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Replacing Flipper bats

jonathan

jonathan

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10 Years
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
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Newcastle
Ok, so Im sure this is a daft question but the fact is I've never had to rebuild any flippers yet!



I'd like to buy 2 new flipper bats for my TOTAN. I don't need to rebuild them or put new coils in or anything, I just want 2 new white flippers.



How do I go about replacing them? I'm hoping I don't have to take the entire mechanism to pieces!
 
You have to release the flipper 'pawl' (the mechanism which grasps the flipper shaft) by undoing the nut on the side of the flipper pawl. Very easy to do, but setting up the flippers after you have fitted the new ones can be a little fiddly as you need to correctly space the flipper from the base of the flipper bushing (the plastic part that the flipper shaft inserts into thru the playfield).



I use a stanley blade inserted between the plastic bushing and the base of the flipper bat so as to not let the bat itself rub on the plastic bushing, reducing your flipper power.
 
Rus121' date=' post: 1663520 said:
I use a stanley blade inserted between the plastic bushing and the base of the flipper bat so as to not let the bat itself rub on the plastic bushing, reducing your flipper power.
Click to expand...



In summer / in a room that gets warm, that possibly isn't quite enough - something around credit card thickness is recommended
 
mufcmufc' date=' post: 1663523 said:
In summer / in a room that gets warm, that possibly isn't quite enough - something around credit card thickness is recommended
Click to expand...



Good tip!
 
Assess the amount of gap you have in the open end of the pawl. i.e. the bit where the nut and bolt is. If there is no gap, then you will not be able to tighten the nut and bolt enough to grip the newly inserted bat. Each time you loosen the nut and bolt, you always need a little extra tightening to get a good grip. The gap will close slightly with each time you do this. When inserting the new bat, tighten the nut and bolt until it just grips. Then set the clearance through the playfield bearing, tighten a touch more when the clearance is good. ( I do this by eye, you should be able to glimpse the shaft through the gap) . Then I do the same on the other side. When both clearances are set, lower the playfield, and place a straight edge along the return lane to the flipper. (There is an iPhone App to do this
wink-1.png
) Align the bats so that with a rubber on, they run parallel to the projected straight edge. When both are set, raise the playfield, and tighten the pinch nut and bolt. Only tighten the nut and bolt enough to grip the new bat firmly. If it slips in the first few games, tighten another quarter turn.
 
i've been having a hard time trying to do just this myself for the first time too, on my DE Goldeneye. I bought new coil sleeves, end stops, plunger/links, bushings, and springs, and set to it.



first problem was trying to work out which plunger/link/pawl assembly was left/right. i did this by putting one in, then finding out it had to be wrong. there has to be a better way.



next problem was trying to work out which way in the pawl-closing bolt should go, trying to give the best access for next time it needs adjusting. it looked like the best way round was impossible, as the switch-opener was in the way so next to it had to be the allen key end (B in my pics) rather than the nut end A (unless i have the L on where the R should be). jesus.



third problem was (is) trying to get the pawl to tighten on the flipper shaft in the correct place - Phil tried to show me this at Swavesey, but i suppose that trial and error is the only way to learn properly. i have also read what Andy wrote just above. i think i understand about vertical position, leaving a gap so it doesn't touch the bushing - i think i can sort this by having the right length of shaft sticking out of the pawl, right? the lateral position i think i want to tighten when the plunger is fully out of the coil and up against the rubber stopper, with the flipper parallel to the lane guide ........ but every time i tried this, the flipper moved during the tightening. bah.



here's a couple of pics

[attachment=31:L flipper mech.JPG]

[attachment=32:R flipper mech.JPG]



if anyone can see any schoolboy mistakes in my pics, or has some more fine words of wisdom, i'd be very grateful
 
Dan - I sympathise ...it is fiddly until you have done a few and suss out what works best for you.



To make sure you have the L or R pawl, just a case of holding it up and comparing to the one in there already - you need to make sure that when it pulls in the little arm moves the correct way to open/close the EOS switch.



