Machine: Bally Mr. & Mrs. Pac-Man (1982) Location: Bristol, UK Issue reported: Right flipper extremely weak, barely moving the ball.

The Initial Assessment I traveled to Bristol to look at this absolute classic. The owner reported that the game was working, but the right flipper had lost almost all its power. A quick test game confirmed it—the flipper rose when the button was pressed, but it had zero “snap” behind it. On a layout like Pac-Man, this makes the game unplayable.

Diagnosis: The High-Voltage Spark Given the age of the machine (early solid state), I immediately suspected the high-voltage circuit. Unlike modern machines that use low-voltage logic to trigger flippers, these 80s Bally games route the full 50V DC coil power directly through the cabinet buttons and the End-of-Stroke (EOS) switch under the playfield.

Upon opening the game, my suspicions were confirmed. The EOS switch contacts were severely pitted and blackened from years of high-voltage arcing. When contacts get this damaged, they create tremendous resistance, robbing the coil of its power.

The Repair: Specialized Tools Required You cannot use standard sandpaper on these specific switch contacts.

• I used specialized tungsten contact files to carefully dress the pitted surfaces back to clean metal.
• I readjusted the gap and tension of the EOS switch blades to ensure full power delivery before the cut-off.
• I also noticed the flipper bat itself had become misaligned over time, drooping too low. I loosened the pawl and realigned it perfectly with the inlane guide.

Going the Extra Mile: The Deep Clean While working on the flipper, I noticed the playfield was very dirty. The owner mentioned it hadn’t been properly cleaned in a long time. A dirty playfield slows the ball down significantly and increases wear on the artwork.

As part of the service, I performed a good clean to remove years of arcade grime, and applied a high-quality Carnauba wax.

The Result The difference was night and day. The right flipper now snaps with full authority, and thanks to the fresh wax job, the gameplay is fast and smooth. Another classic saved!