So, I haven't found anything too solid on this - some ideas here and there - but what I was wondering is what the best LED setup for a person who doesn't want the machine to *look* like LEDs would be...?

I like keeping my TZ stock. I don't have any toys or stuff glued anywhere, no blades or backboard, and I like the original look of the incandescent bulbs. I'm not entirely convinced I'd go LED, but there is a part of me that's interested in reducing the machine's power consumption and heat, while also not having to worry about replacing hard-to-access bulbs (or really any bulbs) again.

If I go this route, I'd be getting an LED-OCD and a GI-OCD and likely do it during my upcoming playfield swap.

Like, I know how to make it look like it obviously DOES have LEDs and how to make it look bright and intense and the way I don't want it to look -- but if I'm going for the stock look, what are some good options and things to avoid? I'd likely go with Comet LEDs, warm white - mayyyybe some sunlight in the backbox since my translite is already coming across fairly yellow/warm with the incandescents (I've put some GE 545 blinkers in the backbox and they aren't *quite* as yellow as the Eiko #555 bulbs, so that's what gave me that idea).

Is it best to just throw warm white pretty much everywhere if I want a stock look? Frosted? Should I be color matching some of the inserts/door panels or the piano/gumball/spiral rubbered lights for the best look? If I go LED, I ultimately want it to look pretty much like a stock machine with standard bulbs, so no cool-white or purple/blue/color-change anywhere.

Mostly, I'm hoping that someone has done this and has some tips or even some photos. I've seen a lot of photos of LED'd TZ machines, but not too many showing the natural look, and fewer still showing what a person went through to acheive it. Worst case scenario, I'm also perfectly fine leaving it incandescent unless it can be made to look really close - I'm already rebuilding a lot of the wear-parts and mechs, so my wallet wouldn't mind that option either.

Yeah not actual flashers, they’re #545 bulbs: self-blinking bulbs shaped just like regular #555 bulbs. As they warm up, they twinkle off and on - electrically, if you don’t miss the blinking effect or care, you’re okay just using standard #555 bulbs in the black sockets, too.

There are some led replacements that self-blink - and now (for the first time in forever) there’s one liquidator on eBay who’s selling original ones in both 10 and 100-packs. I think pinball life also sells incandescent ones for around $1.50-$2.00 / bulb also.

Flashers won’t work correctly there, though. Stick with either regular bulbs or blinkers.

Do you have any kind of pic of what the clear-dome lights look like installed and lit? I was trying to see in that video, but wasn't really catching it much. Also, you don't notice those clear-dome to be too harsh or directional and less diffused than even a clear incandescent?

Everything looks great there, and yeah the LED-OCD is definitely a must-have. I wouldn't even be considering this otherwise.

Yeah, I'm not completely opposed to using frosted for visible bulbs.. might be preferable to the feeling of having laserpointers hitting me from under the inlane-guides and slings or the pop bumpers haha.

And really as for color matching, when I think about it almost every insert is white, orange and yellow anyways which cuts down on that. Aside from six or seven red inserts, all of them should be white bulbs as it is.

Do either of you have any photos showing how it turned out?

Yeah true, I’d been meaning more a general photo of the game lit but I get what you mean - you’re right, if it’s doing it’s job at looking like incandescent it’ll just look like a photo of a pinball machine. That video I got in a reply post helped clear up a lot though, showing it’s not as directional and spotlight-y like it had been a few years back. I figure it’s about even now, tough to tell the difference which is good.

A few years back I wouldn’t have even considered LEDs since the look was cold and everyone was accenting colors everywhere and it was awful. Now it’s pretty much identical to original, if a guy wants it to be.

Basically I’ll grab a dozen or so of both warm and sunlight and a couple other one-offs and just pop em in around the game and see for myself, since yeah that’s really the only way to actually know.

Hey, I have a question: what’s the best way to remove the original decal from the clock face?

I have a replacement decal I’d bought a while ago, and just replaced the clock board with Ingo’s board and during that process, I noticed that the original decal had seen better days.

Freeze spray? Scraping it off with a plastic blade? Or just peeling it off and Goo-Gone’ing the glue that’s left over.. ? I was gonna just give it a go with the third option but thought I’d check in here first just to see.

That's the front lens that seals the clock up, rather than the face where the decal is placed. The face that the decal is on has a notch on each side for the optos and four standoffs/spacers, one on each corner. I honestly haven't seen anyone really offering the face for sale for a while.

Oh I’m sure I could hunt one down somehow if need be, but mine looks fine aside from just the decal itself..

