adjustment. Also, your trip coil could be open. Check ohms across the lugs of one of the other numbers (1-3) and then compare to #4.

FYI, anyone taking on the repair of an EM should be armed with a schematic. Its well worth the $16 or so to order one from Steve at The Pinball Resource.

Thanks cactus. I’ll look at your suggestions. Schematic on order, just looking at what seems simple while I wait for it.

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Guess I will join the club. Picked this one up today. Original owners. They didn’t even remove the shipping block in the backbox. Payfield pics to follow. This machine is absolutely a mint find. Best of all only paid 500.00.

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Congrats!

No. of plays on the playmeter?

22238 plays.

That's low

I adjusted the drop targets today on Abra Cadabra, just moving the mounts (occasional hangup) and for one game it was great. Since then though, i originally had the issue that 500 points (drop target value) was continually registering from the moment the ball was placed in the shooter lane. Assumed I had a drop target switch stuck, looked, no problems. Dropped the play field back down. 500 points no longer registers on the ball being placed into the shooter lane, but now roll-overs and drops don't register score. they register hits.

I don't have a schematic on hand to trace this through, but i am suspecting something may be incorrect with the Q relay as from memory its common between the drops and rollover registers for points.

All sling and pop bumper scoring is correct and registering.
Machine correctly re-zeros on new ball

An someone please post a photo of their upper centre Playfield with the plastics removed. What type of posts are under the back “Y” part? With my current post set I think the lower center is incorrect. I can’t place the ball guide plastic low enough for it to make ball contact.

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Lower playfield plastic held with those 2, two part posts.
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Gottlieb number A-14487 Split Post Base, and A-14488 Split Post Cap. Abra Ca Dabra needs four of them, two are under the upper left playfield plastic.

Thanks. No incorrect split posts I can see on my Playfield. Will have to get one for the guide. Have correct post for the tip an d under the upper right plastic. Just seems to be the lower y guide that’s wrong

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Darcy did you have to enlarge the holes on the lower fugues plastic from pbr to fit over the split posts? Much smaller diameter holes than the original

I believe I also had to adjust the post openings. The upper post should hide the enlargement.

Would love to join the club. I've had an ACD in the family since 1980 and after many years of sitting and sparingly being played, I'm starting to give this game some time. Plus I have to beat the game's high score held by my brother for far too long - gotta have bragging rights since it sits in my house now!

Cosmetically mine is in decent shape, but mechanically I'm trying to figure out two issues. (1) The start button does nothing. Pushing it in creates zero activity inside the cabinet. Manually triggering the Start Relay cycles the game and I can simulate it fine thereafter. (2) is the infamous 6th ball, which I was figuring out until the start button issue popped up.

I love this game and am glad we've kept it in the family all of these years.

Are there credits on the game? The start button won't start a game without credits > 0 or if the game has been modified for Free Play.

6th ball is usually a broken wire jumper on the snow shoe wiper blades on the Ball count stepper unit (in the back box). The spring loaded wiper shoes should have a jumper that solders to both adjoining wiper blades. Not just the one across the bushings in the bakelite.