(Topic ID: 28788)
Paradise, NV
Quoted from pinballplusMN:A stern meteor. 4 inch screw through pf with nut on bottom compensating for bad bumper body.[quoted image]
That's actually a very good on-location repair when parts are not on-hand. Remember, Meteor was pre-internet and just when Federal-Express was coming into the commercial world. Meteors were bringing in over $250-300 a week depending on location. You did not keep them off earning zero/day at all costs. We had to hack the shit out of Stern's crappy flipper mech plates and drop targets all over the place.
Quoted from MrBally:That's actually a very good on-location repair when parts are not on-hand. Remember, Meteor was pre-internet and just when Federal-Express was coming into the commercial world. Meteors were bringing in over $250-300 a week depending on location. You did not keep them off earning zero/day at all costs. We had to hack the shit out of Stern's crappy flipper mech plates and drop targets all over the place.
Sadly, the two small screws that kept the cap on are missing.
Quoted from MrBally:That's actually a very good on-location repair when parts are not on-hand. Remember, Meteor was pre-internet and just when Federal-Express was coming into the commercial world. Meteors were bringing in over $250-300 a week depending on location. You did not keep them off earning zero/day at all costs. We had to hack the shit out of Stern's crappy flipper mech plates and drop targets all over the place.
When you were doing work on location, what kind of parts did you carry? Did you go out with certain types of inventory for "regular" repairs. Did the types of repairs being called hacks here happen often where you did not have a needed part? How many times did you run into a problem that could not be repaired on location and have to carry the pin back to the shop?
Lempäälä
I used to carry some most common coils, flipper button and EOS switches, coil stops and sleeves, lamps, Gottlieb and Bally drop targets and fuses. Usually nothing game specific. In days of EM and early SS a broken EOS usually resulted in burned flipper coil and molten sleeve. I dont remember having to take the game to shop for repairs, but sometimes had to go there myself to get some parts not in my toolcase.
There is a hole in the dead bumper caps to add a screw if you want. I don't know if they ever came with them - it's on the side vs. the top for pops.
Quoted from slochar:There is a hole in the dead bumper caps to add a screw if you want. I don't know if they ever came with them - it's on the side vs. the top for pops.
Many caps I've seen don't have those side holes. I think people just drilled them. The stock bodies don't have holes for them either
Quoted from pinballplusMN:A stern meteor. 4 inch screw through pf with nut on bottom compensating for bad bumper body.[quoted image]
That entire bumper assembly looks new. It cleaned up nicely.
Quoted from zacaj:There are no screws on dead bumper caps. Any time you see any screw on there, that's an operator 'hack'
When Meteor came out by Stern, the "dead" bumper caps had small screws installed.
I know, I know, I know.
I guess somewhere in production, or operator input at the time, made a change...
The Meteor game, I had, that was purchased back in 1981 had screws installed.
One in the front, and one in the back... just like in the picture above.
The screws were on both "dead" bumpers on the upper playfield.
Quoted from vec-tor:When Meteor came out by Stern, the "dead" bumper caps had small screws installed.
I know, I know, I know.
I guess somewhere in production, or operator input at the time, made a change...
The Meteor game, I had, that was purchased back in 1981 had screws installed.
One in the front, and one in the back... just like in the picture above.
The screws were on both "dead" bumpers on the upper playfield.
Quoted from cottonm4:When you were doing work on location, what kind of parts did you carry? Did you go out with certain types of inventory for "regular" repairs. Did the types of repairs being called hacks here happen often where you did not have a needed part? How many times did you run into a problem that could not be repaired on location and have to carry the pin back to the shop?
In the 5 1/2 years I worked for a route operator, I carried the Xcelite technician tool kit and three years into it replaced it with Jensen Tools Field Engineers tool kit. Also two old-school cardboard beer cases with one of every coil needed on the route. Coil stops, coil brackets, Flipper pawls, coil sleeves, a large box of springs, shooter rods, shooter housings, flipper buttons, joy sticks, Every contact blade and point type imaginable, Bumper ring & Rods. A nice hardware kit with 4-40, 6-32, 8-32 and 10-24/10-32 screws/bolts nuts flat and lock washers. Remember, this was prior to Home Despot/Blowes so hardware stores were not open late nor were many at all on Sundays.
