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Pinball repair, service and restoration. UK. South Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Halloween emergency averted! 🧙‍♂️🪄🎃 Got an urgent

Not every pinball breakdown requires a full callou

Not every pinball breakdown requires a full callout! 🚗💨
A customer from Redditch (about a 2-hour drive from Cardiff) contacted me about a broken ramp mechanism on his High Speed 2. To avoid driving all that way without the right replacement bracket (they are notoriously unique to that mech!), I asked him to send a video of the coil area.

Instead of a broken bracket, I spotted a loose wire right away. I asked if he owned a soldering iron, told him exactly where to reconnect it, and boom—problem solved in 5 minutes. ⚡️

I saved him a £200+ callout fee for a 4-hour round trip just to solder one wire. While I didn’t make a callout fee that day, I gained a very happy customer for life and a glowing 5-star review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is why I always try to get as much information as possible before hitting the road.
💡 Did you know? I now offer Remote Video Diagnostics!
If you live far from Cardiff or just want to know if your machine’s issue is a quick fix you can handle yourself, we can jump on a video call. If it’s a 5-minute fix I can guide you through, you save a massive callout fee. If it turns out I do need to visit, the cost of the video call is deducted from your final bill. Win-win!
🔗 Check the link in my bio to book a remote diagnostic or an on-site visit!

#pinballrepair #thegetawayhighspeed2 #honestservice #pinballtech #remoterepair

Huge satisfaction on this Defender arcade repair n

Huge satisfaction on this Defender arcade repair near Shepton Mallet! 🛸 The cabinet was unplayable due to severe screen jitter and a completely dead sound board.
I pulled the classic CRT monitor chassis and performed a full recap on the bench, replacing over 20 tired electrolytic capacitors, and swapped the dead audio board for one I recently rebuilt in the workshop. Seeing that crisp geometry snap back into place and hearing those classic Williams explosions again was absolutely amazing. Nothing beats keeping these golden age classics alive! 🕹️📺

Got a classic arcade cabinet or monitor that needs some bench work? Send me a message
#Arcade #defenderarcade #80s #classicarcade #arcaderepair

Headed out to Frome to service this classic Willia

Headed out to Frome to service this classic Williams Fish Tales! 🎣
What started as a suspected switch issue turned into a hands-on mechanical rescue.
The ball-lock reel was slipping under load, which I sorted by shimming the drive wheel to restore tension. The iconic fish topper was also completely dead due to a broken coil wire, which just needed a fresh solder job to get it thrashing again. We also caught some leaking alkaline batteries just in time and installed a new remote holder to keep the MPU board safe from acid damage! Finished off with a deep clean, wax, and some fresh rubbers. She plays fast and looks fantastic! 🐟⚡
Need your pinball machine serviced? Contact me here to get it playing like new.
#pinball #pinballrepair #fishtalespinball #pinballuk #pinballlife

Sometimes, a classic pinball machine’s worst enemy

Sometimes, a classic pinball machine’s worst enemy isn’t time—it’s bad repairs from the past! 🛠️🤦‍♂️
Working on this Bally Wizard, I found a bonus stepper unit acting crazy: starting at 5k, stopping at 10k, and never resetting. The diagnosis? Someone had rebuilt the unit and put the rotating copper contacts on completely backwards! 🔄
To make matters worse, they had added a web of nonsense jumper wires that were about to melt a coil. After removing the dangerous wiring, rebuilding the unit, and putting the parts on the correct side, the game is back to life and the bonus counts perfectly. ⚡🕹️

If your EM machine is acting up, don’t try to bridge random wires! Call a professional. 😉 Read the full repair story at the link in my bio!

#pinballrepair #ballywizard #pinballmachine #pinballuk #pinballlife

Because sometimes fixing pinballs just isn’t enoug

Because sometimes fixing pinballs just isn’t enough punishment... ⚡️
Taking a detour from the playfields today to dive into the high-voltage world of arcade repair. Currently rebuilding the monitor chassis for a classic Williams Defender. There’s a unique kind of satisfaction in swapping out these old components and bringing a legendary CRT display back from the dead.
Who else remembers dropping way too many coins into one of these? 👾🕹️

#ArcadeRepair #DefenderArcade #RetroGaming

AI thinks this is how I fix pinball machines… 🤖⚡

AI thinks this is how I fix pinball machines... 🤖⚡️ If only it were this clean and easy!

In reality, there are fewer lasers and robotic hands, and a lot more scrubbing 30-year-old battery acid, soldering burned connectors, and bringing classic machines back from the dead by hand.

