Pinball Flipper Rebuild / Repair
Vložit
- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- Demonstrates how worn flipper parts can prevent proper flipper operation. Documents flipper action, theory, removal, rebuild, and re-installation.
Williams Electronic Games Inc. "Cyclone" pinball machine shown.
Applies to all Williams System 11B and System 11C games, including: Bad Cats, Banzai Run, Big Guns, Black Knight 2000, Earthshaker, Elvira and the Party Monsters, Jokerz!, Mousin' Around!, Police Force, Space Station, Swords of Fury, Taxi, Transporter: The Rescue, Whirlwind, Bugs Bunny's Birthday Ball, Diner, Dr. Dude and His Excellent Ray, Pool Sharks, Radical!, Riverboat Gambler, Rollergames, The Bally Gameshow.
Basic concept applies to Williams System 9, System 11, and System 11A games--and most manufacturers' games from the 1980's and early 1990's--but flipper coils are serial instead of parallel and don't typically use capacitors to arrest arcing.
0:00:00 : Weak or non-working flipper
0:01:10 : Gameplay examples of weak flippers
0:02:00 : How the flipper works mechanically
0:10:40 : Removing the flipper mechanism from the playfield
0:14:11 : End-of-stroke switch corrosion and coil damage
0:17:18 : How the flipper works electronically
0:33:30 : Rebuilding the flipper mechanism
0:53:02 : Re-installing the flipper mechanism on the playfield
1:10:23 : Testing the repaired flipper
Please be careful working with flipper circuits. 50V would probably hurt. - Zábava
Who in there right mind would downvote this video? Wonderfully descriptive. Thank you for the added lesson in electrical theory.
What a great video Kyle. Thanks for all or the hard work put into organizing, explaining, and showing how it works, and how to take it apart. This was exactly what I need to tackle my first project pinball, a Jokerz.
WOW absolutely the best flipper video on the youtube BAR NONE
Great video - cleaning the contacts got my power stroke back! I will be changing out the switches, but the cleaning gets me through the summer! Thanks!
Excellent details, thanks for putting this together!
Great video. You are very good at explaining how everything works. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
Outstanding video. I feel like I could definitely tackle a flipper rebuild with this as a resource (after some soldering practice). Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks so much for the detailed explanation!
Great vid! Thanks for posting!
Excellent clear explanations. Many thanks.
There's not a single fact left out! Awesome video, thanks a lot!
Amazing video. I'm better prepared, heaven forbid, I actually find a nice Cyclone for my lineup.
Patient and thorough. Good info. Thanks.
I think you just solved my flipper problem. Thanks!
Excellent tutorial. I learnt a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic video. Everything you need to know about Sys11 flippers right down to a wiring diagram. Good production to boot. Thanks for the hard work on this!
Just to add...I've just used your guide to remove, fix and refit a faulty flipper. Thanks again.
Great! I'm glad that people are finding it useful!
Great video dude!
Thanks! I have a flipper bat that moves to any position. I was thinking about bolts that needed tightening, but your comment made me check the system underneath and that's not moving. So it must be the flipperbat is broken or something, it helped me probably save a few hours!
Excellent! I'm glad you found the problem! I had a weak flipper on Cyclone because of that. If the plastic bat cracks or breaks around the shaft, the flipper stroke can be weak or the flipper can just move freely.
Excellent video
Thanks
Thank you very much for this video
Good info. Thank you!
tank you for your video !!!!!! congratulations exelent!!!
Great Video really detailed, I have a question about the magnetic field, I understand that at rest the flipper coil sits at 50vdc once you open the EOS contacts it allows the path of least resistance out through the 3rd lug of the coil, my question is when you open the EOS contact is this what creates the magnetic field to lift the plunger?
