I'd post this in the tech section, but most likely you've got burnt connection pins and connectors. The pins start to get poor connections which increases the resistance and they heat up.

You guys are making me wish my Whirlwind was back together. I've finished clear-coating the playfield, but I've got to repaint the cabinet and the painting window in Northern IL has pretty much closed.

Your coil stop probably is worn down which is allowing the flipper to travel farther than it could originally. I'd look at your coil stop for wear and replace if necessary. The only other option would be to take that ball guide off and file down that edge until it clears the flipper.

Check to make sure your pin is level. Sounds like it may be pitched to the right a bit. My first pin, a LW3, would kick out of the left saucer and drain. It was slightly off-level. Corrected that and would hit the left flipper.

If anyone has any disassembly pictures they'd like to share I'd love to have them. I have some, but my laptop hard drive went belly-up with some on it that I didn't get copied over. General pictures of the cabinet and backbox wiring would be great too.

Thanks!

Thanks guys, much appreciated!

Whoa, awesome! And that's a great idea uploading them somewhere.

I have a broken post that I think goes where the circle is if I remember correctly. It's a bumper post with the threaded top broken off. Can someone confirm that the long threaded post holding the ramp screws onto the top of this part? I think it's a 02-4056 bumper bracket. Thanks again Dave for the link to the awesome pictures! WWpost.jpg

Another picture request. I need the orientation of the wires running to the ball lock launch mechanism and the mechanism that kicks the ball from the outhole into the trough if anyone has those. Or if someone can just explain which lug gets the power wire that would work too.

Thanks!

Edit: Thinking about this, does it matter which way these coils get wired up?

_{Post edited by Dewey68: Added a question}

Thank you sir. Does it even matter which way these coils are wired up? I'm thinking it doesn't.

I've got a few areas where I'm not sure what posts are supposed to go in the spot. The spot next to the red pop bumper is for one side of the gate. It looks like a smooth metal sleeve gets screwed in there, but I don't have any left so I figured I'd ask before I place an order.

The other area I assume gets the screw in posts with the black plastic sleeves in the white area, but I'm not sure what's supposed to be on the other side. It's where the spinner goes. I'm out of the black plastic sleeves too.

Thanks for any help!

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Thanks Chet. Really appreciate it. Funny that they'd stick a star post in the hole to the right as you won't see it once the plastic goes on. I see now from the indentation in the side rail where the spinner side mounts. In the second picture, I'm assuming a black plastic sleeve goes in the spot where the lowest circle is to secure the plastic piece that goes there?

Thanks, the playfield was my first attempt at a restore using Vid's guide. It wasn't horrible, but a lot of raised inserts and wear and planking in spots. Most of the insert paint came off when I removed the mylar.

I've noticed my "3000 w/Lit" plastic is clear, most I've seen in pictures are yellow.

I actually meant the hole to the right of the 3000 insert (bottom of the picture), but once I put the plastic on it looks like just an extra hole as nothing could fit there. You can barely see it from my camera angle. It doesn't go very deep.

I don't know how I could have lost those two smooth metal spacers. I'm sure as soon as I order them I'll find them on my workbench in some stupid place.

Damn I'm high maintenance. Another picture request. The wires for the switch towards the end of the habitrail that dumps the ball onto the right spinning disc has falling off. Can someone snap a picture of the wire orientation on that switch and post it please?

Thanks!

That's it, thanks much!

I'm almost finished with my Whirlwind, but am having problems with the bumper lighting. I must have the bumper sockets wired up incorrectly. I'm attaching a picture of how my top bumpers are wired up, and the bottom bumpers. If someone can take some good pictures of theirs and either post them or email them to me I'd really appreciate it!

The first on is the top bumpers. The second one is the lower bumpers. The only bumper that lights is the upper right bumper. All others and the cellar lights don't light up.

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One other request. Can someone verify the correct coil for the cellar kick-out? Mine is very anemic even after a new sleeve. The solenoid table call for an AE-23-800 but the assembly parts list calls for a AE-26-1500.

Yes, in the "all lamps" testing, only the upper right bumper lights. All other bumpers and both cellar lights do not light.

Figured out my issue. In Toyotaboy's last picture you can barely see that they had connected and soldered two of the bumper light socket leads together. They did the same on the other set. I didn't have these connected when I stapled them back to the board. Once jumpered, all lights are working.

Got to really play WW for the first time last night. Got the Super Cellar award twice, awesome! I've gotten a little better as a player, I was never close to this back in the day. Quite the bonus!

