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Bram Stoker's Dracula – Williams - 1993 - Repair & Service Log


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With work coming to a close on Corvette, it was time to start giving some attention to the next machine in the queue. Next up is a Bram Stoker's Dracula. The game was originally released back in 1993, with over 6800 machines made. This one has some great shots on it and plenty to do. I'll be giving the game a full rebuild, with all assemblies to be removed, cleaned and worn parts replaced. All playfield parts will be removed, cleaned and many new parts added also. There are some additional presentation things to do on the game too, so this one is going to keep me busy. Time to get started!

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_start.jpg

 

Before starting work on cleaning the game up, I went over it looking at what parts would be needed to help lift its presentation. This resulted in a couple of orders with local suppliers and a nice pile of new parts ready to install. The owner came prepared with a set of red Titan rubbers which he wants installed, along with LED's for the headbox. Most of the inserts are already lit using LED's, but the few that aren't will be converted as I work through the game.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_parts_arrived.jpg

 

As always, I like to start working at the lower section of the playfield and move my way up. So the first area to get an overhaul is the apron. The metal apron itself is in excellent condition and will only need a slight clean and new apron cards.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_start.jpg

 

Below the apron I found there was quite a bit of crap built up on all the metal parts. I noticed under the playfield some corrosion and rust on a few lamp sockets and metal parts too. I'll do what I can to clean it all up though.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_removed.jpg

 

There was a thin layer of dust across the surface. I've seen far worse than this though and this will wipe away easy.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_dust.jpg

 

The playfield area under the apron was stripped back, with all assemblies and playfield parts removed. The ball trough was also removed from under the playfield too. Lots of black dust and filth around the outhole kicker and ball launch assemblies.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_stripped.jpg

 

The metal parts from the apron were cleaned. When you compare them to the state they were in on the playfield a few photos back, they are looking much better.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_parts_cleaned.jpg

 

The playfield surface was next to be cleaned. Use of Nifti, Novus 2 and then Novus 1 got through the filth and now has the playfield surface looking great.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_playfield_cleaned.jpg

 

The 3 assemblies from the area were cleaned up next. New coil sleeves and rubber grommets were purchased to replace the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_assemblies_clean.jpg

 

I decided to replace the ball launch coil bracket. These things take a real beating over time and now seemed like the best time to replace the $1 part.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_shooter_bracket_replaced.jpg

 

The assemblies were installed back onto the playfield, along with the metal parts making up the trough. Looks so much cleaner now.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_rebuilt.jpg

 

When the owner dropped the machine off, he made mention of wanting the lock down bar receiver to get a face lift. It's certainly seen better days.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lockbar_receiver_dirty_1.jpg

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lockbar_receiver_dirty_2.jpg

 

The receiver was removed and the rust cleaned off it. It was then sprayed red and finished with a clear, which I felt works well with the theme. I also printed up a new voltage warning decal. The two metal arms from the playfield that rest in the receiver were also removed and the corrosion cleaned away. It's a presentation thing that you will rarely ever see - probably only you're lifting the playfield really - but it's nice to be greeted with when you do.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lockbar_receiver_rebuilt.jpg

 

The apron itself was cleaned up next. The metal bar removed and scrubbed clean. New apron cards were printed up and laminated.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_cleaned.jpg

 

The apron was then installed back into the game to complete the work on the apron area.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_completed.jpg

 

I wanted to shift away from the playfield for a moment and look at the coin door. Since we had some nice weather, it seemed like a good time to freshen this up before the wet weather continued on again.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coindoor_start.jpg

 

The door was disassembled and removed from the game. It was then given 3 coats of satin black and two coats of clear.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coindoor_painted.jpg

 

I love adding custom pricing inserts to the coin reject buttons. It's a little something that helps a game stand out from others. After making up a couple, they were printed and installed.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coindoor_buttondecal.jpg

 

The coin door was then installed back into the cabinet and reassembled. The two red bolts are for the lock down bar receiver. I decided to do these in red to try and bring a little more colour to the front panel.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coindoor_completed.jpg

 

Time to switch back to the playfield. Next up will the flippers and sling shots.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lowerplayfield_start.jpg

 

The plastics and return lanes were removed first. The rubbers are begging to be replaced.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lowerplayfield_start_2.jpg

