Could you take a direct overhead picture of each disk for me for color and design? You're the only one that I've ever seen have NOS decals.

Is there some sort of rubber spray out there or something which will add some adhesion to the decals without impacting on their look?

Nothing that will last. I'm trying to make a permanent solution that's colored and sized correctly and completely washable. There are no crevices where dirt can stick. Using a similar, but thinner material, I can probably recreate the other targets as well that will never wear out.

That would be spiffy!

Given the part numbers I assume these were all made by Sun Process and if they patented a "grippy" material, it makes sense that they would call it Sun Grip. Even the drop target decals have some texture.

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I predict Spooky Pinball will be making some sort of a Whirlwind remake.

are these "sun grip" decals still available anywhere?

Finally just hit my first mega door bonus after 1 full month of ownership, then this...

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Bummer.

By Cracky!

so where did you get these?

Just picked up a really bad project whirlwind, made a thread for it if anyone wants to follow along: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/whirlwind-back-from-the-depths-

Does anyone have a source for new ramp flaps? my ramps don't look too bad but the flaps are rusty.

Anyone know what's up with this right spinner? pasted_image (resized).png

Also, long shot, but does anyone have a spare side ramp habitrail sitting around? Would rather not go to the expense of having this one rechromed. Or has anyone powdercoated theirs and have some pics of how it looks in another color?

Happy to finally join the club!

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I rejoined the club today!

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sos pad and some elbow grease will make it look like new.

I just bought some hope these help?

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Guys, about to shop ww

Two things:

1. I’ve read (and had experience) with these posts snapping due to lock tite. Are all posts easily available if they do snap?

2. How does one heat up a post in order to loosen lock tite? Soldier iron touching the center of tnut under pf that post is screwed into?

When I restored mine, I had no problems. As best I could tell, I was the first to fully strip it down and there were no signs of thread lock as I recall.

No issues at all with locktite on mine. But then again, all posts are readily available anyways.

If I do run into issues, what’s the procedure for heating them?

I like using a soldering gun like this one for heating up the posts to loosen lock-tite. Under the PF, right in the middle of the T-nut. Usually there is a little bit of post threads sticking out down there. Heat those threads and the middle of the T-nut up until you see a touch of smoke and smell the lock-tite a little. It doesn't take long with a 160 to 200 watt soldering gun. The post will then walk right out of there like it has never-seize on it.

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Happy to join the club after pickup at the York show. Added sideblades and color changing leds in the back to simulate lightning. I may attempt mylar removal on mine after Ive got more time on it a little lifting from the inserts in the back. DE JP has always been my favorite, and it is a ripoff of this one. Top 5 game right here. Kids love the fan.

Color changing LED effect.

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Can someone tell me what the dimension in the gap on their lift ramp looks like? I have my original version and the version from Starship Fantasy.

My original is on the left and the one from starship on the right Part number 02-4429, pin crank is sitting in the gap. In the original, it's loose and in the new ramp the pin won't move. Larry says, "The pin in your game is not the original."

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The pin has an outside diameter of 0.185"
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Old lift ramp gap: 0.272"

New lift ramp gap: 0.175" (smaller than the pin OD)

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My reproduction one shown in picture is just over a quarter inch. Much closer to the original. I *believe* my repro came from FreePlay40- the guy that does the reproduction ramps- although it’s probably been a year since I’ve gotten this part and I’ve had so many other projects that I have yet to install it- coming close in the que. I know my bolt is not the correct one either because it is somebody’s modified threaded screw. So if you do find out some information please share it here because it will be something I will be addressing as well.

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Wasn't your original ramp pin cut or ground down? Mine is original (I'm pretty sure) and also cut down. Does the original pin work with the new ramp?

My original pin was ground down, but also worn down. In the new lift ramp, the ground down pin has to sit in perfectly or it will rub. I'm going to cobble parts to make it work with an un-ground pin.

So help me out here. I generally stink at pinball, but after having Whirlwind for a week I'm playing 30 minute games, getting multiple super cellar awards, and in general going through all the functions of the game every time I play. Either Whirlwind is way too easy or I've got something messed up on my machine. I just went into the menu and set the game from Medium to "Hard"... what else should I be doing? The ball makes it up the ramp just about every time, but the ball seems a little sluggish. I cleaned the coil sleeves on the flippers as best I could, but went ahead and bit the bullet after the game didn't speed up that much and bought a flipper rebuild kit. I'm going to check the pitch on the machine. What else can I do on this to crank the difficulty up just a little bit. I'm not that good, but don't have time for 30 minute plus games. Also... does your machine eat pinballs? I dropped a few new pinballs in every game I get, and the ones on my Whirlwind already look pretty beat. Is the texture on your spinning disks rubbery or sand-papery? I really love the theme and the shots on this one. Thanks and happy to be in the club.

