7/28

T2… Flasher locked on and burning out due to a TIP 102 being shorted at Q40

8.jpg

Bad Q40

10.jpg

Bad Q40 removed from board

14.jpg

Checking holes and not too bad considering this was done in the dark with terrible equipment.

15.jpg

New Tip102 installed

WPT…Upper right flipper stuck

1.jpg

Can you see the cause?

2.jpg

Note the improper parts as well

Williams Plunger and link assembly. Modern pawl and older style link (Tapered)

As you can see from my post I did notice it

I also check over every part when I have to lift a playfield

However I am not the only tech at Modern and within the four days that I am not there
Many many things change and usually for the worse

In my case I would have to check every assembly on 30 machines every time I return to Modern ands every time that I did I would see something Completely wrong.

Maybe this was the first post that you have read about what failed at Modern?

7/29

KISS Stern ..Installed Cliffy Protector

1.jpg

Avengers …Drop Targets wouldn't register due to Opto board connector coming loose.

Paragon… Top Left Pop Bumper not activating due to bad switch adjustment

AC/DC…Weak flippers due to dirty pawls and links.

WH2O topper…….. Bulbs all burned out due to some genius deciding to install Blue leds and when they burned out replaced some with 555 bulbs which not only fried but also melted some of the lamp sockets. The led bodies were completely burned up which left the LED leads exposed. How a fire didn't start is amazing. On two sockets the 555 bulbs are now entombed in melted socket plastic.

On the WH20 Topper only 194 bulbs are to be used. If you claim to be a Pinball tech shouldn't you know this?

Im restoring a T2 for a client no time for play for me!

Steve is and has been aware of this but………………………….

I thank you and Punchy thanks you!

8/4

Bally Kiss …Spinner not registering due to too wide of a switch gap.

1.jpg

SM …Points registering with flipper actuation. Due to Opto board connector backing out.

2.jpg

DM …. Sound out …due to Blown Fuse on sound board.

3.jpg

8/5

Really good day as only one small issue.

TOM… A few solenoids out due to fuse F105 Blowing due to a pinbits ball trough sleeve breaking and jamming the ball eject coil.

No pics as I left the camera at Modern Ugh FAILURE!

8/6

Very busy with machines down and more importantly "League Machines" and to end the night with one of the more bizarre "repairs" I have yet seen in a machine.

Monopoly…. Right flippers due to Right flipper button breaking apart.

1.jpg2.jpg

VKD…..Weak and sometimes dead flipper or flutter. Checked over the EOS switch, Plunger Link assembly, Coil, Coil wires and all seemed ok

Ground to coil test ok. Everything appeared ok but worn so decided to just replace the coil and clean the plunger link assembly clean and adjust the Eos switch. With all of that done the issue remained. For some reason I didn't think it was a transistor issue so I checked the right flipper fuse and indeed the filament was broken within but couldn't be seen. when shaken it would make contact. Replaced the fuse and all was well.

5.jpg

3.jpg

Transfomers …..Broken slingshot ring. Many parts to remove and two connectors to be disconnected to replace a simple rubber

15.jpg

Ill finish 8/6 on the next post as I have to show pics!!!!!

PZ… Ball wouldn't kick out of out hole. This came up shortly before I was leaving to go home and upon a quick search for the cause I came upon this.

I opened the back box and !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The cpu board was mounted wrapped in Bubble Wrap and hanging by only the ribbon cables and other wire connectors!!!!!!!!!!!!

Give that Tech a raise please…………………………

But maybe they had something there as I decided to mount the board correctly by removing the bubble wrap and securing it with screws where and how it should be mounted and with the grounding points attached.

After doing so the machine was in a locked up state with the dmd showing nothing but scattered frozen dots?

What the hell mount the board and grounding it causes a lockup and a dead CPU?

Nothing else but the board and mounting points were touching. Nothing on the back of the board was making contact with the back box metal plate.

I was on my way out the door anyway so I mounted the board back with zip ties making sure that the CPU did not get grounded to any points ( I stuffed the bubble wrap back behind the board) and the damn machine came back to life? I figured Ill let the other tech deal with the problem of the out hole as they probably caused this issue with this crazy board installation…

I was out of there tired of dealing with the nonsense. But why should this Happen and what kind of weird after market board is this and when was it brought in as it was not there last week?

I think Ill make a call to two bits and get the lowdown.6.jpg7.jpg8.jpg9.jpg10.jpg11.jpg13.jpg14.jpg

Too busy for Pics

BR upper playfield VUK switch due to?????? still working on that as all appears fine but after first correct sequence it will not activate unless

Restoring factory settings is initiated then the switch and sequence works fine again for about 10 games? Possible chip issue without diagnostic tools.

