Thanks for that!
Forgive me for being dense here - so it's normal that the flippers/high voltage work with the coin door open then? I guess I'm trying to understand if the switch even does anything.

Tells the game if the coin door is closed?

Right, but from what I can tell - the game does nothing with that information, everything works.

I think you are prevented from changing settings with the coin door closed.

Rob

There's two switches on later TZ games. Only one on earler TZ games.
One is the Coin Door Open switch. That one disables the service switches when the door is closed, to prevent theft in case someone sticks a metal piece in to try and earn credits. On later games, this swithc also causes the display of the "Coin Door Open" warning messages telling you high voltage is off.
The second, which was added in TZ and then in all (most?) games afterwards, just cut the +50v and +20v feeds. The MPU does not watch this switch at all, even though it's the one that really causes the power break.

I bought mine here. Ship worldwide from France (I'm in France)
http://www.flipperled.com/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=21921393
http://www.flipperled.com/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=21921401

They are very nice. And they are not synchronized, so it has a good effect. The same as the original incandescent bulbs.

Thanks again.
I guess I have an older version as there is only the one switch (and based on the wiring and lack of messages) it must be the coin door. Next time I have the playfield up, I'll test the service switches.

Just means your game was built pre-interlock. No worries.

Don't know if everyone follows every post by HEP, but for those that don't here is an amazing blacked out TZ.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/hep-this-week-9-17-18/page/86#post-5128572

OMG.... .... ... That is the BEST TZ I've ever seen. The black hardware is just deadly.

Every HEP TZ is likely the best TZ we've ever seen. This one certainly stands out from the other's Chris has done that's for sure!

Hi guys! Yesterday, playing with my TZ, I just placed a compass over the glass for the pleasure to try it. It was fun see the compass spinning everytime the spirals or the powerfield magnet were fired. I just can't believe no one created a compass mod for this pinball... it is also thematically good, as mysterious spinning compass are a weird/horror trope!

Thats really cool! I may look into that!

Is this tab to the left of the U supposed to be straight out like this, or bent at a 90 degree angle like the U? It was damaged when I got it and I can't tell.

Can't find any pictures of this part. Need to bend it right before getting it powder coated

FJIMG_20190811_150319 (resized).jpg

Yes, straight out. It attaches on top of the metal that protects the wood rail of the shooter lane.

So this piece is in the correct shape currently? Thanks.

Does anyone happen to have an extra through sensor upgrade kit? Everyone seems to be sold out online :/.

Screen Shot 2019-08-12 at 9.57.01 AM (resized).png

I bought mine here:
http://tanglestech.com/Twilight-Zone--Trough-Proximity-Eddy-Sensor--Replaces-A-16534-and-A-16528-Switch-26_p_36.html

Does anyone have photos of a topside teardown from a restoration? I usually take hundreds when taking it apart, but much of my game was missing/wrong when I got it. Its tough to tell what goes where and what is missing. If anyone has detailed shots of various levels of assembly on the top playfield I'd really appreciate it.

If you have some from under the playfield that's bonus points.

Email to [email protected] or maybe a Google drive / imgur gallery?

Great link! Ty!

This guy have a lot of teardown pictures of various machines. Unfortunately the viewer implemented isn't the best, but perhaps you can use it anyway:

http://www.weirpinball.com/gallery/index.php/Teardown-pics/Williams-Bally-DMDs/Twilight-Zone

Oh wow this is great! Thanks!

Hello TZ owners. Thought I would share a mod I added to my TZ machine (modified more!). I purchased a rocket mod and was disappointed with it. That is it came with a single light for under the smoke trail. So I decided to mod it further. First off I wanted the smoke trail to be always lit like it was taking off. I then cut/removed the rocket and smoke trail apart from each other, drilled out the rocket exhaust so that I could install a red led in the inside of the rocket. This gives the rocket a continues red glow to the back end of the rocket ship and a glow to the smoke trail. Next I wanted to add a flasher to the underside of the smoke trail so that when the ball comes into the kick-out would give the illusion that it was taking off as the ball kicks out! This was done my grinding out the underside of the smoke trail with a dremel tool and modifying a pink flash bulb (I found pink was the best color) and gluing it (epoxy) on the underside (this was done after testing). I think the end results is impressive.

IMG_20170328_2341432531(1) (resized).jpg

Can someone explain how this guide/plastic gets attached to the playfield and with what type of fasteners?

FJIMG_20190824_014647 (resized).jpg

It goes over the gap between the shooter lanes.

DAC1310D-A323-4CD0-B42E-82DAF14210CD (resized).jpeg

Yes but how is it installed. What fasteners are used? Which way does the gap in the metal face?

Gap is up. Uses hex posts (or as the manual calls them 1 1/2” standoff spacers) to mount the bar and standard screws to secure the plastic. Large hole just goes around post for ramp (2 1/8” standoff spacer).

I don't see anything that matches that description in the manual. Is it not on the post list?

Screenshot_20190824-124646 (resized).png

Oh yeah, I missed part 41... its below the gate so was obscured in the illustration, my bad. Although the manual i’m looking at shows part 33 as 2 1/8, not 2 1/2. Maybe they changed it at some point?

Either way, when you look at the rail together with the plastic and the incoming ramp, there’s really only one way it all fits together. Ie the longest spacer can’t be anywhere else than the big hole in the plastic, etc. If you accidentally put the wrong one in the wrong spot it will very quickly become apparent.

Thanks alot for that info! It's difficult for me because my game came incomplete, so I don't have the original fasteners/spacers to trial and error with. I need to find the right parts to order.