Franky P Franky P There's always 50V at the coil. The magnetic field is produced once you provide a path to ground (through the flipper button) on the other side of the coil. There's a path to ground regardless of whether the EOS switch is open or closed. The switch just determines which part(s) of the coil are connected to that ground. There are two separate runs of wire through the coil--one long and thin (high resistance, low current), and the other short and wide (low resistance, high current). If power is passing through the high current run, the plunger is pulled into the coil very fast, but it draws too much current and components will fry if it stays active too long. When power is passing only through the low current run, it's only powerful enough to hold the plunger in the coil, but not powerful enough to pull it into the coil from rest. The EOS Switch controls which run of wire is used. When closed, the EOS switch shorts/bypasses the longer run of wire by providing a path to ground for the shorter run. Once the flipper is all the way up, at the top of its stroke, the flipper pushes open the EOS switch, which breaks the short and forces power to go through the long run to get to ground. So there's a short wire, that produces a strong field, that is used to pull the plunger into the coil. Then there's a long wire, that produces a weaker field, that is used to hold the plunger in the coil (once it's already been pulled in). Electricity takes the path of least resistance so it wants to go through the short run, but once the EOS switch is pushed open, it can't go through the short run because there's no longer a path to ground through it. So the EOS switch doesn't produce the field. The EOS switch controls which part of the coil is active AND it is part of the path to ground for the high current side. It's that last part that made my Cyclone's flippers weak. My EOS switches were corroded so there wasn't a good ground through the switch for the high current part of the coil.
Great video, thanks for posting. I have rebuilt many a flipper so old hat to me. But no talk of Williams obsession with creepy clowns on many of their machines?
Kyle l'm jealous of your card insert for the cyclone on the right side. Where could someone get one like that?
I forget where I got it. I posted it on the Cyclone Club thread on pinside. You can download it from there.
Thanks!
Thanks for the awesome video, My Bally Twilight Zone is different....when it performs a test all flippers are very fast and strong. However when I push the right flipper button both right flippers stutter and are weak and slow. Any ideas? I would very much appreciate any help.
Sounds like the contacts at the button.
Great video, I have a question about the flippers. When the flippers are all the way down, should the ball roll completely smoothly from the in-lanes onto the flipper? Its been 20 years since I played this and don't remember how it used to be, but my memory tells me it should be a seamless transfer from the in-lanes to the flipper,
The issue is on the machine my friend bought, it seems to 'bump' a a little bit (very slightly) when the ball transfers from the in-lanes to the flippers but its enough that i feel the ball isn't totally flush with the flipper when it first rolls onto it. That is to say, I think the flipper bumper might be slightly enlarged so that its not 100 percent flush with the alley (sorry for lack of better terminology)
@MrCuriousModding The ball should roll smoothly on to the flipper from the flipper return lane. The problem is likely that your metal flipper return frame is worn down. Cliffy makes enhanced flipper return frames to replace them and to help fill in the gap between the frame and the flipper. I installed them on my Sorcerer and made a video about them.
czcams.com/video/7QIA64qRI6Q/video.html
KYLE5574, pinball games use many PIA chips, what does the PIA chips do in pinball games?
thanks
Very help full video, I was wondering about the EOS switch, I understand that it goes to the non banded lugs but does it matter which wires go on each lug or not. I see the 2.2 capacitor didn't matter. the problem I'm having is with my terminator 2, after doing a complete flipper rebuild my flippers stick in the up position, they go down sometimes but mostly stick in the up position. I know it is an electrical issue because when I turn it off they go back to the resting position. I used my spacer tool and they are not too tight, Can you offer any help? I hope you do more videos you really explain thing so it's easy to understand and learn the correct way things work.
Dennis
Dennis Leonetti Take a look at the schematic at 33:13. On most coils, the switch will be from the middle lug to the non-banded lug, but you should verify that with a multimeter if possible like I did. Orientation of the switch wires doesn't matter, but the switch must physically be opened when the flipper is extended and closed when it is at rest.
Your flipper coil has constant power going to it. The switch on the flipper button controls whether that power has a path to ground. My guess is that your flipper button switch (cabinet switch) is sticking closed or you've got a short to ground somewhere between the coil and the cabinet switch. I'd raise the playfield up, turn the game on, fire the flipper until it sticks, then insert something non-conductive like a business card between the cabinet switch contacts. Be careful. Don't touch anything with your hands and don't use any metal tools when you've got the game on--too easy to hurt the game or yourself. If that releases the flipper, it's a problem with the switch. If that doesn't release the flipper then you've got something shorted to ground. Turn off the machine, start at the coil on the non-banded sides of the diodes, and follow their paths to ground. Look for any contact to metal. One path should go to the capacitor & switch and end at the other lug. Make sure no metal in that path is in contact with the flipper bracket or the lane change switch. The other path will start at that other lug and make its way through the machine to the cabinet switch. Follow that path through the machine and look for any shorts to other components or to metal surfaces.
