Hi Everyone,

I am in the process of restoring a 1969 Gottlieb "Wild Wild West" pinball machine and was wondering if I could get your help.

The machine's left vari-target assembly has significant friction, and does not return to its neutral position when the solenoid holding the return spring is triggered. The friction seems to be in the vari-target assembly's shaft, which is pressed together, so I am not sure that it is repairable given my tools. As such, the easiest way for me to fix the problem would probably be to buy a new vari-target assembly.

Unfortunately, I do not have a manual for this machine. Could anyone provide a part number for which vari-target assembly this machine uses? I found 3 different vari-target assemblies on Marco Specialties, but none of them are listed to be compatible with this machine on their website, so I am not sure which one to buy.

Alternatively, does anyone know if a PDF of a manual for this machine is available somewhere online? I have not been able to find anything through Google...

Thank you for your help!

@Cash_Riprock - Wow, this is a great reference! Thank you very much for passing this along. Based on this information, it looks like there is a good chance that the '69 Wild Wild West machine uses the MA-237 assembly from Marco Specialties. I think I will go ahead and order one to give it a shot! I will post an update here once I verify whether or not it works. Thanks!

@EMsInKC - Thanks for the info. That is a bummer, but good to know so that I can stop trying to find one online, haha. The pinrepair website above seems to be pretty comprehensive, so that is at least a good starting point. Thanks!

@tuffano: Thanks! This is a great video! I think he addresses the exact issue I am having at 3:55! I will give this a shot!

@Cash_Riprock: The issue seems to be caused by the shaft at the bottom of the lever arm, which acts as the pivot point for the vari-target. When the solenoid fires to release the vari-target ratchet, the lever arm does not move at all. Adjusting the spring to increase the tension on the lever arm does not help -- even with the greatest tension setting, the lever arm does not move.

The machine is actually at my parent's house, so I am currently operating from memory, but I will try again the next time I have access to it now that I have this documentation & video reference. I'll report back once I give it a try!

Thanks for your continued help everyone!

I was finally able to take a look at the machine and am happy to report that the issue is fixed!

I disassembled the vari-target assembly as shown in the video and was surprised to find that the shaft around which the vari-target rotates was actually clean. The problem seemed to have been that the previous owner was a little overambitious in tightening the lock-nut that held the vari-target to the mounting bracket underneath the play field, which was causing a lot of friction. Loosening the lock nut fixed the problem right up!

Thanks again for your help!