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SEGA - Batman Forever - 1995 - Repair & Service Log


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It has taken me longer than expected to advance to the next pinball machine in the queue. I did have plans for a short break after completing Harley (I still need to get around to doing the final write up), but a parts delay delay and sorting out a few mechanical issues at the end of that game ate up the gap I had planned. Sometimes, that's how it plays out. The good news though, is this next game is one I'm really excited to be working on. It's been raining SEGA's here lately, with the next game up for a complete rebuild being a beautiful Batman Forever. It was released by SEGA in 1995 and roughly 2500 units were made. I don't think SEGA games get enough credit and as a result, people miss out on some great fun. The game has plenty to offer players, serving up multiple ramps, rails, a diverter, 3 flippers, pop bumpers, targets, drop targets, a VUK, canon, Bat cave ball lock, large display (192x64), video modes and up to 6 players at once. The only thing it's missing for me is a spinner. The game is also a widebody, but with plenty of things around the playfield, it feels filled to the brim. There's even an easter egg hidden in the game - "After a certain number of slingshot hits, after a 3 second lag, a giant bat will appear on the screen and screech at you. If you hit the trigger then you will get 50M extra points". I'll have to keep an eye out for that one - sounds like some easy points! There are a few issues that need to be sorted out along the way and I'll go in to those as I work my way through the game. For the most part though it's working well and just needs a good clean. Time to get started.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_day_1_start.jpg

 

At it's core, the game is in very good condition. With an almost perfect playfield and cabinet art still looking good - it will clean up very nicely once the dust and filth are cleaned away. The ramps are undamaged and the rails still have the green coating. The game powers up no problems, and you're able to play a game from start to finish.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_day_1_start_2.jpg

 

The game came out of a container imported to Australia from Italy a few years ago. It still has the original Italian ROM's. All the in game call outs are in English, but the displays are in Italian. The display has a vertical line missing.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_romset_italian.jpg

 

There are two display ROM's and a CPU ROM that need to be replaced. I got in contact with Ken's Pinball Repair to source some new English ROM's for the game. Ken's always excellent to deal with and has quick turn around, so I wasn't waiting long for the new ROM's to arrive.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_english_roms.jpg

 

Since I was in the headbox and had just updated the ROM's, now was a good time to install a remote battery pack. I make these up and they install directly in to the AA battery holders on the CPU board. You can modify the PCB to use a button battery (which last way longer), but I like this option as it leaves the board untouched and is easily removable. I like to use the enclosed holders so if the batteries did happen to leak, it's contained.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_remote_battery_pack.jpg

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_remote_battery_pack_installed.jpg

 

After installing the battery pack, I replaced several missing screws from various PCB's that were barely being held in place. Still in the headbox, I wanted to look at one of the display issues the game has. If the machine takes a nudge, the display can go off. You can then get the display on again with a tap or two on the display panel. The game isn't rebooting, just the display. So it's likely a poor connection on the headpins or connector. With the display panel down, I can see someone's been here before, with nuts missing from the display mounts and the earth straps loose.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_display_panel_start.jpg

 

The display is one of those large 192x64 dot matrix displays from SEGA. These beastly things have several large capacitors, what looks like a small transformer and a CPU that drives them.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_display_components.jpg

 

The display draws power from the power supply board in the headbox. I found that by gently touching one of the wires on the connector, the display would go on and off. The machine was switched off and the power supply board was removed for closer inspection. I was expecting to maybe see cracked solder joints on the header pins, but none were spotted. I reflowed fresh solder across the pins regardless. I examined the two connectors and noticed that one of the wires was not pushed in as well as it could be. I grabbed my trusty IDC tool and redid the connector at the power supply board and also at the display.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_display_connector_fixed.jpg

 

The power supply board was installed once again and the connectors put back in to place. The game was fired up and some testing done to see if I could get the display to switch off again. It was very easy to do before, but now, no matter how much I wiggled the wires or tapped the display, it remained on. No more display resets. Still on the headbox, one of the cool design features is the door can be removed from the hinges, which is great if you have to work from the right side of the game. Nice work SEGA!