 

The lower playfield area was stripped with both the sling shot and flipper assemblies removed from the playfield. All posts and rubbers were removed too. The playfield surface is pretty clean, with just a thin layer of filth covering it.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lower_playfield_cleaned.jpg

 

The flippers assemblies were up next for cleaning. New flipper bats, rubbers, plungers, sleeves, grommets and bushings were purchased to replace the old ones. When removing the assemblies from the playfield, I noticed that one of the EOS switches had already been replaced recently. So I only purchased one new EOS to replace the remaining old one.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_flipper_assemblies_clean.jpg

 

It was the sling shot assemblies turn for cleaning. Metal parts went through the tumbler and new sling shot arms were purchased. The old arms both had some damage, so I felt it best to just replace them as they get a lot of use in game. New coil sleeves were also purchased.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_slignshot_assemblies_clean.jpg

 

The playfield parts were next to be cleaned. All metal parts went through the tumbler. New star posts were purchased to replace the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lower_playfield_parts_clean.jpg

 

The playfield surface was cleaned and then finished with Novus 2 and 1. I then started rebuilding the playfield. I also added clear washers at the pop bumpers to protect the plastics.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lower_playfield_rebuilt_1.jpg

 

The red Titan rubbers were installed, along with the cleaned plastics. The flipper bats also went on to complete the work on the lower playfield.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lower_playfield_rebuilt_2.jpg

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lower_playfield_rebuilt_3.jpg

 

The owner requested back lit flipper buttons to be added to the machine, so I made up a new set up.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_backlit_flippers_parts.jpg

 

They draw power from the coin door lamp. Once installed they light up nicely.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_backlit_flippers_installed.jpg

 

Although the red on the sides of the cabinet is still good, the front panel was a different story. The red on the logo and "Love Never Dies" text had faded quite a bit. I decided to touch it up. Here I had done half of the logo and you can already see the improvement.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_front_red_start_1.jpg

 

I continued on and once complete, it was looking a nice deep red again.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_front_red_end_1.jpg

 

The "Love Never Dies" text below the coin door had been hit just as bad (if not worse) from fade.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_front_red_start_2.jpg

 

This was touched up to bring back a nice deep red. It makes a HUGE difference.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_front_red_end_2.jpg

 

It's amazing how much filth collects on the rear side of the translite over the years.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_translite_dirty.jpg

 

The translite was removed from the class and gently cleaned to look white again. The glass and black trim were also cleaned.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_translite_clean.jpg

 

To finish up this first update, I wanted to get the headbox LED's installed that the owner dropped off. I made two small changes, with a blue LED where the Williams logo is and an orange LED where the off colour moon is.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_headbox_lit.jpg

 

Lit up, the translite looks excellent. There are a few small marks on the translite that keep it from being perfect, but they are minor. I need to return to this area in a future update and paint the black areas around the headbox to give it a nice clean gloss finish.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_translite_lit.jpg

 

That's it for the first update on Dracula. Next up I'll be removing the ramps and rails to access the middle playfield section and then continue on up the playfield to the pop bumpers. I also want to clean the lamp boards below many of the inserts, along with cleaning the underside of each insert. I had hoped to squeeze that in to this update, but it missed out. Another thing I need to look at in the next update are the two subway ramps under the playfield. They are in the way of a few things, so I may as well remove those and clean them up next too. Still quite a bit of work ahead of me as the to do list grows every time I look at the machine. But it's progressing nicely so far - so, until next time!

Edited by Arcade King
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Nice mate. Love the red lock down bar bracket as I am a huge fan of this part greeting you when the lock down bar is first removed. I know it's hardly seen by anyone but I am OCD with this part being restored. Also like the red touch ups on the coin door decal. Wonderful work and a detailed write up as usual.
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  • 2 weeks later...
Thanks for the detailed write up, good to to see it progress.

Happy to send you one of my custom lock bar overlays for free if you want it .https://www.aussiearcade.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=155200

 

Thanks for the offer mate! I spoke with the owner and he was happy to leave it as is with the red. Love how they look though and it's the sort of attention to detail you're well known for!

 

 

Well done mate. BTW what did you use to do the decal touch ups as far as paint? Did you use glass paint?