T2…... Broken Flipper rubber

BSD….. Left flipper weak due to link and plunger wear.

WH20… False multiballs due to a stuck switch.

PZ was working when I arrived at Modern I decided not to look at the machine and leave the hack with the other Tech as its his hack and he has the machine working. Its better to just stay out of it. I guess we will never learn the theory of the Bubble wrap Hack.

I have also decided that if there is a Hack based issue with a machine I am no longer going to repair it I will leave it up to the one who did the Hack in the first place.

Repairing machines that go down due to use is one thing Repairing machines due to others Hacks and misguided attempted repairs is another.. Am I wrong?

8/12

TSPP.. Color DMD out due to faulty ribbon connector . After the Color DMD was finally repaired upon power up and a few seconds into gameplay the machine would reset.

First thing was to check the connectors (Simple stuff first)but then it was noticed that the Itchy Drop targets would not reset.

In coil test they would not reset.

Checked the fuses while the translight was out for the connector check.

Fuses were pulled and tested good.

lifted the playfield and had a visual on the Drop target coil and sure enough a wire had come off of a coil lug and was also touching the drop target frame.

So the disconnected wire not only caused the Drop targets not to reset but also caused the game reset issue.

No pics place was to crowded.

ST pro … Left slingshot Rubber

8/13

T2…. left flipper needed a complete rebuild as plunger,link,pawl,coil stop and sleeve were worn.

Dr Dude…... right flipper due to compression spring breaking due to most probably an incorrect prior repair where as a new style plunger was used.

I didn't take pics but below are pics from My T2 restore series showing how and old style plunger sits within the compression spring.

10.jpg

Above an old style plunger note the tapered link. Below a modern link without the taper.

11.jpg

Clear view of the taper

12.jpg

Here you see how the tapered link sits within the expanded spring.

14.jpg

Here you can see how it works in the mech and you will understand how a modern un-tapered link can help to cause the spring to get caught in the mechanism and break.

Yes I changed over to the new style and have pics of doing so on my T2 restoration thread.

This is one instance where text would have been good along with the pics .

I Always convert to the new style unless the client wants to maintain originality.

So far no original takers as function outweighs the form.

In the example above I had to break apart a Stern pawl /link assembly to repair the Dr Dude as Modern does not have the tapered links but did have one that wasn't used from a Stern assembly.

8/18

T2 ..Canon due to coil wire disconnecting from coil lug

Mustang …Two separate opto switches due to loose connecters at Optp boards

WPT…Continuous ball ejects from trough due to loose ball trough opto connecter

PZ… left flipper due to wire disconnecting from coil lug

BR …Broken down for moving in exchange for BK

BK… Set up

8/19

BK …Weak right flipper due to improper EOS adjustment.

T2…Outhole Kicker due to coil wire disconnecting from coil Lug.

8/20

Metalica .. Left flipper due to coil stop base thread stripping. Once again probable cause was coil spring washer on coil stop side.

1.jpg

One odd thing was that both flipper coils had windings beginning to unwind!

2.jpg

3.jpg

There were also three more repairs on other machines but Im getting senile and can't remember what they were. It was two days ago.

Not sure how to answer this question. If the floor worker was a tech then there shouldn't be a problem if they were not a tech but just watching over the arcade I can understand the Zombie look in the eyes.

As for Modern all players simply walk over to either myself on the days Im there or the other "tech" on the days he is there and tell us what
problem they have just encountered and on what machine. We then take it from there as usually a player is not a tech and what they are describing is not what is happening or is the result of another problem.

In our situation we try to correct the problem ASAP so the that the customer can play the game they wanted to.

As for other places I would just assume that there are no around the clock techs on hand just Ticket or admissions takers.

Therefore I would expect a machine with a problem not being corrected right away.

8/25

Dr Dude…….. Right Flipper due to EOS switch going out of adjustment. Un level Rear adjusters full out Front adjusters legs full in.

Transformers… Once again in just over a week the left slingshot rubber broke.

T2…. Insert Lamp issues. Still diagnosing.

AC/DC …un level Rear adjusters full out Front adjusters legs full in. UGH

Was left a message that the Party Zone CPU board was in the back and that it should have U20 replaced and socketed and that the socket will be brought in on Thurs. WHo made the decision that U20 was causing some issue? There is a board in PZ now where did this board come from? OK I hate doing this type of work at Modern as they are not set up for it in the least. Its like trying to chop down the forrest with a Herring!
Anyway I decided to try to do the work there as I repaired all that was down in just 1 hr and had 3 1/2 hrs to go. I also changed out a poorly installed remote battery holder that someone had installed in the past.

