CFTBL - What a Difference!

[Steve]

Couple of moths ago I completely restored my CFTBL with a new playfield, ramps, coils etc., and everything cleaned/polished/tumbled or replaced. Trouble was I then found out I hated the game. Best I could manage was around 80,000 and each game lasting about a minute (For the record I'm a fixer-upper, not a player)! It has sat unplayed ever since. Andy Netherwood visited me last week and after telling him about it he gave it a full going-over, tweaking this and adjusting that. What a difference! It is now my favourite machine, and after only 2 games I scored 315,000 and got on the scoreboard as Number 1 Grand Champion.

It's made me think how many other machines are out there not being played because they are not set up properly?

Cheers Andy!

 

[Shaven Wookiee]

I think my BR must be set up wrong as it plays like your CFTBL did - every game is over before you know it and it's hard to get any consistency in scores (either it's set up wrong or I am just really ****). I havn't had it long and I want to like it but it is probably the one I am going to get rid of next unless it shows me some love soon!

 

[Paul]

Anyone got any advice on how to set a machine up properly???

 

[Sgt GrizZ]

Anyone got any advice on how to set a machine up properly???

I would say one of the single biggest issues will be weak/sloppy flippers - if the bats are badly aligned or the flipper struggles to make a ramp or shot then the game is dead in the water. I would say that is Number One priority - rebuild/fix flippers ! Don't put up with them

Also really important to pay attention to the height of the leg levellers - adjusting the rear up or down can have serious impact on speed of game, ability to make certain ramps/shots etc. I think often people get a game, throw the legs on and never think about them again. I normally have front levellers on minimum, rear on prob 3/4 length - depends on game.



Obviously every game will have certain shots/features that often need tweaking. When I had loan of a Creech I needed to adjust the wireform feeding the bowl - after adjusting it would effortlessly the ball would make 6 or more revolutions , before it struggled to make 2 !

 

[bartron]

kick outs should be constant and not spray the ball all over, bend or adjust the scoop.. flippers need to align with the lane guides , flipper bushes moved to stop 'bump'. (ball hit the flipper and jumps up) you have to adjust the whole flipper mechanism to do this. ball guides need to be adjusted if on making the loop, the ball hits the slings, they should always hit the flipper. so you can live catch....

 

[mufcmufc]

Anyone got any advice on how to set a machine up properly???

Experience of playing other games (the same) helps massively to know how a machine should play, then it's a case of tweaking for a good while to get things how they should be.

 

[pinballmania]

In this particular case, then problem lay with incorrect flipper alignment to the lane guides. The left was low, the right was high, not by much but enough to make the balls miss their intended target. (I have an iPhone app, that helps with the alignment of the flippers to ensure the bat runs true to the lane guide.)

Then found that some switches weren't registering with a ball rolling over. Always check all switches with a slow moving ball, not your finger, and adjust accordingly.

 

[BigIan]

Whats the APP andy ?



Intrested to have a look at that..

 

[pinballmania]

Heres some pictures of the 'App' in action [attachment=438:IMG_2537.JPG]

 

[bartron]

it's called the 'straight edge' app it comes free with all iPhone's.

 

[BigIan]

Shuffles off