 

This one is simply red Sharpie with slow and deliberate strokes. I've used a couple of different paints in the past for touching up faded red before and I've never really been happy with the results of paint on decals. I had planned to not touch the red since it's not a restore, but I was recommended to give a red sharpie a go since it's a small area. After trialing it on a small patch and leaving it for a few days, it seemed to look fine. How it lasts down the track - I'm not sure. I wouldn't use this for larger areas though. I've not used glass paint before, so thanks for mentioning that. I'll have to look in to it and perhaps give it go in the future.

 

 

The coin door inserts are nice. Can you share the file?

 

I printed up some spares so can send a couple your way next time I'm going to the post office.

 

 

 

Hoping to get the next update posted sometime next week.

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I went into the first update with quite a bit of momentum, but that was slowed down somewhat for this second update. As is often the case, life enjoys serving up a combination of things like family events, illness and work all at once to get in the way. What I've taken to doing though is breaking all the bigger tasks down into many smaller tasks (and breaking them down even further into more smaller tasks) that can be done independently. That way even if I only have 20 minutes in a day to make some progress, I can select a handful of small tasks to do which helps keep progress happening. In this update I'll be focusing on the middle section of the playfield. There's a number of assemblies on both sides to look at which should fill this update up pretty quickly. Both sides have large plastic moulds that help decorate the playfield and bring it to life. There are also a few ramps and rails that will need to be removed at this point as they will be in the way. Time to get in to it.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_start.jpg

 

I decided to start with the left side of the playfield. The large plastic housing here is used to decorate the playfield and also cover up some of the rails and assemblies. It's attached with a few screws, so is simple to remove. The large metal rail will also need to be removed now to get it out of the way.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_start.jpg

 

Below the housing, we find a VUK that feeds a ball onto the large rail. There's also the receiving end of the mist ball, a scoop and a 3 bank of targets.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_sculpt_removed.jpg

 

The plastic and VUK wireform were removed next. The playfield below isn't too dirty.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_plastic_removed.jpg

 

The remaining playfield parts were removed and set aside for cleaning.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_playfield_stripped.jpg

 

There are two sets of target banks on the game. The second set (which i'll cover in the next update) has a broken target on it. When dropping the machine off, the owner requested a full set of new stand up targets to be installed on each. The old targets were replaced one by one.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_left_standup_targets_new.jpg

 

The first assembly to look at from this section of the playfield is the VUK.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_left_vuk_start.jpg

 

The VUK was disassembled and all parts cleaned. A new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were purchased to replace the old ones. The two optos were also wiped clean to remove and filth.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_left_vuk_clean.jpg

 

The other assembly from this section of the playfield was the scoop.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_left_scoop_dirty.jpg

 

The scoop was disassembled and the parts cleaned. Again a new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were purchased to replace the old ones. The two optos were also wiped clean to remove and filth.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_left_scoop_clean.jpg

 

Since the playfield was stripped, now was a perfect time to clean it up. Nifti, Novus 2 and Novus 1 cleaned it up nicely.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_playfield_clean.jpg

 

The small metal playfield parts went through the tumbler for cleaning, while the large piece was cleaned by hand. New red star posts were purchased, along with blue post sleeves.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_playfield_parts_clean.jpg

 

The metal wireform that sits above the VUK was cleaned and then the playfield parts were assembled back into position. A clear washer was added to the corners to help prevent future breaking of the plastic.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_rebuilt_1.jpg

 

The game was powered on to test the switches on the replaced targets and optos in the area.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_rebuilt_2.jpg

 

I'll be leaving the plastic piece off for now until I'm ready to get the ramps back on. While I had the game switched on, I went in to test mode and checked the new targets along with the opto switches that were touched as part of the cleaning to ensure they were all working correctly. Now that the left side was complete, it's time to look at the right. This section has a number of assemblies that will need to be cleaned up, along with several ramps and rails to remove. First up is a rail that leads to a 3 ball lock.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_start.jpg

 

The large plastic decoration was removed first. There's a set of 3 optos here and an up/down post that form the lock.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_houseremoved.jpg

 

The rail and large ramp were removed next, which will now allow me clear access to the right side of the playfield. It also opens up access to the top area for the next update.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_large_ramp_removed.jpg