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_headbox_door_hinge.jpg

 

Since I still had the backglass off, I may as well clean up the GI and flasher bulbs on the headbox door. There were serveal bulbs that were not working, which will be replaced.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_headbox_lamps_start.jpg

 

Each bulb is removed and cleaned individually to remove the crap that builds up on all the bulbs over the years. It's a small thing to do, but costs nothing to help lift the brightness and presentation of the machine.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_headbox_lamps_dirty.jpg

 

Before installing the bulbs again, I wiped the door clean. The bulbs where then installed back into door. The cleaned up bulbs deliver a bit more brightness to help light up the translite even more. I've replaced the two white condom covered bulbs with green, which are around the edges of the Batman logo. Before installing the translite again, the reverse side was cleaned up, along with the glass.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_headbox_lamps_clean.jpg

 

Alright, enough on the headbox for now. Time to look at some playfield things. My first step was to go through the machine looking for broken or worn parts that need replacing. I can't catch everything that's needed as sometimes you only find out certain parts are worn once you get the assembly off the playfield. I've worked on enough machines now though to make a good guess at what's needed based on the condition. After making a master list of the parts needed, I then price them all up against 4 or 5 suppliers to find the best prices and what makes the most sense to order from where. This can take some time, but is worth doing to try and save the owner some coin. Several parts orders were made up with various suppliers. Local orders are always quick, but the overseas ones take about 7 - 10 business days. I always like to get those done first.

 

While I'm waiting for the parts though, there are some other things I can continue on with. I'll start with the lamp matrix. When first powering the game on, I noticed a few lamps that were not lighting up in attract mode. Entering test mode, I made of note of all the lamps that were not working so each one could be looked at.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lamp_matrix_results.jpg

 

Under the playfield, most of the inserts are lit up via a series of lamp boards. I like to remove these and give all the bulbs and boards a good clean as they can attract a lot of filth. These weren't as bad as other games I've worked on lately, but still - let's clean them up. You can already see how clean the one bulb I replaced is compared with the others, so it's worth doing.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lampboards_dirty.jpg

 

All lamp boards were cleaned, along with each individual bulb. The non working bulbs marked down earlier were replaced as part of this step too.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lampboards_clean.jpg

 

While I had the lamp boards out, now was a good time to clean the underside of each insert. They weren't too bad on this game, but still it's worth taking a few moments to wipe away the filth.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_inserts_dirty.jpg

 

Each insert was wiped clean before the lamp boars were installed again.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_inserts_clean.jpg

 

One of the bulbs that failed to work was not on a lamp board but a #47 socket. This one is broken and will be replaced with a new socket.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lamp_socket_broken.jpg

 

With the lamps out of the way, I moved on to the switch, coil and flasher tests. A few flasher bulbs were found to not be working and will be replaced once I get playfield plastics off to reach them. The coil in charge of moving the bat cannon is a little unreliable and will need some attention. Over the last few days, all the parts orders arrived, giving me just about everything I need to work my way through the game. I love getting parts orders!

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_parts_arrived.jpg

 

Now to start looking at some playfield assemblies - my favorite part! As always, I like to start with the apron, so let's begin there. The apron is in really good condition. Those hideous instruction cards need to go though!

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_apron_start.jpg

 

I'm always excited to see what lies beneath the metal apron on a game when I start work on it. This one isn't too bad.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_apron_removed.jpg

 

The playfield surface under the apron wasn't filthy, but a quick wipe with my finger showed it can certainly do with a clean.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_apron_dirty.jpg

 

I removed all assemblies and playfield parts from the apron area and then gave it a clean with some Nifti. I finished off with some Novus 1. The surface was now looking much nicer.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_apron_area_clean.jpg

 

With the playfield around the apron area done, it was time to go through the assemblies. The laser kick assembly was first to be looked at.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_laser_kick_dirty.jpg

 

The assembly was disassembled and all parts cleaned. The old grommet and coil sleeve were replaced with new ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_laser_kick_clean.jpg

 

The auto laungh assembly was next. Very similar in design to the laser kick, only this one was missing its spring washer.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_auto_launch_dirty.jpg

