Flipper response is poor or erratic on an older Gottlieb electro-mechanical game.

Weak flipper on older Gottlieb EM with lever-operated switch

Cause: On these games the button pushes a wire lever that closes a switch mounted along the very bottom edge of the playfield underside; the lever binds or the switch gets bent when the playfield is raised and lowered.

Checks

• Work the button and watch the lever move freely and close the switch.
• Inspect the switch blades for bending.

Fix

• Free up and adjust the lever and switch.
• Or replace the system with a modern cabinet button-and-switch unit wired to the original flipper connections.

Systems

• Electro-mechanical

Related tips

• Weak flippers on an EM: adjust the end-of-stroke switch before buying coils
• Sloppy Gottlieb flipper: loose pawl collar or pin
• How an EM flipper coil and its EOS switch work
• Gottlieb EM flipper rebuild parts
• Flipper EOS switch: gap, checking and cleaning
• Stronger flipper coils for Gottlieb EMs
• Gottlieb large flipper coils by wrapper colour
• Gottlieb flipper coil windings (power/hold)

Source: Pinball Machine Care & Maintenance, Bernard B. Kamoroff (Bell Springs Pinball Alley)