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Complete Hook - The Restoration You've Been Waiting For!

PeteB said:
I think I actually like the look of white cards better. What do you think?
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I much prefer the white cards. On my machines I've re-used the original cards which are a bit crusty but part of the arcadey patina which I like - my machines are tidy but not minty like your work though.

Btw, the gas torch arrived (it's tiny!) what do you use to clean the ramps before you get flame polishing?
 
My vote would be for the Robin Williams right hand colour card and then print the left hand black and white image on a coloured back ground.

something like this wallpapercave.com_wp_RIt0TFT.jpg
 
Moonraker said:
Looks like the front levelers could go in further to help make the fron end lower... Have they got nuts on them preventing them being wound in some more and if so how about removing them?
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Yeah the nuts are where they are supposed to be, between the leveller and the leg, but I've removed the front ones and the game now sits at 6.2 degrees. Still not quite right but it plays more like other pins now. Maybe this is why many people aren't into Hook, because their games aren't set up right?

astyy said:
I much prefer the white cards. On my machines I've re-used the original cards which are a bit crusty but part of the arcadey patina which I like - my machines are tidy but not minty like your work though.

Btw, the gas torch arrived (it's tiny!) what do you use to clean the ramps before you get flame polishing?
Click to expand...

Yes its a nice handy little size, good for getting into hard to reach areas and isn't as risky as torches with bigger flames. To clean them I use Cif ActiFizz (I like the Ocean scented one), comes in a spray bottle and it will foam up when you tickle it with a paintbrush. Fingers are also nice for cleaning with. Anyway, see this thread: http://www.pinballinfo.com/community/threads/petes-guide-cleaning-circuit-boards-like-a-boss.18644/

Same method, but without the hot air gun. Blowing the ramps off with compressed air helps to get rid of water marks too.

BigIan said:
My vote would be for the Robin Williams right hand colour card and then print the left hand black and white image on a coloured back ground.

something like this wallpapercave.com_wp_RIt0TFT.jpg
Click to expand...

I really like that. Good idea. Will see what I can come up with.
 
I can't believe this shop log has been going on for over a year. This is the slowest I've ever restored a pin! Does anybody even care? Not me!

The end is near though. Remember the town/pirate ship plastic which was completely smashed? Well, after a year of searching for a replacement I never found one so I've had to bite the bullet and repair the old one myself. I'm so pleased with how it's turned out, especially considering a whole chunk of it was missing:
c6.staticflickr.com_8_7392_27062591013_c4b1705b9a_b.jpg

So that marks the playfield complete:
c6.staticflickr.com_8_7421_27062570573_4a764d4856_b.jpg

I have a bunch of snagging and tweaks left to do, little bit of paint touch up and then all I need to do is shoot some nice photographs and a video to show how well it plays. After that, this baby is ready to find itself a new home.
 
Im still watching this thread as a fellow Hook owner.

That ship looks great wouldnt know it was damaged.
 
Brilliant shop log but now I'm wary of shooting at the pirate town targets for fear of breaking the ship! Saying that it looks like we'll have to with the forthcoming ROMs as the pirate town targets will increase the windcoaster multiplier. Per your post above I received a flipper rebuild kit yesterday and the proper left/right coils (mine currently have 090-5032-0 whatever they are) so maybe do even more damage.
 
I don't believe this plastic is broken by air balls, so feel free to whack away. I think the breakage is caused by carelessly lifting the playfield in and out of the cabinet. It does seem to flop around quite a bit and as these DE games are so tight it tends to catch the sides a bit unless you're really careful.
 
Ok, I wasn't going to post about this but as it's turned out to be quite a complex fix to track down then maybe this will help somebody.

For a long time, even before starting the restoration, the game has had a problem where after being turned on for a few minutes if the left ramp switch is activated it causes the audio to completely break up with some nasty pops and clicks. The DMD also starts to flicker. Here's a short video showing what I mean:

I'd spent a LONG time trying to track down what was causing this, everything from switch diodes to reburning roms to completely rebuilding the sound board. Turns out the problem is caused by the new XPin Power Board. The +12v circuit is not strong enough to supply voltage when the rope lights are switched on and flashing. Voltage drops to around +9v and causes the amplifiers on the sound board to give up.

Good news is the board is easily modified to fix the problem. XPin have a 2 year warranty on their boards but there is no need for replacement. This is a fix for the Revision E boards. The problem may have already been fixed for later versions.

c2.staticflickr.com_8_7292_27119053113_3c1110d352_b.jpg

2 simple changes should be made. First of all, the regulator VR3 has its legs snipped and the pads on the board joined together. Second, the capacitor at C1 is massively underrated at 10,000uF. The original Data East power supply uses an 18,000uF cap. So, I've changed that as well. The result:

c1.staticflickr.com_8_7313_27628837192_f09abb4474_b.jpg

The game now works flawlessly, and has a good strong voltage on the +12v circuit, dropping only to +11v when flashing the rope lights.
 
