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Pinball repair, service and restoration in the UK

4 Billion points… gone in a flash! 📉⚡️ I spent the

4 Billion points… gone in a flash! 📉⚡️
I spent the day in Stroud working on this stunning Addams Family pinball. This machine has been with its owner for 20 years, but recently, the unthinkable happened: a battery leak wiped the memory and the incredible 4-billion point high score.
Batteries are the #1 killer of 90s pinball machines. If they leak, the acid eats through the CPU board like a virus. 🦠
Swipe ⬅️ to see the rescue mission:
.
1️⃣The culprit: Early-stage corrosion on the battery holder.
2️⃣The solution: Corrosion neutralized and upgraded to a safe CR2032 coin cell setup. No more leaks!
3️⃣ Deep dive: Dismantling the bumper mechanism to replace a broken lamp holder. 🛠️
I also recommended an LED upgrade for the backbox to protect those vintage connectors from heat and high current. 💡
Don’t let a £1 battery ruin a £10,000 machine. If you haven’t checked your batteries lately, this is your sign!
DM for bookings and board protection services. 🛠️
#AddamsFamily #PinballRepair #pinballuk #pinballfix

When “the voltages are fine” but the machine is st

When “the voltages are fine” but the machine is still broken! 🖖⚡

I was recently called out to Llanelli to look at this beautiful Data East Star Trek 25th Anniversary. It was suffering from random resets, completely forgetting its memory (and freeplay settings!), and randomly kicking out extra balls.
Another tech had previously checked it and confirmed the 5V logic power was perfect. So, what was the culprit?
Swipe ⬅️ to see the detective work:
1️⃣ The beautiful Star Trek 25th Anniversary
2️⃣ The suspect: An unreliable “Ramtron” NVRAM chip. These are notorious for causing erratic memory issues.
3️⃣ The secondary issue: Hidden corrosion on the pins of the 6802 CPU.
4️⃣ The fix: Fresh CPU, standard RAM installed, and temporary batteries fitted (remote battery holder coming soon to keep this board safe!).
Game over for the gremlins, and the machine is back to playing flawlessly. 🚀 If your pinball has a mystery fault, sometimes you just need to look a little closer.

Link in bio to book a repair visit! 🛠️

#pinball #pinballuk #pinballfix #wales #pinballrepair

Not just pinballs and arcades! 🎶📀 Brought this bea

Time flies when you’re having fun (and fixing pinb

Time flies when you’re having fun (and fixing pinballs)! 🕹️⏳

I recently had a great chat with a client who just picked up a Gottlieb Centigrade 37. It’s one of my absolute favorite EMs, which prompted me to look back at my own restoration of this title from 15 years ago.

Swipe to see the "resurrection" journey:

1️⃣ The "Before": A sad garage find, completely painted blue and neglected for decades.
2️⃣ The Work: Sanding the cabinet back to bare wood and prepping for its original glory.
3️⃣ The Detail: My wife putting in the hours retouching the playfield art by hand. 🎨
4️⃣ Before vs. After: From worn-out wood to a vibrant, functioning masterpiece.

There is nothing quite like bringing a classic Gottlieb back from the dead. This machine is still a centerpiece in my collection today.

Need help reviving a vintage beauty in your garage? I specialize in bringing these classics back to 100%. Send me a DM or visit the link in my bio!

#Centigrade37 #GottliebPinball #PinballRestoration #PinballUK #Pinball

The dreaded “Finger Test” on vintage Bally boards.

The dreaded “Finger Test” on vintage Bally boards... and why I’m NOT fixing this one. 🛑

A client recently sent me this MPU board because his is fixing a Nitro Ground Shaker and the CPU is not working. As soon as I pulled it out of the box, I spotted two major problems.

Problem #1: It’s the wrong board.
Nitro Ground Shaker requires a Bally -35 MPU to run its code. The board I received is an older Bally -17.

Problem #2: The Augat sockets.
These early -17 boards used Augat sockets which, frankly, weren’t built to last 40+ years. To check their condition, I always do the “finger test.” If I can pull the chips out easily with my bare fingers (like in the video!), it means the sockets have lost all their grip and tension.

The Verdict:
Could I make this work? Yes. But it would require desoldering and replacing 6 IC sockets, cutting traces, and adding jumpers to double the memory capacity just so it could pretend to be a -35 board.