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What the freak?? I've been playing for years, I'm average -> slightly above average at pinball and I can't even beat my Whirlwind GC of 15mil. It's brutal as fuck, so 54mil if you consider yourself as generally stinking is a fantastic score. I'm generally done in 5min... story of my life

What degree have you set the playfield at? I have mine setup around 7.5-8deg, and with strong flippers it's totally chaotic. If your flippers are strong, ramp the mofo up!

Open the outlanes up?

if your ball goes up the ramp when you plunge the ball......then your machine is adjusted wrong.....it should go to the right of the ramp and loop around to the upper right flipper.........there are many discussions and photos of how to adjust it in this thread

Well... my plunge goes to thr right of the ramp as described.

I dont think you can adjust the outlanes on this one.

You prob have it set to get free balls often.

Chance settings to
Credits when you do well. Not free balls. Also increase score needed to get free balls.

My hunch is you’re getting a lot of gimmes. Also, set to 3 ball games. Not 5.

There are posts above the outlanes that can be moved to make the opening larger or smaller

I'm on 3 ball for sure, credit for extra game... just found that max extra ball is set to 6 this morning. What is the default? That is probably my issue.

I don't recall seeing outlane posts... I'll take another look tonight.

There are 4 posts that can be moved. 2 on each side at the bottom of the "thunder bumpers" above the outlanes.

Are you actually getting 6 EBs ever? I put my games on unlimited EBs, but I never manage to earn more than 1-2. If you're actually getting lots of EBs then you should look into that setting

Waiting on my re-import any day now coming from Italy , gonna need some work but this is a grail pin! Can’t wait to put some time in with the wind in my face.

On a good game you’ll get one for 8 skyway tolls, 35,50, and 75..

You also get one in the cellar, then another for the super cellar award, and one when you lock the 5th ball.

I’d say I get 3-4 on an average game. I do set it to no extra balls sometimes when I want to get a game done in under 45 minutes haha

Thanks pinside! Okay... opened up the outlanes. Checked the slope, it was under 6.5. Flippers are really struggling now but rebuildkit is on the way. Changed out rubbers in bottom half. Looking forward to a test game in the morning. Before and after photos. Should make a big difference in difficulty and speed.

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It's surprising how different a game gets with a little angle change.

Much better... thanks! Once the flipper rebuild stuff gets here this will be off the charts.

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In shopping the game, which ramp are you guys removing first?

3 toll ramp (millions ramp) or the right ramp (lock ramp)?

Lock ramp then millions. Otherwise you can't get to the screws on the millions entrance flap.

And you pull the connectors for
The ramps right up thru pf? Just worried about weaving them back down thru layers of plastics upon reinstallation of Ramps.

I thought it may be easier to just remove the switches from the ramps themselves instead.

They will all feed through, there's room. I just did it last night. You'll have to do it with pliers.

I just joined the club last weekend. Have been working through a few items and have most of the resolved.

The disc's were spinning when I picked up the machine, but when I set it up at home they were not working. If I wiggled the PCB under the motor when on coil check 27, it would work. I reflowed the solder to the tabs of the motor and the game worked great for about 24 hours. Now the disks do not spin at all.

In Coil check 27, I get a constant 33volts to the motor on the tab on the right side (when lifting the playfield straight up and looking from the front of the game) The left tab jumps from 33volts, to 0 about every second or 2; which sounds correct to me because the machine is pulsing the motor.

I am getting continuity from the tab to the back of the PCB, so I think the cold solder joints have been corrected.

The resistor is checking out at 11Ohms.

The disks spin easy when moving by hand from the top of the playfield.

Is there any other diagnostics I can or should perform? The motor seemed fine and strong prior to just not working.

Any help is appreciated.

Tearing mine down now, and all the posts around the pops are lock tited. Will try a hair drier first, then soldering iron, and report back

Wow, amazing that there are any Lawlor (Williams) games out there with loctite still on the posts... That means your game has NEVER been properly, fully shopped in 30 years?!! Its time for some new T-nuts and posts anyway... Just snap em off!

It surprises me that any games in collectors hands for the first time have been shopped before.