I believe that goes on the far right pin on J11. Does it come from the display/speaker panel? If you look at the pictures Pinballholder posted you'll see it there. Mine came loose on mine during my restore, so I'm familiar with it.

This was asked earlier in this thread, but I don't think it was answered. Has anyone used any type of dry lubricant, or wet lubricant for that matter successfully on the gears to quiet them down?

Also, the same question for the fan. When mine is spinning, it's got a "chatter" to it like the shaft has some play in it. I'm wondering if something like some Remington Drylube would work? It's supposed to leave a Teflon film behind. I've also got some SuperLube that I may try.

Update: sprayed my fan assembly with some Remington Dry Lube last night, and it did quiet the fan noticeably. Tried the same on the gears, not a big difference.

How hard is everyone's ramp shot from the upper flipper? Mine takes an almost perfect shot to make it. Everything was rebuilt when I restored the pin. Just wondering if this is typical.

Thanks for the verification guys. I have Whirlwind sitting next to my Funhouse, and it's so much easier to make the cellar shot on FH than it is to make the WW ramp. I can hit the cellar all day long and twice on Sundays!

Not to be hyper-critical, but the artwork over the inserts was silkscreened on with the rest of the paint, they aren't decals.

What are you plans for the playfield? I would plan on a lot of the artwork over the inserts to come off with the mylar. If you are buying a decal set, it will include all of the artwork for the inserts. If you don't plan on clear coating the playfield, make sure your decal set already has the mylar. If you are planning on clear coating it, I would make water slide decals. You could by a decals set and scan those in to make your decals.

If you have bubbled mylar over inserts, I'd bet that paint is going to come up with the mylar.

I think I've figured out why my ramp shot was proving so difficult. I put a cliffy on my ramp entrance, and the left edge was not flush with the edge of the ramp. A ball could hit that edge of the cliffy and bounce as the cliffy flexed, killing its momentum. I loosened the ball guide on the left and tucked the edge of the cliffy behind it and now I have a nice clean shot up the ramp.

Post some nice detailed pictures of the playfield and I'm sure you'll get more advice.

I think Vid recommends using a chisel in his playfield restoration thread. You don't "chisel" the paint off so much as put the chisel perpendicular to the insert and use it to scrape the paint off.

I bought the kit from Pinrestore that turns a Harbor Freight press into a rivet press. It works well, but I'm very close to getting the longer die. The shorter one that comes in the kit will work in 90% of the jobs you need to do, but there are times that it doesn't. http://www.pinrestore.com/Riveting.html

Your switch isn't working. When mine wasn't working it would continually fire the solenoid to make sure the ramp was down when a new game was started. With the glass off you could hear it, and you can see the ramp move slightly. Mine needed the switch blade adjusted. It took a few bends to get it working. It's a PITA to get that assembly apart and then re-installed.

Pull the switch out of the assembly and make sure it works in the switch edge test. If it does, put it back in the assembly and keep adjusting the switch blade until it shows activated when the arm that lowers the ramp is in the down position.

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Yes, it makes a sound as it changes the lit cellar reward.

No issues with the Cliffy's on mine. Both cellar shots easily made. Can you take a picture of it installed and post it? Something sounds like it's amiss.

I would leave the mylar alone unless you are planning on having the playfield clear coated afterwards. It can be a lot of work to get all of the old paint off for the new decals, get the inserts level with the playfield, etc.

Mine didn't have the sticker so I can't really comment on that. I'd think it should come off pretty easily given the material translights are made of.

Also check the switch that indicates when the ramp is up or down. It's got a long, bent arm and they have been known to bend or break over the years.

Look on page 15. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/whirlwind-club-members-only/page/15

When I had mine apart I sprayed the motor with "Remington Rem-lube" or something like that. It's a cleaning/lubricating product that supposed to leave behind a light coating of silicone. I'll look for it when I get home. It seemed to quiet mine down.

Why not make your own? I've made my own plastic protectors with Lexan sheets purchased from a hobby store.

That's a tier 3 restoration I believe. Next level, more $$.

$1000? You did good! If the fan motor and disk motor work you've got a great deal. Plus, you got the golden topper! That entitles you to a tour of the Williams pinball factory! I hope Grampa Joe is up for it!

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Are you 100% sure you are level left to right?

Just play it for a while before you make any changes. Your timing will adjust to the rebuild and you'll be nailing it again in no time.