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Swapping out Bally Linear Flippers

DRD

DRD

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I know that Bally linear flippers have their supporters and their detractors.

I have fully rebuilt the flippers in my paragon (traditional link type) and vector (linear). Now I have a fair and direct comparison, I very much prefer the traditional link style that every manufacturer has basically used forever other than Bally's weird stint with linear ones (early to mid 80s)

Has anyone actually converted from linear to link please ? Is it as simple as swapping the bits over ? Or do you then have to replace the coils too because the link flippers are more powerful ?

I need to rebuild the flippers in my fathom, so as I am buying new parts anyway - I am inclined to put traditional flipper mechs in

Thanks
 
I too have wondered whether changing the flipper mechs would improve my games. I read a bit about it on Pinside. I think I'll stick with original until I feel there would be a definite advantage to changing. Pity you can't have the same game 1 with linear and 1 that has been changed beside each other so you can feel the difference!
 
You can run different mechs on the left and right of your pinball. The problem with the old ballys is that the two grub screws which attach the flipper bat shaft to the mech under the playfield bite into and damage the flipper bat itself. So you might want to use an old bat in your game if you try this.
 
My friend in Sweden has done this to his Gorgar, IMO it's a massive improvement and makes the game much more playable/enjoyable. Then I played the Gorgar at the 8bitflip and wished the owner had done the conversion to his!

I'm not sure it's suitable (or an improvement) to every game though....
 
I played that Gorgar at 8 bit flip too. It looked a nice game but the flippers did need attention, and that rather spoilt it. I tried a couple of games but when it was so close to a fully working Fathom, it did not hold my attention long. Another forum member made the same comment to me too.

So whoever owns that Gorgar, give it a bit of a tune !
 
That's just going to ruin your games doing this, and likely decrease their value.

Games with linear flippers may play slightly different but you have to respect and enjoy that difference for what it is. It's like people who complain about Gottlieb flippers because they don't feel like Williams. Well yeah, that's the whole point. The games were intended, by design, to be how they are.

If you change them to something that you personally are more comfortable with, then in my book you're cheating at pinball and need to practice more. Would you play cricket with a football because it's easier to hit? ;)
 
Yes, don't do it. Its like Mr Lucas fiddling with his Star Wars movies..
 
Normally I would agree with you guys 100%. I do not really "mod" my pinballs at all. Whenever I buy one I strip out all mods. I only really have LEDs and that is to reduce heat and damage to the game's boards and playfield

But linear flippers are a different ball game. When I got my Vector, I thought the fitted linears were absolute crap. So I bought full flipper rebuild kits, and gave them their best chance. Still crap, but I just put it down to the age of the machine. I painstakingly cleaned or replaced all high voltage switches. Adjusted end of strokes etc etc

I then got a Paragon, and again rebuilt the flippers with new all parts. Despite being an older and more basic game, Paragon is so much more responsive and lively than Vector when it comes to the flippers. Paragon has older style Bally flippers using the standard link

I am still not sure that I will change Fathom's flippers, but to my mind the only thing "better" about linear flippers is that they are so sluggish that they make tap passes easier.

If you have working linear flippers then I can live with them. But to fully rebuild them, when the older system is cheaper for the parts, makes it hard for me to renovate linears
 
Hmm. I've had a few games with linear's and can't recall them being that much different. I'm only an average player but can tell the difference between my Williams, Sterns/DE's, and Gottliebs.

Maybe the game has the wrong coils fitted if they're feeling sluggish? Check the numbers against the manual.
 
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