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Bram Stokers Dracula - The now sorta shop log.

So the issue with the random firing opto looks like it finally has a conclusion. The board after all that was fine. The issue looks to have been the corrosion on the header all along. I must have had this issue from day one but never truly noticed it.

Between the Air balls, balls falling off the castle ramp and spitting out of the in lane I just must have never really noticed the random rewards on ramps like the coffin ramp.

Looking back at my shop log video I can see the stud (Back box spacer) was encrusted with rust and I had replaced it when doing the back box strip for the cabinet restore.

Corrosion.jpg

It never occurred to me to check the header for damage but its in the EXACT same area. The corrosion must have worked its way into the pins.


Honestly this pin has gone through a right rehaul. Its maddening to think how many issues I've had to identify and resolve as part of the journey.
 
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Machine is still stable with no mis firing opto's so looks to have been the header all along.

It makes sense as sometimes the coffin ramp would pop up and stay up and need a power cycle to sort.


The parts from Marco arrived today.

My theory is that as the flap on the old assembly has a tendency to catch and stay up right (due to a large groove in the flap itself from repeated hits). The back end of the flap is low enough for the ball to get caught on the rear causing it to lose momentum.

I'll put my theory into practice tonight, just gotta remove the ramps to get to it...

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@Paul is it possible to move this into the shop log section? Its definitely ended up being a shop log 🤣
 
I was speaking to @Neil McRae today about trying to find a new shooter lane ramp. As the one I have is pretty chewed around the screw holes. For ages I've been searching the usual offenders in the US and europe.

Finally stumbled onto PSPA. They literally had 2 in stock. We're talking original NOS ramps. No other BSD ramps just the one i'm after.

Some may call that fate, i'll just chalk it up to some bloody good luck.

I've ordered a new ramp which is unlikely to arrive in time for Pinfest, but will be hopefully in time for UK open.

The machine will still be totally playable at pinfest, but at present it stops skillshots from being 100% reliable, due to some slight warping on the existing ramp.
 
Many thanks @Andy Hancock for the kind words.

Had about 10 or so people approach me and say well done. Most starting with 'when you first said it was going to black and white I wasn't sure' 😅.

I'm relieved it stayed mostly operational throughout the show.

Many thanks to @pinballmania for the tech assist while I was out for lunch. I didn't have a soldering iron with me so you definitely kept it running!

It's a shame I didn't win but gotta concede to Ant, his chrome finish just looked stunning.
 
Your Dracula is absolutely amazing. I really don't like the original Williams artwork on this machine and what you have done is such a massive improvement. It really is amazing. Yours and Ant's T2 were easily the best Pins at the show.
 
457 plays over the weekend, not too shabby.

Playfield is holding up.

Only real issue was one torch that came off. Now all sorted.

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