Firepower flipper button question

NeoTopher

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I'm about to place an order with pinball life and am about 30 minutes away from my pinball machine for the next 8 hours and want to make sure to order the right buttons -- can't measure the one that's in there right now.

I noticed on the right flipper button that about 50% of the time it's hit, I get a visible blue flash from the leaf switch hitting the plunger. So the question is, will a 1 1/8" button work with my pin? I'm thinking the shorter button should prevent the leaf switch from hitting the plunger.
 
I'm about to place an order with pinball life and am about 30 minutes away from my pinball machine for the next 8 hours and want to make sure to order the right buttons -- can't measure the one that's in there right now.

I noticed on the right flipper button that about 50% of the time it's hit, I get a visible blue flash from the leaf switch hitting the plunger. So the question is, will a 1 1/8" button work with my pin? I'm thinking the shorter button should prevent the leaf switch from hitting the plunger.

You can just adjust the switch. Unless I'm missing something...
 
Switches spark when they make contact, but hitting your plunger, do you mean the switch is hitting it or the button? Any 1" button will work, make sure you get new pal-nuts for the buttons as well. May I ask why your changing the buttons for? On my High-Speed half the button was missing so I HAD to replace and 1" were fine. After installing the buttons your gonna have to adjust the flipper switches or just remove them before install. Let us know, and if you can I have not seen a Firepower in ages post-up a picture?
 
I've adjusted the angle of the leaf switches but the button that is in there is so long that pushing the button in fully pushes the switches back into contact with the plunger.

does it look like the original button or someone just put whatever they could find in there. I'am curious at what your saying, if you can so we can understand you later tonight post up a picture.b Are both buttons long as you described?
 
Give Terry a call at pinball life tell him this, he's a cool guy he'll tell you what you need or need to do. I never heard of this issue.
 
I've adjusted the angle of the leaf switches but the button that is in there is so long that pushing the button in fully pushes the switches back into contact with the plunger.

I'm not really sure what you mean by "plunger" but I would probably use a couple of washers to space the switch out from the cabinet if that will solve the problem. Assuming the switch still looks good and wouldn't need to be replaced otherwise.
 
Maybe I am just seeing a spark from the leafs hitting each other. I could have sworn that looking through the plunger (shooter?) hole it looked like the leafs were hitting the plunger.

This is my first pin and didn't know that there is normally a spark from the leaf contacts -- I'm used to vids.
 
Maybe I am just seeing a spark from the leafs hitting each other. I could have sworn that looking through the plunger (shooter?) hole it looked like the leafs were hitting the plunger.

This is my first pin and didn't know that there is normally a spark from the leaf contacts -- I'm used to vids.

Thats what your seeing then, I just played a few games of High-Speed and looked through the plunger area to and see sparks while pressing the flipper button, damn I love playing pinball. Anyway HS is my first pinball machine and I'am learning from reading and listening to the kind pinball folks around here. Also taking some electronic courses just to get an understanding on electricity, circuits, switches, etc. I just like the hands on training in the class. We will be doing our own circuits and get them working and the instructor is gonna mess them up and we are gonna have to find what he did to them, to me thats fun- to others thats frustrating, but the way a pinball machine functions has always fascinated me. If you dont have smile on your face when your working on your pin, dont do it. Get knowledge from the web and confidence that you CAN! Congratulations on your first pin.
 
Thanks. Got a new set of rubbers, balls, etc, coming my way.

My vids are jealous of the firepower, they've gotten no love in the few weeks that I've had it!
 
Thanks. Got a new set of rubbers, balls, etc, coming my way.

My vids are jealous of the firepower, they've gotten no love in the few weeks that I've had it!

Glad to help ya, good to hear your playing some pinball. Gotta have the fix at least once a day. Take care.
 
A brief spark from switch contacts is normal.

Make sure you get at least 1 1/8" buttons as 1" will not work well.

If you're going to get under the hood, might as well check your switches and replace as necessary.

  • SW-10A-48 - Flipper switch
  • SW-10A-50 - EOS switch
  • SW-1A-139 - Lane change switch

Pinballlife seems to carry the flipper and EOS. I think they, like Marco, have the lane change switch mislisted (at least per the supplemental FP catalog) as part number 03-7811.
 
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