All work was done under the light of a flashlight just too start.

Here the 2803 has been removed but there is nothing to clean off the flux or to really clean the holes better.

1.jpg

I cut the chips from the legs first then remove the legs however the XCellite cutters that are supposed to be used for this work were used to cut hanger wire from a clothes hanger to use for mounting a sign so they don't cut any more as the tips are broken off. This was the best I could do with the ruled down broken tip Xcellite

2.jpg

Here i am using the flashlight from behind the board to view the traces better to test continuity making sure that no trace or via has been compromised.

3.jpg

Reworked the Remote battery Holder.Too bad we don't have connectors as I would have used them in order to remove the board from the back box easier in the future. Green and Black wires were used as thats what we have on hand. Take note that the work room area is lit with a flashlight.

4.jpg

I always use the unused battery holder pads as strain relief for the battery holder wires.

1.jpg

8/26

The U 20 socket came in so I installed it.

Again doing the work under the light of a flashlight!
1.jpg

Besides that just a few stuck balls in machines .

8/27

DM… Left Flipper was drooping low…Due to pawl being worn as well as the entire assembly being dirty with a really crusted sleeve.

All parts were replaced.

While lifting the Playfield to work on the Left flipper I was greeted with this!

3.jpg2.jpg

POP bumper assembly bracket broke at the coil stop end with no replacements on hand.

Note the shoddy weld repair that someone had done probably years ago on the VUK/ subway assembly.

Aside of the DM issues nothing else failed just more stuck balls for players in the league.

Have been too busy to post so I will try to remember what was done on the last three days of missed posts.

9/1 9/2 9/3

PZ….. left flipper due to wire coming off of EOS switch

WH20 … Left flipper to low due to Pawl nut coming loose

Updated Kiss software to 1.04

TSPP ….One string of insert controlled lights stuck on due to Transistor and its related resistors shorting and burning.

T2 …..Drop target due to heres the days puzzle.Can you see the cause in the pic?

1.jpg

Transformers LE…I was given a note to replace the three transistors on the PC board left on the table. I tested the transistors and they appeared to be fine but went ahead and replaced them with the transistors supplied with the board.
4.jpg5.jpg6.jpg7.jpg

I installed the board and there was an issue with the ball trough not kicking a ball into the shooter lane and assumed the other tech felt it was this board issue. Upon closer examination a wire had come out of an opto connector.
8.jpg
Once reinstalled the game was back to working.

DM…Shooter lane not working due to switch actuator stuck under playfield.

Numerous other failures that I can't remember.

Numerous stuck balls and lamps that had gone out.

One new development at Modern is the fact that the other "Tech" will be gone for 2 months maybe more and will be replaced by the tech that worked at the Broadway Arcade. Never being at the Bway Arcade I don't know the condition of the machines that were there. Lets see how this pans out.

Nice attempt but not correct!

in your defense the pic is bad due to the flash it gives the illusion of coil separation.

Anyone else care to guess?

BINGO Nice job,

The switch actuator was caught above the drop target reset arm. It was then holding the drop target in the up position.

Quickest fix was to remove switch bracket which is held with two screws and reset the actuator arm to its proper position.

9/8

TSPP …Lamp Row locked on due to a shorted U17 not sure yet about U17 but R268 is toast. Will replace U17 and the related transistors they are on order.

R268 burned up.
2.jpg

U17 and R268 removed
5.jpg

Checking for cleared holes with background light before testing for pad,trace and via continuity.
3.jpg

The Avengers…Loki lock not locking balls due to broken return spring.
1.jpg

9/9

TSPP ….Plunger due to spring retaining circlip/Eclip breaking and causing the spring to fly off!

After almost two years finally had time to organize the supply closet!

9/10

Here is a written list of failures that I am presented with upon arrival .
The underlined are to be repaired within an hour as they are league machines.
There are of course things that were not on the list as they came up after.
The list is a new feature and one that I like as nothing gets missed.

1.jpg

VND… Weak flippers due to a few reasons. Mostly EOS problems because of incorrect pawls or EOS switches themselves

Williams pawl in a Data East machine on the left side flipper. On the right side flipper was Williams EOS switch that was too long.

2.jpg

3.jpg

T2… Insert lamps in front of targets out due to wire fraying within IDC connector and backing out of "V" in the connector

Not sure if you can make it out but its the yellow wire in top slot.

4.jpg

SM…. Left inlane switch not registering due to its actuator being below the playfield due to it getting caught up on the let flipper coil power wires.

Solution was to zip tie the wires back and away from the switch slot in the playfield.

5.jpg
6.jpg