Whether your machine needs a complex logic board repair or just some good old-fashioned elbow grease and a playfield wax, I’ve got you covered. No robots, just real hands-on pinball expertise. 🛠️

Is your pinball acting up? Link in bio to book a callout across South Wales, the South West, and Birmingham! 🚐💨

#Pinball #Pinballuk #Pinballfix #Pinballrepair #pinballrestoration

From a painted black nightmare to a fully restored

From a painted black nightmare to a fully restored classic! ✨
This machine was in really rough shape when I first got it. It was completely broken, the cabinet was suffering from woodworm, and someone had covered it in a horrible black paint job.
But every classic deserves a second chance. I started from the ground up:
🪵 Fully treated the wood to stop the damage.
🎨 Stripped and repainted the cabinet to bring back its original charm.
🔧 Performed a complete, deep restoration on the playfield and mechanics.
It was a massive undertaking and took countless hours on the bench, but seeing her look gorgeous and play perfectly again makes it all absolutely worth it.
Got a pinball machine in desperate need of a full rescue? Whether it’s fixing a few niggles or a complete cabinet and mechanical restoration like this one, I can bring it back to life.
📩 Send me a DM or check the link in my bio to get your project started!

#Pinball #PinballRestoration #pinballUK #pinballfix #Pinballrepair

The ultimate auction gamble! 🎰🕺 A customer bought

The ultimate auction gamble! 🎰🕺

A customer bought this locked Stern Elvis at an auction for an unbelievable £495 as a gift for his Elvis-fan dad. His dad warned him it might be a “money pit.”
Buying a locked machine is incredibly risky—missing boards plus dead display could easily cost £1,000+ to replace. But when I removed the lock and opened it up... it was completely IMMACULATE inside! 🤯
The only issue? Exploded batteries. Thankfully, we caught it just in time before any acid damage reached the CPU board. I installed a remote battery holder to bulletproof the electronics, set it to Free Play, swapped out a few perished rubbers, and gave the playfield a fresh coat of wax.
A machine worth around £4,000 secured for just £495. The King is back in the building, and the father-son duo couldn’t be happier with their incredible find! 👑⚡️
Do you have an auction find that needs a health check? Send me a DM! 🛠️

#PinballRepair #Pinballuk #pinballfix #elvis #pinball

Trip to North Bristol today to service this fantas

Trip to North Bristol today to service this fantastic Spooky Looney Tunes pinball! 🚀
The rocket switch was completely ignoring the ball, forcing the machine to rely on an automatic ball search to keep the game moving. When an opto switch fails, it’s all about the process of elimination. After cleaning the lenses, testing the control board ports, and checking the wiring, the culprit was finally isolated: a dead opto emitter.
Interestingly, modern manuals don’t always list specific part numbers for these small components. Thankfully, a classic 90s Williams-style opto emitter works perfectly as a replacement! Spliced it in, and the rocket is firing instantly again. The game is now playing 100% flawlessly and is fully prepped in case the owner decides to sell.
Is your machine suffering from unresponsive switches? Drop a message to get it sorted! 🛠️⚡
#pinball #pinballrepair #pinballfix #pinballuk #spookypinball

Every pinball fan’s dream: finding a free machine!

Every pinball fan’s dream: finding a free machine! 🎰
About 15 years ago, David struck gold when he spotted this beautiful 1968 Gottlieb Funland in a skip, loaded it into his car, and took it home. It never played quite right, and for the last 10 years, it had been completely dead.
Normally, waking up a dormant Electro-Mechanical (EM) machine is a long project meant for the workshop. However, with the drive down to Winchester, I decided to take on the challenge entirely on-site.
It was a 5-hour marathon of deep troubleshooting. I had to strip down and clean all the stepper units, restore some badly damaged and dirty Jones plugs, hunt down loose wires, and adjust countless switch contacts. There was a moment I thought I might have to take it back to Cardiff with me, but we finally got it running perfectly!
I spent an extra hour giving the playfield a sympathetic cosmetic refresh: a deep clean, fresh wax, and new rubber rings. The backglass had some delamination, so I installed a full LED kit. LEDs run much cooler than traditional bulbs, which is a crucial step to prevent the artwork from flaking any further.
Swipe ➡️ to see the before and after photos! From a dusty skip rescue to a glowing, fully playable piece of history. David is absolutely thrilled to finally enjoy his game after all this time.
Need your classic machine brought back to life? Get in touch!
#PinballRepair #pinballuk #pinball #pinballfix #gottliebpinball

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

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