I usually insert the flipper into the pawl, then tighten it just enough that you can still just twist the flipper around/move it up and down. At this stage get the height correct. Then as you say you want the plunger fully out against the rubber, get the flipper lined up ...if you have the pawl tight enough the flipper wont move on its own but you should be able to swivel it, if it does move on its own you need it a bit tighter ......



Once its in correct position I usually hold it with one hand and tighten the nut/or allen (depending which is easier to access) with the other. You only need a bit of a turn to secure. Now at this point the pawl will be holding the flipper pretty firmly so you can move the plunger where you want to allow best access to nut/allen and then REALLY tighten. As Andy said above. But not so tight that the pawl jaws meet !!!



With Bally Williams games there is usually a little hole on the playfield near the flipper, you can put a cocktail stick in this and rest flipper against it or even put the stick between the rubber and the flipper to hold it in position.



Hope this helps. Reading it back I'm getting confused :confused: Would be easier if you were here and I could show you of course.



Chiz
 
Looks like you got the allen bolt variety. That means you will have to have an allen key in the hole (area marked as B in your photo) as you tighten the other side of the nut (A). You can get a bolt that is just flat at the B end and has a little notch in it so it wedges up against the flipper pawl, allowing you to properly tighten the bolt without the need to use a fiddly allen key as well as lining up the flippers. I had this type of setup on my no fear and it tortured me trying to get the flipper pawls tight. I'm sure Andy could sort you some out as it makes life much easier.



When it comes to tighening them, i tend to hold them in place with a straight edge whilst tightening as Andy mentioned above (small spririt level held against the inlane, as well as a stanley blade - or credit card - wedged between the base of the flipper bat and the plastic bushing) If you do this with the playfield up, you will push up against the straight edge as you tighten the flipper, keeping it aligned as you do so.
 
This has mega confused me now haha! I assume people will be selling some flippers at the show?
 
GrizZ' date=' post: 1663576 said:
Dan - I sympathise ...it is fiddly until you have done a few and suss out what works best for you.



To make sure you have the L or R pawl, just a case of holding it up and comparing to the one in there already - you need to make sure that when it pulls in the little arm moves the correct way to open/close the EOS switch.



I usually insert the flipper into the pawl, then tighten it just enough that you can still just twist the flipper around/move it up and down. At this stage get the height correct. Then as you say you want the plunger fully out against the rubber, get the flipper lined up ...if you have the pawl tight enough the flipper wont move on its own but you should be able to swivel it, if it does move on its own you need it a bit tighter ......



Once its in correct position I usually hold it with one hand and tighten the nut/or allen (depending which is easier to access) with the other. You only need a bit of a turn to secure. Now at this point the pawl will be holding the flipper pretty firmly so you can move the plunger where you want to allow best access to nut/allen and then REALLY tighten. As Andy said above. But not so tight that the pawl jaws meet !!!



With Bally Williams games there is usually a little hole on the playfield near the flipper, you can put a cocktail stick in this and rest flipper against it or even put the stick between the rubber and the flipper to hold it in position.



Hope this helps. Reading it back I'm getting confused :confused: Would be easier if you were here and I could show you of course.



Chiz
Click to expand...

Great walk thru Ive.
smile-1.png


Saved me the hassel of writing the same. :confused:
 
thanks Ive and Russ. So i wasn't going mad, it needs a hand on the flipper, a hand on the allenkey, and a hand to tighten the nut - it is a three-hand-job (pfffft). my two-handed method for tomorrow is gonna be to put little marker-pen marks on the shaft and the pawl-hole when the flipper is straight, so i can line them up from underneath without having to keep checking on top.



i think i'll look into those clever notched pawl bolts you mentioned.



what a great place this forum is. already, for me, the ability to put a picture in amongst the text makes everything a whole lot better.



plus i couldn't post this in the yahoo group "Boobies"
 
LOL ....... first test for Super Moderator Marshall
tongue-1.png




Back to more serious matters ... its not a 3 handed job if you follow my method - get the pawl tight enough on the flipper to begin with so it doesn't easily slip BUT will move if you force it .... or secure the flipper in place. You only need to be securing allen AND tightening nut at the same time for the final lock down. I wouldn't mess about with pen marks dude.
 