 

The missing spring washer was replaced with a new one. A new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were sourced, along with having all other parts cleaned up.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_auto_launch_clean.jpg

 

The next assembly was the ball lock, which sits above the trough. This releases a ball that can then be served up to the player.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_ball_serve_dirty.jpg

 

It too was dissasembled and cleaned up. A new coil sleeve was sourced to replace the old one.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_ball_serve_clean.jpg

 

The ball trough itself collects a lot of filth over time.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_ball_trough_dirty.jpg

 

The trough was disassembled and cleaned. A new rubber grommet and coil sleeve replaced the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_ball_trough_clean.jpg

 

Lastly for the apron parts were the metal rails. The rails were cleaned up to remove ball trails and filth that had collected from years of use.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_apron_rails_clean.jpg

 

The assemblies were installed back on to the playfield, along with all the rails and playfield parts from the apron area.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_apron_rebuilt.jpg

 

The metal apron itself was disassembled and cleaned. The Tecnoplay sticker was removed and the goo cleaned up. The plastics were cleaned, along with the metal rails. New custom apron cards were printed out to replace the boring old ones. The metal screws and washers went through the tumbler for a good clean. The apron and decals are in excellent condition. Often these get scratched or marked and can have rust forming. But this one is excellent.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_apron_cleaned.jpg

 

The apron was reassembled and installed back onto the game to complete work on the apron area. There are 4 new balls ready to install in to the game, but i'll save that until the end.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_apron_complete.jpg

 

I have a small habit of jumbo sizing the content of my updates and I've managed to exceed the image limit Aussie Arcade has on a post this time. You can only include 40 images in a single post and this update has 47. Rather than cut content, I've split the update in to two parts - the second will be following shortly. I have to wait a short period before posting part B as AA will attempt to join the two posts together, which again breaks the image limit. Sometimes I wonder how much more repairs I'd get through if I skipped the write ups :lol

Edited by Jesder
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Update #1 - Part B

 

The next task on my to do list was the coin door. The coin door isn't in a terrible state, but could do with a freshen up. The main issue it has (outside of some scratches and marks) is a screw for one of the coin return housings is too big and has broken through the front of the plastic. Please people - Always check the length of screw you're going to use before using it!!

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_coindoor_start.jpg

 

I always like to replace the old foreign pricing inserts on the coin door with something custom to the game. It's a small thing, but really helps with the presentation of the game. I decided to go with the Joker's question mark for this game as it fits the shape well. New decals were created and installed into the coin return buttons.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_coindoor_pricing_inserts.jpg

 

The bolts used for the coin door and also the launch gun were cleaned up sprayed with multiple gloss black and clear coats to get them looking good again. While I had the gun off, I gave it a good clean and also.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_coindoor_bolts_ready.jpg

 

The coin door and components were cleaned up, masked off and then sprayed with multiple coats of gloss black and then clear.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_coindoor_painted.jpg

 

I don't want to do too much paint touch up on the game as the artwork is still pretty good. Around the button edges on the front panel could do with a freshen up though. Both buttons were removed so I could easily apply some fresh black paint.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_cabinet_buttons_start.jpg

 

While I had the buttons out, I decided to disassemble them for a good clean too. Filth had collected around the edges and inside the plastic.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_cabinet_buttons_removed.jpg

 

Both buttons were disassembled and fully cleaned before being installed back into the cabinet.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_cabinet_buttons_clean.jpg

 

The buttons on the front panel of the game were reassembled and installed back into the cabinet. Looking better now.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_front_buttons_complete.jpg

 

The gun launcher was cleaned up and installed again. The coin door was installed back into the machine also. Inside the coin door, several screws were missing for the earth wire and slam tilt switch. These were replaced. The key hook was missing and replaced. A SEGA coin door decal was included in the decal set I purchased for the targets, which I installed. A new lock was installed on the coin door, along with a small Batman key fob and red LED's on the coin slots to complete work on the front panel.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_coindoor_complete.jpg

 

