Lyon Pinball, Pinball Repair and restoration. UK

Lyon Pinball, Pinball Repair and restoration. UK

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Pinball repair, service and restoration in the UK

✨ 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
It’s pretty common for my clients to have a game r It’s pretty common for my clients to have a game room… but this one really surprised me — he has a full bumper car ring inside his house! 🤯 How amazing is that?

Right next to the bumper cars sits his Bally Hang Glider pinball. The machine was alive, but with issues: it wouldn’t reset properly, the score reels were acting up, the player unit was randomly jumping players, and can’t play with the 4th player. 

So I dove in. First step: track down the score reel issues. I found a bit of everything — two reels were sluggish and not rotating well (full teardown, clean, and a better spring fixed that), two were misadjusted and not detecting numbers 1–8, and another two were stuck on 9. All sorted. ✔️

Next, I set the game to free play, just the way the owner likes it. Then I dialed in the coin/player unit so all 4 players work correctly again.

Of course, EM games love surprises… While testing, the whole game suddenly stopped. Tracing it down led me to a loose wire in the bonus unit. Took me a while to find it, but quick fix, and we were back in business.

I really love these old machines. Just look at that artwork—everyone on the beach staring up, amazed by the hang glider. The coolest guy on the sand. Pure late-70s charm. ☀️🎨

EMs can be tricky to fix on location, but fortunately I got this one fully sorted in few hours. Always satisfying to bring a classic back to life! ⚡🎯

#pinball #pinballfix #handglider #pinballrepair #empinball #pinballuk #pinballlife #pinballtech #ukpinball
🔥 This week’s fix: Williams Firepower in South Wal 🔥 This week’s fix: Williams Firepower in South Wales! 🔥

This machine was booting but with issues: had no sound, no memory, and pressing the flipper buttons sent the whole game into chaos—or straight into a reset.

The interesting twist?
The owner had already tried to save it by installing all new boards: Rottendog CPU/driver, refurbished power supply, and sound board. But even with all that, the game still wasn’t behaving.

First stop: sound.
The refurbished power supply looked good—voltages checked out. But the sound board was completely mute. Even a dying board usually makes some noise… but this one? Nothing.
Turned out the speaker itself was dead—only the second time I’ve seen this in 20 years! Luckily, the owner had an old spare. We plugged it in and finally got sound… sort of.

Next discovery: the refurbished sound board had been set up for a different game. A quick jumper change and—bam!—proper Firepower sound restored.

Then on to the flipper reset issue.
Usually it’s a broken coil diode or power supply trouble. The supply was fine, but I did find a broken diode on one of the coils (check the pic). Replaced it… but the resets continued.

That’s when I remembered: the newer Rottendog CPU boards can have a weak ground connection. A well-known issue. So I added a jumper wire to improve grounding between the CPU and power supply and—bam again!—problem solved.

And the missing memory?
Simple: dead battery.

The owner was so happy to finally have a fully working Firepower that he sent me home with a jar of homemade plum jam. 🔧💜

#pinball #pinballfix #pinballrepair #pinballuk #southwales #firepower #pinballtech #pinballlife
🎯 On-Site Pinball Repair Day! This week I visited 🎯 On-Site Pinball Repair Day!

This week I visited a fantastic business in England that has an amazing playroom with two pinball machines 😍

I was called in to bring two classics back to life — Frankenstein 🧟‍♂️ and GoldenEye 🕶️

🧠 On Frankenstein, the game kept tripping fuses at power-up. The culprit was a big inrush current! I installed an NTC inrush limiter and replaced the weak plug fuse — problem solved ✅

While testing, the flippers felt weak and a few coils weren’t working. All the fuses looked fine, but one of them tested bad — and was also underrated (3A instead of 5A). ⚡ A good reminder: never trust a fuse just because it looks okay — always test it! After fitting the correct fuse, everything came back to life. Then I gave it a full clean and wax so it plays and shines like new ✨

🎯 On GoldenEye, it was a similar story — a blown fuse and high inrush tripping the breaker. Added an NTC limiter and the issue disappeared. I also noticed the playfield pitch was too flat (around 5°), so I adjusted it to the proper 7°. Now it plays fast and smooth — just how Bond likes it 😎