If you don't find anything, check continuity between the coil's non-banded lug and ground. If you see continuity, disconnect/desolder components starting at the cabinet switch and moving closer along that wire towards the lug until you don't see continuity anymore. That would help you find the short.
ok I will run that test and let you know what I come up with. Thank you for your help.
Dennis
HI Kyle,
I checked for a short to ground and that all checks out ok, I have a question about my terminator 2 flipper wiring, I noticed in my manual with the light blue cover on page 2-14 flipper assembly notes paragraph 8 it reads Solid-color blue wire connects to the banded end of each diode, mounted on the connector end of the Flipper Coil (item 17). Trace-color wire connects to the unbanded end of the diode. Is this a mistake in the manual?
I thought it was the other way around where the traced power wires go to the banded side of the diode and the EOS switch wires and the traced ground wire go to the unbanded/middle terminal. Can you let me know your thoughts on this.
Dennis Leonetti
Fantastic detail have watched this three times, you should do more anatomy of pinball vids..
I do have one question the charge kickback from when the eos switch re opens and allows the voltage back through diode, I assume part filters back up to the CPU transistors?, If so how does it regulate to allow only sub 5 volts back to the board..I hope this makes sense. I would also love to see a video on how the power is applied to the pin via the transformer to the bridge rectifiers to the board back out to the coils and switches etc... Just a thought!, anyway thankyou for such a detailed video made lots of sense, subscriber added !
Franky P Sorry I never replied. I don't really know how the diode works to prevent the reverse voltage spike. If you search for fly back diode or snubber diode, you'll find some information on it. They're used whenever there is a "inductive load" (like a motor or a coil). There's a good Wikipedia article on it. It has something to do with inductors resisting changes in current. You've got current going through the coil and all this energy holding up a magnetic field. Then when you remove the path to ground, the magnetic field collapses and all the energy that was stored in it causes reverse current in the coil, but there's no path to ground anymore (or there's super high resistance--like an air gap across a switch). So the coil is producing current from the collapsing magnetic field, but the resistance just went way up, so the voltage across the coil goes way up and you get a voltage spike that is so strong that it can jump/arc across switch contacts and will eventually destroy the circuitry that controls the flipper. The diode gives an alternate path of current that's still present even when the ground has been removed. It's weird to me that current can flow even when there's no ground. I don't really understand it.
@@kyle5574 Hi Kyle no dramas for not replying on the first question all good, and I appreciate the detailed response, i think i may have it but still wanting clarification on what causes the plunger itself to actuate. I understand the path of lower resistance determines current flow - have i got this correct assuming that by pressing the cabinet leaf switch it will close the circuit allowing current to flow through the coil and that split mico second amount of time before current reaches the eos is enough to create a magnetic field that actuates the plunger which in turn opens the eos which navigates the current to the low side of the coil allowing still enough of a magnetic field to hold. ? if so, I wonder how much voltage is at the leaf switch allowing current to flow once it is closed. learning everyday day mate!
Franky P Yeah, I think you've mostly got it. But one difference--there's current going through the EOS switch the entire time that the plunger is being drawn into the coil. When you push the flipper button, you close a circuit and provide a path to ground for the voltage at the coil. The EOS switch is closed while the flipper is at rest. While the EOS switch is closed, the easiest path to ground is through the high-current winging of the coil. So the high-current side of the coil activated, with its current going through the EOS switch to ground. The presence of current in the high-current winding causes an electromagnetic field which attracts the plunger into the coil. When the plunger seats into the coil, it raises the flipper armature, and the motion of the armature physically opens the EOS switch. With the EOS switch open, the only path to ground is through the low-current winding of the coil. The low-current side is only strong enough to hold the plunger in the coil (it wouldn't have been strong enough to pull it in). So it's the flipper motion that opens the EOS switch and changes the path to ground. And that all happens in like 1/100th of a second during the stroke of the flipper from down to up.