One final thing to squeeze into this update was the knocker assembly. Sometimes I leave this until the end. But with the playfield already up, and tools out and and parts ready, I figured I may as well do it now. The assembly was removed from the cabinet for cleaning.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_knocker_assembly_dirty.jpg

 

The old coil sleeve and rubber grommet were replaced with new ones. The rest of the assembly was cleaned up, ready to go back into the machines.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_knocker_assembly_clean.jpg

 

That's it for the first update on Batman Forever. I like to work my way up the playfield in stages, that way I only have a few bits off the playfield at a time. But with games like this (Apollo 13, Baywatch and Whitewater also come to mind) it's more challenging to stick to that since you need to remove layers of ramps and rails to get to the playfield below. I'll be starting with the flippers and slingshots in the next update and will also strip back the rails and ramps allowing me easy access to the drop targets and pop bumpers.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Time for a quick update on the Batman Forever progress. For this post, I'll be focusing just on the assemblies and parts that form the playfield area. In general the area is in pretty good shape. There are a couple of small mylar patches below where the ball exits the return rails that have helped protect against playfield damage where the ball lands. The playfield condition in the area is really nice, with a only few marks around the insert edges - but nothing anyone should worry about. The playfield surface needs a clean though to remove a layer of filth that has formed over the years. It's not immediately visible to the eye, but when you run your fingers over the surface, you can feel it. The right slingshot has a small chip broken off the lower corner of the plastic, and the colours have faded somewhat on the left piece - but they are otherwise fine. Alright, let's get to it.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lower_playfield_start.jpg

 

The Bat cannon is the first thing I want to remove from the playfield in this update. It's located on the left sling shot and rotates around once loaded up, giving the player a chance to launch it at upper playfield targets / shots. The cannon has been a little unreliable in terms of its alignment and function. I want to give the whole assembly a solid clean and adjust the home position to it lines up correctly with the rail that loads it up.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_canon_start_1.jpg

 

Beneath the cannon is a simple kick type assembly that launches the ball once the trigger is pressed.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_canon_start_2.jpg

 

The launch assembly removes easily enough, and now allows access to remove the plastic and parts below. The small switch there is the safety switch, which prevents the ball from being shot too soon. As the cannon rotates, the switch deactivates and the player can then launch the ball.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_canon_removed.jpg

 

The plastics on the lower playfield area were next to be removed. The old blue star posts are looking tired and should be replaced. I'd like to replace the boring black single posts too with some nice transparent green or purple to help lighten the area up.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lower_playfield_plastics_removed.jpg

 

Time to start removing the assemblies from the lower playfield area for cleaning. First up are the flippers. These aren't too bad in terms of condition and still have plenty of power during play. I'll give everything a clean and a small rebuild with only a few pieces being replaced.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_flipper_assemblies_dirty.jpg

 

The two flipper assemblies were disassembled and all parts cleaned. New coil sleeves, stops, bushings and grommets were purchased to replace the old ones. New purple superbands and flipper bats were also purchased. All metal parts were cleaned up, leaving the assemblies ready to be rebuilt and installed back into the game.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_flipper_assemblies_clean.jpg

 

New SEGA flipper bats were sourced to replace the tired Euro style that were there previously. These ones have the Sonic logo on them, which is something I love about the SEGA pins.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_flipper_bats_new.jpg

 

The sling shot assemblies were next on my hit list. Both were removed from the playfield for cleaning.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_sling_shots_dirty.jpg

 

Both sling shot assemblies were disassembled and all parts cleaned. The only part needing to be replaced is the coil sleeve.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_sling_shots_clean.jpg

 

Next up was the bat cannon assembly. This is made up of a few parts. You have the cannon on top, which attaches to a motor that rotates it during play.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_cannon_assembly_dirty.jpg

 

The cannon assembly was dissembled and cleaned. A new bushing was purchased for the cannon shaft that rotates the kicker. A new rubber grommet and coil sleeve were also purchased. All other parts were cleaned up.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_cannon_assembly_clean.jpg

 

