I'm going the other way on this... Always check against the manual. Get the proper coil and validate the wiring/coils on ALL of the flippers. Inspect the coil stop now and let that be your guide to buy and install a flipper rebuild kit for $25.

There are so many fixes made by geniuses out there that "work" I'm never surprised at what I find next.

So should the coil have the rectifier diodes? That’s what I don’t see in the manual, appears they are on all coils.

Full disclosure, I replaced the flipper optos with new ones from Marco and then this flipper started acting up, probably unrelated but who knows. My machine has some creative wiring throughout, and I’m not wanting to do a complete tear down and correct it all at this time.

That era game does have the diodes on all the coils.

Replaced flipper optos - Did you replace the entire board mounted to the side of the cab or just the optos on the board? Was there a problem that drove you to change them?

Might not have much of a choice if things are not behaving well.

Only on flipper coils. Coils with three lugs.

No diodes on all the other coils with two lugs.

LTG : )

LOL, yes, Context is important.

Hi,
I just rebuilt my TZ, adjusted a lot of things but have a lingering problem. When a piano shot is made, sometimes, usually, the ball get stuck in the metal cup underneath. There was originally a washer on each side, closest to the opening to tilt the cup downward to prevent this I am guessing. I left them as is. This helped but also tilted the entrance to where a ball cannot get into the piano. I guess I could take the clock out so I could get to it and open up the opening leaving and entering the cup, but I'd rather not have to remove the clock. Any suggestions? I doubt if I'm the first one with this problem.
Thank you

I replaced the entire opto board on each side with a closer to stock solution. The boards that were in there when I got the game had the adjustable magnets and stage flipping setup which seemed to be causing some consistency issues.

Trying not to confuse 2 different issues here. WRT installing the correct Opto Flipper switch boards, did you confirm that the wiring wasn't modified for the alternate setup.

Aside -- I'm not sure I understand what you're describing here: Adjustable magnets?

Are you saying someone installed a 2 switch stack. So pushing in activates the lower first, then the upper?

GLM opto boards are plug and play replacements for the standard ones so no concerns there. Here’s the manual:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/glm-flipper-optos-manual-or-adjustment-guide-needed

Does anyone here have a need for a replacement backboard? I recently added the 86 Pixels interactive backboard to my game and do not have need of the original. Would come with the hooks that are on the back as well. In pretty decent shape. I had a decal on it for the majority of time that I've owned it, but have since removed it. Still pretty shiny and would make for a good replacement part. If anyone's interested shoot me a DM and make an offer!

d1c4f91d41e3833a208d4547a097868a5fa75769.jpg

01_flipper_wiring_colors.jpg02_flipper_wiring_colors.jpg03_flipper_wiring_colors.jpg

Swapped coil, flipper still sticking. Thinking it’s electronic not mechanical, there’s an audible buzzy sound before it drops. Thoughts?

Remove coil stop, slide coil off and leave hang. Top of coil stop concave or worn ? End of plunger have a sharp edge or mushroomed ? Is the pawl catching the end of the EOS blade ? If so rebuild it.

Does the flipper bat have a tiny bit of up and down play to prevent binding on the nylon bushing ?

LTG : )

Thanks LTG. Plunger looked good and I replaced coil stop since I was in there already. EOS is not catching with manual activation and I cleaned it again to be sure.

Doesn’t seem to be binding it has play up and down.

I just went into the flipper test menu and right flipper hold makes the buzz noise but doesn’t activate the flipper.........what would that indicate?

Have you looked at your flipper opto boards? Swap them and see if the problem follows. If it does you have found the problem.

The "hold" circuit is designed to hold the already raised flipper, as the "power" circuit raises the flipper. So if you manually raise the flipper does the "hold" test keep the flipper raised?

Does the flipper only stick and make that noise when playing a game, and not in test mode? If so then it's more than likely associated with the flipper opto boards, in which case switch the left and right boards as Mad_Dog_Coin_Op suggested to see if the issue follows the flipper board.

Ok I will try that next. Thanks everyone!

It sticks in game play, doesn’t quite raise in test mode as shown in the video.

I'm confused - did you replace the GLM flipper boards, or are the GLM boards what you used as the replacements? Note that the original and most after-market flipper boards are opto based (not magnet) and staging is standard on the B/W flipper boards.

