For Amusement Only Em And Bingo Pinball Podcast

This is our continued series looking at the control unit on a Bally bingo - specifically the 1972 Double-Up.   These switches are involved with normal gameplay, and only comprise a little over half of the switches and cams involved in making the game operate as per normal.

The first switches in the control unit are required for timing out the motor, thus saving wear and tear on the motor. It is crucial that these switches are adjusted properly or your motor will never stop running.

Bally's Control Unit was an ingenious design for several reasons - in the bingos, one of the most impressive designs was how very serviceable these units are. You take one part Bally score motor, add in some more power and clutches, and you have a rather simple design that allows for servicing from almost any angle. I love 'em!

The last (for now) in my score motors series detailing the differences between the various manfacturers and their approaches to the same problem. Williams score motors have a service plug that can be moved that will lock all the cams in place.  I wish this option did not exist.  Any Williams with this option constantly trips me up.

Bally's Score Motor design changed quite a bit over the years, depending on the style of game they were making.  In a future episode, I'll dive into the control unit, which is a beautiful, complex electromechanical marvel. This episode, however, I talk about the relatively straightforward, no-frills Bally score motor, its ease of adjustment and common issues (really the same common issue that plagues most score motors that have been sitting and transported many times without being used for a long period of time).

Gottlieb used the same style of score motor for pretty much their entire EM life.  Discussion on orientation, maintenance, advantages and disadvantages of this setup.  I enjoy the compact setup of these motors.

Score motors are the 'brains' of any EM game.  Tonight I discuss Exhibit's score motor orientation and function in the 1947 Exhibit 'Mystery' that I own. I also added a quick addendum to last night's simple 'hack' podcast.

Sometimes, you don't have the time or correct parts to fix a problem.  If I am going to create a hack to fix a problem temporarily, I like to ensure that it is easily reversible and will cause a minimum of damage to the game in case it goes wrong.   With a time crunch before a group of newcomers to pinball came over, I had to correct a flaky switch that incremented the score on an older machine.     A freely rotating contact on a leaf switch can, sometimes, be soldered in place to allow for continued operation without a replacement switch at hand.  This is a very easy hack to reverse, as I simply have to replace the switch and the issue goes away (I'll be doing that soon).

The Magic Screen games between Sea Island and Bounty have a design flaw that will sometimes cause a coil to remain locked on during payout. The timer unit steps up in certain circumstances during payout and will shut off the motors.  This causes a coil that is normally engaged during payout to remain on and fry.  Fixing this problem is thankfully pretty easy! I would recommend that everyone make this modification on their screen games to prevent heartbreak when you're not looking.

Sadly, my nickname is Coil Burner.  Steve gave me that name after I blew up his Golden Gate. Now that I'm aware of that issue, I pay close attention to payouts.  I'll be detailing the issue and remediation in a future episode.

A large amount of surface rust can be a tell-tale sign that the mechanisms in the head or the cabinet are frozen in place.  Evaluate any machine with rust carefully before purchasing. How to remove rust from your siderails, legs, and coin door, as well as smaller parts.

You've got a great new game, but your cabinet looks like it has been in a nicotene testing facility for the last 40 years... how to bring back the beauty, as well as how to protect it.

Vic Camp comes back on the podcast to talk about his current collection, bingos, and Gottlieb wedgeheads. Note that the package deal for 10 bingos is still available in New Jersey - contact Vic for the (100% working) bingo collection at campgames@yahoo.com.

Jeff is one of the co-hosts of 'The Pinball Podcast' located at thepinballpodcast.com We talk about EMs he enjoys, repair, and I try to talk him into a local Magic Squares bingo.

Bingo lamp shield springs are beautiful pieces that are difficult to remove, but very satisfying once cleaned. Removal requires a good degree of caution.  Follow these instructions and you should be good!

The basics of how to disassemble the metal bits on the playfield of a typical game, and how to clean. I'm super cheap, so I hand polish these items - discussion of products used and any extra precautions needed. Next episode I will discuss the lamp springs on bingo playfields - they are conspicuous in their absence.  

Our first caller with a question that pertains to cleaning of an EM with visible mold. Take it outside!  Then clean/sand.

Here's what I do for any new game, strip it down, clean it and wax it. Tools used vary based on the dirt-level of any game that comes in. Games with more dirt will require more abrasive tools to clean. Cleaning should happen at a minimum of when you start seeing dirt, or when you change your rubbers/balls.

You've got your ball arch, posts, and plastics removed - now it's time to remove your pops/bumpers, flippers, slings and other mechanisms!

Discussion on how to disassemble the top of your playfield, including how to polish your plastics and posts.