1982 Bally v WPC Pinball

[DRD]

I have 3x wpc games and an older Bally Vector.

I have rebuilt the Vector flippers and slingshots with extensive new parts. I cleaned the EOS correctly, I have carefully set the leaf spring gaps. I have done the same on the slingshots too. But they still seem really slow and unresponsive compared to the wpc games

My guess is that the linear flippers and slingshots on the old Bally game are simply less responsive as the solenoid plungers are twice as long and twice as heavy as those in the wpc games. This would give them twice the inertia. The old Bally slingshots also have far worse friction issues too than more modern wpc games.

Am I right here ? And no matter what you do, these older Bally games just feel a bit slow and stodgy compared to the wpc games ? Or can you tune these old Bally games to be equally responsive ?

Thanks

 

[ronsplooter]

Games from different era's feel different Your Vector is never going to feel the same as a WPC game (unless you replaced all of the Bally parts with WPC) but that's part of the appeal of different makes and era's of games. Williams flippers are generally more powerful (even on games from the same time as Vector) but Bally give you more control....Gottliebs are a different feel altogether

 

[Jay Walker]

The 'linear' slingshot was a recent Bally development at the time - replacing much the same arrangement as the other manufacturers continued using, even into the WPC era. Without it, there wouldn't have been the 'jumping' post device used on Medusa, Fireball II & Strange Science.

I was surprised to find that the linear s/shot was kept on after the Bally/Williams merger; Truckstop, Atlantis & Transporter -The Rescue used it, and it was still shown in the 'location of devices' drawing for games after that.