Centaur ][

[semicolin]

Here we go!

I learned my lesson with the Meteor that I can take all of the before photos that I want to and it won't amount to a hill of beans if my phone gets shredded by a snowblower. This time, I'll keep it in one thread and post as I go.

So here is the before:

This won't be a full restoration. It will be a deep clean, playfield swap, and bulletproofing.

First step tonight: start coating the bottom of the new playfield with polycrylic. It'll need a few coats, but there will never be a fingerprint on the bottom.

[tombiosis]

Looking forward to seeing and playing it one day! Following.

[HPR Pinball]

I'm in love with this title!

[cait001]

Following

[semicolin]

Took my inventory today. Got the old field out of the machine and started taking stock of connectors, needed parts, broken bits and field repairs. Started placing orders. This game has seen a lot of years on the route.

[cait001]

ahhhh cool to see the shooter-lane multi-ball mechanisms. I had never looked at that before.

[semicolin]

I'll try to record a 4K video later of how the sort-pass-kick mechanism works later. For now I'm parts-blocked.

I've ordered the obligatory stuff: coil sleeves, bushings, plungers, coil stops, jewel posts, and assorted other hardware. Have to wait until Great Plains Electronics comes back online after their break to order up the obsolete MLX series connector housings that Digikey no longer carries. Going to repin everything, and considering how much of this game is insulation displacement connectors it's going to be a lot of work. I could just take the old ones off and run them through the ultrasonic cleaner, but I'd rather not lose track of the pins. I'll swap in new ones, scrub the old ones, and add them to the inventory. It's always good to have spares anyway, and this won't be the last Bally machine that I overhaul. My shooter lane cover was in rough shape so I decided to replace the whole apron assembly, even though my old apron isn't bad.

Printed off new score cards and coil sleeves, etc.

[semicolin]

Here's how the ball storage and lock assemblies work together.

[semicolin]

Got my Great Plains order in. As soon as I receive that, I'll start to connectorize the playfield machinery. This will allow me to remove mechs one at a time to disassemble, deep clean, polish, dial in, and then install them on the new playfield.

[Fifty]

super cool ball mech. thanks for sharing that!

[semicolin]

Replaced a pile of rusty headers and ran the display harness through the ultrasonic cleaner.

[semicolin]

Gave the displays a bath to get rid of the black gunk. Now that the display harness is dry, I repinned the entire display section and got rid of all of the unreliable insulation displacement connectors. Looks much more organized now… and the wire colours pop!

[semicolin]

I hate being told off by my tools.

Not much to do today while I'm waiting for parts, but I've got enough connectors to start working on the knocker and the outhole kicker. Disassembled and taking stock of what's busted.

[semicolin]

Took the coils out of the hot tub, blew them out with the compressor, and attached new labels. They'll sit in the dry jar with some silica gel for a couple of days while the rest of their assemblies go through the tumbler.

Sayonara, pals. See you when you're shiny.

[cait001]

ADMONITION!!!

[semicolin]

Follow up: cleaned and polished, these mechs are ready to be reinstalled. Still waiting for the rest of the parts so that I can really pick up steam.

[World_of_Warships]

Totally following!

[semicolin]

Another slow day as I wait for parts from several suppliers. Some shipped quickly and it’s the post office that’s slow. Another big name supplier— which shall remain nameless— has been sending me updates every three days for the last couple of weeks: “shipping soon” “we lost it but we know it’s here somewhere” and most recently “still looking lol big warehouse.”

Cleaned up and repinned the solenoid expander and aux driver. They’re the first to be moved over while I wait for the Mate-N-Lok connectors to arrive. Hopefully they’ll make it this weekend. Connectorizing is a four-hour job and I want to watch the March Grand Sumo while I tackle it. Nobody spoil it for me.

[Pinoffski]

Thanks for sharing
just asking about the coils
They'll sit in the dry jar with some silica gel for a couple of days ?

I will be following

[semicolin]

Coils get dirty over time. All that black schmoo inside a game is coil dust: wear dust from the plungers, sleeves, pivot points, etc. The cleaner blasts off that dust in minutes making parts look brand new, but if I put parts away wet they’ll rust or corrode.

After they’ve been through the ultrasonic cleaner, a lot of water accumulates between the turns of wire. I blow them out with compressed air, and any remaining water is absorbed by the silica packets.

[Pinoffski]

Have a lymans tumbler
I have thought of purchasing a ultrasonic cleaner
thanks for the tip

[semicolin]

I have a 10L one, which is big, but not big enough for things like fully assembled drop target bank and harnesses. The banks have to be pulled apart (which isn't a big deal) and harnesses go in the dishwasher instead.

If I had unlimited money and space I would go for the 22L or 30L sizes next time.

[semicolin]

I have never actually had a good experience with CPR. I want to like them, I really do, but I spend far more time cursing them than I should.

Pop bumper base doesn't fit. Hole is too small and the cutaway is routed incorrectly. Looks like I'm going to need to Dremel out the hole. Not sure how I'll fix the plate landing but if I want to do a nice job I think I'll have to buy a router now too. Ffs. Careless and no attention to detail.

[tombiosis]

That sucks. Would it not be easier to modify the plastic piece? Maybe you could sand it to fit...?

[semicolin]

It's hard to see from the angle but the part they didn't route out is actually beneath the screws. I bought a router last night and I'll just have to wait. Just how it goes.