Also had a shoe box with an assortment of plastic parts including every flipper plastic housing we had on route, Bumper bodies, rollover buttons (all types), drop targets (all types including Game Plan garbage) Also light sockets not to mention fuses and every incandescent lamp type. Including flourescent tubes. Not just F15T8's either. Had to have them for the Juke/Jute boxes and cigarette machines. An unlit machine doesn't make money. The silly 25 or 40 standard incandescent bulbs for the Galaxians & Pac-Man machines. These parts were stored in two milk crates with boxes nested inside. My trunk was pretty full.
I also carried all seven Bally AID/Solid State board part kits as I would sometimes repair a board on location if the kids in the game area were not too obnoxious. Or, I'd get to use the bowling mechanic's workbench as I carried soldering irons, solder wick and a Soldapult solder sucker.
If it was an MPU issue and it was not fixed in 15 minutes, the board went back to the shop for a swap as we had had many spares. I also stayed in the shop two days a week repairing boards. Sound boards were brought back but the game remained operating. Did not work well on Gorgar, Centaur & EBD.
We would only pull a game if we could not fix the board, Under warranty for 90 or 180 days as cut-throat operators would search for broken games and offer to put theirs in as a working game. We had CONtracts with most of our locations though. Also, we would pull heavily damaged games from break-ins. I'd say pulls on games we could not fix in two days was maybe ten that I went out on the calls for. Probably 40 during my time there by everyone.
Quoted from MrBally:In the 5 1/2 years I worked for a route operator, I carried the Xcelite technician tool kit and three years into it replaced it with Jensen Tools Field Engineers tool kit. Also two old-school cardboard beer cases with one of every coil needed on the route. Coil stops, coil brackets, Flipper pawls, coil sleeves, a large box of springs, shooter rods, shooter housings, flipper buttons, joy sticks, Every contact blade and point type imaginable, Bumper ring & Rods. A nice hardware kit with 4-40, 6-32, 8-32 and 10-24/10-32 screws/bolts nuts flat and lock washers. Remember, this was prior to Home Despot/Blowes so hardware stores were not open late nor were many at all on Sundays.
Also had a shoe box with an assortment of plastic parts including every flipper plastic housing we had on route, Bumper bodies, rollover buttons (all types), drop targets (all types including Game Plan garbage) Also light sockets not to mention fuses and every incandescent lamp type. Including flourescent tubes. Not just F15T8's either. Had to have them for the Juke/Jute boxes and cigarette machines. An unlit machine doesn't make money. The silly 25 or 40 standard incandescent bulbs for the Galaxians & Pac-Man machines. These parts were stored in two milk crates with boxes nested inside. My trunk was pretty full.
I also carried all seven Bally AID/Solid State board part kits as I would sometimes repair a board on location if the kids in the game area were not too obnoxious. Or, I'd get to use the bowling mechanic's workbench as I carried soldering irons, solder wick and a Soldapult solder sucker.
If it was an MPU issue and it was not fixed in 15 minutes, the board went back to the shop for a swap as we had had many spares. I also stayed in the shop two days a week repairing boards. Sound boards were brought back but the game remained operating. Did not work well on Gorgar, Centaur & EBD.
We would only pull a game if we could not fix the board, Under warranty for 90 or 180 days as cut-throat operators would search for broken games and offer to put theirs in as a working game. We had CONtracts with most of our locations though. Also, we would pull heavily damaged games from break-ins. I'd say pulls on games we could not fix in two days was maybe ten that I went out on the calls for. Probably 40 during my time there by everyone.
Nice synopsis. Thank you.
Quoted from MrBally:In the 5 1/2 years I worked for a route operator, I carried the Xcelite technician tool kit and three years into it replaced it with Jensen Tools Field Engineers tool kit. Also two old-school cardboard beer cases with one of every coil needed on the route. Coil stops, coil brackets, Flipper pawls, coil sleeves, a large box of springs, shooter rods, shooter housings, flipper buttons, joy sticks, Every contact blade and point type imaginable, Bumper ring & Rods. A nice hardware kit with 4-40, 6-32, 8-32 and 10-24/10-32 screws/bolts nuts flat and lock washers. Remember, this was prior to Home Despot/Blowes so hardware stores were not open late nor were many at all on Sundays.
Also had a shoe box with an assortment of plastic parts including every flipper plastic housing we had on route, Bumper bodies, rollover buttons (all types), drop targets (all types including Game Plan garbage) Also light sockets not to mention fuses and every incandescent lamp type. Including flourescent tubes. Not just F15T8's either. Had to have them for the Juke/Jute boxes and cigarette machines. An unlit machine doesn't make money. The silly 25 or 40 standard incandescent bulbs for the Galaxians & Pac-Man machines. These parts were stored in two milk crates with boxes nested inside. My trunk was pretty full.