📸 look the NTC installed in the game 
🎥 look the pins then running 

Always a pleasure to keep these classics running strong — and what a great place to work in! 🎱🎮

#PinballRepair #PinballRestoration #PinballTech #FrankensteinPinball #GoldenEyePinball #PinballMaintenance #PinballLife  #PinballServiceUK #PinballUK #Pinball #Pinballfix #snowbusiness
🧩 Testing a Williams WPC CPU on the bench using an 🧩 Testing a Williams WPC CPU on the bench using an ATX power supply and a logic probe.

Each column line should pulse — but one wasn’t!
After tracing it back, one chip had a pin not doing a proper connection.

A quick resolder later, all columns are pulsing perfectly again 🔥

This shows how you can bench-test WPC CPU boards without needing a full game setup — super handy for diagnosing switch matrix issues.

#PinballRepair #Pinball #Willimspinball #electronics #pinballuk #pinballfix #pinball
🎥 Take a look at this beauty in action! Here’s a q 🎥 Take a look at this beauty in action!
Here’s a quick video of the Old Chicago pinball machine, fully working after the repair in Clevedon.
Running smooth and sounding just like it should — classic Bally from the mid-70s. 🔧✨

When I was talking with the owner, he thought the game was from the ‘60s — easy mistake with the retro style — but it’s actually from 1975.
I also pointed out something cool he hadn’t noticed before: the backglass artwork features John Dillinger and the infamous Woman in Red. A nice little detail that gives this game even more character.

Check my previous post to see the before-and-after photos of the repair!

 #ballypinball #PinballRepair #PinballRestoration #JohnDillinger #WomanInRed #VintagePinball #FixPinballs #pinballfix #pinballuk
Got a call to bring an old Bally Old Chicago back Got a call to bring an old Bally Old Chicago back to life — so I hit the road to Clevedon, England 🚗💨
⠀
This beauty is nearly 50 years old and still looking great cosmetically. But when I opened it up, I found a broken flipper rubber — and most of the others were yellowed and cracked. So I replaced all the rubbers for proper bounce and feel.
⠀
A few bulbs were out too, so I swapped in new ones on the playfield and in the backbox, and gave everything a deep clean and wax. ✨
⠀
Also spotted two sticky drop targets that weren’t resetting properly — fixed those as well.
⠀
Swipe to see:
🔧 The broken flipper rubber
💡 A few “before” shots inside
🧽 Some mid-fix action
⠀
#pinballrepair #oldchicago #ballypinball #pinballrestoration #pinballtechnician #pinballlife #vintagepinball #clevedon #pinballfix #pinballuk #pinball
Before ➡️ After Restoring this Gottlieb Big Shot b Before ➡️ After
Restoring this Gottlieb Big Shot back to its former glory, one part at a time.
Swipe up to see what a soak in Evapo-Rust can do! 💪🎯

This door went from rusty relic to shiny showpiece—just wait till you see the whole machine come together.

Pinball repair is all about the details. Stay tuned for more restoration updates!

#PinballRestoration #GottliebBigShot #BeforeAndAfter #PinballRepair #Pinballuk #gottliebpinball #Pinballfix
🛠️ Sega Frankenstein Resurrection at the House of 🛠️ Sega Frankenstein Resurrection at the House of Frankenstein, Bath 🧟‍♂️🎯

Got called out to bring this Sega Frankenstein back to life at the amazing @houseoffrankenstein_bath – and what a monster of a job it turned out to be!

Originally, they sent me the boards after another tech removed them. I sorted loads of cold solder joints, but that was just the beginning…

🔧 On-site fixes included:
	•	Replacing a burnt laser kick coil (dead fuse on the PPB traced back to that 🔥)
	•	Fixing a stuck outhole kicker
	•	Rebuilding and reinstalling a disassembled post switch under the playfield
	•	Diagnosing a totally scrambled switch matrix – the ball launcher was disconnected and triggering the start button?! 🤯

The main culprit?
A grounded switch row thanks to the coin rejector shorting out. Since the game’s on free play, I disconnected it. Then traced two crazy switch columns to failed transistors on the CPU. Swapped them out – and boom, back in business! 💥

Took me over 5 hours with all the small fixes and cleaning, but totally worth it. Game’s now running like a dream, and the owner was thrilled. Museum visitors can enjoy this classic again!

