Loads of questions..

[Aaron Goodier]

but I'll start with just a few..

Today I purchased my first machine, a Bally Spy Hunter machine.

The guy who sold it to me had it in the back of a transit van in his lock up.

He plugged it in and although it all seemed OK in my adolescent like excitement there are a few (hopefully minor) issues with it.

I stripped the Back box and legs to travel and to my girlfriends horror put it all back together again in my front room... bigger than they look on the photos!

So.. my initial questions are

1. The right flippers top and bottom don't work, I know the buttons sound because it also functions a feature (moves lights around top left of board). Where should I stick my head first?

2. Can the sound be turned down?!

3. I watched a video on YouTube of the machine all cleaned up and looking good. These guys had changed the key lock for a free to play button. After a little reading today I was under the impression Bally machines couldn't be set to free play? I'd love to know ho to do it as at the moment I have to keep shoving a 20p in it.

4. The bottom left flipper sticks in the "flipped" position and doesn't come back down.

5. Does anyone have a Backbox schematic so I can make a new one. The one on it is extremely tired. On the same note is there a magical place you can order decals from for said new box?

I'll leave the queries there before I get banned on my first day!

Thanks for your time.

Oh and I looked for you on Facebook but can't find a page. Is there one?

Aaron.

 

[RudeDogg1]

That is a lot of questions.....

If both the right flippers are out sounds like part of the switch matrix is out. Could be as simple as a fuse blown or connector not plugged in properly but chances are you have a blown transistor or resistor.

If you go on the internet pinball database you should be able to download the manual and schematics.

Decals you can try 1stoppinball or one of the many us companies.

Bally Williams machines you can put in free play so can't see why you can't on a Bally. It should tell you in the manual how to.

Sticky flipper could just need rebuilding (they all will need doing)

 

[ronsplooter]

As RudeDogg has said, the first thing to do is download the Operators Manual and Schematics from IPDB:

The Internet Pinball Machine Database

Scroll down to SpyHunter and look for the Documentation links.

1. First thing to do is try the games self test mode. It explains how this works in the Op Manual but inside the coin door there should be a switch call Self Test, press this 3 times (i think) to go into the solenoid test. You then hold in both the flipper buttons and the game cycles through each of the solenoids and tries to fire them....see what happens when it tries to do the right flipper ones and report back.

2. Yes, there should be a remote volume control on the inside of the coin door near the self test switch (the Op Manual is your friend again here)

3. The button will be to put a credit on, so it is linked to the coin switch (most likely on the coin door) and it puts a credit on when its pressed. Having briefly looked at the manual I don't think there's a free play adjustment, instead you can put service credits on the game if you needed to test it after working on it. You can always load the game up with tons of credits and just top it up every so often....there's instructions on the Op Manual on how to do this

4. Does this flipper always stay stuck up even when the game is powered off...or does it only go up and stay up when the game is on or after you've pressed the button. If it stays up when the game is powered on but drops when you shut off the power then this needs sorting first. Don't leave the game on if this is the case as the coil is probably locked on and will burn up.....I'm sure your girlfriend doesn't want a fire

5. Schematics are linked above so will hopefully include the one you want. When you say decals for the back box, if you mean the art thats on the side then I don't think you'll be able to find any for SpyHunter unless you get very lucky and find someone with some NOS ones. If you mean something else then let us know

Congrats on your new game!

 

[Aaron Goodier]

Thank you for the reply chaps.

You've already saved me £15 as I nearly paid for the book on Ebay.

I'll go do the above and reprot back

Many thanks!

 

[Wiredworm]

4. Does this flipper always stay stuck up even when the game is powered off...or does it only go up and stay up when the game is on or after you've pressed the button. If it stays up when the game is powered on but drops when you shut off the power then this needs sorting first. Don't leave the game on if this is the case as the coil is probably locked on and will burn up.....I'm sure your girlfriend doesn't want a fire

With the game turned off try moving the flipper up by hand. If it doesn't drop down when the machine is off then it could be something as simple as a busted or missing flipper spring.

But as Ron says if it's 'locking' on when the game is powered then that's bad news and you don't want to run the machine in that state. First order of business would be to identify why the solenoid is locking so you can get it sorted.

 

[Calimori]

I am not sure how much experience you have.
If the flipper is locked on electronically, when the machine is powered on it moves up or is locked up once activated, and returns to rest when power is removed. Then there is a fault in the circuit and leaving it powered on will burn out the solenoid. This is bad news but fixing it is not difficult once the problem is identified.

If the flipper is locked on mechanically, it can't be moved by hand, it is stiff or doesn't return, and it does this with the power off. Then there is not a concern that machine will be damaging itself with the power on.

Electronic issue could be: Diode on the coil. Short at the coil. Transistor on the board (most likely from my experience). A shorted transistor can be checked and then needs to be removed and replaced.
Diagnose this issue first, let us know and we can tell you how to test it.

 

[BigIan]

Problem 4 could also be caused by mushrooming of the plunger



Basically the plunger could be out of shape and catching on the sleeve or bracket etc

 

[Jay Walker]

So.. my initial questions are

1. The right flippers top and bottom don't work, I know the buttons sound because it also functions a feature (moves lights around top left of board). Where should I stick my head first?

Thanks for your time.

Aaron.

Aaron,

The flipper units on a Bally game of that age (mid-80's) aren't like the modern 'solid state' flippers, which use transistors to drive the coil windings. There's simply a relay on the 'SDU' or Solenoid Driver Unit Pcb, which enables the flippers when energised. Then the contacts on each flipper button complete the flipper circuit, for the lower flipper. The upper flipper is operated by a switch on the linkage of the lower flipper, so if the lower flipper fails so does the upper.

The button contacts aren't necessarily sound; altering the lit weapons in the warehouse is done by a second, low-current, gold-contact switch on the flipper button. Check that the heavier flipper switch contacts (nearest to the button itself) aren't too badly burnt, then check the 'End-of Stroke' switch on the lower flipper. This is the switch which opens once the flipper linkage has moved from rest to the raised position. Move the flipper manually to find/check the switches; one should open and the other (for the upper flipper) should close. If the end of stroke switch is badly burnt, i.e. electrically open, the flipper coil won't be able to energise, knocking out both flippers.

Try holding the lower flipper raised and pressing the button; if the button contacts are alright the upper flipper should operate, assuming it's o.k. If it does, then the problem is with the lower flipper - most likely the EoS switch. The heavy tungsten contacts used for flipper buttons and EoS switches are the only contacts in the machine that can be carefully filed to clean them up, though replacement is usually a better idea. Take care to only do any filing with the power Off.

On the left side, you don't mention any problem with the upper flipper. So assuming the upper flipper is o.k, and being switched by the lower one, there's probably severe wear in the lower flippers' mechanical parts, rather than an electrical fault.