The labor cost alone makes this a bad investment for the client. My advice to him? Don’t fix it. It’s far better (and cheaper!) to buy a proper -35 replacement board online, or keep this -17 exactly as it is for a future older game restoration.

Sometimes, the best repair advice a technician can give you is telling you when NOT to spend your money. 💡

Need honest, expert diagnostics for your classic pinball? Let’s talk.
🔗 lyonpinball.co.uk

#pinball #pinballfix #pinballuk

Star Trek: The Next Generation gets a color upgrad

Star Trek: The Next Generation gets a color upgrade near Oxford! 🪐✨

I was called out to a local snooker club (Oracle Pool and Snooker) to look at this absolute Williams classic. The original dot matrix display had suddenly gone dark.

My diagnosis confirmed the worst: the high voltage section on the WPC driver board had completely failed (a very common issue on these 90s machines!).

Instead of trying to rebuild a notoriously delicate high-voltage circuit, we opted for a modern, reliable, and stunning solution:
What we did:
🎨 Installed a brilliant PIN2DMD color display, which runs beautifully without needing the high-voltage section. It looks incredible!
⭕ Replaced several old rubber rings where the ball was trapping.
🔩 Spot-soldered a loose wire on the right flipper’s EOS switch to ensure strong, responsive shots.
🕹️ Calibrated the coin mechanism for 2 x 50p plays.
🔇 Set the game to minimum volume to respect the focus of the snooker players.

The Enterprise is now fully operational and ready to transport players on a colorized adventure.

Need to modernize your classic pinball? Let’s talk! lyonpinball.co.uk

#pinball #pinballrepair #pinballuk #oxford

Full Stern lineup service at @kongscardiff 🚀 We j

The ultimate lucky find! 🎰✨ I took a trip out to

🧟‍♂️ Resurrecting the Dead: WPC CPU vs. Battery Ac

Workbench Diary: Logic problems require logic solu

Workbench Diary: Logic problems require logic solutions 🧠🔬

This Data East Star Wars CPU board came in with a serious issue: R2-D2 was going crazy and multiple coils were locked on solid. ⚡️
Diagnosing a board like this goes beyond just checking fuses. Using the logic probe I traced the fault “upstream” to a failed 7408 TTL chip that was stuck sending a permanent signal to the drivers.
The Fix:
I carefully desoldered the old failed chips and the burnt transistor and put new ones in place with new sockets too.
This not only fixes the immediate problem but “future-proofs” the board, protecting the delicate tracks and making any future maintenance a breeze.
Now testing 100% perfect on the bench and ready to head back to its owner.
📦 Did you know? You don’t need to live in Cardiff to use my services. You can mail in your circuit boards for repair from anywhere in the UK!

#pinballrepair #pinballuk #pinball #starwars

Holy loose screws, Batman! 🦇🔩 Visited the new UO A

Holy loose screws, Batman! 🦇🔩
Visited the new UO Arcade inside Urban Outfitters Cardiff today to rescue their Batman Forever pinball. It was suffering from weak flippers and constant ball jams.
The Fix:
⚡ The Power Issue: It wasn’t the fuses or the transistors! The high-voltage interlock switch on the coin door was failing, cutting power to the flippers randomly. I fixed the switch, and the full 50-volt power is back!
🔩 The Gremlins: The ball kept getting stuck in weird places. I went on a hunt and found not one, not two, but THREE loose screws floating around the playfield!
1️⃣ One jamming the inlane.
2️⃣ One jamming the ball trough kicker.
3️⃣ One hiding in an outhole.
I removed the debris, gave the dirty playfield a deep clean and wax 🧼, and now the Dark Knight is defending Gotham properly again.
Swipe ➡️ to see the culprits!
#pinballrepair #cardiff #batmanforever #pinballuk

Waka Waka! 🟡👻 A true arcade icon needed some help

Waka Waka! 🟡👻 A true arcade icon needed some help in Bristol today.
This beautiful 1982 Bally Mr. & Mrs. Pac-Man was suffering from a “dead” right flipper. It could barely push the ball up the playfield.
The Diagnosis: On these classic early 80s machines, the full 50-volt power of the flipper goes directly through the “End of Stroke” (EOS) switch. Over decades, this high voltage creates arcing, essentially pitting and burning the contacts until power can no longer get through.
The Fix:
✅ Used specialized tungsten files to properly dress the pitted high-voltage contacts (crucial not to use standard sandpaper on these!).
✅ Correctly adjusted the EOS gap for maximum power and safety.
✅ Re-aligned the flipper bat, which had dropped low over the years.
The Extra Mile:
The machine hadn’t seen a cleaner in years and played slow and sluggish. I couldn’t leave it like that! I gave the whole playfield a deep clean and a fresh coat of wax. 🧼✨
Now it plays fast, furious, and just like it did in the arcade. Turn sound on for that classic sound! 🔊
#pinballrepair #bristol #pinballuk #pacman #retrogaming

