(Topic ID: 28788)

Worst hack/repair you ever saw.

By mcclad

11 years ago


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  • 4,635 posts
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  • Latest reply 6 days ago by jibmums
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    There are 4,635 posts in this topic. You are on page 37 of 93.
    #1801 5 years ago
    Quoted from MrBally:

    As stated earlier, from a Bally service bulletin.....

    You should know that if it does not look factory people will assume it a hack. No one looks to find out if things were actually done for a reason, like a service bulletin.

    #1802 5 years ago
    Quoted from Marvin:

    No one looks to find out if things were actually done for a reason, like a service bulletin.

    Uh, I do. I read every service bulletin I can get my hands on. Sometimes they are very useful.

    #1803 5 years ago

    Thing kickout MOD

    IMG_2680 (resized).JPGIMG_2680 (resized).JPG
    #1804 5 years ago
    Quoted from Mageek:

    Thing kickout MOD
    [quoted image]

    I think Barbed Wire or bailing wire would have been a better more fun choice.

    #1805 5 years ago
    Quoted from pinballinreno:

    I think Barbed Wire or bailing wire would have been a better more fun choice.

    Number 8 Wire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_8_wire

    #1806 5 years ago
    Quoted from pinballinreno:

    I think Barbed Wire or bailing wire would have been a better more fun choice.

    give points for use of materials on hand ... those old slingshot rubbers served another purpose after their prescribed life had expired

    #1807 5 years ago
    Quoted from TecumsehPlissken:

    give points for use of materials on hand ... those old slingshot rubbers served another purpose after their prescribed life had expired

    Slingshot rubbers aren't hollow are they? That looks like wire with insulation or just the insulation.

    #1808 5 years ago
    Quoted from ajfclark:

    Slingshot rubbers aren't hollow are they? That looks like wire with insulation or just the insulation.

    I stand corrected... just now zoomed in on the photo you are correct that some kind of wire .... bad assumption on my part

    #1809 5 years ago

    I have seen sling shot rubbers tied together like that before is why I guess it looked like that to me

    #1810 5 years ago
    Quoted from ForceFlow:

    Uh, I do. I read every service bulletin I can get my hands on. Sometimes they are very useful.

    you're in the very small minority. There's tons of people complaining about hacks on this site alone where its stuff that was factory authorized repairs because it "does not look right" to them.

    #1811 5 years ago

    Regular solder was used to try and repair a broken metal part. Although it didn't work, the solder "dam" that was left actually kept the part from flapping around too much.

    IMG_20170808_153022679 (resized).jpgIMG_20170808_153022679 (resized).jpg

    #1812 5 years ago

    Bad connection at the connector? Just piggyback a pin to the board. (Pins 10 & 12 in pic, kind of hard to see.)

    Ah, screw it. Just solder a wire to the back and wire nut them together.

    Pics out of order, but you get the idea.

    Oh yeah, power supply connectors had the typical hacks.

    IMG_3974[1] (resized).JPGIMG_3974[1] (resized).JPGIMG_3983[1] (resized).JPGIMG_3983[1] (resized).JPG
    #1813 5 years ago
    Quoted from Billc479:

    Bad connection at the connector? Just piggyback a pin to the board. (Pins 10 & 12 in pic, kind of hard to see.)
    Ah, screw it. Just solder a wire to the back and wire nut them together.
    Pics out of order, but you get the idea.
    Oh yeah, power supply connectors had the typical hacks.
    [quoted image][quoted image]

    That's why I keep a stack of new headers on hand and end up replacing them most of the time. Had a similar wiring hack on an Elektra. They just soldered a couple really long wires to the back of the board instead of the wire nuts.

    #1814 5 years ago

    Check out this Super Mario Brothers, "one of the finest examples you will ever see".

    rr (resized).pngrr (resized).png
    21
    #1815 5 years ago

    That gets posted here from time to time. It's actually a great hack since it allows disabled children to play pinball.

    #1816 5 years ago
    Quoted from snakesnsparklers:

    That gets posted here from time to time. It's actually a great hack since it allows disabled children to play pinball.

    I offered to buy it from him for a reasonable price to put it in a nearby hospital for children, and he sent me nasty messages in response. I posted them in some thread on here a long time ago.

    #1817 5 years ago

    My Space Shuttle I just started working on. The transistor works too.

    ss 01 (resized).jpgss 01 (resized).jpgss 02 (resized).jpgss 02 (resized).jpg
    #1818 5 years ago
    Quoted from arcademojo:

    My Space Shuttle I just started working on. The transistor works too.
    [quoted image][quoted image]

    Nothing wrong with that as that's about all one can do to save the board with a new transistor. The lesson here is don't overfuse a pin.