The lower playfield plastics were next to receive a clean. The old star posts and boring black single posts were replaced with new transparent posts. All metal parts went through the tumbler for a clean. The owner loves black rubber, so new black rings were source to replace the aged white rubber rings that were there before. All globes were cleaned up too to remove the filth that covered some. Any non working globes were replaced.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lower_playfield_parts_clean.jpg

 

The sling shot plastics that were on the game are in pretty good condition, with some colour loss on one and a small section missing on the other being the only issues. The owner had a brand new set spare, so I didn't hesitate to switch them in. The old ones are still good to keep as a backup though, just in case.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_sling_shots_new_plastics.jpg

 

Now that the assemblies were cleaned and ready to go back on to the playfield, it was time to clean the playfield surface. The metal rails were scrubbed clean with steel wool, along with the nails behind the slings and the metal switch arms. Anything loose on the playfield was vacuumed up and the remaining filth cleaned away with some Nifti and a soft cloth. It was finished off with some Novus 1.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lower_playfield_cleaned.jpg

 

The star posts were installed back on to the playfield, along with the single posts and new rubbers. I love replacing the black single posts here with transparent ones as they allow more light and colour through from the GI. Clear washers installed to protect the plastics.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lower_playfield_rebuilt_1.jpg

 

The last pieces were put back on to complete the lower playfield. There were a few worn spots on the black bat cannon, which I touched up before installing it. The area was now looking bright and clean.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lower_playfield_complete_1.jpg

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_lower_playfield_complete_2.jpg

 

The old flipper buttons are not in the best state, with some burns around both the button and housing.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_buttons_start.jpg

 

I decided to go with a transparent green set for Batman, along with making up a backlit kit for them from spare parts I had. The LED's plug in to lay down #555 sockets that draw power from the coin door GI (coin slots). Batman is such a cool theme and I think some lit flipper buttons will work well with it.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_backlit_button_kit.jpg

 

The sockets were wired up in the cabinet and we now have nicely lit buttons.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_backlit_flipper_button_complete.jpg

 

I had planned to cover the middle section of the playfield in this update too, but Aussie Arcade has an image limit per post (even when they are externally hosted like mine) of 40. There were already 21 images for this content and the next lot of photos I have ready for the middle playfield section and upper orbit area came in at another 30 - so would have blown that limit and had to do another split post like the last one. So instead, i'll make this a shorter one and do the middle section separately. The update will show more ramps and rails being removed, so I can access the middle and top section of the playfield. This will let me work on the drop targets, batcave ball lock and upper right flipper. I'll also include the orbit shot components too. After that will be the pop bumpers, VUK and ramps. Still a lot more to come :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's time for the third installment on the Batman Forever rebuild. I've been a little slower than I'd like getting this update posted, but it's been a busy time of year (and getting busier as we race towards Christmas). Having worked through the lower playfield areas in previous updates, I'm now going to focus on the middle playfield sections. This area is home to an upper flipper, some stand up targets and also a 4 bank of drop targets. There is an orbit shot which I want to remove the parts from and clean too as the rails are attached under some of the middle playfield plastics - so it's easier to deal with that now than have to remove plastics again to remove the orbit rails at a later time. To start with though, I'll need to remove various rails and ramps to get access to the playfield parts below. I'll start with the right side.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_mid_playfield_right_start.jpg

 

First step was to remove the return rail and green ramp from the right side of the playfield. I then had access to the plastics and metal rails below. There is a light layer of dust across the surface.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_mid_playfield_right_plastics_removed.jpg

 

I then shifted my attention to the left side of the playfield where the batcave is. This is the ball lock and allows you to capture up to 3 balls here.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_mid_playfield_left_start.jpg

 

Inside the batcave are two assemblies. One to lock and release a ball with the second being the kicker that launches it back in to play.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_mid_playfield_left_start_2.jpg

 

Also on this side of the playfield is a 4 bank of drop targets which are looking dirty and in need of a good clean.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_mid_playfield_left_start_3.jpg

 

The batcave and plastics were removed from the playfield. It's a bit of a fiddly area as everthing seems to be in the way of something else that you need to get to. Slow and steady though the parts come off. As with the right side, a light layer of dust across the playfield surface, but nothing too bad. It will all clean up easily.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_mid_playfield_left_plastics_removed_1.jpg

