Jp2 Newton Ball

[DaveA]

Hi all
First of all apologies for how often Ive been posting the last week or so - its been quite a maintenance heavy week.
Quick query about how the newton ball should be working (attached to truck)...

When you hit it head on should it rotate the truck?

I feel like Im struggling to progress the t rex modes and potentially this is down to the fact trying to rotate the truck is bloody hard work. It usually takes a few shots to get the attached ball to swing away and then some more shots to work its way round. Is this normal or does it sound stiff? I still havent reached T rex encounter or t rex rampage after 2ish months of ownership. My play is ok but overall pretty average.

On the promo trailer it looks like hits to the dead center should rotate the back ball.

Worst case scenario I can pop down to tilt soon and see how that one compares but wondered if anyone had first hand experience.

Video of me flicking

20240515_150130.mp4

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we.tl

 

[Fantazia2]

Is the ball on the truck physically touching the newton ball, nothing obstructing it?

Just watched the video, you need to hit it with a lot more power than that, its not going to do anything just flicking it.

With your first flick it moves a little bit, just enough to no longer being in contact with the newton ball.

Try sliding a ball across the playfield to it, with some force, and make sure the truck ball is touching the newton ball.

You need the power in the pinball hitting the fixed ball to be able to transfer through to the truck ball.

If the truck mech itself doesnt rotate freely and return to rest both sides it might need a clean/grease.

 

[DaveA]

Is the ball on the truck physically touching the newton ball, nothing obstructing it?

Just watched the video, you need to hit it with a lot more power than that, its not going to do anything just flicking it.

With your first flick it moves a little bit, just enough to no longer being in contact with the newton ball.

Try sliding a ball across the playfield to it, with some force, and make sure the truck ball is touching the newton ball.

You need the power in the pinball hitting the fixed ball to be able to transfer through to the truck ball.

If the truck mech itself doesnt rotate freely and return to rest both sides it might need a clean/grease.

Nothing obstructing but on being hit it rotates to about 90 degrees so needs another few hits to the rotated ball to get it to go round. Happy to do another quick vid if helps to describe

 

[Fantazia2]

When its hit it should either go all way round if theres enough force, or if not if should return to resting on newton ball I think, unless its in a perfect balanced spot at the top of its motion.

I think someone else might have posted about this previously on here and it needed the rotating mech cleaning and greasing.

 

[DaveA]

Ok thanks makes sense will look to do that & then higher scores here we come
Any suggestions on the cleaning / greasing approach & associated products?

 

[JWG9999]

The truck on my JP2 was getting a bit sluggish. I looked it up and found a recommend for this lube pen:



I didn't take the truck off or clean the spindle. I just put a drop in at the top, lifted the playfield and put another in at the bottom, and spun the truck to and fro.

That was months ago and it's worked a treat ever since. Sorry, I can't remember where I got it.

 

[DaveA]

I've gone with me some BANANASLIP

 

[Pick Holder]

Had to strip down and lube this assembly a few times.....

 

[DaveA]

Thanks Phil well I know where you are when it all goes wrong.

Looking fwd to seeing your turtle impression again at some point!

 

[VeeMonroe]

Is it new? Mine had an elastic band around it.

 

[DaveA]

Is it new? Mine had an elastic band around it.

Na not a branny was about 2 year old and 2.5k plays when it landed here. Its HUO and in pretty great overall condition as guy I bought it off is quite new to the hobby with it being his first ever table. So his 2.5k plays arent the same as 2.5k plays off an expert player but similarly easy bits of maintenance like replacing rubbers has been needed. No biggy. No elastic band in sight tho

Tbh i am slow on the uptake with some of these very minor faults when im not buying from new as i dont always have a reference point (i have played JP2 a bit at tilt but didnt realise how much easier the ball is to move).

But now im progressing quite well thru the dinos and the t rex truck encounters were not coming as easily - anything that involved the truck felt like a pain in the nuts, it makes sense the mech is needing a touch of TLC. My home score is only about 100m above my hi score at tilt so i think this truck is a bit of a massive handicap.

Great to know scores will be improving massively next week when i give the banana a slip

 

[DevilzAvocado]

Also check the newton ball is still solid on its post. The weld to the post can be weak. Simple enough to disassemble, epoxy back on and reassemble.

 

[Andydn]

I had a similar issue when I had a JP2, under the playfield is a slotted opto and as the truck turns there’s a plastic part that moves into the slot, triggering the opto & letting the machine know what position the truck is in. Mine wasn’t centered and was therefore never triggering one of the truck positions - def worth having a look at least.
I’m sure there is also a thrust bearing on the truck assembly, very easy to lube up.
If there’s resistance something must be misaligned or jamming - get that playfield up and have a good look

 

[DaveA]

Ok noobster shop log 101...
Lifted playfield. Taken 7 screws out (4 on the metal plate attached to playfield, 3 on the plastic sitting on top of the plate)

The mech that turns the truck left and right is the metal slotted circle to bottom of picture which looks like it needs to come off before u can lift the truck out on the other side) - shaft is in middle of the circle.

Any idea on next steps from here? Feel like am close but just not sure how to disconnect the truck mech from the top to the bottom to be able to pull the truck mech out the top

 

[cmrl9]

If you look in the instructions from stern website site for the machine, there will be a diagram for that part which will explain by looking at it how it goes together

 

[Fantazia2]

At a guess I would say the black thing on the shaft between the white bit and the top part that goes in the optos is a grub s rew that needs unscrewing to be able to remove it, but as mentioned above get a copy of the manual and there should be an exploded view of the part for reference.

 

[Fantazia2]

Although looking at the manual doesn't even show the top (bottom?) part with the plate that interacts with the optos.

It does show the shaft which the truck is mounted on has a flat section at the end which would tie up with the grub screw I mentioned above.

 

[DaveA]

Yeah ive looked at manual its not really all that clear though because it shows the top and the bottom as two seperate diagrams and no real description of what order to unscrew stuff / where the critical parts are that are connecting the top and the bottom assemblies

 

[DaveA]

If indeed a grub screw a standard allen key isnt fitting cos its somewhere between 2 and 2.5mm and appears circular
Not refd in manual either lol

 

[DaveA]

Im at toolstation getting imperial set of allen keys.

3/32 inch vs 2.5mm
2.38mm vs 2.5mm
Those 0.12mm could be the golden ticket to Willy Wonkas grand tour

 

[DaveA]

Pure unbridled joy
The mrs definitely made me wait for it

Thanks for all the help but not to sterns manual maker

 

[Fantazia2]

Looks like you got it sorted, was going to say I would expect all the fittings on a Stern to be Imperial and not metric.

 

[DaveA]

Thanks mate for helping me out - means a lot