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flipper adjustment.

wayne g

wayne g

Registered
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
Messages
426
Location
not far from Cardiff
hi guys



need some help here if possible,

i have just aquired a lovely TOM but the left flipper wont return to it's 'home' position.

it starts off at what i would call the 5 o clock position and every time you flip it gradually moves up anti-clockwise untill it sits idle at the 2 o clock position?



can someone please advise me what to adjust with pics if at all possible?

i have fixed bits and pieces on all the pins i have owned before but i have never so much as picked a spanner or screwdriver up to a flipper so lost is not the word.

lol

thanks fellas!

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It sounds like the flipper bracket is lose. The flipper has a pole that goes through the table and and is clamped underneath by the bracket which is attached to a spring to return it after the coil has fired. Lossen the clamp, re-align it but finding the hole in the table that you can put a nail or something into, line the flipper up to the nail and tighten the clamp.



Congrats on your new purchase, get us some pictures up.
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thanks for that mate!

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i will have a look at this tomorrow as i'm just going out.

typically when i took the rubber of the flipper bat to get a better view of the offender that bloody thing snapped also and i dont have a spare in the house unusually!

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anyone know where to buy a couple of purple flipper rubbers as the one's on there looked great?

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thanks for that mate!

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i will have a look at this tomorrow as i'm just going out.

typically when i took the rubber of the flipper bat to get a better view of the offender that bloody thing snapped also and i dont have a spare in the house unusually!

rolleyes-1.gif




anyone know where to buy a couple of purple flipper rubbers as the one's on there looked great?

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Yep - def sounds like the pawl is not gripping the flipper shaft.



A couple of other points ....



When you retighten the pawl , ensure it is positioned on the flipper shaft to allow the flipper bat to be moved by hand vertically up and down about a 16th of an inch - if the bat is too tight against the bushing ( the plastic bit protruding thru the playfield ) then the flipper can bind.



Oh and *really* tighten it otherwise the flipper will just come loose again in a short time.



If when you look at it the jaws of the pawl are touching around the shaft or virtually touching, and the flipper is still working loose, then its prob time for a new pawl. Overtightening the pawl will just fatigue the metal and eventually it wont grip no matter how hard you try.
 
i seem to be getting problems replying ?

i keep getting an error warning me my reply is not valid?





anyhow i'm grateful for all the input guys!!!
 
wayne g' date=' post: 1693965 said:
i seem to be getting problems replying ?

i keep getting an error warning me my reply is not valid?





anyhow i'm grateful for all the input guys!!!
Click to expand...

Glad its not only me then getting the bloody " Reply is not Valid " as well as other stupid things.

Very annoying.
 
Glad its not only me then getting the bloody " Reply is not Valid " as well as other stupid things.
Click to expand...



Yeah I've been getting that too. Always seems to post ok though so I guess it can just be ignored.
 
if it's not the 'pawl' the grippy thing, sometimes the shaft itself , it wears in the flipper bat, then . no amount of tightening will solve the problem, if it were me I would replace the bats too, just to be on the safe side.
 
bartron' date=' post: 1693990 said:
How many ToM's have purple flippers and an up-post ? :cool:

one and I sold it.

my SCTOMA conscience is clear
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Click to expand...



I sold it first, so there
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http://www.pinballmania.co.uk/flipkit.htm

Fliptronic Flipper Rebuild Kit. Enough parts to rebuild one left and one right flipper.



2 Plunger, Link and Pawl Assembly (1xLeft, 1xRight)

2 End Stops

2 Return Spring

2 Coil Sleeves

2 EOS Switches

Screw Pack

£20 per Kit









im guessing this kit will sort everything i need?



whats the postage like also.....i really would love to get this for the weekend or im 'pinless' all over the weekend?
 
Don't forget to ask the bushes, they don't come as part of the kit and you will need one for each flipper.

The screw into the base plate and go through the table, the pole from the flipper goes through the bushes.



I ended up changing all the base plates too but only because mine had fatigue damage. I can do a flipper rebuild in 30 minutes now, for some reason I timed myself. :oops:
 
You can usually live without new EOS switches and bushes in my experience - unless you *really* want to do the full monty.



The important parts are the plunger/link/pawl, the coil sleeve and the end stop.



But yes - that will sort you out.
 
Calimori' date=' post: 1693997 said:
I can do a flipper rebuild in 30 minutes now, for some reason I timed myself. :oops:
Click to expand...



Nice work soldier, though the true test is in a live fire situation at a pinball show...... its dark, its hot, its noisy ...and Andy' The Legend' Netherwood is busy with other casualties :eek: Now get yr stopwatch out
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I go to a lot of classic car shows where they are over the weekend and they build a car from parts. Can a complete table be built and then played at a weekend show?

Next event I come to, I am bringing my head torch and stopwatch.
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When I had my TOM the left flipper started playing up in the way described above. This happened twice, and in both cases I needed to replace the bat as the rod and plastic bat part were twisting - it wasn't a problem with the pawl.



I suspect that this game causes the problem due to the very fast loop shots and temptation to return the ball immediately for another loop - very satisfying if you get a few in a row, but puts a lot of stress on the flipper.



So, don't forget the bats as well as a rebuild kit! Cheers.
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After the amount of pins that I've seen recently with flipper problems following a rebuild by previous owners please remember to loctite the screws - http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/threadlocking-jointing-gasketing/0693848/ It can save all sorts of potentially expensive problems down the line..... worst was an EOS shorting taking out 12v Voltage regulator on the driver board and the switch matrix on the CPU!
 
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