 

The plastic was removed next, showing some very tired looking rubbers.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_plastic_removed.jpg

 

The small plastic ramp and playfield parts were removed next and set aside for cleaning.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_parts_removed.jpg

 

The remaining metal rails were removed, along with the metal ramp. The playfield in this area was now stripped ready for cleaning.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_playfield_dirty.jpg

 

Nifti, Novus 2 and Novus 1 made easy work of the filth and it was looking nice again. Now to get the assemblies and parts cleaned up so it can be rebuilt.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_playfield_clean.jpg

 

The game hasn't always been stored in the best conditions over it's life. There is noticeable corrosion across a number of the metal parts within assemblies and general metal parts below the playfield. Some lamp sockets have developed quite a bit of rust.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_corroded_lamps.jpg

 

For the sockets that are worst hit, I'm replacing them.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_corroded_lamps_2.jpg

 

The metal rails and ramp were up next for cleaning. This is the ramp that lifts and allows the game to load the mist captive ball.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_mistball_ramp_rails.jpg

 

Gearing up to start rebuilding the playfield, the playfield parts were gathered together. All metal parts went through the tumbler for cleaning. New red star posts were purchased, along with sleeve posts. The old burnt flashers will be replaced with new #89's.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_playfield_parts.jpg

 

The 3 ball lock post assembly and mist ball gate were up next for cleaning. The metal parts went through the tumbler and new coil sleeves were purchased to replace the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_ball_lock_post_assembly_clean.jpg

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_mist_ball_gate_assembly_clean.jpg

 

The next assembly to look at is the scoop that sits in front of the mist ball. The scoop was disassembled and cleaned. A new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were purchased to replace the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_right_scoop_clean.jpg

 

Last assembly for cleaning was the ramp lift assembly. A new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were purchased to replace the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_shooterramp_lift_assembly.jpg

 

The nylon section of the original plunger had a crack through one side, so this was replaced.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_shooterramp_lift_broken.jpg

 

With all the assemblies, parts and playfield now cleaned, it was time to rebuild everything on the right side of the playfield.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_right_rebuilt_1.jpg

 

The game was then switched on and the opto switches tested to ensure they were aligned correctly. As with the left side, i'll be leaving the plastic piece off for now until I'm ready to get the ramps back on.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_right_rebuilt_3.jpg

 

The the major stuff for this update covered off. I'd like to include a few smaller tasks too. First up are the 2 subway ramps that live below the playfield. These ramps love to collect filth over years of use and are rarely cleaned.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subway_ramps_dirty.jpg

 

Nifti, Novus 2 and Novus 1 cleaned both ramps up nicely and they are ready to go back onto the machine.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subway_ramps_clean.jpg

 

While on the subject of the subway ramps, there are two metal catchers that collect the ball and feed it into the subway ramps. One of these has taken a ready belting over the years with one of the metal arms used to attach it to the playfield being broken.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subway_ballcatch_broken.jpg

 

On the underside, you can see a large visible dent made from the ball hitting it so often.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subway_ballcatch_broken_2.jpg

 

The arm was welded back onto the catcher (thanks to Dirty Daz for the help there) and is now ready to be installed back into the game.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subway_ballcatch_fixed.jpg

 

One last thing to round out this update is cleaning the lamp boards. These boards love to collect black dust, so each was removed and cleaned.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lampboards_cleaned.jpg

 

While I clean the lamp boards, I also clean the underside of each insert. These also love to collect black dust.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lamp_inserts_dirty.jpg

 

A quick wipe with some isopropyl alcohol and a cloth gets them looking clean again.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lamp_inserts_clean.jpg

 

That's another long winded update completed. In the next update I'll be focusing on the upper playfield area and removing just about everything (if not all) that covers it. I'll be rebuilding the pop bumpers, ramp assembly and drop target assemblies. The three bank of targets need to be done too, along with playfield cleaning. I think there's enough work left to do on the game to provide content for another two updates.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's time to cast my attention to the top area of the Dracula playfield. This section contains quite a few assemblies that will need to be looked at. There are assemblies for a drop target, three pop bumpers, a VUK, ramp diverter and also a ramp lift. When you add all that to the assemblies covered in the previous two updates, it's amazing how much they crammed in to the game. Can you imagine Stern putting this much in to a single game these days? It would give their number crunching team nightmares. There's a lot of work to get through, so time to get started.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_playfield_start_1.jpg

