T2 issue

[Adam]

Hey guys...

Been having an issue with T2.

When starting multi ball mode I've been having a problem with the ball getting ejected into the shooter lane too hard it seems as it pops out of the lane and back into it's holding spot... Keeps trying to eject ball into the lane but comes back out before it can auto fire the ball.

This only happens during multi ball and not every time but more often then not. Eventually the ball stays in the lane and will get auto fired but at times can take 10 or more tries before that happens

Kind of frustrating as it defeats the multi ball mode.

Any thoughts or advice?

Hopefully you can understand what I'm trying to explain... I can take a video if that helps

Thanks very much

 

[DRANO]

I've had games like this.
You probably need to adjust the mechanisms a little.

Pretty sure T2 uses an older style trough and kicker mech. So, you should see a "C" shaped rocker arm that kicks the ball into the lane... if I'm not mistaken. This arm is linked to a simple plunger and coil.

You might be able to loosen the screws that hold the coil and the plunger/kicker to the playfield and twist everything slightly so that the ball gets kicked at more of an angle. This might help prevent dead-on hits that cause recoils.

The main challenge is going to be in keeping the plunger aligned to the coil for smooth operation. Also, the "C" shaped kicker sits right next to the ball 1 trough switch. You'll need to be careful not to interfere with the switch.

Or, plan B. Get a weaker coil.

 

[Adam]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[DRANO]

No worries.

There's one other thing I forgot to mention.
The "C" shaped arm that kicks the ball. It's usually built in two parts that sort of slide together. They are held under tension via a spring. This is actually meant to absorb some of the shock when it hits the ball. You'll know what I mean when you look at it.

If the mechanism is too tight/seized with dirt over the years, or if the spring has been broken and shortened a bit too much (making it tighter), then the arm will hit the ball with its full force instead of having that little bit of recoil.

You should take out the spring, clean the whole assembly with a good degreaser and apply some Teflon lube. This is one of the few metal on metal applications where lube is okay in a pinball machine. Otherwise, you can also try a slightly weaker spring or stretch the current one a tiny bit (not my preferred method). This may help as well.

 

[Chris Bardon]

It seems strange that this would only happen in multiball and not whenever the game serves a ball into the trough though. Both would be the same operation with the same coil strength, right?

 

[Adam]

Yeah... I thought that was strange as well. I haven't had a chance to look into the recommendations that Drano suggested yet.

 

[Menace]

The difference is the number of balls in the trough when this happens. One less ball in the trough means less pressure being applied at this time.

D

 

[Adam]

So finally got around to this today... I stretched the spring slightly and that seems to have corrected the issue. Thanks for the help!

 

[Menace]

Awesome, nice and easy fix. Thanks for posting the solution.

D

 

[Adam]

Unfortunately the fix only lasted for about 5 games

Now it's too weak... perhaps I'll source a new spring and try that

 

[dnewman]

Any chance bending this guide (slightly) toward the ball might help to direct the ejected ball down to the plunger so that it doesn't bounce directly back into the trough?

 

[DRANO]

Stretching the spring was more of a last resort. Didn't I mention that?
Clean and degrease the mechanism first and see of it's binding.

I'm almost certain this is the issue because, when one ball is served the part is probably fully extended and then, after it compresses from the hit, the part probably takes a few moments to slowly expand back to normal. But, on multiball, the part doesn't have this extra time so it hits the next ball while still compressed so there is no shock absorption. It's similar to a really dirty drop target that doesn't go down fast enough.

You can probably get away with clipping a bit off of your over-extended spring and bending the final coil with some pliers. This will get some extra life out of it, but just go ahead and remove the arm itself and give it a good clean so it's not sluggish to expand after the first hit.

Bending the ball guide a hair might also help as dnewman suggested, but I'd first try to make sure it's mechanically 100%

 

[RedFive]

I had the same issue with my T2 long time ago. The end of the C-shapped part that hit the ball was chewed up and ended up being very sharp (pointy) with time. That, combined with less pressure on the next ball from having less balls on the through caused the issue. I changed the part but i guess someone could modify it to work.

I suggest looking at that C-shapped part to see if it has "lost" its original form.

I hope this helps. I know how frustrating this situation is.

Chris

 

[Adam]

So I've made sure the c arm mechanism is moving smooth and free. Adjusted the spring as Drano suggested and we're back where I started. But what I did notice was the part of the ball guide appears to be missing which I'm thinking could be the issue as the ball isn't being guided into the shooter lane

Thanks again for all the help... I'm relatively useless when it comes to diagnosing these issues... It's all new to me

 

[Adam]

Would this be the ball guide replacement part? Having a hard time finding it in the manual.

Thanks

 

[luch]

yes your ball guide is broken off , there is a piece missing out of it ,

 

[Menace]

Bingo.

 

[luch]

ask around someone might have a used one ,

 

[DRANO]

Well, at least your kicker mech is nice and clean

Good thing Dave posted that pic!

 

[Adam]

Absolutely... Thanks Dave! I built a temporary ball guide and installed it... Problem solved.

Thanks again all!