How steep is your game pitched? Use a bubble lever on the playfield to see where you're at. You could try waxing the playfield, that will definitely speed up your game. I don't know if you could get away with waxing ramps. A flame polishing will smoothen the ramp's surface.

I just put a powerball in my whirlwind, that white ball really flys up that ramp!

How's that ramp look? Is it locked down tight? The Cliffy protector helped on mine. New rubber on the upper flipper?

Feel the power of the wind!Great game,was my first love
and still have it 5 years later.Any way you should be able to
hit that ramp all day long.I use a torpedoe level low and high
for left to right and an Inclimeter for 6.5 degrees for drop.
Replace coil sleeve and coil stop.Check eos gap.Enjoy!

As romulusx stated, check the sleeve and EOS gap. Check that the plunger isn't mushroomed and dragging on the coil sleeve. And finally, clean and file or replace the EOS if it is badly pitted and dirty. Also check that you have the right coils in the game. They should be FL-11630, the red coils.

I had the same problem as you on Whirlwind. We did complete flipper rebuilds, new coils.. and it was still a bit weak.
Finally I lightly filed the flipper button contacts, they had become dirty over time, the game then played 100% stronger. Those switches send power to the coils and are some of the few switches that need filing eventually.

just played a few games on it here and yeah i still havent even gotten multiball on it

bummer. the last time I played it (last week) I managed a few jackpots. very difficult jackpots, those.

LOL well the owner has rolled it over several times, so i know it isnt the machine hahah

Finally I lightly filed the flipper button contacts, they had become dirty over time, the game then played 100% stronger. Those switches send power to the coils and are some of the few switches that need filing eventually.

Nothing worse than weak flippers on a pinball machine. I always replace the flipper button switches, get rebuild kits for all flippers, replace the coils (yes, yes... everyone says they never go bad and don't make a difference... well, in my experience, the flipper is stronger with new coils...at least in my brain), and don't forget new flipper bushings that don't come with the rebuild kits. Get your eos switches set correctly and get the gap between the flipper bat and the bushing set correctly (not too tight or it will bind up, not too loose or it will be sloppy)... I just use my trusty "flipper tool" for that gap.

My last Whirlwind had the same treatment and never had an issue getting up the ramp. It went up with ease on every shot. It is a little cash to put into it, and arguably overkill, ...or is it??? I mean ya know??? Playing a pinball machine with weak flippers just plain sucks.

2012-01-04_22-24-15_670.jpg

3 mega door bonuses and a 4,998,000 I had extra lit and it drained
almost straight down the middle at a slight angle.I was getting tired of kickin ass
anyway,but I wish I would,ve kicked it up to 50 million it justs sounds better

Wehhehellll..lookiehere!!!!

A good shot should fly up that ramp pretty easily. As others have said, it sounds like a little flipper rebuilding action is in order. Also check your pitch and level. You mentioned all of the levelers are at the same height...I'd have to look to be sure, but that's probably not right. Don't go by what the levelers look like though, go by what a level and inclometer on the playfield tells you.

If the machine is set-up correctly, you can even make that ramp from a trapped ball on the right flipper...very tough backhand shot. It doesn't have much oomph and just barely crawls around the corner of the ramp, but it will make it. You have to just BARELY clear the slingshot. Fun shot to nail.

Great game...one of the best. Good luck getting yours up to speed!

I guess Whirlwind will in any case be a slower game than most due the spinning discs (also when at rest).

But a game from that company, in that era, with those designers, wasn't released with shots not being thought through and fair. Even for machines exposed to loads of playing time and wear.

Like mentioned. Replace sleeve and coil stop. Remove plunger mushroom and replace if plunger has become too short.