Check for binding - you may not have left any space between the flipper bats and the bushings.

And also read the link to vid's guide which will be posted about 3 times shortly.

There's a relay in there that feeds power to the flippers. Find that feed contact(s) and clean it up.

A good test is to jump the switch lugs together (without shorting anything out) and see if power is restored. If yes, that contact needs attention.

I'm not going to say this is completely wrong because I haven't worked on every game made, but every game I've ever worked on does not have a relay involved in the flippers. You've got the flipper buttons and the EOS switch. Now, if you want to talk about switches that allow or deny power to the playfield overall, then yes. But something like that would cause poor coil performance everywhere.

Something is bound up or the coils have been miswired, or something else involved in the rebuild. The rule always is, if something worked, you messed with it, and now it doesn't, the first place to look is what you messed withflipal1 (resized).jpg

Bally flippers of that era just aren't that strong. How weak are we talking here? Is the game too steep? Maybe it's time to go Hi-Tap - always adds a little juice to EM flippers and slings.

Put it on high tap and reduce the slope a little and you may get the results you want.

No. Just play with it. If the ball seems super heavy it's probably too steep for an EM. I've never used a bubble for slope in my life just go with feel. If it's super floaty, it's already not steep so don't mess with it. On a Bally EM of that era I'd probably set the rear levelers about 1/2-2/3rds of the way out (3 inch levelers).

Hi Tap: move the 24 volts wire over to the hi-tap tab on the Xformer:

http://www.pinrepair.com/em/index3.htm#perform

High-Tap.
All the manufacturers have a transformer setting for locations with "low line voltage". Low line voltage happens most often in the summer when your game is plugged into a power line that shares an air conditioner.

The high-tap transformer setting will bump up the solenoid voltages (only, does not affect light voltages) about 2 or 3 volts. This gives your pop bumpers, kickers, and flippers a bit of extra power. Not a ton, but just a bit. Don't worry, you won't burn out coils with this setting. I set most of my EM games to high-tap and it gives them just a bit more punch. But again, it's personal preference and what you like.

High-tap does NOT effect the lights. High-tap ONLY effects the solenoid voltages. The 6 volts used for the bulbs aren't effected. They use a separate winding on the transformer. Well, this isn't completely true. If your Gottlieb game has a light feature like "Last Ball In Play", high-tap could roast that particular bulb (only). This happens because some feature lights run off the 30 volt solenoid voltage and use a 75 ohm 10 watt resistor to knock the 30 volt current down for 6 volt lamps. If you go to high-tap, you may need to increase this resistor to 125 ohms. Otherwise those select bulbs (only) will burn too hot. These lamps can be easily seen on Gottlieb schematics. All the normal 6 volt lamps will be on the upper left corner. If a lamp is shown on the shematics in the same section as coils and relays, then there will be a drop-down resistor to limit its lamp current.

In theory, the game should have all 4 leveler legs bottomed out, no added pitch. This provides the built in pitch (3.5 degrees I believe). But most people don't like a game that floaty. I certainly don't.

If they are the original coils (not replaced with new ones) then, they could be tired and need new ones. Not sure about using a slightly different winding combination for a bit more power.

My Champ (similar messenger ball game) was very weak and you could only hit the special target when freshly waxed. I ended up replacing that link-less style flipper with the later design like used in Solid State era (and later model EMs) with excellent results.

In fact, after doing the upgrade, I found it necessary to install an alternator relay to alternate the two special targets to make it a bit harder for skilled players (game was operated in the field).

Make sure the return springs are not too tight. Just enough to bring the flipper back to starting position (with playfield down) is enough. Any more than that, and the coil is (unnecessarily) fighting the resistance of the spring.

I am pretty sure this style flipper assembly uses the cone compression springs, not torsion wind up springs. Not really adjustable other than to start hacking off loops - which I don't recommend!!!

Correct, not an issue on a Bally. I do sometimes reposition them on Gottlieb EMs as the return springs offer way too much resistance.

Huh--saw no mention of a Bally.

It's linked but your are right should be in the title. This is a Bally Flicker

I really like Yellow-Dot coils for a Gottlieb, not sure a suitable equivalent is available for Bally. I have never removed wire from a coil for better performance (described at Pinrepair) but it looks easy.

I don't think it's a good idea to try that on a flipper coil.

Isn't that what a Yellow-Dot is? A stock coil with wiring removed?

No, actually, a Yellow Dot Gottlieb coil is nothing more than a coil wound to the Williams EM flipper recipe. Not sure what an orange dot one is but its probably even fewer windings than the yellow dot. Either that, or a larger wire gauge for the kick winding.

Its all about the kick winding (thicker wire, smaller wire gauge number).

Looking at the original Bally Catalog, Flicker was populated with A25-600 / 28-800 coils. Looking at what The Pinball Resource has to offer, I only see weaker coils, not stronger ones.

The orange dots are more powerful than a standard coil, less powerful than a yellow dot So they're in between in terms of resistance. I don't know if they did that with less windings or a larger wire gauge, but I suspect bigger gauge because if you just took the windings off a standard coil, its resistance is already really low.

For the advice above, you can't unwind turns off a flipper coil. It has two separate windings in it. This isn't aimed at you, Jack, but at the advice someone else gave above.

Thanks, I knew the orange dot Gottlieb was created I only assumed it was stonger than a yellow dot. Which certainly are too strong IMO.

And you are also correct that someone is not going to be able to "tune" a premade flipper coil since just about every one has the hold winding (thinner wires) on the outside with the kick winding being against the bobbin. Taking turns off the hold winding isn't going to change the strength.

There are very old Bally coils that were "stacked" with a divider between the two ends forming two separate bobbins to wind the coils on.

There is another alternative which proves to be almost too strong without opening the EOS very large. And that is to use a standard solid state DC flipper coil. These 6 amp, 800 volt flat leaded bridges (KBL608) from China run about $0.50 each in 10 or more quantity. They make it very easy to attach the wires and straddle the outside coil lugs. Here is a photo of a pop bumper but the same applies to a flipper coil. Except with a DC flipper coil, there are diodes installed so you need to make sure the + of the bridge goes to the outside lug with the stripe on the diode (cathode). Plus, with 50vdc flipper coils, there are a few strength choices.

IMG_20170401_102639514 (resized).jpg

If you didn't review it already, try checking out my post in Vid's thread. Here is a link.

This is for the Bally Bon Voyage, which of similar vintage AND it also has the captive ball that you have to push up to the target. So the situation is very similar. I got this working the way I thought it should as described here. One of the keys is "loading up the tension" on that EOS switch while the flipper is in the down position.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-upgradingrebuilding-flippers/page/26#post-3003646