 

The two batcave assemblies were removed next. There are bolted to the side rail and playfield, so need to be undone from below the playfield surface.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_mid_playfield_left_plastics_removed_2.jpg

 

I'm going to deal with the orbit parts at the same time, so I need to remove the plastics and posts from the top left and right sections of the playfield. There is also a large plastic panel that covers the rear playfield panel, along with a series of flasher domes. I want to remove these now too and clean them up.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_playfield_orbit_right_start.jpg

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_playfield_orbit_left_start.jpg

 

The left and right orbit components were removed from the playfield, along with the rear panel plastics. There are some nice ball trails in the area, but I expect they will clean up without much trouble.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_playfield_orbit_right_plastics_removed.jpg

 

The left side also has a saucer assembly, which i'll remove and clean as part of this update too.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_playfield_orbit_left_plastics_removed.jpg

 

The flipper assembly was removed from the playfield for cleaning. The flipper still has plenty of power, so will mainly get a clean with a couple of new parts.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_upper_flipper_dirty.jpg

 

The flipper assembly was disassembled and all parts cleaned. A new coil sleeve, coil stop, grommet and bushing were purchased to replace the old ones. A new flipper bat was purchased too (again with the Sonic logo) and a purple super band.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_upper_flipper_clean.jpg

 

At the top left of the playfield is a saucer assembly. Since I'm including the orbit in this update, I figure it's worth doing this assembly now. The yellow base is filthy, but not broken.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_orbit_scoop_dirty.jpg

 

The saucer assembly was disassembled and all parts cleaned. A new coil sleeve was purchased to replace the old one. The saucer plastic cleaned up like new and the assembly was now ready to be rebuilt and installed back on to the playfield.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_orbit_scoop_clean.jpg

 

The next assembly on my list is the 4 bank drop target. These banks can build up quite a bit of filth over the years, although it's in much better shape than the two 4 banks I recently did on a SEGA Harley machine.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_drop_target_assembly_start.jpg

 

The drop targets take a beating over the years and often leave one or more broken. This game is no exception and one of the targets had a nice crack through it. I plan to replace all the targets anyway and give them new decals, so it's not a problem.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_drop_target_broken.jpg

 

The drop target bank was fully disassembled and cleaned. New drop targets were purchased, along with new target decals. A new coil sleeve was also purchased. Everything else cleaned up nicely and it was ready to get put back together.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_drop_target_assembly_clean.jpg

 

The drop target bank was rebuilt and ready to go back in to the machine. It's interesting that the target decal with 3 bats on it is mirrored in the repro compared with the original. While putting the write up together, I realised I had the third and fourth targets in the wrong order, so will need to swap them over.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_drop_target_assembly_complete.jpg

 

The kicker assembly was up next. This lives under the batcave and kicks a ball out from the ball lock once released. The assembly was disassembled and cleaned. A new coil sleeve and grommet were purchased to replace the old ones. Everything else was cleaned up.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_batcave_kicker_assembly_clean.jpg

 

These is a second assembly inside the batcave, which releases one locked ball at a time. This assembly was disassembled and all parts cleaned. A new coil sleeve and grommet were purchased to replace the old ones. Everything else cleaned up nicely.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_batcave_ball_advance_assembly_clean.jpg

 

With the assemblies ready, it was now time to clean the playfield surface. The right side was done first. Loose filth was vacuumed up, then the surface was cleaned with a soft cloth and Nifti. Finally the surface was given some Novus 1 and is now looking nice and shiny.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_mid_playfield_cleaned_1.jpg

 

The upper left and right corners were given the same treatment and all ball trails cleaned off without issue.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_mid_playfield_cleaned_2.jpg

 

The left side of the playfield was again given the same cleaning treatment. The metal rail that sits behind the drop targets was scrubbed down with steel wool before vacuuming to remove the built on crap it collects over the years.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_mid_playfield_cleaned_3.jpg

 

