My next update was going to cover the work I’ve done on the coin door. But something managed to squeeze in just before it. I should have the coin door all ready by Sunday though, so it’s not far off. Meanwhile, the next area on the playfield to receive attention is the upper playfield – or more specifically, the vortex ramp.
Pinbot – Williams (1986)
Restoring a 1986 Williams Pinbot pinball machine
On the left hand side of the playfield is a bank or 3 drop targets. These drop targets are used to advance the planets during game play. A cool feature during game play is they reset if not hit within a certain time frame. It adds a nice element of urgency to hitting them. A few updates back I fixed a small issue with the bank where the game could not detect all 3 targets had been hit (there was an issue with one of the switches below the playfield). It’s now time to give them a service. The first think that stands out is the green lamp cover (which has been attached using pop rivets) should be orange. Should be easy enough to replace though.
The parts I had been waiting on finally arrived for the sling shots. Actually the shipping wait wasn’t very long, I’ve just been looking forward to servicing this area of the playfield as the parts had been removed from the playfield within the first few days of having the machine home – but there were higher priorities to sort out first.
The starting point – All parts present, accounted for and thankfully, working. The right plastic is actually attached in the wrong position. It should be located directly above the shooter lane, but it’s been relocated attached to the outlane post. This is because (I assume) a small section has snapped off where the second screw would attach it. No matter, I’ve got an idea on how I can attach this securely.
I had intended to remove the mylar from the playfield post playfield swap, but decided not to hold off and do it now instead. I’m currently waiting for a few parts orders to arrive and I’m also spraying the coin door – which doesn’t give me much else to do.
The mylar was bubbling in countless sections across the playfield, plus dirt and crap had collected under other areas too. The mylar has certainly seen better days, but it had done it’s job and protected the playfield over the years. You can see the areas where mylar was not present as they have not held up as well.
While waiting for parts to arrive for the flippers and slingshots, I decided to focus my attention slightly further up the playfield at the advance planet target. The plastic needed a good clean and under it the playfield and parts could do with some attention. The target itself works fine as does the point switch above it. The lamps too function correctly.
