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    Repair log: The Hobbit Smaug Edition (Jersey Jack, 2016)

    2016 Hobbit Jersey Jack Repair log

    ο»ΏRepair logs are quick summaries of workshop and on-site repairs. If your machine needs a service, πŸ“¬ Contact Us to discuss how we can help!

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    A beautiful looking game! This one hadn't had much play, and the owner wanted to help protect the common wear areas with Cliffy protectors. No problem! We installed protectors on the Radagast and Balin VUKs, shooter lane eject protectors, and a protector on the Smaug ball drop area. Also adjusted one of the pop-up targets, which was binding due to the bracket being a little bent; a common issue with these pop-up targets. CPU battery was also dead, so that was replaced, too. (Remember these need to be replaced every 3 years or so!)


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    Repair log: Strikes and Spares (Bally, 1978)

    1978 Bally Repair log Strikes and Spares

    ο»ΏRepair logs are quick summaries of workshop and on-site repairs. If your machine needs a service, πŸ“¬ Contact Us to discuss how we can help!

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    I had the pleasure of servicing this absolutely stunning Strikes and Spares. Haven't seen one quite as nice as this before, and I doubt I ever will! While cosmetically flawless, this game had a few issues to sort out. It needed some new rubbers. Problems with the playfield fuse were causing issues with the coils. There were a couple of electrical issues to fix too, including some flickering displays and non-working lamps. Did a few switch adjustments to round out the repair. Looking as good now as it did back in 1978!


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    Repair log: Playboy (Stern, 2002)

    2002 Playboy Repair log Stern

    ο»ΏRepair logs are quick summaries of workshop and on-site repairs. If your machine needs a service, πŸ“¬ Contact Us to discuss how we can help!

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    Service call to a Stern Playboy a couple of days ago. I took the MPU board in for repair to abate some alkaline corrosion from leaking batteries. Replaced with a lithium cell and installed NVRAM while I was there.


    Little bit of work to do on the playfield, too. The triangle motor wasn't stopping at the correct spots for "Splash" and "Triple Jackpot" awards. The switches underneath the assembly were out of adjustment. The clear plastic above the left ramp was missing. This resulted in shots to the ramp getting rejected most of the time. I fashioned a new plastic out of polycarbonate, drilled the mounting holes, and voila! Not as precise as a CNC cut plastic, sure, but not bad for an on-site repair either! Also installed a custom topper and wired it into the backbox. Changed a few rubbers and replaced a couple of switches to finish things off.


    Welcome back to the mansion!


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    Repair log: Rescue 911 (Gottlieb, 1994)

    1994 Gottlieb Repair log Rescue 911

    ο»ΏRepair logs are quick summaries of workshop and on-site repairs. If your machine needs a service, πŸ“¬ Contact Us to discuss how we can help!

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    This was a relatively clean machine with a couple of niggling issues. The main one was the beacon topper wasn't working anymore. The motor that turns the reflector was jamming. Gottlieb used a widely available toy motor for this assembly, which is still available to buy from many Chinese electric motor suppliers (part no. EG-530AD-2F). To couple the motor shaft to the reflector base, cap the shaft with a rubber post cap. Spins like a dream now!


    There were also some inoperative switches. The cave-in drop targets needed adjusting. There is also an optical switch pair by the pop bumpers that most people don't know is even there. These opto boards needed reflowing to get them working. A flasher wasn't working, too. This was due to a dodgy connector under the playfield.


    Game is now playing nicely and is ready for sale!


  • Published on

    Repair log: Solar City (Gottlieb, 1977)

    1977 Gottlieb Repair log solar city

    ο»ΏRepair logs are quick summaries of workshop and on-site repairs. If your machine needs a service, πŸ“¬ Contact Us to discuss how we can help!

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    A service call turned workshop repair. This Solar City (Gottlieb, 1977) was not starting properly, nor was it working quite right when it did eventually start. Lots of work to get this machine up to scratch. Solar City is an unusual game because it shares the exact same playfield as six (!) other games. They are:



    Target Alpha is the game that people generally remember as more of these were made than any of the other varieties. However, the gameplay and playfield mechanisms are basically identical between them all.

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    Repair log: The Getaway: High Speed II (Williams, 1992)

    1992 Getaway Repair log Williams

    ο»ΏRepair logs are quick summaries of workshop and on-site repairs. If your machine needs a service, πŸ“¬ Contact Us to discuss how we can help!

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    This machine was having switch issues. Half of the switches weren't working. Severe corrosion on the CPU board due to battery leakage was to blame. Duraleaks strike again! A new CPU board and connectors were installed and things were back to normal. Great to have Coin-Up Pinball around; an Aussie supplier of these CPU boards. A few other minor repairs and adjustments were also done. The most interesting was a lost ball which had gotten stuck in the ball trough.... it took a little while to find!