Removing Metal Ball Guides on Whirlwind

[Slash]

I have started stripping my Whirlwind playfield and don't seem to be able to remove the metal ball guides.  There are screws that go through the playfield that are then riveted onto the ball guides on the top side of the playfield.  You can see in the pics below the screw poking out the bottom of the playfield and in the second pic where it is riveted to the ball guide.

Am I supposed to bust the rivets to take it off?  If that's the case getting them back on seems like it will be a bitch as I'm guessing you would have to re-rivet it to the ball guide again once it's back in place.  But in a couple of spots there doesn't look like much room to get in their and re-rivet something.




On a separate note does anybody have any bright ideas when it comes to removing these lock tight things?

[pinsanity]

With the lock tight nuts get a small screwdriver and stick it into the nut hole from the underside of the playfield and then rotate the screwdriver with a spiral motion using a wide arc.

Since they are only held in with three spikes driven into the wood the lock tight nut will automatically loosen and detach itself from the playfield completely and then slide onto the shaft of the screwdriver.

Bit hard to explain but once you try it yourself it makes it very easy to do with 30-40 nuts.

And it beats trying to pry them out one at a time.  

[robm]

Just knock the ball guide threadta through to the top of the pf. Out a nut on so you don't burr the thread.

System 11 t nuts had some form of locktite applied so they can easily bust out of the wood if you force them. Apply heat with a soldering iron and they should come out easier

[Pop Bumper Pete]

have you removed all the nuts holding the ball guide
I had trouble removing a guide from a playfield, I had not removed all the nuts

[Slash]

Just knock the ball guide threadta through to the top of the pf. Out a nut on so you don't burr the thread.

System 11 t nuts had some form of locktite applied so they can easily bust out of the wood if you force them. Apply heat with a soldering iron and they should come out easier

I will try and tap it out then.   Good tip re. the nut on the end too!

[robm]

Thats obviously 'put' not 'out' a nut...dodgy autocorrect on phone!

[GAP]

Another way to remove the T nuts is to screw in a long bolt from the topside of the playfield so it is out the bottom of the T nut, then gently tap it from above until it is free then simply unscrew the T nut and remove the bolt. Just take care of the topside of the playfield when tapping it out.

Cheers
GP

[Slash]

Another way to remove the T nuts is to screw in a long bolt from the topside of the playfield so it is out the bottom of the T nut, then gently tap it from above until it is free then simply unscrew the T nut and remove the bolt. Just take care of the topside of the playfield when tapping it out.

Cheers
GP

Good suggestion 

[Slash]

Just thought I would follow up and say I tapped them out with a nut on the end to protect them and it worked fine.

I also tried pinsanity's method for removing the lock nuts.  That was surprisingly easy how it came out after only a few spiral motions.

Thanks all for the suggestions.   

[Strangeways]

Another way to remove the T nuts is to screw in a long bolt from the topside of the playfield so it is out the bottom of the T nut, then gently tap it from above until it is free then simply unscrew the T nut and remove the bolt. Just take care of the topside of the playfield when tapping it out.

Cheers
GP

That's the method I use.

Metal guides - "tap" them with a small hammer. Don't bash them hard as they can take a chunk of playfield on the way out. Make sure all the other nuts are removed from the guide. Wiggle it to loosen it from the top of the playfield.