Now that the playfield and assemblies were ready, the last step before putting things back on is to clean the playfield parts. The two large plastic panels from the rear of the playfield were cleaned and polished. The left and right corner plastics were given the same treatment, along with the flasher domes. The flasher and GI bulbs were cleaned up and dead ones replaced. The metal rails for the orbit were scrubbed clean.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_orbit_playfield_parts_cleaned.jpg

 

Before installing the rear panel plastic and flasher domes again, I wanted to freshen up the screws. They were given a coat of gloss black and clear to have them looking great.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_rear_panel_screws_sprayed.jpg

 

The playfield components from the right side of the playfield were cleaned up next. New star posts were purchased and some more of the black single posts will be replaced with transparent coloured ones to again allow more light to shine through. New decals will be installed on the two stand up targets, along with fresh foam padding.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_middle_playfield_right_parts_clean.jpg

 

The playfield components from the left side received the same treatment. Everything was now ready to go back on to the playfield.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_middle_playfield_left_parts_clean.jpg

 

The flipper assembly was installed back on to the playfield, along with the metal rails, posts, rubbers and new decals on the stand up targets.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_middle_playfield_right_rebuilt_1.jpg

 

The plastics were installed next to get the right side complete (minus the rails, which will go on last).

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_middle_playfield_right_rebuilt_2.jpg

 

The drop target bank was installed again, along with the two batcave assemblies. The posts and rubbers went back on also.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_middle_playfield_left_rebuilt_1.jpg

 

Lastly, the plastics went back on to complete the left side (again minus the rails, which will go back on at the end with the batcave cover).

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_middle_playfield_left_rebuilt_2.jpg

 

The lower and middle playfield sections are cleaning up nicely.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_middle_playfield_complete.jpg

 

That finishes off the lower and middle sections of the playfield. Next up will be the upper playfield area. This includes the VUK, some rails, a diverter arm and also the pop bumpers. I'll need to remove the remaining plastics and ramp to get access to the playfield first. The game is cleaning up well and I think is going to look great once complete. Until next update :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Batman Forever has been cleaning up really nicely. The game is in excellent condition, which makes my task easier. In this update, i'm now going to work through the last of the playfield assemblies so I can begin getting everything back together for a proper test. That means for this progress report, I'll be covering the top playfield section. This includes the VUK, ramp diverter and three pop bumper assemblies. I already covered the orbit rail, saucer assembly and upper left and right playfield / plastics in a previous update, so won't need to worry about those now. There's a large ramp and rail that will need to be removed first, but from there it should be smooth sailing.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_top_playfield_start.jpg

 

I'm going to start with the top right section where the VUK assembly lives. There is also a small metal ramp and rail which returns the ball into the orbit. First step was to remove the return rail that sits over the VUK. There are a couple of layers of plastics in this area, some of which need to be removed first in order to the rail off the playfield.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_last_rail_removed.jpg

 

From there it's a quick process to get the remaining plastics and rails off the playfield.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_top_right_playfield_stripped.jpg

 

A thin layer of filth covers the playfield surface. Overall the game isn't anywhere near as filthy as some I've worked on.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_top_right_playfield_dirty.jpg

 

At this point I decided to remove the large ramp on the left of the playfield as it was getting in the way while trying to remove parts. I'll be coming back to the left side shortly to deal with the pop bumpers. I could do it all at once, but I like to avoid having too many pieces off the playfield at the same time and focus on smaller sections.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_main_ramp_removed.jpg

 

The VUK assembly was removed from the playfield for cleaning.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_vuk_assembly_dirty.jpg

 

The assembly was disassembled and all parts cleaned. A new coil sleeve and grommet were purchased to replace the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_vuk_assembly_clean.jpg

 

The next step was to clean the playfield surface. After some Nifti and Novus 1, the playfield around the top right section was looking great and ready to be rebuilt. I'm not sure what the story is with the darker coloured stand up target. They should all be using the lighter green target faces, so it's possible this one has been installed while the game was in the wild.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_top_right_playfield_clean.jpg

 

Since the playfield was ready, the playfield parts required cleaning next. The old black posts were replaced with transparent ones, like elsewhere on the playfield. Dead globes were replaced while the working ones were cleaned up. All small metal pieces (including the rails) went for a session in the tumbler. The plastics were cleaned up too. Part of the decal set includes decals for the stand up targets, which I will install.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_top_right_playfield_parts_clean.jpg

