High Speed - my 1st pin

mac622

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If all goes well and the deal doesn't fall through I will be picking up my first pin - High Speed - in a day or two. I've collected vids for many years and was pretty good at fixing/restoring the mechanicals and delved only lightly into the electronics (re-caps, tube swap, etc.) so I have to say I'm a little nervous at the prospect of trouble shooting a pin.

I have a couple of questions about the High Speed that I'd like to ask for some opiniosn/suggestions. Again, please keep in mind that this is my pin so if I ask a question that is common knowledge please don't beat me up too badly!

1) It is missing the p1 and p2 displays. Is it worth looking for replacement plasma displays or should I just update them all with an LED display?

2) If you suggest the LED update, what vendor and manufacturer would you recommend (that is assuming the pinLED's are made by different companies)?

3)The rubbers need to be replaced. Is this a generic item or would you recommend one vendor/brand over another?

4) Is there anything else I should do or replace at the outset before letting the kids (and adults) loose with it?

I'm sure down the road I would like to do a thorough cleaning and learn about "shopping" a pin but for now I just want to take care of the basics/essentials. There is so much to learn that I'm already feeling a bit overwhelmed!

Thanks in advance for your advice!
 
I'm also new to pins (Just got High Speed II last month!) so I'm not the best to give advice. I fixed minor issue with mine and used Marco for most of the materials needed.

I went with LED's from Cointaker and very happy. Makes the game really pop now!
 
Some answers to your questions:


1) It is missing the p1 and p2 displays. Is it worth looking for replacement plasma displays or should I just update them all with an LED display?

-- If your high voltage section is working properly (are the other displays on and bright?) then I think it is worthwhile finding original displays. I prefer the look over what is currently available on the market as far as LED replacements go.

2) If you suggest the LED update, what vendor and manufacturer would you recommend (that is assuming the pinLED's are made by different companies)?

-- PinScore by a mile

3)The rubbers need to be replaced. Is this a generic item or would you recommend one vendor/brand over another?

-- Get a white rubber kit from PinballLife, Bay Area Amusements, Little Shop of Games, or Marco Specialities.

4) Is there anything else I should do or replace at the outset before letting the kids (and adults) loose with it?

-- How do the flippers feel? Any other broken parts? I would at very minimum clean the playfield and put in a new ball if you can't wait to shop the game properly.

Good luck and have fun!
 
Some answers to your questions:


1) It is missing the p1 and p2 displays. Is it worth looking for replacement plasma displays or should I just update them all with an LED display?

-- If your high voltage section is working properly (are the other displays on and bright?) then I think it is worthwhile finding original displays. I prefer the look over what is currently available on the market as far as LED replacements go.

2) If you suggest the LED update, what vendor and manufacturer would you recommend (that is assuming the pinLED's are made by different companies)?

-- PinScore by a mile

3)The rubbers need to be replaced. Is this a generic item or would you recommend one vendor/brand over another?

-- Get a white rubber kit from PinballLife, Bay Area Amusements, Little Shop of Games, or Marco Specialities.

4) Is there anything else I should do or replace at the outset before letting the kids (and adults) loose with it?

-- How do the flippers feel? Any other broken parts? I would at very minimum clean the playfield and put in a new ball if you can't wait to shop the game properly.

Good luck and have fun!

Thanks for the advice. I'll do a more thorough inspection for broken/worn parts and meter the HV section once the deal goes through and proceed from there. The other displays seeemed to be fine when I looked at it the other day but I'll double check. Now I realize this next question will be pretty ridiculous for most of you but what should I use to clean the playfield with?

Thanks
 
not a dumb question at all....

Novus products seem the most popular choice. There are 3 different grades (3-2-1). #3 has the most "cutting" power, #1 is the mildest.

#2 is a popular middle ground choice, and what I use. Apply Novus 2, allow to dry, buff clean. Follow with a good quality carnuba wax - as many coats as you desire.

A Magic Eraser can also be used (lightly, in moderation, with alcohol as the wetting agent) if you have a tough stain or mark, but that's more common on older EM's and may not be an issue with your playfield. If you do use the magic eraser, follow up with the Novus treatment and wax. Be careful, and watch closely for evidence of lifting paint.

Novus is less than $10 for a good sized bottle - all the pinball places have it, or your local Harley dealer. Buy a $3 bag of shop rags from your local homestore. You are good to go.
 
Displays question:
I had 3 displays out on my High Speed.
I ended up buying the Pinscore display set from Marco for.....

Spent $25!!

I sold the old driver board for $60 (working)
I sold the 3 bad displays for $25
I sold the 2 good displays for $50 and $40 each
$175 off the $200 Pinscore......

Not a bad deal....
 
What? Sold them where? I need to do that and replace my hacked Shuttle power supply and plasmas.
 
I think i may have seen that but i ten to forget a lot when i work 73 hours last week and 65 thus week.
 
I have the PInscore displays on Pinbot, and after seeing them, I will be buying them for High Speed. Sitting side by side, I prefer the look of the PInscore displays. I don't like that they are white when not on, but I am planning to add some window tint to hide that a little. I think I can up the brightness enough to compensate for the tint.

Check the ramp carefully for cracks. I see repro ramps once in a while, but they are still harder to find than any of the other parts on High Speed. Fix a crack as early as possible. I used plastex, and it worked great. It is made here in reno, and is fairly cheap. http://plastex.net/

As mentioned, clean the playfield and replace the 3 balls to help reduce wear until you get around to doing a full shop.

If the inserts are not level, heat with a hair dryer and push them flat. A little super glue will hold them in place.

Actually, the very first thing you need to do is check the main board for acid damage from the batteries. There are lots of posts here about it, but if the batteries are still attached to the board, you will need to mount them off of the board. All it is is a battery holder attached to the board by wires instead of soldered to the board. If there is any acid leakage, you need to neutralize the acid so it doesn't do more damage. Again, plenty of info on that can be found in a search here.

Have fun! Things will break down, and you will have to fight some adjustments, but once you get a pin in good shape, it tends to stay that way. I haven't had to do much to my High Speed since I got everything working a few years ago. Getting it to a good working state the first time can be a challenge though. :)
 
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