 

The first thing that needs to be removed is the coffin. The tinted plastic and rubber Dracula figure remove easily to reveal a small lamp board.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_remove_1.jpg

 

The outer coffin plastic is removed next, revealing the VUK chute and small ramp. The metal rail was removed at this point too.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_remove_2.jpg

 

The base plate for the coffin was then removed, giving me better access to the plastics below.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_remove_3.jpg

 

Then I was able to remove the rear ramp, opening the area right up for further disassembly.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_remove_4.jpg

 

The plastic from the top left of the playfield was removed next. The playfield isn't too filthy in this area.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_left_plastics_removed.jpg

 

The pop bumper area is quite filthy (check out the filth on the playfield surrounding those lane switches!). Luckily the pop bumper area is covered in mylar which has protected the playfield from wear over the years.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_dirty_popbumper_playfield.jpg

 

There's heavy ball trail marks around the orbit shot. I'm fairly confident this will clean away nicely though.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_orbit_ball_trails.jpg

 

There is a 3 bank of stand up targets I need to look at too. One of the targets has taken a real beating over time, with a nice chip missing from the target itself. In fact all 3 targets have been hammered as the metal arm behind each one has been bent backwards from repeated hits. The broken target is interesting as it looks like it's been painted yellow at some point in the past and has a hack metal support post attached. Not sure what the yellow paint was designed to do as it's only going to crack and peel (as it has done).

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_broken_target_closeup_1.jpg

 

Below the playfield we can see that it's certainly different from the others and has been worked on in the past. No matter though as the owner wanted all 3 replaced anyway (as with the other 3 bank done in the last update). I'll come back to these shortly.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_broken_target_closeup_2.jpg

 

The upper left section of the playfield was stripped, along with the skill shot lanes.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_left_playfield_stripped.jpg

 

On the rear panel of the playfield there is a plastic piece for the "Skill Shot". It has 3 lamps that sit behind it and I found one was missing the small black screw in socket (middle). I have a tub of these in different sizes so will replace this and also add an LED.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rear_panel_lamp_missing.jpg

 

Now to strip the upper right side of the playfield. The plastic pieces were removed first.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_right_plastic_removed.jpg

 

The upper right side of the playfield was now stripped bare, ready for cleaning.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_right_playfield_stripped.jpg

 

The upper playfield was now mostly empty, except for the pop bumpers and a layer of filth.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_playfield_stripped.jpg

 

The playfield for cleaned up with Nifti, Novus 2 and then Novus 1.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_playfield_cleaned.jpg

 

The cleaning successfully removed the heavy ball trail along the orbit.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_orbit_swirl_cleaned.jpg

 

Now was a good time to replace the targets on the upper target bank. The 3 old stand up targets were removed and replaced with new ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_target_bank_replaced.jpg

 

Before I progress with the pop bumpers, there was a small task on my to do list that had been on my radar for the last week. The wood on the rear panel of the playfield has a nice split along the left side of it.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rear_panel_split.jpg

 

This was filled with wood glue and then clamped for 24 hours. Now it's looking much healthier.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rear_panel_fixed.jpg

 

Time to get those pop bumpers off the machine so the final section of playfield can be cleaned.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_start.jpg

 

The pop bumpers were disassembled and removed from the game. As is often the case, filth loves to collect on the playfield in this area.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_playfield_dirty.jpg

 

The usual combo of Nifti, Novus 2 and Novus 1 made light work of the filth though and the playfield cleaned up nicely. Thankfully the large mylar piece in this area has protected the playfield artwork from damage. There's a small amount of bubbling with the mylar over the white and yellow inserts of the left side (leading to the hole).

