Need help on my first machine T2

iceman650

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Just bought my first ever machine, a restored Terminator 2 pinball machine a few weeks ago. Been playing it non-stop since and finally something went wrong. The left side ball popper, the one that triggers a ball lock and the "database" is stuck in the up position. Basically my ball goes in there and stays there without the machine knowing it's there because the popper is holding the ball over the sensor on the bottom. I opened the machine up and used some 3in1 oil to lube the popper and the mechanism and it worked fine for a few games but then got stuck again. I could really use some help as to what to do and what I need to buy to fix it. Thanks everyone!
 
Howdy iceman650

Welcome to KLOV

I have a T2 that I have been working on for 2 weeks now. It is a sweet game.

Lets start off with the most important piece of information you need to know right now.

DO NOT LUBE ANYTHING ON A PINBALL MACHINE (yes there are maybe 2 parts that benefit from the oil, but you are not ready to be lubing those parts yet as a new pinball owner)

The solenoid on your saucer, and all solenoids work as a dry system. A coil sleeve is a piece of plastic that guides the plunger. Any oil used on these parts will just attract dirt, and the carbon dust that comes from the electronics and gum up making it not work properly in very few plays.

I have had to go through machines and clean out all the damage folks have done with WD40 on all the coils and it is a total nightmare. Never use WD40 or any other oil lubercant on a pinball machine.

If the coil is energized for any decent length of time it is going to heat up big time and hopefully blow a fuse before it completely melts down.

I am going to go down and look at mine, check the manual, and will be back with a few things to check out.
 
Well a friend is over right now and completely owning my machine. He will now have all 4 of the top scores >.<
So I am not really able to look at my machine right now.

But my guess is one of two things.

1. the easy one. You just need to adjust the copper switch for the saucer hole. It might be connecting and the outer leaf needs a bit of adjustment to keep them from touching by default. You need a bit of space between the contacts.

Looking at the manual I cannot see the switch though. page 2-21

2. you might have a bad diode on the coil.

I will go check the saucers on my WCS 94 to see whats up. I figure they are close to the same.
 
Disreguard #1 above

The saucer works off a micro switch.

6265520580_5b5126ef22_z.jpg


To the right of the coil is the micro switch that tells the saucer when a ball is in there.

6265519164_99122cdcac_z.jpg


The saucer has two bits in it. The micro switch is in the center, which should always be up. The one on the top edge is the eject assembly (popper)

The switch should be sticking up. The eject assembly should not be sticking up.

After re reading your post I am guessing you just lubed the pivot points on the eject assembly. That is actually a bit that does need lube, but just a tiny bit every few years.

My guess on your issue is that the micro switch is not adjusted correctly. The switch is not traveling enough to activate the switch, or the diode on the switch, if there is one, is not connected well, or possibly the switch is bad. Could be a loose wire on the micro switch as well.

I would work on it in silence and see if the switch is engaging. You can hear a micro switch activate. Adjusting it so the part of the switch that pops through the saucer activates the micro switch when the ball is in there should fix it.
 
Refer to pg 2-21 of the manual and the B-9361-R-6 Ball Eject Assembly:
http://www.ipdb.org/files/2524/Williams_1991_Terminator_2_Judgment_Day_Manual.pdf

See attachment.

Is your Eject Cam (2) really sticking up or is it that your switch is not high enough? Like beerorkid, I think it is a switch problem because you say the faulty saucer still does hold the ball. A relaxed eject cam tip (2) should not prevent the ball from resting nicely in the bottom of the red cup so as to depress the switch about 1/4 inch.

Is your eject cam tip (2) higher than that?

NO?:
I'd go into T.3 Single Switch test (pg 1-25) and using a ball in the saucer, test that the switch closes. Adjust the switch at the microswitch housing (the clicking box) until the ball can trigger a closure. See the section on microswitch adjustments here:
http://www.flippers.be/basics/101-switch_adjustment.html

YES?:
Then you are saying the Eject Cam (2) is sitting too high, preventing the ball from closing the switch underneath. Can you push down on the ball to make the eject cam go down?

If the eject mechanism is simply not returning to its fully relaxed position, I'd disassemble the assembly and inspect/move everything by hand, looking for where it is binding.

- Metal plate (1) or cam (2) bent?
- Missing/broken coil spring (3)?
- Coil plunger (3) tip mushroomed?
- Clean the plunger (3)
- Clean/replace the coil's nylon plunger sleeve.
- I'd mention a missing/broken plate spring (5), but looks like that actually biases the eject cam upward.
 

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