    #1819 5 years ago
    Quoted from MrBally:

    Nothing wrong with that as that's about all one can do to save the board with a new transistor. The lesson here is don't overfuse a pin.

    Isn't Q81 one of the special solenoid and if the activation switch gets stuck they'll burn as they fuses to allow multiple to activate at the same time? I thought that was why this was created, given individual fusing: https://nvram.weebly.com/repair--conversion-kits.html

    #1820 5 years ago
    Quoted from ajfclark:

    Isn't Q81 one of the special solenoid and if the activation switch gets stuck they'll burn as they fuses to allow multiple to activate at the same time? I thought that was why this was created, given individual fusing: https://nvram.weebly.com/repair--conversion-kits.html

    You are correct. They are special solenoids. Not fused. I have the Weebly williams fuse kit on my other older Williams game and plan to install one on this. Great product.

    #1821 5 years ago

    Not a horrible hack, but one indeed.

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    #1822 5 years ago
    Quoted from chad:

    Not a horrible hack, but one indeed.
    [quoted image][quoted image]

    I think it is damn creative. A bracket breaks. You are either out in the middle of bumfuck Egypt or you have no money. And yours is the last part on earth. What do you do? Start jury rigging.

    #1823 5 years ago

    Not a hack. It's called improvising. Especially when parts became unavailable.

    #1824 5 years ago

    Found this on Stellar Wars on a drop target assy. believe it or not,....it worked.

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    #1825 5 years ago

    Some of the hacks are pretty creative but I sure hope I never see those people working on civil engineering projects.....

    #1826 5 years ago
    Quoted from Robotworkshop:

    Some of the hacks are pretty creative but I sure hope I never see those people working on civil engineering projects.....

    As a Rockwell International chief engineer told me when I quit the route technician and board repair job I had, joined Rockwell and completed my degree; Pinball Machine repair isn't rocket science.

    #1827 5 years ago
    Quoted from MrBally:

    Nothing wrong with that as that's about all one can do to save the board with a new transistor. The lesson here is don't overfuse a pin.

    Exactly - I found this board in a game I was recently working through... verified the traces and cautiously plugged it in. (there's a hole straight through it - looks much worse from the backside) I was more than happy with this hack/repair - beats buying a new SDB! It might not hurt to at least clean the smoke off the board after fixing, but for an old operator machine that was abandoned in some guy's garage for years, I'm tickled.
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    #1828 5 years ago
    Quoted from arcademojo:

    My Space Shuttle I just started working on. The transistor works too.
    [quoted image][quoted image]

    Good thing the “warranty void if removed “ label is in place !!!

    1 week later
    #1829 5 years ago
    Quoted from arcademojo:

    My Space Shuttle I just started working on. The transistor works too.
    [quoted image][quoted image]

    "If it aint fixed, don't broke it".

    1 week later
    11
    #1830 5 years ago

    At least 3 of these on a skateball I'm swappingIMG_20180919_183404329 (resized).jpgIMG_20180919_183404329 (resized).jpg

    #1831 5 years ago
    Quoted from Cheddar:

    At least 3 of these on a skateball I'm swapping[quoted image]

    If that works, it is awesome.

    #1832 5 years ago
    Quoted from MrBally:

    If that works, it is awesome.

    I had a future spa where every single drop had q-tips hot glued to it to hold them together. Played fine

    #1833 5 years ago
    Quoted from MrBally:

    If that works, it is awesome.

    Yup. If it's stupid but it works, is it really that stupid?

    #1834 5 years ago

    My Paragon had one with three old switch blades (one on the front, two on the back) set in and taped up. I didn't realize it till they finally gave way. That was many hundreds of plays since I owned it - no idea how long it had lasted before me to boot.

    #1835 5 years ago

    Picked up a Capersville this weekend and someone had hacked in the power switch into the coin return area on the coin door. The best part was how they attached and covered it on the back....yikes

    Capersville coin door power switch hack (resized).jpgCapersville coin door power switch hack (resized).jpg
    #1836 5 years ago

    I think I found today's winner. The driver board from a re-import TOTAN I'm currently restoring. In twenty years in this hobby I don't think I've come across anything like this before LOL!

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    #1837 5 years ago

    Damn! I'm actually kind of impressed!

    #1838 5 years ago
    Quoted from Grandnational007:

    Damn! I'm actually kind of impressed!

    To say the least yes! Someone took some time to do this "work", lol! I generally don't walk away from hacked boards without at least trying to fix it, but I think this may be a candidate for a new/better condition board.

    #1839 5 years ago
    Quoted from Grandnational007:

    Damn! I'm actually kind of impressed!

    No joke!

