Ok, so I've followed this guide trying the left flipper first and must have connected the wires wrong, because when I tried to flip, the solenoid fuse blew. I put in a breaker fuse to troubleshoot. I changed up the wires and am pretty sure it is wired correctly now, but nothing happens when I press the flipper button. Could I have blown a coil diode? That is what I will be checking next. I also need to replace the flipper shafts for longer ones because the old sterns don't reach the Williams flipper pawls. Can anyone provide a link to purchase the longer shafts for part number A-193?

Old Sterns didn't have driver transistors.

Order the old classic Bally flippers from Marco, that's what I had to do. I may, however, jump up to newer WPC flipper bats, as the old Bally bats were thicker than the old Sterns.

The right flipper still flips, fwiw.

Yeah, but hell... that would have been one hell of a relay miswiring. Or even one messed up relay.

A bad diode won't cause the flipper to *stop* activating at all. The flippers are wired before the fuse on the flayfield, so by 'blew the fuse', I'm assuming you mean the one on the rectifier board. Likely the high current fried/melted/burnt the cabinet switch. Check voltage at the flipper coil against a good working ground, and the ground against a good working voltage. Check the fuse on the playfield as well. (I mean, the voltage from the pre-terminal on the fuse, see if the fuse is even getting power.)

I think this was mentioned before, refresher I guess, sometimes new parts force a poor connection to show elsewhere and can blow fuses. I'm not familiar with the game your dealing with, the fuse that blew if it's before the bridge rectifier replace the connections for the secondary for solenoids as well as the power connectors going to the coils. Pins and connectors. If a higher amp fuse was replaced for the break from the secondary then that could take out other components like the rectifier, doesn't sound like that's the case if the other flipper is working.

IDC connectors were only good for 25 cycles, that was 25 to 35 years ago! some are due for replacement to clean up impossible to understand issues like what you describe.

Reason number 169 to follow this guide and change the linear flippers back to the "old" style...

Linear flipper rebuild kit - 62$, vs 25$.

Boom!

Has nothing to do with this, a new EOS switch will force poor connectors in need of replacement to surface.

Oh, no sweat! I just got a chuckle out of how hacked up the wiring would have to be to have a relay blow a transistor. (I know, crazier things have happened.. especially with operators hacking games just to keep them in-service..!)

The coil seems fine and appears to be getting power. The underplayfield fuae is working. What should I check next?

Will upgrading classic Bally flippers affect tap-passing?

Cabinet switch.

How would I go about this?

Same way you check every other switch. Check continuity between the two leafs, and then check that IT'S getting voltage (or ground; I can't recall at the moment and I don't have manual in front of me).

Shit, you mean the cabinet flipper switch! I was thinking you meant the cabinet power switch! Hahaha, I feel like an ass.

I just picked up a Raven, and I was wondering if the same flipper rebuild basics applied to Gottlieb as well?

I've got a chattery left flipper on my fire. I rebuilt everything on the flippers about 300 plays ago. Not sure what my issue is here. I gapped the EOS to make sure it wasn't too close at the end of the stroke, but not sure what else to try.

Also, if I press the button and manually hold the flipper up, then slowly let go, the flipper falls until the EOS make contact again then it fires right back up. Is there an issue with the coil in the part that is supposed to hold the flipper up?

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Yes - this means that the HOLD coil is dead, or a wire from the coil wire is broken. A new coil would fix the problem, or check the small red wires to the terminals and see if one is broken.

That's what I thought. Thanks!

OK Vid finally done switching my FG linears out after having a devil of a time. They're snappy alright, but now when now when the flipper is hit in the up position, they get pushed down a bit. Hmm...maybe they always did that, been playing too much GB lately. I'll check out another FG tonight

I just rebuilt my flippers about 4 months ago, and the other night while in the middle a epic game the 5 amp fuse blew on the flipper board (this is a Williams system 7 laser cue) shut it down and replaced the fuse, turned it on and started a game and it blew as soon as I hit the flippers! Traced it down to the diode on the upper left flipper coil. This is a brand new coil, why or what would cause this to happen? I replaced the diode and everything seems fine now, but I just think it shouldn't have gone out when it's only 4 months old!

Good to know! I guess the fuse did it's job! This is the first diode I have had blow, but I am fairly new to this hobby! Thanks for the fast reply!

So it is diff'rent...they do get pushed down a bit. And the flipper bat is cranked down tight as hell so its confusing me

It's the paw. Does it happen when you dead bounce too? I noticed on my EBD linears, that the circle part of the paw that has the Allen screws in it was twisting a tad when force was applied. No way to fix that IMO except to weld it to the rest of the paw better, or get a new paw. I bought a new paw and it was nice and tight there. No slippage. Hopefully that helps narrow down your problem if I understand it correctly.

Hmm I don't think so but I'll have to check. I'll crank it down harder and try...it should work fine as I followed vids guide here.

That's the thing. There is no way that tightening the Allen screws will fix it. I'll try and take a picture to illustrate better.

There are two metal pieces to the paw. The plate that had the nylon arm that connects with the plunger, and the cylinder that sits on the plate that the flipper bat goes through and has the Allen screws in it to tighten the flipper bat.

What happened on mine was the cylinder was no securely welded to the plate, so it would turn ever so slightly when the flipper was up or down and was struck with the ball. Like I said, I couldn't fix it, just bought a new paw that didn't have a loose cylinder.

Sorry I'm terrible at explaining things sometimes. See if you can turn that cylinder piece at all with your fingers, or better yet, with the playfield up, start a game, hold the flipper up, and push on the flipper with your finger and see what is moving under the playfield to allow that little drop you're experiencing.

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Ahh...I appreciate you taking the time Chuck, but I have switched out my linear flippers to the ones Vid describes in this thread.
They didn't move at all when I had Linears in

Haha. Welp I guess I need to learn to read better. Haha.

You can never put a man down for rushing to help another; thanks!

On a few of the heavily routed games I received the Op had installed double diodes on the flipper coils, I guess to give it some redundancy?

I think other have seen this too... or the route tech was too lazy to remove the diode and just stuck another one on?

I was wondering if this was a practice to "harden" a game for location play?

I see after reading some threads that a poor hold can also come from the coil stops...since they were both reaplced it's a possibility

It's actually sort-of surprising that diodes do fail open as often as they do, but.... yes, they do, and even on low-stress circuits (like on the switch matrix.)

What does it mean when a flipper suddenly stops working and measures 310 ohms across the outer lugs? (Bally SS)

Quick question, on a stern SAM machine what causes a flipper to be easily " knocked down " by another ball from its raised position? I've seen it on Iron Man when an obviously very fast ball from war machine hits the right flipper down, and on my newly aquired Xmen. Eos gap looks fine. Both machines do not have weak flippers, but they can be knocked down. The upper flipper on Xmen can be knocked down ( not that you would be cradling there ) and that doesn't even have an EOS so how does that work?

Hello Vid1900 - I have a original Black Knight and the flippers are weak. I just cleaned the coil selves and installed new eos switches and the power still seems weak. I checked the gap on the switch and I believe I have it adjusted correctly but still weak flippers. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

BTW it is entirely possible (the mechs fit) to retrofit the Williams plates on an Apollo 13 (using the Sega coils) and it makes a VERY material difference in playability. I recommend this -- highly.

Can you explain further please? How would that affect the hold strength?

Good explanation vid, thanks.