@@kyle5574 Thanks again for the detailed efforts kyle , Im just wanting to clarify how the plunger gets drawn into the coil? if at rest it just sits there allowing current to ground via the closed eos, and only actuates when the leaf is pushed in and eos open's i guess the opening of the eos assists in pulling the plunger in, that's the only way i can get my head around it. I appreciate you re detailed responses i think you should do more anatomy of pinball stuff you're really good at it mate.
Got it current passes through the eos as the path or least resistance that small milli second is enough to pull the plunger down as soon as the eos is opened its passes current through high and low lugs with the combined resistance being the ability to hold the flipper up, just a 100th of second is enough to create the field and then bypass to make the hold
I have an old williams Tri-Zone, it only has one switch at the flipper coils, I'm going to replace them and the cabinet button switches, neither has a cap on them. Could I add a cap and would it help as far as wear on the contacts?
I'm not familiar with Williams' System 6, but, yeah, I'd go ahead and add capacitors to your cabinet flipper switches.
You can add a capacitors across your flipper EOSes, but it probably will not make as much of a difference as it does here with Cyclone. Tri-Zone uses a SFL-20-300/30-800-DC coil. Tri-Zone's coils' dual windings are wired in series, not in parallel like the coils in this video. Reference the schematic at 33:08. On Cyclone's parallel coils, the first winding is between taps 1 and 2 and the second winding is between taps 1 and 3--both windings are running in parallel, both sourcing power from tap 1. Your Tri-Zone's coil would look different; the first winding would be between taps 1 and 2 and the second winding would be between taps 2 and 3--they're in series because the second coil is daisy-chained to the end of the first coil. When Tri-Zone's EOS is closed, it shorts the second winding, so the electricity mostly just flows through the first winding--this is high current. When Tri-Zone's EOS opens, the electricity has to flow through the second winding in addition to the first winding. This increases the resistance of the coil, resulting in lower current, but there is still a path to ground for both windings--it's just a higher resistance path. Contrast that to what happens when Cyclone's EOS opens. Instead of just increasing the resistance to ground, Cyclone's EOS completely removes the path to ground from the high-current winding. With a sudden loss of ground, the electricity wants to jump the high-resistance air-gap across the switch to get back to ground. That violent arcing is what causes the wear on parallel coils' EOS. Tri-Zone's EOS opening increases the resistance of the windings' path to ground, while Cyclone's EOS opening completely removes a winding's path to ground. Because there's always a path to ground on your Tri-Zone's coils' windings, the electricity doesn't arc as much. That said, you can add capacitors if you want. My Sorcerer uses serial-wound coils, and Williams started including capacitors in later production runs of Sorcerer, but I haven't bothered adding the capacitors to my mine.
Williams' original patent for the parallel-wound coils is interesting: patents.google.com/patent/US4790536
Thanks for the info. I have a lot of arcing on three of the switches, they are pitted and probably original so I'm replacing all of them, I'll add caps to the cabinet switches. Thanks again.
Can. Adjust the side rail or the flipper ? When it comes down I go for a shot, the ball bounces off the the flipper . Yours is smooth ! Flipper is too high or rail is too low ? Help if you can please
spuyten duyvil There's not much play in either the flipper bat hole or the holes for the return rail, so you might not have much luck adjusting them. You might look into getting new flipper return rails. I happen to have a video about the ones I installed on my Sorcerer. czcams.com/video/7QIA64qRI6Q/video.html
Thank you so much! By the way ,my name is Michael 🙋♂️
Great vid. I will use tin foil around existing wires on the play field to avoid inadvertently melting them with the hot iron.... Always seems to happen.
IntermittentSailingWithKids Great idea! I've singed more than my fair share of wires.
I read that the coil diode should be on the other side and not at the sleeve stop. Does it matter?
You can do that. That might be better in the long run. I don’t think it matters for home use though. The coil stop takes a beating from the plunger, so the stop is subject to a lot of vibration. The solder joints holding the coil tabs, diode, and connecting wires could fail over time due to this vibration. It doesn’t matter electrically which way the coil is facing, so it’s better to move those joints away from the coil stop and let the coil dissipate those vibrations a bit. I see two possible issues with that. Sometimes, especially on a machine that’s been worked on a lot over the years, there’s not enough slack in the wire to turn the coil around. Also, sometimes there’s a plastic nub on the coil that is designed to slot into the coil stop to prevent the coil from rotating in the bracket and to keep it stable, but if you turn the coil around, there’s nothing for it to slot into, so you need to make sure that the coil isn’t able to rotate and possibly make contact between the exposed solder joints and anything else nearby.
