Bride of Pinbot problem

[Crashramp]

Hi guys, I turned on BoP yesterday and the face assembly starts to turn and calibrate itself. It hasn't done this before but it did come back to the start position of the mouth. I then started a game and the first shot up the shuttle ramp into the head assembly was fine. From here the ball drops down into the metal ramp where it's held by a post for a moment and then released. This time the post released twice just like it would when it's holding two balls on the second face (the eye face), which is not correct.  The face should turn to the eye face at this point but it doesn't do thar either.
 
 I have checked the switches and they're all fine. in test mode the face assembly operates as it should also.

Any suggestions?

[Crashramp]

Sorry one more thing (probably quite important) I can't locate switch 67. It doesn't seem to be exactly where its shown in the diagram below. Anybody know where to find it?

[Pintoxicated]

Yep, it is just above Switch 47.  ;o)

[Crashramp]

Yep, it is just above Switch 47.  ;o)

Yep, there's one in every crowd isn't there. 
Thank you very much for your expert assistance. 

[Mr Pinbologist]

Switch #67 is inside the head assembly (pics below from a BOP i restored about a year ago).

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but unfortunately it is necessary to remove the assembly to access the switch! The adjustment of this switch is fairly critical for the head to operate correctly.

I have another BOP in my workshop @ the moment that has issues with the head assy to do with this switch (among other probs).. will be starting on it tomorrow.

[Crashramp]

Switch #67 is inside the head assembly (pics below from a BOP i restored about a year ago).

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but unfortunately it is necessary to remove the assembly to access the switch! The adjustment of this switch is fairly critical for the head to operate correctly.

I have another BOP in my workshop @ the moment that has issues with the head assy to do with this switch (among other probs).. will be starting on it tomorrow.

Thanks for that. Will the head assembly come out from the underside of the playfield only or is it likely that ill have to remove the shuttle ramp to get to it as well?

[Mr Pinbologist]

I just went down to the workshop to check for you, ramps definitely need to be removed as it comes out from the top side.
Pain in the arse to do but while its out it can be fully serviced, if its never been out of the machine, it'll need it 

[Pintoxicated]

Yep, it is just above Switch 47.  ;o)

Yep, there's one in every crowd isn't there. 
Thank you very much for your expert assistance. 

Happy to help, you know I have been trained by the best.

[Crashramp]

I just went down to the workshop to check for you, ramps definitely need to be removed as it comes out from the top side.
Pain in the arse to do but while its out it can be fully serviced, if its never been out of the machine, it'll need it 

Funny thing is I was half way there on the weekend. I decided to change the shuttle ramp over for a new one while I was looking for the problem. Anyway it's all back in now so it sounds like a job for this weekend.

[Crashramp]

Yep, it is just above Switch 47.  ;o)

Yep, there's one in every crowd isn't there. 
Thank you very much for your expert assistance. 

Happy to help, you know I have been trained by the best.

  ill let you know how I go but I'm sure the legs are fine. 

[Pintoxicated]

You know there is every chance that adjusting the level of the machine could solve all your problems though don't you.    

[Crashramp]

Hi guys, I've cleaned up the head assembly and associated switches, put everything back in and tested but the original fault still persists. At the moment I think the switch main switch 67 is open when it should be closed and closed when it should be open but maybe I'm misinterpreting the manual.

T.12 Head Test in the manual says - "The display will show the status of the motor (MR=ON or MR=OFF) and the current, if any, head switch (SW=) number that is closed.....In order for the head to rotate and stop properly this switch must be open when on an indentation and closed when not on an indentation".

I assume from the above that the switch should read "ON" when the face plate is at rest and "OFF" when it's rotating. Mine is the opposite. Is anyone able to confirm please.

Picture below is the display when head is at rest



T.12 head test in the manual.

[Crashramp]

The head is also not calibrating itself properly and sometimes stopping mid spin. Also the last time I tried it there was a knocking sound when it stopped mid way through. I had to turn the machine off to make it stop. 

[Pintoxicated]

I am pretty sure when I saw yours out of the machine the other day there were four indentations in the metal frame that the plastics are mounted on.  I may very well be wrong, it was only a very quick look, but as per the manual, switch 67 will be on or off according to where those indentations are.  If it is sitting in the indentation the switch will read open so the machine knows that the face is in the correct position (flat).  It sounds like switch 67 isn't registering the indentation properly or the switch is bad.

Is there anyway you can leave the playfield up, do the test and watch what it is doing underneath or get a mirror and watch whether the switch and falling into the indentation properly?

It definitely sounds like everything is related to sw67, as it mentions in the manual as well.  If that switch is slightly out of adjustment then the face will not work properly.

Remember these machines are just a wooden box full of 30 year old electronics.  The machine needs that switch to tell is what is happening with the face.  The switch reads as open or closed, not so much on and off and it all depends how that particular switch is wired up i.e. normally open or normally closed. It sounds like when the switch is closed, the machine will want to rotate the head until that switch opens when it drops into an indentation.

That knocking sound could be the switch hitting or rubbing on something due to be out of alignment????

If you don't have any luck with it, I have Saturday off and could have a look for you.

[Crashramp]

I am pretty sure when I saw yours out of the machine the other day there were four indentations in the metal frame that the plastics are mounted on.  I may very well be wrong, it was only a very quick look, but as per the manual, switch 67 will be on or off according to where those indentations are.  If it is sitting in the indentation the switch will read open so the machine knows that the face is in the correct position (flat).  It sounds like switch 67 isn't registering the indentation properly or the switch is bad.

Is there anyway you can leave the playfield up, do the test and watch what it is doing underneath or get a mirror and watch whether the switch and falling into the indentation properly?

It definitely sounds like everything is related to sw67, as it mentions in the manual as well.  If that switch is slightly out of adjustment then the face will not work properly.

Remember these machines are just a wooden box full of 30 year old electronics.  The machine needs that switch to tell is what is happening with the face.  The switch reads as open or closed, not so much on and off and it all depends how that particular switch is wired up i.e. normally open or normally closed. It sounds like when the switch is closed, the machine will want to rotate the head until that switch opens when it drops into an indentation.

That knocking sound could be the switch hitting or rubbing on something due to be out of alignment????

If you don't have any luck with it, I have Saturday off and could have a look for you.

Thanks for that. I'm sure it's all related to Switch 67 to. It's just a bastard to get to and most likely near impossible to view in action. Ill keep trying tomorrow night and if I don't have any luck a second opinion on Saturday would be most appreciated.