Episode 107 - Broken Switch Replacement

For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast·podcast_episode·10m 14s·analyzed·Jun 26, 2015

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.017

TL;DR

Technical guide to replacing broken relay and switch stack components in EM pinball machines.

Summary

Nick Baldridge provides a detailed technical guide on identifying and replacing broken switches in electromechanical pinball machines, covering switch types, disassembly procedures, desoldering, and reassembly. The episode emphasizes the challenges specific to Gottlieb machines with smaller switches, practical tips like using twist ties during disassembly, and the importance of consulting schematics to understand switch function.

Key Claims

Gottlieb machines use smaller, more rigid switch blades with shorter travel than other EM manufacturers, making them more difficult to work on initially but less prone to going out of adjustment once tuned.
high confidence · Nick Baldridge, host of For Amusement Only podcast, speaking from experience and referencing Jeffrey Lawton interview for corroboration.
You can substitute end-of-stroke flipper switch short blades into relay switch stacks as a workaround for broken switches, but you cannot easily scale down switch sizes without risking coil damage.
high confidence · Nick Baldridge providing practical maintenance advice based on component compatibility.
Switch stacks are comprised of tightly press-fit bakelite plates and insulating cylinders that require gentle prying to disassemble, with small parts that easily scatter.
high confidence · Nick Baldridge describing physical disassembly process.
Long blade switches in relays must be cut to match the exact length of existing long blades in that relay to ensure proper actuation without being too long or short.
high confidence · Nick Baldridge explaining switch sizing requirements.
Every switch in an EM pinball machine was included for a reason and cannot be freely removed; consulting schematics is important to understand switch function.
high confidence · Nick Baldridge emphasizing the importance of understanding design intent.

Notable Quotes

“On a Gottlieb machine, one of the things that makes them a bit more difficult to work on than any other manufacturer is that the relays use these tiny, teeny tiny switches that have a very short travel.”
Nick Baldridge @ ~0:45 — Identifies a key design characteristic of Gottlieb machines that affects maintenance and repair difficulty.
“So, if you happen to have spare end-of-stroke switches for flippers, you can take part of the end-of-stroke switch, the short blade, and pop it in the relay switch stack, and it'll work just fine.”
Nick Baldridge @ ~4:30 — Practical tip for technicians on component compatibility and creative problem-solving during repairs.
“You want to pull it straight back if possible... you're going to realize very quickly that the switch stack is made of a bunch of teeny tiny little pieces, and as you pry it apart, those pieces are going to want to go flying.”
Nick Baldridge @ ~7:00 — Emphasizes the care and attention required during disassembly to avoid losing critical small parts.
“Make sure that the contact on the new switchblade is pointing in the appropriate direction so that when you reassemble, it will actually make contact with the long blade.”
Nick Baldridge @ ~13:15 — Critical detail to prevent reassembly errors that would render the repair ineffective.
“Improvising a spacer is not recommended.”
Nick Baldridge @ ~9:30 — Warning against shortcuts that could compromise machine reliability.

Entities

Nick BaldridgepersonJeffrey LawtonpersonSteve Youngperson Gottliebcompany Ballycompany WilliamscompanyPinball ResourcecompanyFor Amusement Onlyorganization

Signals

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content_signal: For Amusement Only podcast continues to provide detailed technical educational content focused on EM pinball maintenance and repair, establishing itself as a learning resource for technicians and enthusiasts.
high · Episode 107 delivers step-by-step instruction on switch replacement with specific manufacturer comparisons and practical troubleshooting tips.
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restoration_signal: Detailed methodology for identifying, disassembling, and replacing broken switches in EM relay mechanisms, with emphasis on parts preservation and proper reassembly procedures.
high · Comprehensive walkthrough of switch identification, relay disassembly, parts management using twist ties, soldering sequence, and adjustment verification.
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community_signal: Nick Baldridge uses cross-podcast referencing (Jeffrey Lawton interview) and publicly available contact information to facilitate community learning and engagement around EM pinball maintenance.
high · Episode references prior interview, provides multiple contact methods (email, social media, website), and encourages listeners to reach out with questions.
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product_concern: Switch blade failure is a common maintenance issue in EM pinball machines, necessitating repair procedures that account for manufacturer-specific design challenges and parts sourcing from parts machines or suppliers.
high · Entire episode dedicated to switch replacement procedure, acknowledging switches as frequent failure points requiring sourcing from parts machines or Pinball Resource.
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design_philosophy: Gottlieb's design choice of smaller, shorter-travel switches reflects engineering constraints or deliberate design philosophy that has consequences for both initial assembly difficulty and long-term maintenance stability.

