Upgrading Gottlieb System 80 MPU board with new battery pack

One of the first things you have to do when you get an original Gottlieb System 80 game is deal with their on-board NiCad battery pack, if it has not already been addressed. Gottlieb installed these batteries on the actual MPU board itself and like on other games, it’s a common cause of serious problems with the game. The batteries begin to leak after awhile, releasing electrolytes that corrode the MPU board and the components on it. This can happen even if you don’t see any obvious leaks. The batteries need to be replaced. There are a few options you have to do this: a remote battery pack (3 AA batteries along with a blocking diode to keep them from being charged if they’re not rechargeable batteries), a 2032 lithium coin cell, or my favorite, a 5.5v 1.5F memory capacitor. The memory cap will last the longest and will not destroy any components on the board. It will keep a charge for at least a month or more without power. Here’s a video of me adding this fix to a Gottlieb System 80B MPU

 

Diagnosing and fixing stuck flippers (on a Gottlieb System 80 and other machines)

I got a new pinball machine in the other day and one of the flippers was sticking up. In this video series I go over examining what was wrong and how to address it. There are a number of causes for stuck flippers. The most common cause is a dirty or worn coil sleeve. Also sometimes there can be a hang up with the EOS (end of stroke) switch (more common on Bally/WMS than older Bally or Gottlieb games).

Pinball Tip: Always Check Your Fuses

This is one of those videos I keep reminding myself that I should make. And it turns out, I did awhile back and didn’t post it. So here it is. A short video about fuses in pinball machines and why it’s important to check them, how to check them, how to determine if they are proper, and how to ID fuse specs. Enjoy!

Retrofitting Warm White and Cool White LEDs in Pinball Games

As I work on restoring another game (Bally EM “Air Aces”), I demo my approach towards making the game more reliable and stable by replacing many of the old bulbs with newer LEDs. I also show the difference between the warm and cool white LEDs and how they work.

1963 Gottlieb “Slick Check” – Flipper Maintenance

People were complaining that one of the flippers in our Gottlieb “Slick Chick” was not working properly. The metal was fatigued on the assembly and the switch contacts were well worn, so I’ve ordered new switches and am showing how to remove and replace the flipper switches and make your flippers perform much better.

Replacing a battery with a coin cell – Bally 6803 Escape from the Lost World

In this video work, continues on a newly-acquired game, 1987 Bally “Escape from the Lost World” – a late-model 6803 MPU game that instead of mounting a remote battery pack or memory capacitor, I’m going to show you how simple it is to install a 2032 lithium coin cell holder on the motherboard and use a cheap coin cell battery instead. This is such an easy fix that you don’t even have to remove the board from the game (if you’re careful and the board doesn’t need cleaning).