 

The VUK assembly was installed back under the playfield and the playfield parts were installed once again. New foam pads were also installed on the stand up targets. The playfield is in an amazing condition and is looking great lit up. I think this is a game that would suit LED's. I still need to install some of the plastics again, but will hold off until I'm ready to put the VUK rail back on.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_top_right_playfield_rebuilt.jpg

 

With the top right section complete, I shifted my attention to the left side where the pop bumpers are. The caps and plastic pieces were first to be removed.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_top_left_playfield_start.jpg

 

Then all the posts and rubbers were removed. Just like everywhere else, a thin layer of dust covers move surface areas.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_top_left_playfield_dirty.jpg

 

The rail diverter assembly was removed from the playfield for cleaning. This hooks up to a trap door on one of the rails via a small wireform, which was sent off to the tumbler for cleaning.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_diverter_assembly_dirty.jpg

 

The assembly was disassembled and cleaned. A new coil sleeve and nylier were purchased to replace the old ones. The assembly was bagged up and set aside until the playfield was ready to be rebuilt.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_diverter_assembly_clean.jpg

 

The pop bumpers were removed from the playfield for a complete rebuild. These things get really filthy over the years. The metal parts will be going into the tumbler, while a number of parts (like the bodies, skirts, spoons and caps) will be replaced.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_popbumper_assemblies_dirty.jpg

 

Since everything was removed from the playfield area, I could now give it a clean. It didn't take much. Steel wool was used on the metal rails to clean away crap that had collected there. Anything loose was vacuumed up and then the surface cleaned with Nifti and finished off with Novus 1. I'll be coming back to deal with those stand up targets shortly. There is a large factory mylar patch around the pop bumper area which has preserved the playfield from years of use.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_top_left_playfield_clean.jpg

 

Next up I wanted to rebuild the pop bumpers. New coil sleeves, caps, bodies, skirts, switch spoons and yokes (metal + fiber) were purchased. New cap decals were included in the decal set, which will be used too. The game originally used white skirts on the pop bumpers, but I felt those were too plain. There are lots of nice blues, greens and purples across the playfield, so went with purple skirts for the rebuild. All metal pieces went through the tumbler. The owner has asked me to install LED's on the pop bumpers which I think is a good idea. Replacing the globes on the pop bumpers is real pain since you have to get through a few layers of rails and ramps. LED's will last much longer, so he won't need to worry about replacing them.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_popbumper_parts_clean.jpg

 

The playfield parts from the top left section were also cleaned up. The black posts were replaced with coloured transparent version. New blue start posts will be installed around the pop bumper area, along with new rubbers and post sleeves. All small metal parts went through the tumbler. I recently purchased a fresh container of tumbler media which is making a difference with the cleaning results. Dead globes were replaced, while working ones cleaned up. The plastics were cleaned up too and new decals will go on to the start up targets. Four new blue lane guides were also purchased to replace the old ones.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_top_left_playfield_parts_clean.jpg

 

Everything was installed back on to the playfield again. The new target decals were also installed on the 4 stand up targets, along with fresh foam padding.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_playfield_top_left_rebuilt.jpg

 

Lastly, the pop bumper caps and plastics were installed back on to the playfield again. I decided to use clear washers around the large plastic piece in the pop bumper area to give it protection against chipping.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_playfield_top_left_rebuilt_2.jpg

 

I wasn't happy with the washed out look the four blue lane guides had with the bulbs below them. I decided to swap in some blue bulbs instead, giving more colour to the lane guides.

 

http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/batman/batman_playfield_top_left_rebuilt_3.jpg

 

That's all for the 4th update. Next up I will be cleaning the two large green ramps, along with all the metal pieces associated with them. I'll also clean up the rails and get all the remaining parts back on to the playfield. I want to do some paint touch up on the inside of the cabinet - a nice gloss black gives off more light and reflection. The headbox needs some touching up too and then hopefully it's testing time!

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