Is it worth repairing?

[XY4u]

I'm with Kevin. Let it dry out with a small fan inside disconnect and re-connect everything and turn it on when it has dried out. If you don't see smoke as you look in the back door or hear the sound of frying bacon leave it on and see what comes up on the screen. Drop some quarters thru the coin slots and see if the player 1 & 2 two stay on or flash.

With this info you can get started figuring out what needs to be done/ next.

 

[JiFMike]

I'm with Kevin. Let it dry out with a small fan inside disconnect and re-connect everything and turn it on when it has dried out. If you don't see smoke as you look in the back door or hear the sound of frying bacon leave it on and see what comes up on the screen. Drop some quarters thru the coin slots and see if the player 1 & 2 two stay on or flash.

With this info you can get started figuring out what needs to be done/ next.

It has dried out. It's been in my barn for a year, which is dry. So it won't get any drier. The previous owner had it in a pool house that had become storage. They decided to remodel it and while cleaning it out found some leaks. I think that's why they gave this away for free. My original plan was to let it sit for a few weeks then start working on it. I got into other things though lol. I may have my wife film the first plugin. Depending on what happens I'll post the video here.

 

[RetroHacker]

Oh damn.... that's a first. I've never seen bottlecap transistors actually RUST.

Needless to say, you'll need to replace those.

I've see them rust before. It happens. Doesn't necessarily mean they need to be replaced though. I've seen plenty of rusty ones that worked fine. The top casing of the transistor is just a housing, it's physical appearance means nothing.

-Ian

 

[channelmanic]

The previous owner had it in a pool house that had become storage.

I've see them rust before. It happens. Doesn't necessarily mean they need to be replaced though. I've seen plenty of rusty ones that worked fine. The top casing of the transistor is just a housing, it's physical appearance means nothing.

-Ian

Yup...

Storing things around pool chemicals can cause the surfaces to rust like mad.

As long as the casings aren't compromised and as long as the rust doesn't form a bridge to the metal that the transistors are mounted to (they have a thin insulator between them) they will usually still work.

RJ

 

[R3LL1K]

Turn it on like Mod suggested maybe it will play blind?

 

[JiFMike]

The first time I plugged it in I left the CRT unplugged. The LED on the PCB lit up, but I did not here any sounds. I also noted the 1 and 2 player buttons lit up. I left it plugged in for a few minutes dropped in some quarters and hit the buttons, still no sounds. Not sure what all that means...

Next I plugged in the CRT and turned it on. After a few seconds I saw a flash of light and heard a sizzle in the HV area. The power was immediately cut! Definitely a problem with the monitor. Should I be able to here anything with the monitor unplugged or will it simply not work without the monitor? We did take some video but I don't know if it will be helpful or not. If there's interest I can throw it on my youtube channel. I guess I'll dive into the manuals and see what I can dig up.

 

[That80sGuy]

It might be set for freeplay if both lights are flashing... disconnect the power to the monitor..plug it in the press the start button. The sizzle may be just that its not been on in awhile.. you did check the voltages? Also .. check all the connections and plugs for wear .. clean the edge connector on the board .. clean and reseat all the socketed chips on the boards...checked the ribbon cable between the two boards.

 

[JiFMike]

The sizzle was accompanied by smoke. I did clean the PCB connections, and checked all the cables. I did not check the voltages.... I'll do that next. The 1 and 2 player buttons weren't flashing they were just lit constantly.

 

[That80sGuy]

ok .. def order the deluxe cap kit for the monitor and verify the voltages on the PS..if those are off order a kit for it as well.

 

[RetroHacker]

Since it saw so much moisture, I'd definitely replace the large blue capacitor on the power brick on the bottom. You can see if it's good by checking for ripple on the 10.3v DC line on the ARII board, but judging from the condition of the cabinet, I'd change it. Bob Roberts has them, and they're only $12.50. It's a fairly high failure component as it is, which would have been exacerbated by the moisture and other things in the air (if it managed to rust deflection transistors, I don't hold out hope for the seals on the cap).

-Ian

 

[dezbaz]

What a great score

This is the next game I want right now

Good luck fixing the screen

All the best

 

[RetroHacker]

The sizzle was accompanied by smoke.

Open up the HV cage and check the flyback transformer. If it's got cracks or burn marks in it, you need to replace it. Fortunately, these are now readily available parts - Chad at ArcadeCup.com has new ones for $33.

-Ian