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TZ bridge diverter issues

Durzel

Durzel

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Ello

As of yesterday my TZ has developed a bridge diverter issue. What happens is that the ball goes down the metal wireform into the diverter, the game makes the sound as if it's going to drop it on the playfield (which makes me think the opto is working fine), but nothing happens. The ball then stays in the diverter assembly and a ball search starts, but the game does not (or can not) drop it. The only way to fix it is to take the glass off and manually push the diverter backwards to drop the ball on the playfield. Sometimes it starts working for a little while after that, but more often than not it will repeat this the next time it is supposed to drop a ball on the playfield.

Oddly enough when it is supposed to move out of the way to let the ball onto the mini playfield this seems to work, but I don't know if that has just been a fluke.

From a cursory glance it looks as if an E-clip is partly broken, but there is nothing in the manual at all about how this assembly is supposed to look or be put together above the playfield. The manual only has the assembly below the playfield listed. Intuitively it doesn't seem like this broken E-clip would be the thing stopping the diverter from working reliably because from the looks of it it just keeps it attached to a hinge pin.

I haven't yet checked below the playfield to see if the coil spring or any C/E rings are broken or anything.

In Coil Test the diverter coil sortof jiggles the diverter assembly, but not consistently, but it doesn't completely rotate the diverter backwards like it would do if it was dropping a ball - should it?

Any tips for me to look at next? Have attached some images to show what it currently looks like.
 

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Here’s my machine, recently assembled:

I have seen the long thin metal shaft fitted both ‘out to in’ and ‘in to out’, with regards the top kink threading through the hole. Yours looks a bit bent!

9A45BC77-4EC5-450C-83E8-6CAD786542AE.jpeg4E673DD8-DEC7-4041-902E-1996D84C0F01.jpegD593FF9F-175A-4C7C-9F3B-648F629DD87C.jpeg19292873-DDFE-4712-A8B7-19506EE634A8.jpeg4415EBD5-3D8B-4547-AA5A-3C8015AFA52F.jpeg
 
Cheers, you're an absolute star. That gives me something to work with.

Would I be right in thinking that the assembly above the playfield is attached to the ramp with those E-clips only? If I'm going to take it all apart I might as well refresh everything.
 
Durzel said:
Cheers, you're an absolute star. That gives me something to work with.

Would I be right in thinking that the assembly above the playfield is attached to the ramp with those E-clips only? If I'm going to take it all apart I might as well refresh everything.
Click to expand...

yep - although you only need to remove 1 clip, then the bar will slide out.
 
Ok just assembling a list of parts I need. From the looks of that diverter pin it has a loop on one end. How are you supposed to fit that over the plunger "rod"? Does that rod come out or are you supposed to pull it forcibly over it?
 
You mean the flat circle bit, at the base of the shaft?

I’d imagine you have to feed the shaft up through the circle and up through to the top side of the playfield.

There’s a roll pin in there holding the shaft to the plunger bit that gets moved by the coil.
 
I'm probably not explaining it very well. The loop bit at the bottom of this "thing" (arm?) goes over the plunger roll pin (if I'm understanding the terminology correctly). My question I guess is how you get it over that roll pin :)

71LldZCI19L._SY679_.jpg
 
it could just be that you need to replace the coil sleeve only!

definitely get the playfield up and watch what happens down there in coil test.
 
Hi,

With the coil plunger and wire linkage removed from the machine, also remove the E-ring (which serves as a spring retainer) from the plunger so that it can lie flat on the slightly open jaws of a vice. Using a suitably sized punch or 'drift', knock the roll-pin downwards out of the plunger, between the open jaws

The linkage was a common breakage item when this game was new. My colleague Martin told me that he couldn't find the part number while he was working for A/L. It's listed, AIR, as 'actuator', in the solenoid assembly drawing, which hadn't been supplied with their games when sited
 
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Your arm looks homemade. It’s very hard to make these work reliably without the right part. I expect the arm is moving through the divertor when it should be sharply pulling it.

Correct part is here

pinparts.co.uk

12-7082 Bridge Divertor Wire for TZ

Bridge Divertor Wire for TZ
pinparts.co.uk

It’s not the same easiest thing to fit, but stage one is to get the new part fitted by knocking the roll pin nearly out. Balance the extracted plunger across the jaws of a vice and then use a punch and hammer to knock it out.
 
Thanks. I think I'd probably need someone to sort this for me I think, if I buy a replacement plunger and the actuator. I have neither a vice nor a punch :confused:
 
If it helps, I’d be happy to fit the part to the old plunger if you post it to me next week.
 
Thanks a lot. :) I'll have a look under the playfield tonight and see what's what under there. Could be there's more I need. Will need that correct actuator arm as a minimum.
 
Durzel said:
Thanks a lot. :) I'll have a look under the playfield tonight and see what's what under there. Could be there's more I need. Will need that correct actuator arm as a minimum.
Click to expand...

And new coil sleeve while u have it off and check the end stop and plunger for wear
 
Yeah since it looks like I'm going to be taking it apart I'll have a look at that stuff too. Will get some photos tonight if I get back from work early enough.
 
Well, typically it looks like it's working ok as soon as I inspect it, though I have noticed the following:

- I seem to be missing the metal washer that sits above the plunger, over the actuator, according to the schematics

- The actuator is definitely home made

Will probably just take it apart, clean it up, fit the correct actuator and fit a new coil sleeve...

F8066FC7-9C18-4271-8C16-2B968DC666EA.gif

..and the most unexciting pinball video ever:

 
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