Topics

EM pinball machine switch replacement and repairprimaryRelay switch stack disassembly and reassembly proceduresprimaryGottlieb machine-specific technical challengesprimarySwitch blade types (long blade vs short blade) and sizing requirementsprimaryComponent sourcing and parts availability for EM machinessecondaryDesoldering and soldering techniques in pinball repairsecondaryBakelite switch stack construction and material propertiessecondarySchematic reading and understanding switch function in circuit designsecondary

Sentiment

neutral(0)

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.031

What's that sound? It's For Amusement Only, the EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast. Welcome back to For Amusement Only, this is Nick Baldrige. Today I thought I'd get back to my riveting technical discussion and talk about how to change a broken switch. The first thing to do is to identify the size and application of the switch. If you're changing a switch inside a relay, which is where they are most commonly broken, or on the score motor, I guess that would be second. But on a relay, you need to identify how long the switch is, and the size of the contact area. On a Gottlieb machine, one of the things that makes them a bit more difficult to work on than any other manufacturer is that the relays use these tiny, teeny tiny switches that have a very short travel. If you listen to my Jeffrey Lawton interview, he talks about that as well. And that's honestly something that I don't enjoy very much. about working on Gottliebs, but I will say, again, once they're tuned up, you know, and working appropriately, they tend not to go out of adjustment, and I feel like that's probably because of the shorter travel and the smaller, more rigid switch blades. So, if you're working in a Bally or Williams or any other EM manufacturer and you're inside a relay, the switches tend to be of a pretty similar length between all the other manufacturers. the next thing to analyze is whether or not your broken switch is the long blade or the short blade. The long blade extends through the relay actuator plate and has a contact somewhere further down that makes actual contact with the small blade Changing out the larger blade means that you are going to have to get a switch, either from a parts machine or from Steve Young at Pinball Resource, and cut it down to the appropriate size. It needs to extend just beyond the actuator plate so that when the actuator moves, it actually moves that long blade. This is going to be pretty easy to do because you want to cut it to the exact same length as all the other long blades in that particular relay. Don't make it longer. Don't make it shorter. Just make it exactly the same length. As far as the short blade, most relays use a standard size switch. And they require a standard contact. They don't have to be the special tungsten contacts or silver contacts for high current applications like on a flipper. But, a little trick, if you happen to have spare end-of-stroke switches for flippers, you can take part of the end-of-stroke switch, the short blade, and pop it in the relay switch stack, and it'll work just fine. So you can certainly scale up to a higher current switch, but you can't as easily, certainly, scale down. That is how things don't work and coils start smoking. So changing the switch physically requires that you pull apart the relay, the switch stack. A relay is typically made of two switch stacks, which are set up side by side. And you will take a flathead screwdriver and unscrew two screws. That will allow you to remove one whole switch stack You want to pull it clear of the relay actuator plate When you do so you want to be careful not to shear off any of the long blades in the switch stack So pay attention and don't use a twisting motion to get it free. You want to pull it straight back if possible. then what you have to do is take a flat bladed screwdriver and pry apart the switch stack the reason you have to pry it apart is because the switch stack is comprised of many small bakelite plates and two insulating cylinders. Those cylinders are very tightly press fit into the Bakelite spacers, and so you have to very gently pry them apart. Now, when you do so, you're going to realize very quickly that the switch stack is made of a bunch of teeny tiny little pieces, and as you pry it apart, those pieces are going to want to go flying. So make sure you're working in an area where you have either something down or you have your hand underneath it to catch the parts as they come free because they're going to go rocketing off somewhere that you don't expect and then you're going to have to improvise. Improvising a spacer is not recommended. So So once you pry it apart to the broken switchblade, you want to remove the previous switchblade from the stack. At this point, I will take twist ties, like from loaves of bread, and twist tie off the pieces and parts into the portions of the stack so that it's easier to reassemble. This is just a time-saving thing. You can also just kind of set the pieces aside if you're fairly confident that you're not going to bump into them and knock all of the Bakelite pieces onto the floor. Or worse, underneath the bottom board in your EM, which typically contains a transformer and a bunch of other relays. So you gotten the bad switch out but now you need to desolder it You can certainly desolder it before taking the switch stack apart but I find it a little easier once the whole thing is taken apart to pull the broken switch blade free And once this is done, take your new switch blade, ensure that the contact is pointing in the appropriate direction. and I'll say that again for emphasis, make sure that the contact on the new switchblade is pointing in the appropriate direction so that when you reassemble, it will actually make contact with the long blade. Never done it, but it would certainly be easy to reassemble upside down. Once the new switch is in place, at this point, I will solder in the wire, if it's easy to do so. If it's not, then I will reassemble more of the switch stack until it's appropriately sandwiched. Then I will solder in the wire, and then reassemble the rest of the switch stack, and then screw it back down and then adjust if need be. So, it's pretty simple. It can be daunting, but remember that those switches were put in the game for a reason. You may not realize right away what the purpose of that switch is, and this is where the schematic comes in handy. but realize that if a part could have been removed, it certainly would have been removed. These switches were not free, after all. So, that's all for tonight. Thank you again for joining me in reassembling your switch stacks. My name again is Nicholas Baldridge. You can reach me at 4amusementonlypodcast at gmail.com. You can listen to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, via RSS, on Facebook, on Twitter at Bingo Podcast, and you can find me on Instagram at nbaldridge. And you can listen to us on our website, which is 4amusementonly.libsyn.com, on which you can purchase a t-shirt. Thank you again for listening, and I'll talk to you next time.