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RFM Flipper Adjustment

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GaryTheNoTrashCougar

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Nov 12, 2009, 8:21:53 PM11/12/09
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Hey Group,
Just rebuilt my flippers in my RFM and after I adjusted them, they
seem to have a decrease in the overall travel. Its now pretty tough
to cradle the ball. They also dont look right in the up position.
There are 2 small holes in the playfield for stationary adjustment
that I used. The weird thing is that the holes are on the top side of
the flippers, but I guess this is how they made the pf. The flippers
are now at the same angle as the inlane guides using these holes. I
suppose I could bend the metal tab with the grommet that the pawl sits
against to increase this travel, but I really should not have to.
Anyone else had this issue? Could the fact that my coil stops are
brand new affect the travel that much? I hope this makes sense. :)
--Scott

honda350r

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Nov 12, 2009, 8:39:48 PM11/12/09
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Sound like you have the wrong kit installed..

chuck

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Nov 12, 2009, 9:11:57 PM11/12/09
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Scott,

Pinball Life has the correct kits for pin2k machines. Terry went
through the trouble to have the entire line of wms/bally flipper parts
remade to the specs of the original. Most everyone else uses one
generic kit that isn't correct on a lot of pins.

GaryTheNoTrashCougar

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Nov 12, 2009, 9:18:12 PM11/12/09
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Hey Chuck,
The kit that I used was from Terry, so there is no question that it
was the correct one. I just wonder if I did something wrong when
adjusting. On P2k, are the flippers suppose to match the angle of the
lane guides exactly? It seems like a pretty extreme angle to me.
Remember that this could also be my Pinball OCD here as well. :)
--Scott

Dave

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Nov 12, 2009, 10:04:24 PM11/12/09
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> --Scott- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I know exactly what you are talking about. I rebuild my RFM flippers a
while ago and lined them up with the inlane guides as well. It's damn
tough to cradle the ball, period. There is just not as much travel
with the newer style flipper plungers and stops.

AFAIK ,it is what it is. Other than going back to the older style
parts of course.

Dave

Pinball Life

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Nov 12, 2009, 11:29:26 PM11/12/09
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You can always use older plungers and coil stops for the P2K rebuilds,
but the correct spec on the plungers for P2K is 37/1000ths of an inch
longer than the games that proceeded them, going all the way back to
Firepower. If you use a plunger from any of the older kits and
replace your A-12390 coil stop with an A-10821 or A-12111coil stop you
will have plenty more flipper travel..... take the rubber grommet off
of the flipper base and you will have even more. However, technically
you would be cheating. From 1980 to 1999 the flipper stroke on
Williams (and Bally after ~1988) shortened 4 times -
1. - Rubber grommet was added to flipper base.
2. - Coil stop A-10821 was switched out to coil stop A-12111.
3. - Coil stop A-12111 was switched out to coil stop A-12390.
4. - Plunger was lengthened 37/1000ths of an inch.
Ok, probably more than anyone wanted to know, but there it is anyway.
Terry.
www.pinballlife.com


chuck

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Nov 12, 2009, 11:42:48 PM11/12/09
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send me two pictures, one with the flippers at rest and one with one
(or both) flippers up. I'll let you know if you have a problem or not.

GaryTheNoTrashCougar

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Nov 13, 2009, 9:03:15 AM11/13/09
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Thanks Terry,
I really don't want to cheat the setup of this thing. If that is the
way it is suppose to be, thats how I want it. :) I bet someone had
put the old style flipper plunger/stop in the machine before me and
that is why I am not used to it.

Chuck,
Here are the pictures. Let me know if I am crazy.

Flippers down:
http://s582.photobucket.com/albums/ss270/djscoto/Revenge%20from%20Mars/?action=view&current=DSCN2013.jpg

Left flipper up:
http://s582.photobucket.com/albums/ss270/djscoto/Revenge%20from%20Mars/?action=view&current=DSCN2014.jpg

Yes, my glass is dirty... :) Thanks for your help,

--Scott

JonC

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Nov 13, 2009, 10:18:13 AM11/13/09
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On Nov 13, 8:03 am, GaryTheNoTrashCougar <djsc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks Terry,
> I really don't want to cheat the setup of this thing.  If that is the
> way it is suppose to be, thats how I want it.  :)  I bet someone had
> put the old style flipper plunger/stop in the machine before me and
> that is why I am not used to it.
>
> Chuck,
> Here are the pictures.  Let me know if I am crazy.
>
> Flippers down:http://s582.photobucket.com/albums/ss270/djscoto/Revenge%20from%20Mar...
>
> Left flipper up:http://s582.photobucket.com/albums/ss270/djscoto/Revenge%20from%20Mar...

>
> Yes, my glass is dirty...  :)  Thanks for your help,
>
> --Scott

That looks just like mine, it shouldn't be any easier to cradle than
that.

Jon

GaryTheNoTrashCougar

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Nov 13, 2009, 10:42:39 AM11/13/09
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Thanks Jon,
I guess my machine had the old style plungers installed. Thanks again
for the help everyone,
--Scott

RobotronJohn

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Nov 13, 2009, 1:01:31 PM11/13/09
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Looks like mine as well.

chuck

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Nov 13, 2009, 1:59:27 PM11/13/09
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On Nov 13, 9:03 am, GaryTheNoTrashCougar <djsc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks Terry,
> I really don't want to cheat the setup of this thing.  If that is the
> way it is suppose to be, thats how I want it.  :)  I bet someone had
> put the old style flipper plunger/stop in the machine before me and
> that is why I am not used to it.
>
> Chuck,
> Here are the pictures.  Let me know if I am crazy.
>
> Yes, my glass is dirty...  :)  Thanks for your help,
>
> --Scott

looks good. It's hard to tell from the angle just make sure the
flippers continue the line from the lanes.

Dave

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Nov 13, 2009, 2:48:33 PM11/13/09
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> --Scott- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

And remember as the coil stops and plunger links wear down the flipper
travel will increase giving you more "up" as time goes on. So when you
replace with new parts you automaticaly have less travel.

One thing i've noticed on Stern pins and my Sega SST, those flippers
have mega travel even with new parts. All I need to do it hold the
flipper up and I can catch the ball 7 times out of 10. There needs to
be a nice middle ground between RFM's delicate cradle catch and the
knuckleball glove the Sterns have. ;)

spike

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Nov 13, 2009, 4:16:55 PM11/13/09
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Scott, if you <really> don't want to cheat the setup of RFM, then you
need to install black flipper rubbers. Not as soft and 'sticky' (see
previous discussions) but as it came out of the factory, as intended
by the designer. Yes, Clay will disagree, but Steve Richie will
agree. :-)
Spike
Nottingham, England

On Nov 13, 2:03 pm, GaryTheNoTrashCougar <djsc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks Terry,
> I really don't want to cheat the setup of this thing.  If that is the
> way it is suppose to be, thats how I want it.  :)  I bet someone had
> put the old style flipper plunger/stop in the machine before me and
> that is why I am not used to it.
>
> Chuck,
> Here are the pictures.  Let me know if I am crazy.
>

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