One of the best calls you can get: “I have an Adda

One of the best calls you can get: “I have an Addams Family, bought it 20 years ago”. The owner didn’t realise he was sitting on a pinball treasure! 💎🖐️
He called me out to Cheltenham because of a “Factory Settings” error and dead door buttons. Usually, that means dead batteries. But when I opened the backbox, I found the “Silent Killer”. ☠️
Even though the game had a remote battery holder (which is good!), old alkaline damage had been left behind years ago. Corrosion doesn’t stop; it creeps. It had eaten through the CPU traces, the button matrix chip, and was even climbing up the EPROM legs. 😱
The Fix:
✅ Swapped in a pristine, fully rebuilt CPU board.
✅ Checked the 5V line... it was sagging at 4.8V (guaranteed reset zone).
✅ Pulled the Driver Board and replaced the 5V and 12V capacitors. The 12V cap had actually leaked too!
✅ Now running at a rock-solid 5.1V. ⚡
✅ Installed LEDs in the backbox to save the stressed GI connectors from heat.
Finished with a playfield detail and new rubbers. The game is fast, bright, and electrically bulletproof again. Saving history, one board at a time. ⚡🔧
#pinballrepair #theaddamsfamily #pinball #pinballuk #pinballfix

✨ New year, first job of 2026 ✨ Starting the year

✨ New year, first job of 2026 ✨
Starting the year working on an amazing classic: Gottlieb Capt. Card 🎯

Gottlieb single-player card games are simply the best. This one took me up into the mountains near Llandeilo, with the whole valley covered in snow ❄️ — not a bad way to start the year!

After some heavy Christmas action (lots of kids playing 😄), the game stopped resetting. A quick check of the reels and relays pointed me to the culprit: the reset relay — in this case a latch relay — was sticking. A small adjustment to get it moving and clicking properly, and… problem solved ✅

The game now plays like a charm. Finished off with a good clean and a few new rubbers, and it’s back to playing perfectly.
Most important part: one very happy owner again 😊

📸 In the pictures:
• The snowy mountains
• The Captain Card
• A short video of the game running

#Pinball #PinballRepair #Gottlieb #PinballUK #empinball

🛠️ Playfield Protector Install – The Addams Family

🛠️ Playfield Protector Install – The Addams Family 🛠️

I was called to help with the installation of a playfield protector on this beautiful Addams Family pinball machine. The owner noticed the ball was jumping slightly when rolling over some inserts and didn’t want the playfield to wear any further—so a protector was the solution.

I actually like these protectors and think they’re a great idea when preserving an original playfield 👍

We spent about 3 hours on the install, mainly because we had to remove the Cliffy protectors first… and one of them really didn’t want to come off 😅 But in the end, it was totally worth it.

The owner loved the final result:
✨ Super shiny
✨ Brighter playfield
✨ Smooth and fast ball movement

Another classic protected and ready for many more games! 🔥

#pinball #pinballuk #addamsfamily #pinballrepair #pinballfix #cardiff #wales #pinballmachine #playfieldprotectors

How frustrating can it be to buy the pinball game

How frustrating can it be to buy the pinball game of your childhood… all the way from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

You’re told “the game is perfect” — but the moment it arrives, you realise something’s very wrong.

As soon as you press the launch button, the start button activates too.
Not exactly playable 😅

I was called in to track down the problem in the switch matrix.
The owner and his brother had already found a loose wire, but something still wasn’t right.

I disconnected the switches and tested the board.
Using a logic probe, all row pins should be pulsing — but two rows were stuck high. Strange, especially since only one row was misbehaving.

Just to be sure, I checked the diode on the launch switch — all good.
Next step: remove the board and test the usual suspects — transistors and resistors. Also fine.

That left one likely culprit… the PIA.

