Flipper coil mod questions

caligirl

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I own games from several generations, and have been pondering about this for awhile, and have not been able to find a discussion on this, maybe I'm just not searching the right words or phrases.
So on my SWEP1 and my CC the wires going to the flipper coils terminate in what I know as 'slide-terms'. On my JP and ES, the wires are directly soldered to the lugs of the flipper coils.
As I like to properly maintain these machines, this requires regularly working on and rebuilding flippers. I also work on machines owned by others and have seen many poor soldering jobs on flipper coils. So...

1. Can't the slide-terms be added to the wires to make these jobs easier in the future?

2.Why do I not see this more often on older games? Slide-terms do not cost much and with a simple crimp and a touch of solder is no more difficult or time consuming then soldering directly to the lugs.

3. Any reason I should not convert my games, and those I work on frequently?
 
Solder is an assured solid connection. Quick connects have a few failure points such as poor crimp job and/or oxidation may occur causing poor connections. Plus the vibration could cause a quick connect to become loose.
 
Solder is an assured solid connection. Quick connects have a few failure points such as poor crimp job and/or oxidation may occur causing poor connections. Plus the vibration could cause a quick connect to become loose.

very good point
 
I understand your points, but I have yet to see any forms of failure/weakness/oxidation/slippage in both my machines that have the connectors, and have never been called to fix a macchine with them that these are issues.
Both my machines that have the connectors are over 10yrs old, both have been routed and significantly played, and had their fair share of 'operator fixes' but they both still have origional connectors that are snug and non-oxidized despite spending most or all of thier lives within 3 blocks of the Pacific ocean.

Does anyone fine themselves repeatedly having problems with properly installed slid-term connectors on thier flippers?
 
If you go to slide on connectors. I'd suggest insulated ones.

Williams didn't and RFM and SW1 I had problems with one vibrating off and then it shorts to another lug and takes out a transistor.

Also on a MB I had a lug burn up because the lug was loose.

They used slide on connectors for assembly purposes. Not because they were better.

I wouldn't convert a game that has wires soldered on to coil lugs to slide on connectors.
 
Thanks for all input/thought/experiences so far.

While I see that having a good solder connection is solid, and more 'secure' than a slide connector, I can easily see the benefits to use the slide connector.

In my business connectors (slide terms, ring terms, fork terms, even assorted molex) are used not as a means of assymbly but because it makes a part or portion of the equipment easier to remove for repair or replacement. Sure it is not as strong a solder, but a bad solder job is worse than a good connector. A good term can be soldered to, as well as crimped, to get a more solid connection. More often than not, the weakest point that ends up giving way, over time is the wire itself, not the connectors. While I know it is rare for a flipper coil to go bad, there is continual maintenance on flippers. When rebuilding flippers, there is often nowhere to leave the coil with any support other than hanging from its own wires. Old wires are not exactly hard to break from such stress.

Sure slide terms can become loose, but i've never not been able to tighten one with a pinch from some needle-nose pliers.

I do have to replace a coil soon, and am debating which way to go. I guess I'm really looking for storied of experience
 
Sure it is not as strong a solder

Exactly.

but a bad solder job is worse than a good connector.

Then do a good solder job.

While I know it is rare for a flipper coil to go bad, there is continual maintenance on flippers. When rebuilding flippers, there is often nowhere to leave the coil with any support other than hanging from its own wires. Old wires are not exactly hard to break from such stress.

If you've got a good connection to the coil it can hang on those wires all day with no problem. If you remove the coil every time you work on the flipper your crimp connectors are going to get loose anyway. Not to mention increasing your risk of connecting the coil incorrectly.

I do have to replace a coil soon, and am debating which way to go. I guess I'm really looking for storied of experience

I would just solder it in and never have to worry about it again. Use crimp terminals if you want. It will work basically as well. I wouldn't be pulling the coil out every time you need to work on the flipper though. The crimp terminal will lose it's tension and fixing it by pinching it with pliers will only be a short term solution.
 
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