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In Progress Firepower Shop Log

RudeDogg1

RudeDogg1

Site Supporter
10 Years
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
8,551
Location
Barnstaple, Devon
Well I had a visit from Martin today was even nice enough to give him a large tip because its a pain in the **** for him to come down this way.

Anyway shes not the prettyest of machines scruffy cab with a battered bottom, back glass flaked alot more than id hoped for, a hell of alot of dodgy wiring (I knew about some of this i was warned lol). Nearly half the connectors burnt, Every one of the main connectors have snapped wires and or dodgy pins, loads of strange joins not using colour coded, rusty lockdown receiver. Thats the bad stuff Ive found so far Im sure there will be more.

Goood points tidy pf with no wear but several inserts need leveling, has a new secondhand board set and they look pretty tidy.

Should keep me busy, already started stripping the topside so i can explore the underside easier and sort all the cut wires.

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From what i've seen of your abilities and enthusiasm in your Shadow shop log, I have every confidence in you.

I remember when you first appeared on the forum, posting on every thread and named after a pinball character, I thought you were fake, I thought you were an old troll we chased away, come back with a new name to start again all friendly them go off into one again whenever he didn't get the reaction or response he wanted. He that shall not be named.

Better get your Firepower shop log started then :)
 
Can safely say I've never been on as a different name (not sure wether to take it as an insult).

Can't say I'm looking forward to repairing all the wires. Since Charlie went back I have no life again so have nothing better to do anyway lol
 
Looking forward to following this. I almost feel I should get a Firepower too so we can go through it together again as we did with the Shadow :) .
 
First step is to take pictures that are in focus! These are so bad you won't be able to refer to them if you need a reminder what goes where in a few months time.
 
GrizZ said:
Yes. That's how they are meant to be.

Shame about that backglass. Prob worth sealing that with Triple Thick or equivalent asap to try and minimise anymore flaking ...or not worry if you are gonna source a better one.

Good luck with it. Classic game.
Click to expand...

I prob will seal it but I'm still going to look out for a better one or wait till CPR do their repro. There are some repros out there already but someone said the colours wrong or something
 
Steve said:
First step is to take pictures that are in focus! These are so bad you won't be able to refer to them if you need a reminder what goes where in a few months time.
Click to expand...

The out of focus ones were just quick ones I took for you guys (looked ok on the cam). Will take better ones as I strip it down and unearth more **** hacks such as half the idcs being soldered / melted. I am crap at taking pics tho
 
Yup lol there is a method to my laziness. Cuz I use 2 saw horses to put the pf on I needed to strip the top to flip it. Already spotted loads of hacks, electric tape, choc blocks, a broken or to short pop bumper leaf switch and an odd pop bumper coil. And that was just a quick scan befor I packed up for the night lol oh joy
 
I have parts for sale for Firepower.
Coin door, side rail (can't remember which side), lock down bar and back glass.

Also, have a complete machine. Was working, recently stopped. £500. To be gone before Christmas (2013)

Dave
 
I have a lock down bar, but not the mechanism. I may have one, but it could be as rusty as yours! The backglass has been lacquered about two years ago and hasn't peeled since. I will try for a photo soon.
 
hmm its only the mech i need nevermind. wouldnt mind a pick of the back glass although ill prob wait for a mint one or repro
 
top side stripped found a few broken bits target, kickback missing half its plunger thing, missing posts ect.

this is after i stripped it apart from the pop bumpers that ill do tomoz. Needs a clean to but that can wait for abit.
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most the parts are very curroded think its been sat dead for quite some time
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Now befor i put these in the tumbler i didnt hold out much hope and was already preparing to replace. I tumbled everything from the topside in walnut for a day then changed to corn cob and flitz for 1 and a half days. This is the result im really impressed with this tumbling melarky
photo 1.JPG
 
Now it was time for the underside which i was dreading theres all sorts of hacks, broken stuff, missing things and just plain wrong. Im abit conserned because i dont think all the flipper wiring is there :confused::mad:. theres mechs with the wrong springs on, bits the wrong way round bits not connected whole lamp holders missing, broken switches, a pop bumper leaf switch with 3 diodes on of 3 different types and sizes, coil types all mixed up and choc blocks galor.

A couple of my finds

photo (1).JPG photo.JPG
 
Rudi,

Those switches shown in the previous post are normal for the bumpers/slingshots on an early Williams solid-state machine. Williams used to use 'special switches' for these items, which aren't part of the switch matrix - they operate the relevant coil directly*, and another switch (which is in the matrix) provides the score/sound generation/lamp alternation, etc.

On a jet bumper, the switch is actually two seperate parts; the section nearest the playfield is the 'special' part, and the section with the white wire cut off is the 'scoring' part, with a diode. It's allowed to close by the fibre bumper linkage moving downwards when the coil is energised.

* almost - there's only a logic gate or two before the coil pre-driver stage.
 
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So these 2 switches are ment to have 2 or 3 totally different diodes? Will be about the only oddity that is right on the machine lol
 
On a different note does anyone know the paint codes for the red and yellow on the cab?

I'm also thinking of stripping off the fake wood grain off the side rails and painting them black, yay or nay?
 
Yes,

The slingshot and bumper 'special' switches each have a resistor/capacitor connected, to prolong the driver input pulse. The bumpers on a FirePower I owned once were lethal, compared to Bally or Stern machines of the time. In fact, it was a while before I noticed that the one at the top left wasn't working, due to the energy put into the ball by the remaining three.
 
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