On the bench, the CPU was running, but the PIA outputs were not pulsing as they should (see video).
So I installed a socket and replaced the PIA.

Back on the bench — pulses restored ✅
Board back in the machine — BOOM! 💥

Game working perfectly again, and one very happy owner.

📸 Photo: the game
🎥 Videos: PIA testing before & after, plus the game fully working

That’s why proper diagnostics matter — and why “it works perfectly” should always be tested 😉
#pinball #pinballfix #pinballrepair #pinballuk #pinballlife #pinballtech #electronics

GoldenEye 007 Repair Mission 🕵️‍♂️⚡️ Today I retu

GoldenEye 007 Repair Mission 🕵️‍♂️⚡️

Today I returned to a GoldenEye 007 machine I had serviced some time ago. The owner reported that the ball wasn’t always launching, and suspected the trigger switch was failing.

Once I arrived, I played a test game and noticed something else: the ball in the lane wasn’t consistently activating the lane switch. It was sitting too high and too stiff, which prevented the game from recognizing when the ball was ready to launch.

I entered the diagnostics menu, tested every switch, and confirmed everything was working properly. The trigger can only fire when the lane switch is activated—so that was the real culprit.

A simple adjustment to the ball-lane switch was all it needed. After that, perfect launches every time! I finished by giving the playfield a good clean so the machine looks sharp for the holidays. 🎄✨

One satisfied owner—ready to enjoy their game for Christmas!

#Pinball #pinballuk #pinballfix #pinballrepair #007
#goldeneye #pinballlife #pinballtech

Twilight Zone Repair Today 🌀🎯 I worked on a Twili

Twilight Zone Repair Today 🌀🎯

I worked on a Twilight Zone that had a very common issue: random resets. Honestly, about half of the Williams machines I see lately have this exact problem. And once again, the culprit was the same tiny part… the C4 capacitor.

A lot of people replace the big filter capacitor and the bridge rectifier on the 5V line, but they forget about that little C4 cap—yet it’s often the one causing the resets. I also swapped out C2, since that one can cause trouble as well. After that: problem solved, no more resets.

On Twilight Zone, connectors are usually another weak point, but in this case they were still in good shape.

I added a quick video too—sorry for the quality—but you can see the game flipping with zero resets. When these Williams games can’t hold a stable 5V, they reboot, so checking the caps, connectors, and sometimes the voltage regulator is essential.

This time it was just that tiny C4. Amazing how often that little guy gets overlooked!
#pinball #pinballlife #pinballfix #pinballrepair #pinballtech #twilightzone #pinballuk #bristol

Here you can see this Bally Driver Board simulatin

Here you can see this Bally Driver Board simulating a coil activation.
Last week I went to check out a Globetrotters machine with a drop target coil that wasn’t firing. I was in a hurry that day, so I grabbed the driver board and brought it back to the bench for proper testing.

On the bench, the coil transistor refused to activate — even though it tested “good” with the meter. A nice reminder that a meter test isn’t always 100% reliable! Sometimes a transistor can pass the test and still fail in real use.

To be sure, I checked the transistor array and the connector… everything pointed back to the transistor itself. Swapped it out, and boom — problem solved.

Now you can see it working perfectly in the video.
Board reinstalled, and the owner is enjoying their fully functional Globetrotters again!
#pinball #pinballrepair #pinballfix #pinballuk #ballypinball #pinballtech

Last week a client from Cornwall contacted me abou

Last week a client from Cornwall contacted me about his Banzai Run that wouldn’t boot. Since he was quite far away, I suggested we try some remote troubleshooting first. After he sent me a video, I immediately noticed the problem: the blanking LED was staying off when it should be on.
Without blanking, the game simply won’t boot.

He posted the CPU board to me, and once it arrived on the bench I started digging in. As you can see in the photos, the battery holder had some corrosion, so I removed and replaced it—luckily the damage hadn’t spread beyond the holder.

The real issue turned out to be with the blanking circuit. Tracing the signal led me to a faulty 7404 TTL chip, which was interrupting the blanking line. I pulled it out, installed a new socket, and problem solved. The board is now booting perfectly again (photos included!).

I’m also posting a video where my tester confirms the 7404 was indeed bad.

Board is heading back to Cornwall now—hopefully the machine will be up and running again very soon! 🎉
#PinballRepair #BanzaiRun #WilliamsPinball #TechLife #pinball #pinballuk #pinballfix #pinballlife

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