I also carried all seven Bally AID/Solid State board part kits as I would sometimes repair a board on location if the kids in the game area were not too obnoxious. Or, I'd get to use the bowling mechanic's workbench as I carried soldering irons, solder wick and a Soldapult solder sucker.
If it was an MPU issue and it was not fixed in 15 minutes, the board went back to the shop for a swap as we had had many spares. I also stayed in the shop two days a week repairing boards. Sound boards were brought back but the game remained operating. Did not work well on Gorgar, Centaur & EBD.
We would only pull a game if we could not fix the board, Under warranty for 90 or 180 days as cut-throat operators would search for broken games and offer to put theirs in as a working game. We had CONtracts with most of our locations though. Also, we would pull heavily damaged games from break-ins. I'd say pulls on games we could not fix in two days was maybe ten that I went out on the calls for. Probably 40 during my time there by everyone.
That had to be fun times. The Good 'ol days.
Quoted from MrBally:In the 5 1/2 years I worked for a route operator, I carried the Xcelite technician tool kit and three years into it replaced it with Jensen Tools Field Engineers tool kit. Also two old-school cardboard beer cases with one of every coil needed on the route. Coil stops, coil brackets, Flipper pawls, coil sleeves, a large box of springs, shooter rods, shooter housings, flipper buttons, joy sticks, Every contact blade and point type imaginable, Bumper ring & Rods. A nice hardware kit with 4-40, 6-32, 8-32 and 10-24/10-32 screws/bolts nuts flat and lock washers. Remember, this was prior to Home Despot/Blowes so hardware stores were not open late nor were many at all on Sundays.
Also had a shoe box with an assortment of plastic parts including every flipper plastic housing we had on route, Bumper bodies, rollover buttons (all types), drop targets (all types including Game Plan garbage) Also light sockets not to mention fuses and every incandescent lamp type. Including flourescent tubes. Not just F15T8's either. Had to have them for the Juke/Jute boxes and cigarette machines. An unlit machine doesn't make money. The silly 25 or 40 standard incandescent bulbs for the Galaxians & Pac-Man machines. These parts were stored in two milk crates with boxes nested inside. My trunk was pretty full.
I also carried all seven Bally AID/Solid State board part kits as I would sometimes repair a board on location if the kids in the game area were not too obnoxious. Or, I'd get to use the bowling mechanic's workbench as I carried soldering irons, solder wick and a Soldapult solder sucker.
If it was an MPU issue and it was not fixed in 15 minutes, the board went back to the shop for a swap as we had had many spares. I also stayed in the shop two days a week repairing boards. Sound boards were brought back but the game remained operating. Did not work well on Gorgar, Centaur & EBD.
We would only pull a game if we could not fix the board, Under warranty for 90 or 180 days as cut-throat operators would search for broken games and offer to put theirs in as a working game. We had CONtracts with most of our locations though. Also, we would pull heavily damaged games from break-ins. I'd say pulls on games we could not fix in two days was maybe ten that I went out on the calls for. Probably 40 during my time there by everyone.
Nice read. Would love to hear about what was thrown out in the day by your company as far as games go. Sounds like you have lots of stories to tell.
Quoted from Skidave:Need a credit, slam or kick the coin door.[quoted image]
Just bypass that pesky thing on the door giving free credits.
That capacitor looks old on it anyways...
Quoted from Skidave:Need a credit, slam or kick the coin door.[quoted image]
On Williams machines with their stainless steel coin doors, strong kicks would pop the rejectors out of position. On Two chute doors, both would be laying in or on top of the coin box. On three chute doors, the left one would pop out but the others were just moved enough to jam all inserted coins.
Weird. What do the assemblies look like underneath the playfield? Pieces missing allowing the hoops to hit the bodies if the rubber rings weren't there? If they're normal otherwise, I'd just have to imagine some undiagnosed/untreated condition (on the previous owner's part, not the game's)...
Richard
Quoted from pinballplusMN:Not sure the purpose of these rings but definately a first seeing this.[quoted image]
It might be to provide a small cushion to help prevent the pop bumper bodies from being cracked and broken, but that's the first time I've seen someone try that. I've noticed it tends to be a common issue on Williams games.
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:Noise dampening? Hmmmm.
Most of the noise comes from the clack of the plunger against the coil stop--I don't think rubber rings on the pop body would do much to help with noise.