Unrelated question: where do people get GI AC power for powerfield star post lamp mods? I got the double switch kit and want to wire them so the posts light up when the sides are hit. I've seen people do this before, but I'm not sure where they are sourcing their constant ~6v AC

EDIT: From my research it seems that the two bulbs in the overhead lamp are GI for the powerfield, but they may actually not be GI and instead part of the lamp matrix? But always on?

When I boot up TZ lately, the game always auto-launches a ball around the orbit as is if it were trying to load the gumball machine. The ball then rolls around the orbit and into the center drain and everything goes on as normal. There is no credit dot (though I have been chasing down a Power Payoff (65) dot that seems to come and go at will) or other error showing. The correct amount of balls are installed. Any thoughts?

I don't have experience with that, but it sounds like it is incorrectly sensing a 4th ball in the trough (switch 25), and when it kicks a ball in to the auto-shooter, it then senses the switch for ball 3 (switch 17) not activated so it knows there are then 2 balls in the trough, and returns it to the trough. Is switch 25 working reliably in the switch test?

Switch 65 is the two targets next to the piano, wired in parallel. Are both working OK in the switch test and neither bent where there is no gap?

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if you don't finish previous game before you shut it down this will happen

I've never heard of a switched matrix light being always on myself.

The two bulbs in the street lamp over the mini playfield either side of the flasher are GI.

I don't think it is related to the switches themselves. I suspect it may be related to some corrosion damage on the circuit board I have been hounding down, but I am trying to eliminate the simple before cutting out and socketing a chip or two (since my circuit board skills are shaky at best). I think the Right Trough switch is in the same line as the Power Payoff if I am not mistaken (according to the switch matrix, they are both on J205-6, U19-11), so the two may be related. Honestly, I'm kind of just guessing. Everything is leaning towards replacing U18/U19, but I wanted to look for horses before zebras.

Hello everyone. Just picked up my first machine. Now making my first post. Many more to come as I sort through the majority of issues, clean gunk and buying new parts. I have over 20 years of love for TZ and now I own my first. Cant wait to get started.

20190827_222343 (resized).jpg

Congratulations! It’s a great game and a great hobby...and make room for more games as they tend to multiply! . Be sure to use the info on Pinside to help you along the way. I’ve never had a problem with any of my machines that couldn’t be answered on the site yet.

Congrats! TZ is an awesome pin. It will probably never get re-made like some of the other big Bally and Williams titles. I plan to keep my TZ for a very long time.

Excellent choice in "1st pin" however; TZ is a rather complex game, so when things get out of whack, and when have many questions, you came to the right place!!!!

Exactly what I was going to post. TZ is a heck of a game to start with, so don’t get discouraged! This group has been around a long time and it gets post’s EVERY day, which should give you a clue as to its longevity. The group here is incredibly helpful, and I’m grateful to everybody here (esp @coyote!)
For all the help I’ve received over the years

I'm excited. The game is fully functioning. I havent found a single bulb out yet. I need to fix a couple things that cause fly balls and replace a few worn pieces. I believe that I have a first production. I have the white clock face, posts in town square, green lock and the dates of manufacture are April 20 1993.

Are we keeping these machines as stock as possible or can I tear into it and go LED everything and start my upgrades. I'm fine either way because it's never leaving my house.

You do whatever makes you happy. If you think stock is best, great. If you want to make it light up like a Vegas sign and it makes you happy GO FOR IT.
I'm personally doing a little bit of both with mine. we shall see how it turns out.

Congrats and welcome to the bolted to the floor club!

Personally I’ve done some functional mods (LED, speakers, ColorDMD) some lighting mods (Pinbits door flashers and gumball lights) and one kinda blingy one (colored clock housing) on mine.

I’d really like to do the upgraded powerfield switches one of these days, as I think that’s one of the best looking mods you can do to this game.

TZ might have been the most modded game at one point, but to me it’s already so busy you don’t need to go too nuts, just pick a couple you love.

I wholeheartedly agree.

In hindsight my personal tastes lean more toward the stock look (when it comes to LEDS) rather than the Vegas sign look (or as another one of my pinhead friends says: the “lit up like a whorehouse” look), but that was only after a lot of experimenting. And I basically do all of that experimenting every time I do another game because just because I like stock on game A doesn’t mean I will prefer stock on game B.

So pick an area of TZ and try something there with color LEDs vs. white, warm white vs. cool white, frosted vs. clear etc. until it looks pleasing to you. Don’t just do one LED, but don’t do the whole game all at once either - do it an “area” at a time, recognizing that an “area” on TZ could be something like the door with the door panels and door knob, to everything on the Powerfield, to something like all of the lower half of the playfield’s GI.

It will take a good amount of time and some investment, but once you figure out how you like it, you’ll be very happy with your game. Or more precisely: your FIRST game.

Haha, so true

At the moment I have some mini switch kits available. But not sure, I do another run if this run is sold.

Anyone know where I can find a complete TZ Clock assembly? Pick up a project TZ and it was missing.

ebay.com link: NOS Bally Twilight Zone Pinball TZ Clock Assembly A 16124

You could spend $500 on new old stock, but I think you could piece together the whole thing new

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/03-88XX
https://mantispinball.com/product/twilight-zone-clock-housing-blue/
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/03-8834
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/03-8836
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/31-1751-3
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/A-16652
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/03-8837
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/03-8838

And get the Ingo board. You’d need to make a mini wire harness too.