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Bally Old Chicago Reconditioning

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Strangeways:
This is a machine that was started quite some time ago. The game was purchased by a customer from a Op Shop or similar - without a backglass. The scope of work is simply to have the game mechanically and cosmetically reconditioned and a CPR Backglass installed.

Condition

Playfield 7/10 - For an EM that was very well played, it is very good. Some wear around the playfield, but nothing too drastic. Plastics need replacement.

Cabinet - 4/10 - Original patina will remain. Faded, and some areas painted over, badly.

Backglass - 0/10 - Didn't have one !

Mechanical - 4/10 - Seized steppers, incorrect coils, wiring mods..


Before Pictures

As presented to me prior to work commencement.







Incorrect posts, spinner, plastics and rubbers.





Missing the post and the guide rails. Some interesting work done where the post was !





This makes me laugh !





Multicoloured posts finished off with an Evel Knievel Spinner !





Playfield stripped





Gottlieb posts, Bingo posts and original broken posts.





A tired, worn Drop Target Assembly. Will be rebuilt !





The "Hold" relay - with the coil burnt out and the wire not even soldered !





Stepper Unit with some interesting springs !








The updates will come thick and fast as the game is basically already completed but I have not had the time to start the thread. More to come !

Brunswick Brawler:
It's all a matter of personal taste, but to me this is the most beautiful machine in the world.  My eyes will be on this thread!

goodolddays:

--- Quote from: Brunswick Brawler on October 29, 2017, 09:00:43 PM ---It's all a matter of personal taste, but to me this is the most beautiful machine in the world.  My eyes will be on this thread!

--- End quote ---

I agree. Wish i never sold mine . Check out my resto thread here to see how good the cab looked when repainted .. http://aussiepinball.com/index.php?topic=7606.msg99980#msg99980

Strangeways:
All the steppers are rebuilt. Correct springs are installed. Rarely do I find a stepper that has the correct springs.




All the steppers are rebuilt. The relays are cleaned, the points adjusted and gapped. This is where a fair amount of time is spent.





To break up the process, I move to a smaller job of rebuilding the chime unit with a rebuild kit from PBR.








All the mechs are rebuilt under the playfield - steppers, relays, pop bumpers and of course - flipper kits.





Moving to the headbox. All the score reels are rebuilt. This is CRITICAL to any work on an EM. Most faults go back to the score reels.





Stripped, cleaned and then re assembled. Time consuming, but mandatory !





Reassembled ;





There's always one glaring issue with score reel assemblies. Here is a classic. The coil stop is worn and has been previously repaired by an operator. Lucky for me, I have hundreds of NOS parts from back when Dad was an operator !








Score reels rebuilt !




Credit Unit rebuilt !





The Player Unit - Critical that this is rebuilt.





One of the reasons I rebuild everything on EM s is because not everything is visible until stripped and cleaned. Here we have an issue which would not have been picked up by an operator or previous owner ;





A crack in the bakerlite plate... OPEN circuit !





This would cause all sorts of issues with games where there are moew than one player - I'll get to that later !




Repaired !








Headbox completed !




Next update - Playfield !

 <.> <..>

4_amusement_only:
A lot of effort - looking good!

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