Quoted from ForceFlow:Most of the noise comes from the clack of the plunger against the coil stop--I don't think rubber rings on the pop body would do much to help with noise.
I agree, but maybe they THOUGHT they were making a difference?
Quoted from pinballplusMN:Not sure the purpose of these rings but definately a first seeing this.
Where else would you put the extra Rubber rings from the parts bag?
Putting a smaller one around the base of the bulb may offer some relief when the bulb is loose! I don't think it would last long though.
Quoted from pinballplusMN:Not sure the purpose of these rings but definately a first seeing this.[quoted image]
On some of my pins, the ring looks like it is sagging a little bit. I'm thinking the fiber part that helps with holding the ring rods to the pop plunger might be worn which allows for the sagging. Rubber rings placed inside like that might be to help with keeping the ring centered. A ring that is centered will allow for better ball action when a ball hits the top/back side of a pop.
It is just a guess.
But I think I will try this. It doe not look like it will hurt play action. And maybe I should just order some new fiber "washers" and make mine less sloppy.
Sydney
Quoted from Pecos:Need a place to put the free play button?
I guess they didn't have a spare doorbell button laying around...
Umeå
Quoted from pellew:Found in my newly bought road show. Luckily the board was undamaged. Innovative solution with the detachable connector block.[quoted image]
And even that new block looks toasty.
Here's a quick once over on the new-to-me Bobby Orr...
My brother says it takes fans to watch a hockey game. Groan. I'm pretty sure this one has been here awhile.
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IMG_1604 (resized).JPG
IMG_1609 (resized).JPG
Classic...
IMG_1605 (resized).JPG
GI hack?
IMG_1610 (resized).JPG
New to me... Is this something an operator would have done or just someone's BS?
IMG_1612 (resized).JPG
Finally, not a hack but an observation. At some point in this poor pin's life someone replaced all the diodes and caps on all the switches with newer diodes and chicklets.
IMG_1617 (resized).JPG
This will be my winter project. Can't wait to dive deeper into it. All the flippers are frozen solid...
Quoted from pinballplusMN:Aside from the wrong bumper cap,one has to admire the savings by using a flipper rubber to add life to a dead rebound rubber.[quoted image]
Every pin with a rebound rubber at the PHoF has that. Only aboot half at VFW.
Quoted from Mk1Mod0:New to me... Is this something an operator would have done or just someone's BS?
I imagine this was done to protect the chime coils in the event of a stuck switch.
Quoted from MrBally:Every pin with a rebound rubber at the PHoF has that. Only aboot half at VFW.
It’s not meant to protect it, it’s suppose to add more bounce.
Quoted from Mikala:It’s not meant to protect it, it’s suppose to add more bounce.
It's because for a long time the correct rebound rubber wasn't available and the replacement was kind of dead. Tim talks about it in one of his old videos.
Not the worst hack ever, but a funny one.... when the transparent blue standup face on my Jackbot broke, a previous owner replaced it with what could only have be a roughly-cut rectangle of plastic from the lid of a Tidy Cats litter container. It perfectly matched the blue color in the visor decal right above it, but it still had to go.
jack (resized).jpg
Wellesley, ON
Quoted from jibmums:Not the worst hack ever, but a funny one.... when the transparent blue standup face on my Jackbot broke, a previous owner replaced it with what could only have be a roughly-cut rectangle of plastic from the lid of a Tidy Cats litter container. It perfectly matched the blue color in the visor decal right above it, but it still had to go.
[quoted image]
If he had the big bucket of Tidy Cats litter, he probably also had yellow replacements ready to go!
Sometimes, it's not about the parts... it's about, "this will work just as well, and I don't have to order and wait for anything."
I did the exact same thing. I have a replacement part awaiting my hack breakage.
N
Quoted from Okarcades:I was in a pinch on route and had to have a new drop target reset for attack from Mars. It actually seems more solid than the original that I've replaced on it twice now.
I don't do many "hacks" but this time I did.[quoted image]
Quoted from Okarcades:I was in a pinch on route and had to have a new drop target reset for attack from Mars. It actually seems more solid than the original that I've replaced on it twice now.
I don't do many "hacks" but this time I did.[quoted image]
Did you have to break a window to get into your house when you got home? 
Quoted from RCA1:Did you have to break a window to get into your house when you got home?
Nah I own a bunch of rental houses. I always have a few mystery keys that I don't throw away hanging on my key chains haha!
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