2011-08-18215814.jpg




Did this tonight, took about 30mins. Really struggled to tighten the bolt, only just seemed to have enough grip to hold it firm!



I can't believe totan didn't have these colours as standard. They match the outlanes perfectly
 
jonathan' date=' post: 1676632 said:
forum




Did this tonight, took about 30mins. Really struggled to tighten the bolt, only just seemed to have enough grip to hold it firm!



I can't believe totan didn't have these colours as standard. They match the outlanes perfectly
Click to expand...

They also look pretty good on MM. Also a good colour match.
 
Got some of those flippers for my CV too.



Sounds like the nut has possibly stripped some threads on the flipper pawl bolt. Happens to me all the time. If you have low grip on the shaft, it will only be a matter of time until you have to sort it again.



Pin mania/pin heaven both sell the newer flat ended pawl bolt design that allows for easier tightening with just one hand underneath the playfield. Got a bag of em somewhere so if it breaks let me know and ill sort you a new one.
 
And as if by magic! The right flipper keeps dropping every couple of games as I can't get it tightened enough!



If you find those bolts I would appreciate one Russ mate
 
Just fitted my purple flippers and a rebuild kit to my CV, so you can have my old bolts that came off it. PM your address again bud, i'll get them sent off to you. (still got a few totan bits here for ya too).



Going to clean up my nightmare gamesroom soon, so when i find the 'one handed' variety, i'll let you know. Cant find anything in there at the mo.....
 
Im gone smash this in a minute! The right flipper kept dropping after a few games so I replaced the bolt with one of the ones you sent Russ. Everytime I tightened it though the flipper ended up out of alignment! I must have threaded the bolt as I tried to loosen it and now I cant get it off! I've spent an hour on it and think I'm going to have to hacksaw it off now :mad: All to just tighten a frigging flipper
 
Just reading the instructions above I think I know where Im going wrong. Im trying to hold the flipper firmly in place while I tighten it firmly. Seems like once its tight though I can just let go of the flipper and really tight it and it shouldn't move
 
You can. But do you have any gap at the open side of the flipper pawl. if its touching, you will never be able to get a firm grip on the shaft and will have to replace the pawl.
 
No its not touching.



If any new pinball makers are starting up do us all a favour and come up with a new mechanism that just clips in!
 
You need to do the following:



1: Get your allen key and place the short end of it into the allen bolt hole. As you tighten the nut, the allen key will move also. You need to jam the allen key againt the underside of the playfield so that you can free up your other hand to keep the flipper aligned whilst you tighten the nut.



2: Get a credit card and wedge it between the underside of the flipper bat and the plastic flipper bushing on the topside of the playfield. Push down very slightly on the top of the flipper bat to 'pinch' the credit card between the plastic bushing and the bat. You can now hold the top of the bat with one hand (with credit card in place) and tighten the nut on the pawl bolt with the other (thanks to the wedged allen key)



3: As you tighten the nut the force of this will want to push the flipper bat out of alignment. I keep hold of the bat whilst turning the nut very slowly with a small piece of cocktail stick placed in the flipper alignment holes on the playfield (or bye eye if no holes are present) This can be dodgy as you can easily overtighten the nut, stripping the threads and torturing you all over again.



You can also use a flat edge like a spirit level to keep the flippers straight if you dont have the alignment holes in the playfield. Those one handed pawl bolts are much easier to use over the allen key variety as you dont end up knocking the allen key out the hole every two minutes as you tighten.



Hope that helps somewhat....
smile-1.png
 
Any advice for getting the threaded bolt off first? Not a great deal of room to get a hacksaw under there!
 
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