Cleaning and adjusting the cabinet flipper switch
Steps
- Find the switch behind the flipper button inside the cabinet.
- Solid-state games: clean the contacts with an alcohol swab or by drawing a business card between lightly closed contacts. Do not file, as the contacts have a thin gold plating.
- EM games: draw a flexstone file, emery board or flat point file between the contacts under light pressure until they are bright, then blow away the dust.
- Push the button and watch: the moving blade should touch and slightly push the fixed blade. Bend the blades a little with a switch adjusting tool or long-nose pliers until it does.
Systems
- Williams System 3
- Williams System 4
- Williams System 6 / 6A
- Williams System 7
- Williams System 9
- Williams System 11
- Williams System 11A
- Williams System 11B
- Williams System 11C
- WPC Alpha-Numeric
- WPC Dot Matrix
- WPC Fliptronics
- WPC DCS
- WPC-Security (WPC-S)
- WPC-95
- Bally MPU AS-2518-17
- Bally MPU AS-2518-35
- Stern MPU-100
- Stern MPU-200
- Bally 6803
- Gottlieb System 1
- Gottlieb System 80
- Gottlieb System 80A
- Gottlieb System 80B
- Gottlieb System 3
- Data East CPU Version 1/2
- Data East CPU Version 3
- Data East/Sega CPU Version 3b
- Capcom
- Electro-mechanical
Related tips
- Flipper EOS switch: gap, checking and cleaning
- Cleaning flipper EOS and lane change switches safely
- Robocop and later: lane change is on the cabinet flipper switch
- Replacing a flipper coil
- Flipper cabinet opto switch boards
- Weak, chattering or buzzing flipper: end-of-stroke switch
- Flipper weak because the return spring is too strong
- Weak flippers on an EM: adjust the end-of-stroke switch before buying coils
Source: Pinball Machine Care & Maintenance, Bernard B. Kamoroff (Bell Springs Pinball Alley)