Hi Marco, thanks for your input.
The second issue was that the globes sit very very close to the top of the cap and with the heat could potentially burn the cap. My original caps had the burn marks on all three caps from the incandescent globes. So the heat was another issue.
This is exactly why I wouldn't mind trying first a low profile incandescent globe, so it doesn't sit right up against the underside of the cap.
Because of the pop bumper action of this game (a hell of a lot of pop bumper action) For some unknown reason it kept on blowing the incandescent globes without fail. No matter what i tried. I checked all that could be checked, replaced and kept on replacing the globes with them continuing to blow until i decided to go with the leds.
Maybe the reason the incandescent globes failed is because the top of the globe was contacting the underside of the cap, and every time the pop bumper activated there were impacts with the globe? Just guessing. Maybe putting in a lower profile globe would suffer the same consequence - if the filament cannot take the vibrations, then you're quite right, the globe will kark it.
Did you try a low profile globe, and if so, what is one that would work (ie. the 455 is a good profile, just don't want the flashing that comes with a 455).
If this works, then great. If not, then I would really want to find the LED that will work that also won't flicker - and this would need to work for both DC (SS) and AC (EM).