But in test did you try raising the flipper with your finger to see if the "hold" power would grab the flipper and hold it up? As it is not designed to raise the flipper - please confirm that the hold circuit is actually working properly

Question for owners, when the backbox is folded down, what’s the height measurement of the thickest portion of the cabinet. Trying to see if i can squeeze into my SUV

29.5" - all the dimensions for pins are listed here and it's might even list your SUV (and what it can fit)

https://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Vehicles_for_Moving_Pinball_Machines

Removed the GLM. What do you mean by B/W?

It is not working properly, I am trying to troubleshoot that. Swapping the new boards I got from Marco the problem was still on the right lower flipper, slightly different in how it failed but still not right. I’m going to look at it tomorrow when I’m fresh......had a friend stop by and we played the working games and had a drink so all is well for now.

I had the same problem recently on my TOM which also has the GLM flipper boards (installed in 2010). I adjusted the two small round magnets so that the correct LED would like upon a slight flipper button press and then both LED's would light upon a full flipper button press.

On my TOM prior to readjusting the magnets it would occasionally leave one LED lit for several seconds even after releasing the flipper button and the flipper would stay stuck in the up position for several seconds. My TOM now works correctly again after adjusting the two small round magnets.

On some of the later GLM flipper boards that I purchased GLM replaced the two small round magnets with one larger rectangular magnet which is stronger and not as prone to shifting out of position. Anyway, that is just my experience with the GLM boards so your mileage may vary.

Gord

B/W = Bally/Williams WPC machines from the 90’s

So the video of the sticking flipper was with the GLM flipper boards that you have since removed and replaced with boards from Marco - right? Can you provide a link to which boards you are now using? And can you detail what the issue is with the new boards (or provide a video), as you have indicated that the issue is slightly different

Ah, appears to be Hall Effect based switches.

Hi,
Any suggestions on how to get the balls from hanging up in the piano. They go in but sit in there and do not roll out.

Just went through this

4 things

1 - make sure game is level
2 - switch arm tension / angle
3 - make sure switch doesn’t “click” with heavy tension
4 - make sure the metal entrance transitions to the subway without gapping

My issue involved the switch I replaced my switch and smooth sailing every since

Hope this helps

Anything broken off and stuck in there ?

Coil bracket loose and ball not sitting right to get kicked out ?

LTG : )

Thanks for answering. Which switch are you referring to? I'll check level and there is definitely a gap between the metal and the subway. Not sure how to address this. The balls set back away from the subway entrance. That is why I increased the washers which were there to two instead of one but it did not help. Ill post again after I try those suggestions.
Thanks

Nothing stuck in there. Here is the piece. The top side is the entrance from the piano and the bottom is entry into the subway. I cannot move the subway closer to remove the gap and to move this chute closer to the subway I'd have to move the holes over

IMG_0499 (resized).jpg

IMG_0500 (resized).jpg

Hi,
I removed the washers that were originally tilting the device. Checked my level from 5 to 6 degrees on the high side and reassembled with toothpicks in the screw holes and all seems to be working now. I'll see how it goes over the next few days. Thank you to all for the help.

Here's where I stand with the flipper issue (recap):

Had some issues with flipper power
Replaced the GLM opto boards with this part from Marco: https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/A-15894
Right lower flipper started sticking, shut game off for a couple weeks and just got back to it last night
Tried to replace coil sleeve and it was super tight, so I replaced coil and coil stop.
Flipper now sticking very consistently with a buzzing sound (video previously posted).
Flipper test showed flipper hold not working properly on lower right flipper (video previously posted)
swapped new flipper opto boards side to side, and right flipper now was fully actuated / stuck up when I started a game (switched off quickly)
Checked my opto installs, seemed correct
power on, now had no power or hold on right flipper
swapped opto boards side to side again, same issue no power to right flipper
replaced EOS, reflowed coil solder joints to be sure, finished rebuild since I was in there that deep
still no power to the right flipper

So seems like something was going bad and is now gone. I'm probably a little over my head on this one, but appreciate any suggestions anyone has at this point-

Post a pic of your installed flipper opto board and opto interrupter bracket - as the GLM board had a customised interrupter with a magnet and if you only replaced the board, I'm not sure what interrupter is being used or how it is working. I would have expected you needed to replace the whole lot with something like this https://www.pinballlife.com/fliptronics-1-flipper-opto-board-set.html

This is not correct - in the video you never raised the flipper manually (eg with your finger) to see if the hold circuit would keep the flipper raised. The flipper hold circuit is not designed to raised the flipper (that is the job of the flipper power circuit) - that fact that the flipper hold circuits on the other 3 flippers manage to raise the flipper itself is irrelevant.