🎥 I’ll upload:
	•	A shot of the dead coil
	•	A video of the switch matrix mayhem
	•	A clip of the game working 100%

#PinballRepair #SegaFrankenstein #HouseOfFrankensteinBath #PinballFix #UKPinball #PinballRestoration #PinballUK #Pinball #Bath
🛠️ Sega Frankenstein Resurrection at the House of 🛠️ Sega Frankenstein Resurrection at the House of Frankenstein, Bath 🧟‍♂️🎯

Got called out to bring this Sega Frankenstein back to life at the amazing @houseoffrankenstein_bath – and what a monster of a job it turned out to be!

Originally, they sent me the boards after another tech removed them. I sorted loads of cold solder joints, but that was just the beginning…

🔧 On-site fixes included:
	•	Replacing a burnt laser kick coil (dead fuse on the PPB traced back to that 🔥)
	•	Fixing a stuck outhole kicker
	•	Rebuilding and reinstalling a disassembled post switch under the playfield
	•	Diagnosing a totally scrambled switch matrix – the ball launcher was disconnected and triggering the start button?! 🤯

The main culprit?
A grounded switch row thanks to the coin rejector shorting out. Since the game’s on free play, I disconnected it. Then traced two crazy switch columns to failed transistors on the CPU. Swapped them out – and boom, back in business! 💥

Took me over 5 hours with all the small fixes and cleaning, but totally worth it. Game’s now running like a dream, and the owner was thrilled. Museum visitors can enjoy this classic again!

🎥 I’ll upload:
	•	A shot of the dead coil
	•	A video of the switch matrix mayhem
	•	A clip of the game working 100%

#PinballRepair #SegaFrankenstein #HouseOfFrankensteinBath #PinballFix #UKPinball #PinballRestoration #pinballuk #pinball #bath
Switch Matrix Problems? Don’t Just Blame the Game! Switch Matrix Problems? Don’t Just Blame the Game! ⚡🧠

This Sega Frankenstein was acting haunted — switches going crazy when I connected just one. 🧟‍♂️ The issue wasn’t in the playfield wiring. It was in the CPU board.

In the video, you’ll see:
🔌 I jumped the row and column connectors — and boom, multiple switches triggered.
🛠️ Pulled the board, found two shorted transistors.
✅ Replaced them, problem solved.

💡 Tip: Before chasing down playfield gremlins, isolate the board. You might save yourself hours of troubleshooting.

🎥 Filmed this in Bath, in the actual House of Frankenstein @houseoffrankenstein_bath . Perfect setting for spooky switch behavior.

#PinballRepair #SegaFrankenstein #SwitchMatrix #PinballTech #PinballProblems #PinballLife #pinball #pinballuk #bath #frankensteinbath
🛠️ Zaccaria Rescue – Against All Odds! 🇮🇹🎯 I usua 🛠️ Zaccaria Rescue – Against All Odds! 🇮🇹🎯

I usually don’t work on Italian or Spanish pinballs. Every time someone calls about one, it’s almost always a “no.” Why?

Because:
	•	They’re built completely differently from the US machines (Williams, Bally, etc.)
	•	Parts are almost impossible to find
	•	Documentation is scarce

So when a local owner called about a Zaccaria pinball, I gave my usual answer: “Sorry, I don’t work on those.” He was clearly disappointed. Turns out we live quite close, and he didn’t know any other technician around. He told me he had just bought the game at an online auction – his first pinball ever – and really wanted to bring it back to life.

Later, I got curious and did a bit of research… and surprise! It turns out his game is one of the rare Zaccarias built entirely with Williams parts. So I called him back and said: “Let’s do it.”

🎁 The Condition at Pickup (Auction in Cardiff):
	•	No glass and dirty 
	•	No keys
	•	And of course… not working

🔧 First step: drilled the locks open, gave it a good clean. One thing I do like about these Italian games? The playfields are often in amazing condition. After a deep clean and polish, this one was shining like new again.

