The flipper is weak or dead while the mechanism under the playfield moves, or the bat has play.
Flipper bat slips on its shaft or wobbles
Cause: Loose or missing set screws clamping the shaft in the crank, set screws that have worn grooves in the shaft, or a broken shaft bushing.
Checks
- Check both set screws on the flipper crank for tightness.
- Look for grooves worn into the shaft.
- Check the plastic bushing under the playfield for cracks or excess play.
Fix
- Tighten the set screws with the bat aligned to the other flipper.
- Replace a grooved shaft (or one-piece bat and shaft).
- Replace a damaged bushing; it is held by three wood screws.
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
- Flippers can't get the ball up a steep playfield
- Flipper bat drags on the playfield
- Flipper dead: burned coil
- Flipper dead: wiring or coil winding
- Upper flipper weak on a multi-flipper game
- Weak, chattering or buzzing flipper: end-of-stroke switch
- Flipper weak because the return spring is too strong
Source: Pinball Machine Care & Maintenance, Bernard B. Kamoroff (Bell Springs Pinball Alley)