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Medium term maintenance

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 2463
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Deleted member 2463

Folks,
Some of my games, specifically talking about NIB ones, are coming up for a couple of years old and wondering about maintenance - None of them are >400 plays. I clean the play field (without taking the game apart) but just wanted to understand if i should be doing more.

Neil.
 
Neil McRae said:
Folks,
Some of my games, specifically talking about NIB ones, are coming up for a couple of years old and wondering about maintenance - None of them are >400 plays. I clean the play field (without taking the game apart) but just wanted to understand if i should be doing more.

Neil.
Click to expand...
+1 on this
 
Tbh in the home environment as long as you keep them clean, put new balls in as needed, keep an eye on batteries etc then you should be all good. One thing to be aware of when cleaning is to make sure you get everywhere the ball touches including the trough, any subways or scoops etc

Eventually you'll need to re-rubber them which will likely involve some minor dismantling of the game. Obviously if you get any specific breakages then you'll need to fix them but they should be few and far between in home use :thumbs:
 
If you look in the Dialed In manual in section E11 it’s says that you need to change a battery which holds the bios settings for the computer. It said that if that battery fails you’ll need to contact jjp for assistance to get the machine to work again and they recommend changing it every two years as the expected battery life is just 3 years.

You’re welcome.
 
As @ronsplooter cleaning everywhere the ball can get to is essential - if you don't it just transfers the dirt from those places to the places you can see and clean regularly anyway. Places such as ball trough and orbits at the back of the playfield are the usual suspects for being missed.
With the quality of Stern's coil stops recently, I'd also check them (a giveaway sign is if you see brass shavings in the cabinet) and replace them anyway.

Changing to silicone, rather than traditional rubber, will also reduce the amount of dirt.

Anything else should only need attention if you notice a specific problem, such as sloppy flippers or flippers sticking.
 
What’s the benefit to changing balls rather thanncleaning them?
 
What’s the benefit to changing balls rather thanncleaning them?
Click to expand...

If they get pitted or chipped then cleaning won't help and the little imperfections will act like an abrasive on the playfield. For what they cost it's better to just swap them out once in a while :thumbs: For NIB modern Sterns it's advisable to replace the balls that come with the game from day 1 with some better quality ones from Phil or Andy as they have a reputation for being sh*t
 
Wayne J said:
As @ronsplooter cleaning everywhere the ball can get to is essential - if you don't it just transfers the dirt from those places to the places you can see and clean regularly anyway. Places such as ball trough and orbits at the back of the playfield are the usual suspects for being missed.
With the quality of Stern's coil stops recently, I'd also check them (a giveaway sign is if you see brass shavings in the cabinet) and replace them anyway.

Changing to silicone, rather than traditional rubber, will also reduce the amount of dirt.

Anything else should only need attention if you notice a specific problem, such as sloppy flippers or flippers sticking.
Click to expand...

Wayne which silicone rubbers do you recommend dude? I know people loved titans but I’ve heard a lot of love for pinball life’s perfect play silicone rubbers...?
 
J85M said:
Wayne which silicone rubbers do you recommend dude? I know people loved titans but I’ve heard a lot of love for pinball life’s perfect play silicone rubbers...?
Click to expand...
www.pinball.center/en/

I use clear for all rubbers, and then coloured for the flippers. Never had any problem with any of them. The only thing to take care with is you match the right size, as they don't have as much stretch as traditional rubber. I place a bulk order for all sizes at once to both cut down on postage and ensure I can change up or down a size as necessary.

They all play slightly different, not better or worse, just different.
 
Speaking of cleaning - what products are you all using? Is Novus still the go to?

On a related note, is anyone waxing their playfields, and if so, which wax?
 
I find the foam cleaner Phil sells is best for cleaning, then wax on!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Not a fan of wax, novus two with a polishing mop - but to do that its virtually a full play field strip down. I think waxing makes the ball 'skid' rather than 'roll'. Just my opinion.

If you feel flippers arent as good I would change the sleeves, plunger and end stops - modern stern end stops are awful. It is common at tilt to find 'gold dust' in the bottom of the cabinets which is the end stops falling apart.

The flippers are the most important thing really on a game to keep well maintained.

Changing balls is a great idea. Use the premium ones Phil sells (even if your games do not have magnets). Also for goodness sake - CLEAN THE NEW BALLS. You will find they have an oil coat on them. It is also important to do this when you put the balls into the game when you have a NIB. I use an old white t shirt, usually one that I no longer can not fit into for putting on too much lumber.

I am sure most know this already..... but just in case!
 
Gents,
I have a can of this, has anyone used it?
Before I start spraying away just want to be double certain it’s totally safe - got it free from Pinball Universe.
Do not use on Alkali sensitive material?
Want to use on playfield and ramps...663FE834-B5D9-4B97-96E6-63241A3C62AC.jpeg343753F9-FAF0-4B9B-9B24-BA527B491F55.jpeg
 
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