Would you know why I get this problem on my Whirlwind Pinball? I installed a new flipper rebuild kit and I also replaced my FL-11630 coils with the same as you have in this video. When I test the new coils, my primary ohms does not get the 5.1 ohms its supposed to get. Secondary gets no reading. When I hit the flipper, it resets the machine. When I replace the old coil, it works fine with exact hookups.. It cant be that 4 brand new coils are bad... You have any ideas??
Adam Venezia the part where you say "exact hookups" makes me wonder how you're connecting the power and return wires. The coil doesn't care which direction the wires go, but the diodes on the coils do. If the diodes on your old coils were installed in a different direction than the ones on your new coils, then there would be a short if you connected the wires to the same hookups as the old coil. Make sure the power wire is on the banded-most side of the coil diodes (the outside tab with the solid band around the outside of the diode) and that the return wire is on the non-banded side.
However, even if there were a short, I'd expect a blown fuse, not a reset. If the machine is resetting, the problem may be on your power supply. If so, I'd probably just replace the whole power supply. New switching supplies are more efficient than the old linear supplies. I've had good experience with, and good support from, the company XPin.
Adam Venezia by the way, I actually did hook up a flipper in reverse accidentally. On this machine even. I've got a video about that mistake.
@@kyle5574 The bands on the diodes are setup the same way in a side by side comparison. Even when I test them out of the machine, It dont seem to test the same way.. Weird that the old coil works fine and the new one does nothing.. Its really puzzling....
I have a Cyclone. My left flipper will flip, but will not return to its resting state. Any recommendations for troubleshooting? Thanks.
Terry Bultje Does it suddenly return if you turn off the machine while it's stuck up? That would mean it's an electrical problem. Assuming not, then it mechanical. Typically this is caused by the flipper bar being pushed too tight against the playfield/flipper bushing. Make sure there's about 1/16" to 1/8" gap between the bottom of the flipper bat and the busing. There should be some play--about the thickness of a credit card. Could also be a broken or dirty flipper bushing, melted or dirty coil sleeve, or something wrong with the spring.
kyle5574 thank you for the insights. I will try it when I get home tonight. Thanks again.
Which flipper button capacitor did you use?
Thomas K The capacitors for the cabinet switches are ceramic, 0.1uF, 500V. Marking is 104Z, sometimes they say 500V too.
Wow this is a Hole-in-one video for me! I went searching Google for a tutorial on how to rebuild/maintain the flippers on my CYCLONE PINBALL MACHINE and found THIS perfect video!
I do have a question though:
I grew up playing this table, and was always able to "grab" the ball with the flippers when the ball would go down either lane. Is this normal? Should I be able to grab the ball when it goes down either lane? Or is it normal for the ball to bounce over the flipper? Recently someone replaced the flippers, and now I cant grab the ball after it goes down either of the lanes. What degree, or angle should the flipper be at at its highest when the button is pressed?
Any help is MUCH appreciated! Thanks!
Unless the ball is moving extraordinarily fast, you should be able to catch the ball with either flipper when it rolls down the in-lane on Cyclone--and on most other playfields that have a standard "Italian Bottom" layout. If the ball rolls down the in-lane and off the end of your raised flipper, then something is wrong and there are few things you might want to check:
First, check your flipper alignment. When your flipper is at-rest (button NOT pushed), the bottom of the flipper should line up with a small hole in the playfield below each flipper. The hole is just large enough to stick a toothpick through and it's intended to be used to line up the flippers when replacing them. With the flipper at-rest, stick a toothpick in that hole and you should see that the flipper is just lightly touching it. With the flipper aligned correctly, the flipper surface should line up with the in-lane so that the ball would follow a straight line when it rolls down the in-lane all the way down the flipper. Barring mechanical obstruction or incorrect parts, aligning the the flipper like this when it is at-rest ensures that the angle is correct when it's activated (when you push the button).
