It’s Mariner update time again and this for this post I’ll be starting out with some small stuff and then moving onto larger, more interesting things. I’m really looking forward to getting the machine into a state where it’s read for play. That’s still a little while off yet, but I am getting there 🙂 To begin this update, I wanted to look at the two small roll over buttons in the lower third of the playfield. These two buttons control the post down feature.
Bally
All posts tagged Bally
For sale is my “Fireball Classic” pinball machine.
Machine is now sold
Released by Bally in 1984. I purchased this machine just over 18 months ago. It has been fully rebuilt since by myself, meaning each assembly on the game has been pulled apart, cleaned, worn / broken parts replaced and put back together.
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With some more progress made on Mariner, it’s time to drop past with another update showing off which assemblies have been pulled apart, serviced and cleaned. First up on the list this time are the flippers. Both flippers work, which is always a nice starting point to have. Unlike other old machines I’ve worked on, the rubber here isn’t hard and cracking (same for the rest of the playfield rubbers actually). The flipper bats are still reasonably white too. So I think the machine has been looked after over the years and likely to have had some replacement parts put in along the way.
With the apron area completed in the previous update, it’s time to move up the playfield and service some more of the assemblies that make up the game. Shifting my focus about 3cm higher than the apron, the first feature to look at in this update is the “up post”. This feature is pretty cool in game and a welcome addition given the lack of in lanes beside the sling shots. I’ve covered it slightly in previous updates where I sorted out some issues with it not functioning correctly, but this time i’ll be pulling it to pieces for a good clean.
Time to report in with the progress made on servicing the Mariner. It’s a been a little slow lately with other things taking priority, but I’m getting back into the swing of it now. First on the hit list for this update is the shooter rod. It’s in dire need of a clean as the rod sticks when pulled back, preventing it from returning to it’s normal position and applying any force to the ball. I’m keen to reuse as many of the parts as possible after servicing it since I’m not performing a restore. It doesn’t have to look “as new” since the cabinet is not being repainted – I’ll be happy with it cleaned and operating correctly.