Most likely you've blown fuse F904 - don't rely on a visual inspection, remove the fuse and test the connectivity with a DMM.

As to why the flipper activated when you started a game could several reasons - I'd suggest keeping the coin door open so that your 50V is disabled, such that you can go into switch test mode and verify your flipper switches are working correctly without damaging anything.

This switch

F86B9C8A-9182-499A-9FCB-C5095DA6BCBB (resized).jpeg

Great diagram ... think I've seen that before somewhere

Sorry I wasn’t clear, I did verify the flipper is completely dead in all tests as you suggested.

Fuse mentioned tests fine for continuity and looks normal.

I will check the switch tests soon, thank you for the assistance here-

9924F5B6-A22B-4936-9A03-9E91CA96C3CE (resized).jpeg

9BA3C4CF-0D87-4647-BB43-C99738A211D6 (resized).jpeg

Ok, yes, that switch seems ok. It could be adjusted to be less deep into the trough. Right now it is working but I want to investigate that switch more and see what it actually tells the cpu. Thanks

A classic useful tool to help
Others never goes out of Style

Use Flipper Test mode (T.12) to verify the flipper mechs are working
Use Switch Edge test (T.1) to verify the new flipper switches are working - watch the matrix display on the DMD as to how many switches are activated (you should get the lower power & lower hold as you partially press the flipper button, and then the upper power & upper hold as the button is fully depressed).

That's the switch that notifies the game you've shot the piano.

If you are shooting the piano and the ball is getting hung up in the subway, then check to see if the piano shot was recognised - if not then the ball has not had enough momentum to push the switch actuator wire down and is hung up on the wire. In this case check that the actuator wire isn't rubbing against the slot hole, or you may need to adjust the actuator wire to have a more gradual slope or sit slightly lower in the subway.

T.12 has no power or hold on lower right flipper

T1 tests the button press and EOS, not the coil power and hold, correct?
left flipper has 4 switches working (button lower, EOS lower, button upper, EOS upper)
right flipper has 3 switches working, right lower EOS not engaged as would be expected with no power to right lower coil.
Manually moving the lower right flipper will activate EOS properly.

Ok check that you have 50v at all 3 lugs on the flipper coil.

It all seems to be working now since I removed the washers which were in the mount and tightened everything up. The switch did get a small adjustment because it was just barely touching the slot hole. Thanks for the help.

I noticed that on occasion the upper right and sometimes upper left flippers would not activate. In test they were fine. Further investigation showed me there are actually two optos for each side and therefore one opto for each flipper. You just have to push the button in a little farther. Are many games like this? I would have thought there would have been just one opto per side which activated both. Is there a reason for this? Just curious.

On the flipper button opto board.The top ones are for lower flippers. The lower ones for upper flippers, lane changes, entering initials, etc.

If they have more than two lower flippers, yes.

Same as with mulitple leaf blade flipper button switches. Different duties. And players can trap balls and hold with one flipper and play with the others.

LTG : )

Thanks, Thats very interesting. I never realized that with my STTNG game which had three flippers.

Voltage show zeros on that coil for all three lugs. All other flipper coils test good and are at 50+

So you need to trace back why you don't have power at the flipper coil. The lower right coil is powered by the blue-yellow wire from J907-7 and fuse F904 - check the voltages at all all 4 fuses on the Fliptronics board (they should all be the same). If you have power on both sides of F904, then the issue is either the J907-7 connector or the wire to the coil has a break in it

TZ Flipper schematic (resized).jpg

Does anyone know if this yellow plastic for the lever handle is available for purchase somewhere? Mine is missing. Thanks!

82CA7B68-9763-4D6A-A8B9-84804AA27DD3 (resized).jpeg