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_playfield_clean.jpg

 

Something interesting I noticed when removing the pop bumpers was one of the shanks that the pop bumper assemblies attach to was missing from the playfield. I have some spares, so will replace this when installing the cleaned pop bumper assemblies shortly.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumper_shank_missing.jpg

 

Before I can begin rebuilding the playfield, there are still a few assemblies I need to work through. The drop target assembly was up next for cleaning.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_droptarget_assembly_dirty.jpg

 

The assembly was dissembled and all parts cleaned. A new black drop target piece and coil sleeve were purchased to replace the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_droptarget_assembly_clean.jpg

 

The coffin VUK assembly was up next. A new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were purchased to replace the old ones. The new grommet is missing from the photo as it sneakily rolled out of view (that's what I get for using steep pinball machines as tables).

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_large_vuk_clean.jpg

 

The ramp lift assembly was removed next for cleaning. This assembly is made up of 2 coils. First is a large one used to lift the ramp, which then locks the post in place. A second smaller coil is then used to release the post so the ramp lowers again.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_ramp_lift_assembly_dirty.jpg

 

The ramp lift assembly was disassembled and cleaned. A new coil sleeve was purchased to replace the old one.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_ramp_lift_assembly_clean.jpg

 

One last assembly to look at before the pop bumpers - the ramp diverter. This post moves vertically to guide the ball down a different path when engaged.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_ramp_diverter_clean.jpg

 

Time to get the pop bumpers cleaned up and ready to rebuild. Earlier, I had removed all the parts and set them aside for cleaning.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_dirty.jpg

 

As is often the case, at least one of the metal yokes were broken on the pop bumpers. As a rule, I always replace these anyway.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_brokenyoke.jpg

 

All metal parts went into the tumbler for cleaning. Lots of new parts were purchased - caps, bodies, coil sleeves, lamp sockets, yokes (metal & fiber) and skirts. I also purchased new switch spoons to replace the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_clean.jpg

 

The playfield parts for the top left section of the playfield were next for cleaning. All small metal pieces went through the tumbler. New star posts, single posts and lane guides were purchased to replace the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_left_playfield_parts_clean.jpg

 

The large metal orbit guide was cleaned next, along with the playfield parts that sit behind the upper 3 target bank.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_target_posts_clean.jpg

 

The playfield parts for the upper right section of the playfield were cleaned next. Again, all metal pieces went through the tumbler and new star posts were purchased.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_right_playfield_parts_clean.jpg

 

Finally, the lift ramp parts were cleaned up, ready to be installed.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lift_ramp_clean.jpg

 

Since all the assemblies and playfield parts were now clean, it's time to start rebuilding the upper playfield. The pop bumper bodies were installed first, followed by the posts, rails, rubbers and LED's. The pop bumper switch spoons were installed and the lamp sockets wired up. The pop bumper assemblies below the playfield were installed next, along with the metal rings.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_playfield_rebuilt_1.jpg

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_playfield_rebuilt_2.jpg

 

This update has filled up quicker than I had expected. The playfield is now really coming together. In the next update, I'll be cleaning up all the plastics, along with cleaning and installing all the ramps and rails that were removed in earlier updates. There's a few other presentation things to cover too which I can hopefully fit in to the next update.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Stop playing Jurassic :)

 

Tried to but failed ;)

 

Progress is happening, just slow at the moment (mostly due to family things).

 

Quick update:

- Plastics cleaned and installed

- Small broken plastic from pop bumper area purchased & replaced

- Lift ramp cleaned and installed

- Coffin parts & rail installed

- Large and small ramps disassembled and cleaned (ready to install now)

- Cabinet bolts cleaned and painted

- Speaker panel dismantled and grills sprayed, reassembled and installed

- Rear panel with chunk missing is now patched and being painted

- Remote battery pack made up

 

I have 4 weeks of holidays coming up shortly - but hope to have Dracula done by then :)

Edited by Jesder
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Just jokes mate Play your heart out new pins don't come along often enough.

 

I know mate, it's all good :023:

 

I had planned a photo of the Dracula toy inside the JP T-rex mouth as part of the next update post, but reassembled the coffin before taking it :(

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What do you think? Pinsound?

 

 

PinSound is pretty sweet from what I've seen of it. Not cheap from memory, but it's compatible with a large number of games. Which means you could always shift it from Dracula to Addams or another game.

 

It would be worth reaching out to @KJS as I'm fairly certain he has installed PinSound on a few machines now and can probably give you a good run down on what you would need to purchase and the cost involved to get the best value out of it.