I was just curious about others’ experience with the best way to remove the existing decal/glue from the part while minimizing any potential damage to the clear plastic itself, and then just redecaling.

I have a couple questions about fasteners sizes/types/etc, and hope someone knows the answers..

First, what fastener/config is used to attach the right ramp to the powerfield? This is right after the bridge diverter as the wireform leads onto the mini-of. Mine just has the hole but nothing there to hold it, so not sure of screw size/type/length, and what’s on the underside also.

Also, what screw size and length are those mini Philips screws that attach ramp flaps to the main playfield?

Yeah that’s one I can’t track down in the manual - doesnt seem to list in either the handbook, manual, or grey parts catalog.

I’m also curious if it has an integrated star/lock washer in the fastener, too..

Have you also tried just a standard incandescent #555 bulb to test if that lights at all?

Is there anything to look for on the skill-shot scoop that might make a person want to replace it? Say, if my welds are undamaged, there’s no reason to upgrade it, is there?

Reason being, I’m going to do an order from Mantis and figured if this is something to look into I might as well add it and only pay shipping once.

I can’t see that this scoop would take much damage generally, so figured I’d check if this is something preventative to get, or only needed if the original is trashed.

Yeah that’s kinda what I was figuring. I’m looking to start on a full restoration in the near future so it’s parts-buying time. And shipping to Canada is way too expensive, so you kinda want to get everything ordered right the first time.

Just wanted to make sure there wasn’t some weak point on that scoop that I’d totally missed hearing about.

Nope, definitely was asking about the skill shot - Mantis makes both. That’s kinda what had me guessing, I know the damage the slot can take so I understand a stronger slot scoop, I just wondered if I’d missed some sort of common knowledge about the other one failing in some way too.

The fact that a replacement is available at all mostly had me wondering if my skill scoop had its days numbered, even though it’s currently fine.

I’ll take it off and give it an inspection, but looks like I’m probably fine not ordering this. I honestly can’t see how a person *could* break that scoop.

Was it happening before the pf protector? I could see the ball potentially skipping as it hits the edge of it coming out of the rocket and getting some air. Or that the ball is being held up too high because of the protector and now the kicker hits the ball lower-down and launches it airborne.

Does it do it when it’s aimed differently? Say, when you aim it all the way left and test it at a handful of points ending at the extreme right aiming, is there a point where airballs begin or does it happen through the full range from left to right?

The replacement definitely has a clearcoat on it. Unless he made it himself somehow

Never had that happen on mine no matter how it’s been adjusted. I do think that the pf protector is adding enough height that it’s hitting down low and almost “flicking” the ball airborne a bit, or the ball is skipping if it’s hitting the edge of the protector. Either that or the kicker mech is loose underneath somehow and the slop is introducing some weird angle..

Otherwise, it’s the same mechanism as the auto-plunger, and the auto plunger never air-balls either.

You’re looking for part# 02-4837 and a couple 1/8” e-clips for it. Marco and a few others (I think?) have it for a buck or two.

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/02-4837

http://www.actionpinball.com/parts.php?item=02-4837

Hopefully you’re lucky enough to still need to order something from a place that has it.

But if you’re otherwise going to get hit with $15 shipping on a $1.50 part, let me know - I might have ordered a spare and if I’m right about that, I could drop it in the mail for you. I’m all too familiar with the horrible USA>Canada shipping rates (which is probably why I bought a spare haha).

The e-clips are just standard 1/8” ones you can get at any hardware store. Nothing special about those, thankfully.

I know I at least have my original hinge pin, and I think also a new unused one. There wasn’t anything wrong with my original aside from a bit of wear, but I ordered a new one along with the new diverter since I figured I might as well replace everything at once. I’m almost positive I ordered a couple of them and I can’t see myself needing a second new spare any time soon though.

I’ll take a look probably tonight and see what’s there. Only reason I say “probably tonight” is we’re getting a new puppy today so I imagine I should have a chance to look, but we’ll see what the new puppy decides

Take a look at the “Bally Grey Parts Manual” on Planetary Pinball, and/or also I think the Service Bulletin Update for TZ (on ipdb?) - it has the missing illustration/parts list for the diverter listed in it that wasn’t in the manual to make sure you have everything else.

I dropped the hinge pin in the mail today and made it before the mail pickup cutoff, so hopefully it doesn’t take 9 days to get an envelope from Saskatchewan to Ontario! I think they estimated 4 business days so it should make it in plenty of time.