Killer Instinct restore + some questions

knipple

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Hello all! Recently picked up a used dedicated KI machine. This used to be my favorite game as a kid in the arcade and I was finally able to get my hands on one!

The cabinet right now is in good working condition. It powers up, original disk check is ok, there are some slight lines in the picture which may be monitor or monitor board related, and the sound seems to be working ok. The cabinet itself is in good shape, I plan on putting some t-molding in, replacing the sticks and buttons and cleaning up or replacing the gfx and marquees.

Just a few questions, could anyone point me in the right direction as to what could be wrong with the screen, you will see in the pic that there are the lines, some people said it might be monitor board related? Do you think it would be more cost effective to just replace it?

I'm planning on creating my own CF drive to replace eventually which I have done a lot of research on, i'm pretty PC tech savvy as well :) But I know you need the U98 boot rom replacement which I see you can purchase. My question is; how could I go about creating my own...I believe you need some sort of eprom programmer/eraser, but where would you get the replica chip from??

And one more..I want to clean the control panel overlay off, which is underneath the "glass" where the controls are. I see there a few screws there which look they are a non standard type. Is there an easy way to take this off without damaging it at all?

I plan on picking up some happ controls as well, was planning on the ultimate one..if anyone has suggestions..

http://na.suzohapp.com/joysticks/ultimate_joy.htm

Here is a link to some PICS that I have taken...

http://east5ide.com/ki/

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions! And thanks for having me on this board! :)
 
You can find information on CF replacement here, including the CHD and boot ROM.

The non standard screws would likely be security torx bit screws. That's what's on mine. You can pick up a set at Harbor Freight. The buttons and joysticks will need to come off as well to get the acrylic off.

I wouldn't suggest buying directly from Happ. There are many resellers that are more affordable on price and shipping. If I recall, I think competition joys were used originally, but it's up to you. I would however suggest buying them with the heavy springs. Standard springs make mine feel squishy, but it depends on your gameplay and how much resistance you like.

Your monitor is showing retrace lines. You need to turn down the screen voltage on the flyback.
 
Thanks for your reply!

As far as turning down the voltage goes, I am a little timid about doing that myself. I've read that you need to discharge the monitor first in order to prevent a really bad accident, is this true? Or is turning it down something I can do just by unplugging the machine? I am used to working on PC's and all parts associated with it, but this would be my first time working on the insides of an old CRT type device. I am going to research just how to do so, but i'm not 100% sure what I am looking for once I standing in front of the machine :D

Much appreciated!
 
Discharging a monitor is typically only required for working on the chassis, etc. You'll actually want to adjust the screen voltage while the monitor is on so you can watch it. Your flyback is in the image you posted below. It's the black box with two knobs on it. You can power off your game and clean to dust off the knobs to read them if need be. One will say focus and the other says screen. You want to adjust the screen knob until your lines go away. If they get worse, you're turning it the wrong way.

DSCF0807.JPG
 
Blue Competition sticks or IL euro sticks for sure! someone put black sticks on yours for some reason.

scott at revisionX/thekillerinstinctproject is the man! he hooked me up with chad at arcade cup that resurrected my dead board.

as for your monitor prob, i'm little help on this one, all i can say is focus is the top knob and screen is the bottom knob on the flyback. :D
 
Thanks! I was just looking at it and noticed the 2 knobs, i'll test it out and let you know how it goes. Much appreciated!

I think i'll be ordering the comp sticks also, in their blue form! :D

I check all the pages referring to the boot rom, i've even downloaded the zip file of the rom itself. I just cant find anywhere to process of flashing the rom, I know a can buy them pretty cheap, I just wanted to give it a shot and learn for myself :)
 
It may be cheap, but it's an investment none the less. You'll need a programmer and EPROM eraser. If you're just interested in the process, see if somebody local has one you can use. Where are you located?
 
is it just me or wouldn't this be some sort of vertical cap problem? And the chassis doesn't look like the one that came with most of them which were hantarex polo's. Do a cap kit and see where you go from there. might as well replace the flyback while your at it.
 
is it just me or wouldn't this be some sort of vertical cap problem? And the chassis doesn't look like the one that came with most of them which were hantarex polo's. Do a cap kit and see where you go from there. might as well replace the flyback while your at it.

Doesn't look like a polo to me, but I was expecting to see one. 7000 more likely. The molex power connector has been hacked, so I thought replacement monitor. But, the serial number sticker on the frame matches the one on his pcb. So, I can't really explain the hacked connector situation. As for the scan lines, I agree that turning the Screen knob down should fix it. In a monitor that old, I'd do a cap kit and flyback change too.
 
Wow, thanks for the great replies guys!

I actually just cleaned off the controls back there and tested the screen setting which you recommened, it has seemed to fix the problem! Its sllllightly darker, but looks great now, the intro runs great with no lines! :D

If im not mistaken, it IS a dedicated box correct? I about 99% sure there has been some work done to it(the controls look diff colors, and there is only 1 coin mechanism on the 2nd slot, which I find strange for an arcade machine, I definately would like to get both slots working...)

What do you mean the molex power has been hacked? I'm familar with molex, just wondering how you can tell from the picture?