Second, check your playfield angle. Use an inclinometer (or your phone!) to measure the angle of the playfield. Top-to-bottom should be 6.5 degrees. Left-to-right should be 0, of course.
Third, check under the playfield for any mechanical obstructions. When the flipper is at-rest, make sure the crank (the metal part that grips the flipper shaft) is resting against the rubber plug. Manually move the flipper from its resting position through the entire travel. Make sure the movement is free and smooth and that the flipper doesn't bind up anywhere. With the flipper all the way up, the spring should be fully compressed, the plunger should strike the metal coil-stop inside the coil and the link (the plastic part connected to the crank) should pretty much be pressed against the coil. Quickly lift the flipper all the way and you should be able to hear the plunger to clink against the coil-stop inside the coil.
Fourth, verify your flipper components: Take a look at your Cyclone parts manual, page 10. If you don't have manual, you can find it on ipdb.org. You should be using Williams flipper bracket C-11627 (part 18) and coil-stop A-12111 (part 8). You should be using crank link assembly B-10655 (part 13). If your Cyclone is using the wrong parts, your flipper travel might be incorrect. Also ensure that the rubber plug is present on the coil-stop (part 4) since that affects the alignment. You should be using flipper bat 20-9250 (part 3 on page 16), which is 3 inches long. If you're using the wrong flippers, they might no be long enough (like if somebody replaced your flippers with shorter "lightning" flipper part 20-9734). And, just personal preference, I use the original style of flipper rubbers because they feel more grippy to me (as opposed to the newer translucent rubber formulations).
@@kyle5574 WOW Great information! Thanks! Do you have any suggestions as to where to buy the parts? Also, after looking under the table playfield, it appears the flipper coils are mismatched and probably not the correct flipper coils. Where do you like to buy new coils from too? Thanks again in advance! This video is amazing.
I actually want to do an entire flipper rebuild with all new parts/coils like you did in your video. So any suggestions as to where I can get a "kit" or all the parts for that would be much appreciated :)
@@eisie7090 I typically buy from Pinball Life or Marco Specialties. Search Pinball Life for "flipper full assembly" or for "flipper rebuild". While I'm in there, I typically replace the flipper bats and the flipper bushings too--you have to buy those separately. Pinball Life and Marco have all of it.
@@kyle5574 Welp. I just did a full rebuild, replaced everything from the bracket to the the flipper bats. I purchased both left and Right full flipper assemblies (www.thepinballwizard.net/full-flipper-assemblies/full-left-flipper-assembly-williams/bally-machines-from-03/1987-to-11/1991/ ) I also double checked the degree to be 6.5 and I STILL cant grab the ball if its coming down one either the left or right in-lane. I can grab it if its moving slower and happens to land/bounce to my flipper, but not if it drops down the in-lane. Everything is brand new. I have no clue what is wrong. Thanks for all the help. Your video is amazing and I couldn't have done it without you!
So, if one have put in new switches, new coils and new sleeves, and still have weak flippers, it must be a Driver board fault, right?
It is very important on pre-Fliptronic machines to ensure that the EOS switches are properly adjusted. If the switches close too soon, the flippers will be weak. I'd start there. Then I would rule out mechanical issues. Ensure the flippers move freely by hand and spring back to the resting position. Also hold the flipper button and try to move the flipper up and down by hand to ensure the pawl is tight around the shaft and the bat is sturdy on the shaft. If that's all good, then yeah, I'd consider replacing or rebuilding the flipper power supply.
Well the flippers move freely since ive cleaned every nook and cranny on the mechanics, set the bats right and made sure the switches sit tight, (although i think i didnt see if they close to soon, gotta check that) and fixed the return spring so it is just right, so im starting to suspect driver being faulty here. Its an spanish game though, so the electronics on the boards isnt the usual Williams/Bally/Stern pinball stuff.
You can measure voltage output, but you can't (or at least I can't!) measure ability to deliver adequate wattage.
im not gonna swap the whole board, just rebuild the caps and whatnot.
Tissue ?
Excellent video. Thanks. But shouldn't gap be on top or under the playfield. Not both. Gravity handles rest and gap will be under playfield after assembly anyway.