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I've hit a busy period of the year for me, so progress has slowed some what on Dracula. There is also that new Jurassic Park machine that keeps telling me to play it instead of doing other things ;) First on my to do list for this update is cleaning the playfield plastics. These pieces are from the middle and top sections of the playfield and have been sitting patiently for the last few weeks waiting to be looked at. Each was cleaned with Nifti first and then finished with Novus 1.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_plastics_cleaned.jpg

 

There's a small plastic piece that sits between the right pop bumper and lift ramp that was broken. A replacement piece was purchased. The art on most of the plastics on this game are dull, but then most are covered by molds and ramps - so it would be wasted anyway.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_broken_plastic.jpg

 

I had been holding off installing the subway ramps under the playfield until all the assemblies were done as they cover a number of the bolts I need access to. But it was now time to get them installed once again. I cleaned the subway ramps up in an earlier update, so they just needed to be installed. There are 3 metal ball catches that feed into the subway ramps which were also cleaned up before installing.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subwayramp_ball_catch_cleaned.jpg

 

The parts that form the coffin and upper playfield were cleaned next. I've been told there is a forum thread somewhere dedicated to discussing how the Dracula toy looks like Jesus. I haven't been able to track it down, but the thought of it makes me laugh. The tinted coffin lid has some warping due to heat, but it's not too bad. I wasn't able to find a replacement, so it will have to stay.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_part_cleaned.jpg

 

The plastics were all installed, along with the small plastic ramp. Many of the old screws and lock nuts were replaced with new ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_plastics_installed.jpg

 

The coffin and metal rail were installed next.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_installed_1.jpg

 

Before advancing, the lights were switched on to ensure everything lit up as it should. It's a little dark around the upper corners of the playfield and the owner had asked me to add some extra lighting around there to brighten it up a bit - which i'll do shortly.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_installed_2.jpg

 

So close to the end now. The large ramp and metal rails were cleaned up next.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_large_ramp_cleaned.jpg

 

The two molds that decorate the middle section of the playfield were the last parts to be cleaned.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_molds_cleaned.jpg

 

While putting the ramp back onto the playfield, I noticed one of the opto wires was looking stressed and had a break in its shielding. With a gentle tug, the wire broke in two. This was repaired and the ramp installed.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_broken_opto_wire.jpg

 

Finally, the playfield was back together!

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_playfield_backtogether.jpg

 

The owner had asked me to light up the top section of the playfield a little as it's quite dark. I added a small LED strip on each side of the upper playfield to help light the ramp.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rear_lighting_added.jpg

 

The rear panel of the game was crying out for some attention. While my focus here is primarily cleaning, I felt I could improve it for the owner.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rearpanel_start.jpg

 

The metal parts from the rear panel were painted next. The power cable cover was done gloss black, while the power box and mesh were done in red. These are things that would be done at a restoration level, but felt I may as well do them now since I was in the area.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rearpanel_parts_painted_1.jpg

 

I also removed the grill from the rear of the headbox to clean, prime and spray red.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_headbox_grill_painted.jpg

 

The missing chunk from the rear of the cabinet was patched up and sanded, ready for painting.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rearpanel_damage_patched.jpg

 

The mesh and power box were installed back into the cabinet.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rearpanel_parts_installed_1.jpg

 

The old leg bolts and leg levellers will be replaced with new ones. I've also got some white nylon washers to install between the bolts and legs to prevent damage to the legs. The owner also supplied me with some felt cabinet protectors to sit between the legs and cabinet. I'll install these too. If you've spent time redoing the decals, then I'd avoid the felt and plastic protectors, instead going with the metal brackets.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_new_leglevel_and_bolts.jpg

 

The rear panel was repainted and the damage now gone.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rearpanel_fixed.jpg

 

New gliders were also installed.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rearpanel_complete.jpg

 

The headbox grill was installed once again too.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_headbox_grill_installed.jpg

 

That's it for the latest update. Probably the smallest one I've done for awhile (only 21 images instead of the usual 38 - 40 ;) ). The game is now ready for testing and that's my focus for the next few days. I still need to touch up the black paint around the front of the headbox which I'll do over the weekend. Beyond that, it should hopefully only be a few tweaks for anything that crops up while testing the game and then it's ready to go home. Close to the end now :)

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