PeteB said:
Ok, I wasn't going to post about this but as it's turned out to be quite a complex fix to track down then maybe this will help somebody.
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A really big thank you for taking the trouble to post this.

I have been plagued by exactly this problem for 2 years. I just couldn't fix it. In the end I "solved" it by disconnecting one channel on the light rope.

Now I can go back and fix it properly - Well I hope I can anyway: I have a Rottendog power board but I'm guessing your excellent work will translate to that.

If I fix it I'll let you know.
 
No problem. You should probably take this up with Rottendog support as the change needed for their board might be completely different, but its basically the same issue of the rope lights pulling down the 12v circuit.

This has just given me another reason to shy away from using replacement boards in future restores. Yes its convenient but its becoming more and more apparent that manufacturers of replacements simply aren't designing them to the original spec. I know some people have had issues with CPU boards as well.

From now on I say always stick to original boards if its possible to rebuild/repair them.
 
Many more high resolution photos can be found in my Flickr album at https://www.flickr.com/photos/retrorefurbs/albums/72157670571710906

You can also follow me on most social media like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter if you'd like to see more of my work. Just look up Retro Refurbs.

Thanks to everyone who's followed this thread and supported my restoration on this game. See you in the next shop log (the next 2 have already begun)!
 
Spandangler said:
Nicest hook in the world? I think so.
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It just might be dude, it just might be. That's what I was aiming for but who knows what else is out there.

I don't think anyone else is crazy enough to do this to a Hook haha!
 
PeteB said:
It just might be dude, it just might be. That's what I was aiming for but who knows what else is out there.

I don't think anyone else is crazy enough to do this to a Hook haha!
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Dave Taxman did a beautiful Hook restore a few years ago, was at Swavesey show. Everyone said he was mad :-D

Yours looks awesome by the way. Good stuff.
 
Sgt GrizZ said:
Dave Taxman did a beautiful Hook restore a few years ago, was at Swavesey show. Everyone said he was mad :-D

Yours looks awesome by the way. Good stuff.
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Thank you. I'd love to see pictures of his game. Know if there are any?
 
PeteB said:
It just might be dude, it just might be. That's what I was aiming for but who knows what else is out there.

I don't think anyone else is crazy enough to do this to a Hook haha!
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My thoughts entirely, cant believe anyone would restore a Hook.
No matter you're done a top job.
 
With out doubt the best hook in the world.

Its such a beautiful restore.

I hope i can get mine looking this good but i wont :(

Its really a great game it just doesn't get much love. I dont know why i think because its not a game you can get a high score on very easy
 
lowndes8 said:
With out doubt the best hook in the world.

Its such a beautiful restore.

I hope i can get mine looking this good but i wont :(

Its really a great game it just doesn't get much love. I dont know why i think because its not a game you can get a high score on very easy
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Thank you! I always hope my shop logs will help or inspire others as I really do put my best effort in.

As for the game's issues, well, I have 2 things to say to that... Firstly, it IS a hard game I think. Shame given that in theory it's a perfect family game, but if you set it up just right so the ball drains less it becomes a little easier. I've also found that there are many different ways to score big - and none of them include shooting the left ramp over and over. Seriously, that absolute moron in the PAPA video on YouTube is doing real harm for anyone taking an interest in Hook. Activating AM/PM and then shooting any 1 of the clocks racks up big millions very quickly. Right loop, left loop, and then clock shop will also score big millions. Why would anyone waste their time trying to shoot the left ramp over and over to try and get to 3 million? If anything its easier to use the drop targets to build up the ramp value and then just shoot it once to collect 3 million, but even so its a lot of work for a measly 3 million points.

Secondly, when Chad releases his code update for Hook it's going to become a whole new game and it will start getting some love. Another problem with Hook is the lack of a rule sheet floating around on the internet. Most people are too lazy to learn a game if a rule sheet isn't available and so ignore it. Chad will no doubt put up a list of rules on his website. :thumbs:
 
Quick game showing how well it plays. I NEVER seem to have good game whenever I put the camera in front of a pin. :mad:

 
Just a quick update for anyone who's got a Hook and thinking of doing a restoration - I now have the decals available as promised earlier in this topic. No need to PM, you can buy them direct from my website at your convenience here: http://www.retrorefurbs.com/shop/hook-data-east-pinball-cabinet-decals/

I also have the Robocop ones available as previously mentioned.

And as I would like to keep supporting the people on this forum, you can use 10pinballinfo for a 10% discount. :)
 
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