✨ Replaced:
	•	Rubbers
	•	Lights
	•	Cleaned and polished all metal + posts

🐛 Found some woodworm damage (no idea where it was stored!), so I treated it with woodworm killer. Mechanisms were surprisingly well preserved, but all the stepper units were completely jammed.

⚙️ After a few days of work: The game is alive again!

🎮 It’s a simple but fun game to play. I especially like the dual bonus system. And check out the backglass — the score reels go into the millions! Must’ve been some sort of point inflation in Italy back then 😂 Most games cap out at 100,000… but here they just threw on two extra static zeroes to make it look like more.

📸 Swipe to see:
	1.	The condition I found it in
	2.	A cleaned stepper unit
	3.	The game restored
	4.	And a video of it in action 🎥

Not bad for a game that almost got left behind 🙌

#pinball #pinballfix #pinballrepair #pinballrestoration #pinballtech #zaccaria #zaccariapinball #pinballuk #wales
🛠️ FLASH!! AH-AHHH!! ⚡ Sometimes pinball jobs come 🛠️ FLASH!! AH-AHHH!! ⚡
Sometimes pinball jobs come with surprises—and this Flash Gordon was one of them!

I got a call about a “non-working” machine with “a bit of dirt” and a ball that wouldn’t launch. Asked for a picture… and well, it wasn’t just dirty—it was barn-find level filthy.

I told the owner to give it a quick wipe-down if possible, and then I’d come out for a proper diagnosis. Drove an hour out, and what I found was a completely dead game:
🔧 All switches unresponsive
🔧 2 displays not working
🔧 Wrong voltages on the driver board
🔧 HV section toasted
🔧 Corrosion on the CPU (but miraculously still booting)

I gave an estimate for a full bench repair and restoration. But then he asked me the question every tech both dreads and loves:
“Can you fix it… now? There’s a surprise party in few day and the pinball is one of the surprises.”

😅

Thankfully, I had most of my parts with me. I told him it wouldn’t be a full restore, and that two drop targets were broken (I disabled them), but… yes, I could make it playable.

6 hours later:
✅ Switch and connector issues resolved
✅ Driver board repaired with new caps + key fixes
✅ HV rebuilt
✅ Display repairs (missing digits/segments, cold solder joints)
✅ Deep clean with Novus, wax, fresh rubbers & bulbs

Not showroom perfect, but Flash Gordon was alive again—and playing strong. 💥

Owner was thrilled, and the party got its surprise.
Me? Tired. I always prefer a full shop job, but this one was about getting it ready just in time.

From barn dust to party-ready in a day.
That’s pinball life. 🎯

#pinballrepair #flashgordonpinball #pinballrestoration #pinballtech #pinballlife #classicpinball #ballypinball #surpriseparty #pinballfix #beforeandafter #fieldservice
#pinballuk #uk
🛠️ This week I had the chance to work on something 🛠️ This week I had the chance to work on something special – an Iron Maiden Limited Edition pinball machine in Hereford 🎸🤘
Always a treat to work on one of these. Absolute beauty of a game.

🎥 The first video shows the machine finally up and running again. The owner called me in because it was throwing a “node board missing” error. If you’ve worked on modern Stern machines, you know this could mean a few things — often it’s just a loose connector or a dodgy Ethernet cable. But sometimes… the node board has simply decided to die. 😵

Unfortunately, these boards aren’t repairable, and a new one runs close to £200.
I tested all the cables first, then swapped some parts to confirm — and sure enough, Node 8 was gone.

💡 Swapped in a brand-new node board and we were back in business. The left flipper also wasn’t working when I got there, but that turned out to be just a misadjusted switch. Quick fix. ✅

Always satisfying to bring a great machine back to life.
If your pinball machine is acting up — you know who to call. 😉

#PinballRepair #IronMaidenLE #SternPinball #NodeBoard #PinballFix #UKPinball #PinballUK
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Lyon Pinball, Pinball Repair and restoration. UK

Lyon Pinball, Pinball Repair and restoration. UK

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