    4 weeks later
    #1840 5 years ago

    Every once in a while I stumble upon creative fixes in the course of resurrecting a machine. Here's a few to sort out on a Seawitch I'm working on at the moment.....she has a couple of personality disorders to overcome.

    Any old connector will do in a pinch
    20181023_115309 (resized).jpg20181023_115309 (resized).jpg

    So far, so good
    Lightboard equals Seawitch (resized).jpgLightboard equals Seawitch (resized).jpg

    Ummm, maybe not
    Cabinet equals Big Game (resized).jpgCabinet equals Big Game (resized).jpg

    Mystery bundle #1
    Mystery Bundle 1 (resized).jpgMystery Bundle 1 (resized).jpg

    Mystery bundle #2
    20181023_115730 (resized).jpg20181023_115730 (resized).jpg

    Fun and games on the rectifier board
    20181023_115221 (resized).jpg20181023_115221 (resized).jpg
    20181023_115241 (resized).jpg20181023_115241 (resized).jpg

    I love this stuff because if it wasn't for this hobby, I'm sure my brain would have atrophied by now.

    20181023_120337 (resized).jpg20181023_120337 (resized).jpg

    Just can't say no to this lady though! She's a keeper.

    By the way, can anyone vouch for the accuracy of the 'Witch schematics on IPDB?

    #1841 5 years ago
    Quoted from sofaspud:

    By the way, can anyone vouch for the accuracy of the 'Witch schematics on IPDB?

    They look good to me. Just like my original.

    Most of the Sterns of this era all have the same cabinet wiring. The Big Game harness you are looking at will be OK.

    Someone did not know how to remove the wiring to remove the back box so they cut the harness. If you don't want to mess with splicing all of that, Third Coast Pinball can make you a new harness.

    #1842 5 years ago

    My Seawitch has a big game tagged harness. Came that way I am sure.

    #1843 5 years ago

    Hey cottonm4, thanks for the schematics confirmation - I figured IPDB was good to go. And not worried about the harness or the splicing...just takes a bit of time to put back to rights is all. What I thought was funny was all the effort required for the hacks in the first place. Never know what you'll find when you look under the hood hey?

    Cheers

    #1844 5 years ago
    Quoted from dasvis:

    My Seawitch has a big game tagged harness. Came that way I am sure.

    as a bonus that harness might work in the new beatles game too since its a seawitch.

    #1845 5 years ago

    I work in telecommunications, I could make up some damn fine connectorized wire runs for things for sure. And it would actually be done quite nice! lol

    #1846 5 years ago
    Quoted from dasvis:

    My Seawitch has a big game tagged harness. Came that way I am sure.

    My Big Game has a Quicksilver cabinet harness. I pulled the tag and gave it to a guy who had a Quicksilver.

    #1847 5 years ago
    Quoted from sofaspud:

    Ummm, maybe not

    Seems like Stern was just throwing whatever in whatever toward the end of the company. I have a Big Game with a Seawitch Cabinet Harness. I left the tag on cause it makes me laugh

    #1848 5 years ago
    Quoted from statictrance:

    Seems like Stern was just throwing whatever in whatever toward the end of the company. I have a Big Game with a Seawitch Cabinet Harness. I left the tag on cause it makes me laugh

    Big Game was the first Stern/pin with 7 digit displays.

    BG was produced March 1980

    Seawitch produced May 1980

    Cheetah produced June 1980

    Quicksilver produced June 1980.

    Star Gazer ...........August 1980

    F2K....................October 1980

    Nine Ball............December 1980

    I imagine every line worker knew these harnesses were all the same. Only the tags were different. So if the tag maker was slacking on the job the line worker said "screw it" and grabbed what was a available.

    I have 3 wires on the play field harness of my Big Game that do not match the blueprint call out. Instead of a gray/black wire I have a purple/white wire, for example. I figure supply management did not order enough gray/black wire leaving the production line short of inventory. And instead of shutting production down and sending everybody home early, the production boss probably said "go grab a different color. I'm not shutting down the line for lack of some correctly colored wire."

    For Bingo Card X-2 wire, LDA connector J1-pin 17 blue print calls for a purple wire. Mine is orange/green.

    For Bingo Card Z-2 wire LDA J2-8, blue print calls out for purple/blue. Mine is purple/white.

    For bingo Card Z-7 wire LDA J2-21, blue print calls out for grey/red. Mine is tan/orange.

    I guess we call it "Hacks from the factory".

    #1849 5 years ago

    Not really a hack per say.

    1022181157 (resized).jpg1022181157 (resized).jpg
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    #1850 5 years ago

    They sure spared no expense with jumper wires

    There are 4,635 posts in this topic. You are on page 37 of 93.

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