Williams Comet (Williams, 1985) Flippers, 1 sticks open, 1 weak!

[Philly_pa]

Starting to notice a new recurring issue with my Williams Comet.

When I first start/power up the machine & start a new game, both flippers manage to fire the ball back towards the upper end of the playfield with out any problems. However after about 5 minutes of constant playing, The Right flipper will sometimes stick open (several re-pushes of the flipper button will cause it to return to normal rest position) and the Left flipper gets so weak, the ball hardly makes it to the middle of the Playfield to the ramp entry/dunk the dummy target (about 8-11 inches away).

After reading PinballDaveH's response to "Arsenarp's, Williams Demolitionman - Coil Power" thread on this same maintenance & repair forum, I upgraded/replaced the bridge rectifier (BR1) on the Comet's Flipper power supply board. However this didn't resolve any of the problems.

I am beginning to think the problem is in the coil and I should replace the left flipper's coil. But I am equally unsure as to why the Right Flipper sticks open sometimes or how to resolve it.

Perhaps its time for a complete flipper overhaul kit, replace all shafts, linkages, sleeves, stops & springs?

By-the-way with the coil sleeves, which way should the rounded end of the coil sleeve sit? Near the coil stop or towards the shaft/linkage end?

Thanks everyone.

 

[faralos]

they go in this way
remember to try a Google search
that is how I found these
if the plastic sleeve gets cracked it will make the rod hang up inside it
also check the rod itself it may have mushroomed at its end making it stick inside the coil
replacing it should resolve the sticking if that is the problem

 

[Coil_Smoke]

Sounds Familiar.....

Starting to notice a new recurring issue with my Williams Comet.

When I first start/power up the machine & start a new game, both flippers manage to fire the ball back towards the upper end of the playfield with out any problems. However after about 5 minutes of constant playing, The Right flipper will sometimes stick open (several re-pushes of the flipper button will cause it to return to normal rest position) and the Left flipper gets so weak, the ball hardly makes it to the middle of the Playfield to the ramp entry/dunk the dummy target (about 8-11 inches away).

After reading PinballDaveH's response to "Arsenarp's, Williams Demolitionman - Coil Power" thread on this same maintenance & repair forum, I upgraded/replaced the bridge rectifier (BR1) on the Comet's Flipper power supply board. However this didn't resolve any of the problems.

I am beginning to think the problem is in the coil and I should replace the left flipper's coil. But I am equally unsure as to why the Right Flipper sticks open sometimes or how to resolve it.

Perhaps its time for a complete flipper overhaul kit, replace all shafts, linkages, sleeves, stops & springs?

By-the-way with the coil sleeves, which way should the rounded end of the coil sleeve sit? Near the coil stop or towards the shaft/linkage end?

Thanks everyone.

You may have already tried this, but. This reminds me of a recent thread Williams Jubilee flipper weak - Pinball Nirvana Forums about a weak flipper problem. The fault was a bad wire in the End Of Stroke circuit. Your issue sounds like dirty EOS contacts. Maybe they are heating up and making a poor connection. Those contacts carry all the current, then force the current to flow through an additional winding on the coil when they open. The added coillage increases the impedance so the flipper can be help energized without overheating. I hope your problem is dirty contacts and not on the driver board. I hate when a flipper sticks. I could use some help with that too on several of my machines. Try the that link to the previous thread and good luck...C_S

 

[Philly_pa]

Holidays are over & I've finally managed to get back into my Machine.

After ordering new Flipper Over-hall kits, I found that the Left flipper (the one that sticks open) would not accept a new sleeve. A close inspection deep inside the coils' plastic, I noticed a crack! This is most likely the cause of the sticking, specially since I cannot put a new coil sleeve inside of it.

So I ordered a new coil. However the manual calls for a FL-23-600 (30/2600, 50V) coil. The faulty original coil that was in my game was a FL-24-600 (30/2600, 50V).

But when I placed the new FL-23-600 coil inside my game, I blew a fuse. I rechecked the wiring, re-soldered the connections, replaced the 5A fuse, then turned on the game again. The Right flipper works fine. I hit the Left flipper button again & the fuse blew!!!! Now none of the flippers work.

So I un-soldered the connections to the Left flipper & replaced the fuse. Everything but the left flipper working fine. Fuse stable.

Re-soldered left flipper wires into place..Solid grey wire to Banded side of the Coil's diode, Middle post to bottom of EOS switch's wire & the other outside post to the two remaining wires.

Turned on machine, tried the Right flipper..all working ok, then I tried the Left flipper....Fuse Blew Again!!!

Am I to believe I should have ordered/inserted a new FL-24-600 coil vs what the manual is calling for, a FL-23-600 coil?

Please assist.

 

[pinballdaveh]

have you checked the internal coil wire to lug configuration of both coils? are both diodes installed in the same direction? diode on new coil might be bad, un-solder and remove one diode wire from lug to test properly . diodes only have resistance in one polarity direction.

 

[Philly_pa]

Ok, I will check the properties of the diode on the new coil later today to see if I have possibly wired/soldered the coil incorrectly the first time and destroyed the diode. Meanwhile if testing shows a bad diode, is there a standard sized diode applicable for most coils (standard part)? Or how can I find the correct sized diode to order? Can I at least remove the diode off of the previous FL-24 coil and place it onto the new FL-23 if tests prove this is necessary?

 

[Coil_Smoke]

1N4004 diodes will do nicely. I think are rated 1Amp 400Volts. They have more than enough capacity to handle the reverse EMF and current spikes from pinball coils. Any small signal/switching diode that can withstand 100V @ .5A or better will work. Sure re-use those diodes that conduct in one direction and block in the other.

P.S. I see Marco recommends 1N4004 or better voltage(1000V) rated 1N4007. Radio Shack should have your part(+they need your business)

 

[Philly_pa]

Ok, I've checked the diode across the new coil & YES!!! it was bad. I replaced it and then installed a new fuse. Everything starting working again without blowing the fuse. However the flipper is still sticking open during play. So now that I've replaced everything except the EOS switch & wires, I guess that's the next move. luckily new EOS switches were included in the flipper over-haul kit.

 

[pinballdaveh]

sometimes a flipper will stick on the EOS switch. or flipper might stick because the flipper pawl is set to high on the flipper shaft. try lifting the flipper up and down there should be about 1/4 of movement. if no movement flipper pawl might be sticking on bushing or flipper might be rubbing on playfield.