@Witchboard, I agree with your suggestion of picking up the programmer/eraser. I'm curious, could I just pickup the ROM chip at a place like radio shack, would there be a S/N or parts # on the chip I am looking for?

I've noticed the marqee light is out, but that should be quite a simple fix.. :)

Thanks for all your suggestions and help so far!
 
by hacked he's talking about the white-ish tape on the 2 wire connector by the flyback (it looks like someone soldered a new connector on at that point to match the dedicated wiring).

The cab definitely looks dedicated and your serial number stickers on the board match the frame for the monitor.

Many OP's would just pull the monitor chassis and replace it with whatever was on hand, that's how i had my white pot k7000 flyback replaced lol, tho i didn't know that the k7000 and polo were that easily swappable.

Does the serial sticker on the inside of one of the side walls say killer instinct and have a serial number that matches the board? if so it's 100% dedicated and fairly original.

Sounds and looks like you need a mech for the slot closest to the lock on the coin door, shouldn't be hard or expensive to find, you just have to figure out if the other one is quarters or tokens.


edit: btw you should be able to adjust the contrast/brightness via the monitors remote board, that should brighten it up (use the test menu to adjust the contrast tho as it will make it easier to see bleeding).
 
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@witchboard

Im actually in wilmington, nc. I know a local amusement shop here, so I might give them a call. Thanks for the advice!

Also is there a good way to repair the board s at the base of the machine or does it entail buying a whole new side? Thanks!
 
@Witchboard, I agree with your suggestion of picking up the programmer/eraser. I'm curious, could I just pickup the ROM chip at a place like radio shack, would there be a S/N or parts # on the chip I am looking for?

Radio Shack will likely not carry the EPROM you are looking for. Your best bet is on the web, but you technically don't need another chip if you erase and reprogram what you already have. You'll only need to change the boot ROM at U98. There are a ton of guys dedicated to this hobby that can provide you with a replacement boot ROM or reprogram your existing chip.

@witchboard

Im actually in wilmington, nc. I know a local amusement shop here, so I might give them a call. Thanks for the advice!

I meant a fellow collector close to you. A shop is typically going to see you as a customer and just sell you service, but it doesn't hurt to check with them. Another hobbyist, who's willing, will help you learn and may have the tools to teach you.
 
As far as those re-trace lines go, you'll want to adjust the bottom black knob on the flyback. As far as the joysticks go, what's wrong with the ones on the machine? If you replace them I would use Competition or IL Eurosticks, you can get either the IL Eurosticks from Paradise Arcade shop for about $13 or the Happ Competition sticks from Lizardlick for about $9, the decision is up to you but the IL Eurosticks are probably the smoothest of the two.
 
Tornadoterrys.com has the button/joystick for a good price. He is also on eBay. You can specify different "bat" colors for joysticks and different start buttons. Ie, with or without silhouette.

Buy new marquee and control panel overlay from eBay. There are two guys in Canada that do great work. They take a full 2 weeks to ship

I've restored two KIs this year. Lots of fun, it's my favorite game
 
I think everybody keeps forgetting that knipple is new to the hobby. Suggesting a cap kit and new flyback is needed IMHO is a little overboard at this time. There's nothing wrong with the CPO and marquee as far as I can tell either. "If it aint broke, don't fix it."

Clean it up, replace the bulb in your marquee light, swap out your joysticks and enjoy the game a while before you start down the path of total restoration. Nothing kicks you in the balls worse than trying to proactively fix something and you end up breaking it. That's how some working games end up projects sitting in a corner and can kill a noobs interest in the hobby like a shot to the head.

There's a lot of information on this forum in regards to anything that can possibly go wrong or may need fixed from cabinet work to monitor repair. Use the search, read up on things and enjoy a functional game before you delve into the more technical aspects.
 
i kept my replies simple :D

as for the bottom of your cab i've seen a lot of people go to home depot ect. and get some flashing material and use that to cover up the bottom (it also protects it from getting worse from kicks ect...).

"search" is definitely your friend, many people bypass it tho and sometimes i feel like a broken record.
 
Thanks for the replies, I totally agree with you about keeping it simple. I'm guess I wasnt looking to do a "total" restore, just clean it up a bit and get it working in great condition.

The need to change the joysticks, is well, because one doesnt work that well, very loose and old and makes loud "clicks" when it hits the targets underneath. I'd like to change them to blue as well, most of the button appear in good shape so I will prob leave them.

As far as the monitor goes, I dont really want to touch that, I can work on a PC just fine, but the CRT is a whole nother issue I would just leave to a repairman...but your tip about adjusting the levels has helped quite a bit, thanks!

And ive done a ton of research on changing the drive, which is something I can 100% do. I want to do this before the IDE goes bad(and it will, ive read countless stories about those seagate drives.) And I just wanted to change it before that happens :

Mostly the rest is clean up the wood around the corners from wear and tear, but I should be able to do this in the future as well.

Youre right witch, i'm going to take care of the small things now and enjoy my machine for awhile ! :)

Brood, do you think you would have an extra ROM?

Thanks for the posts for the controller as well.
 
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