The Counterforce project is now on the home straight. Not much more to do and i’ll consider it a another project completed. I’m looking forward to actually playing it. First (and biggest) task to look at for this update is rebuilding the lower set of flippers. The flipper bats are dirty and will need a good clean. The others came up nicely, so I expect these will too. The rubber is long gone but easy enough to replace. The playfield area around here also needs a good clean, which I’ll do once the bats are removed.
service
All posts tagged service
Over 12 months ago I purchased my first EM – Space Orbit – which is a Single player add-a-ball machine that was exported to Italy by Gottlieb. The machine eventually found its way back to Australia, changing hands via the Pinball Shed and a private collector before it reached me. For the most part, the machine has been running fine. Some initial issue with one of the add-a-ball switches requiring adjustment and the stepper unit that rotates the lit WOW lamps. But that’s about all. My intention isn’t to service the whole machine, but to look at a few issues that have either crept into the game play over time, or have been there since day one and sort them out. The first issue I want to look at is the vari-target. This is one of the main shots on the game, so it’s important it functions correctly. The idea behind it is simple – hit the ball against the vari-target arm as hard as possible to push it back – the further back it goes the more points you get. If you get it all the way back and the lamp is lit – you also score the special (or in this case WOW) – which is a free ball.
The drop target bank has waited, or more accurately, been put off for, long enough. Time to pull the assembly to pieces and clean it all. When I first got the machine home, the 6th and 7th yellow drop targets were broken. I replaced these back in update #2 so I could start a game and test out the switches. At this point, the drop target bank functions correctly. That includes all switches. So this is a good starting point. If I mess anything up in rebuilding the assembly, I’ll know it’s my fault. The plastic, posts and old rubber had been removed awhile back. This photo is also from awhile ago too as you can see all the areas around the drop targets are incomplete (but have since been finished in previous updates).
The Counterforce to do list is beginning to thin out and I’m looking forward to (hopefully) having it knocked over in the next few weeks. Although as it turns out, in this update, I do a few extra things I had originally decided not to – but it’s worth the time. First on the hit list for this update is the pop bumpers. They need a proper service. I think they are many, many years over due for one. There are two pop bumpers located on the playfield and at first glance, they have been well worn over the years. The caps have some sticky crap attached to the top of them. The decoration is wearing and there is some serious playfield wear below the (once clear) platters.
First on the agenda for this update was cleaning the underside of the red missile inserts and replacing their old bulbs. All 28 of them. Yes, that’s as exciting as it sounds…. Each row of 7 lamps are attached to a bank which can be unscrewed allowing better better access to the bulbs. But because each bank is wired to the next, it’s fiddly to get the bulbs in and out of. All the existing bulbs are #44’s. These will be replaced with #47’s.
