So you just bought your first Electro-Mechanical (a.k.a. EM), it's dirty, and maybe you're afraid to start it up?  Well I've added this page to hopefully help you with an idea of where to start, or at least, let you know where I start.  The following information is in text form with links to pictures.  My next phase of work is to create a document with the pictures in line and store it as a "PDF" file that can be downloaded and read using Adobe Acrobat.

There are  two reasons to clean a game.  One is because you have bought a working game and you are known as a "proactive" person, so you want to keep it clean in order to play well.  The other is that you just bought a game, and perhaps it isn't working right or at all, and it needs a good cleaning in addition to other maintenance.  You should approach a problem like this in a different way when cleaning the contacts on the game (forget the playfield and plastics for a moment).  Don't clean and adjust every single contact for the dirty game that works to some degree.  Instead, figure out what isn't working right and go to that section of the game and clean and gap the relevant contacts.  If you simply clean and adjust all contacts you will probably introduce some problems you didn't begin with and will have a hard time figuring out what caused all of your headaches.  You should fix one section at a time and then test the results rather than tackling several problems and trying to determine where you might have introduced a new problem.

Before I start with what I do for cleaning, you should check out Clay's  "Repairing EM Flipper Pinball Games" page that describes how to repair an EM game.  He has lots of pictures and does a very good job discussing a subject that's not that easy to discuss in detail (although he makes it look easy!).  Check it out.  He has a different level of detail than me.

When I bought an old game that wouldn't fire up, I would simply release the front rail, slide out the glass, prop up the playfield using the game's prop rod, and just start looking around for trouble to fix on the underside of the playfield or the "circuit board" (the piece of plywood on the bottom of the game containing some relay stacks, score motor, etc.).  Eventually I needed to clean the game after I got it working.   Here's the order I clean things which will hopefully help you with getting the game at least cleaned up to the point that you can plug it in, ensure it still works right, and then play away.

Clean The Outside

Clean the outside of the game first.  I use Naptha on the main box, steel legs, back box (all surfaces including the metal back box cover).  Naptha will remove the dirt, grime, cigarette stains, etc., but I would recommend that you watch your cleaning cloth for paint colors.  If you see colored paint on your rag, then it is probably dissolving some paint (not good). Some folks use "409" to clean a game box but remember that it contains ammonia. To test the results of my cleaner, I start on the top of the back box since it is made of the same paint but is not as visible as other places.   Naptha is frequently used to clean Antique furniture and evaporates pretty quickly.  It's also a toxic chemical so watch out.  You'll want some ventilation too.  I use old T-shirts that I've washed and then cut into squares for rags.  If you don't like Naptha, you can use some of the Ammonia-based soapy cleaners diluted somewhat, and applied with a sponge.  If my game has a lot of dirt/mud on it (yes, I've actually gotten games like that), then I start with the Ammonia-based soapy stuff right off the bat, then I move to Naptha.  I usually do one pass turning my rag frequently until the rag looks pretty dirty, and end with another clean rag going over everything once more.

 

Clean The Top Of The Glass

Clean the glass surfaces with a streak-free glass cleaner.  I do the playfield glass at this stage (rather than later) because when I pull the glass off and store it, I lay it down in such a way that the dirty side of the glass will be facing up when I slide it back in.   Nothing worse than starting to fool around with a big piece of glass when it's time to put stuff back together and you realize that you have to clean both sides.  One time I did that and my hands were a little wet from the glass cleaner and as I was flipping it over in mid-air, it slipped, and yikes, there went $25 all over the floor.   By storing it so the dirty side is up you don't have to worry so much about dust getting all over the cleaned side of the glass (since the clean side is face down).  Since it can be somewhat hard to find a place to lay the glass down on a flat surface, I often move a chair next to the wall and stand the glass on end resting on the bottom of the chair and carefully lean the glass against the wall.

 

Release The Front Rail

Pop the front rail up using the metal release lever towards the right side of the coin box door opening, put the rail in a temporary parts storage box (being careful to hang onto the glass while you remove the front rail because now there is nothing to keep the glass from sliding out), slide the glass out, and store it either leaning up against a wall, or flat with the dirty side up. Do not store it on a nearby Pinball game's glass. I did this once and didn't think it could slide off, went upstairs to get a drink of water and a very loud crashing sound filled the air.   Hmmmm, another $25 down the drain and a half hour of cleaning up pieces of glass.  Somehow or another Murphy's law kicks in to make it slowly slide until it gets momentum to slide off when you aren't near it.

 

Vacuum The Game

Fire up the vacuum cleaner (I use the round dust attachment) and vacuum out the slots for the playfield glass and the entire playfield surface.  Next I pull the plunger rod back (or you can bust the rubber tip on the end of the plunger rod), and after lifting the playfield up, I find a place to prop up the playfield using the center part of the playfield underside.  You could use the metal prop rod that comes with games (didn't know there was one?), but it can torque the playfield to one side a little and doesn't really feel all that sturdy to me.  Some folks say to lean it all the way back against the back box, but most of the time I find the cables won't reach or it becomes questionable that it will stay upright by itself.  Besides, most of the older games don't have a metal rack for sliding it forward and then leaning it back against the back box (they use wood rails instead of metal).  Now for newer Electronic games it's a whole different story, you definitely can pull them forwards and lean them back against the back box.

I have a friend that has a bungee cord that he uses to secure the playfield to the back box (he removes the metal cover that covers the back box and secures one end of the bungee cord to the back box over the top, and the other end just inside where the ball drains).  He claims it has never fallen but I almost got whacked on the head once so I use the 1X2 method.  Since I use a Shop Vac (that doesn't use a vacuum cleaner bag) for Pinballs exclusively, I don't care if I vacuum up screws, coins, parts, etc., since I can always retrieve them later.   Anyway, I vacuum the entire insides of the box.  Next I move to the back box and vacuum it too.  By this time it means that the game is pretty much free of loose dirt, metal particles, dust, mice nests, broken game pieces, coins, etc.

 

Examine Score Motor Contacts

Now I go through the bottom of the game where the score motor resides and examine all the contacts.  Note that you don't HAVE to adjust each and every contact or even clean the contacts since my assumption is that you have the game working.  Rather, you may want to be sure that there isn't any broken pieces laying on the contact stacks, coil stops aren't missing a screw or are loose, or that the contact stacks are loose and need to be tightened up.

 

Clean Switch Contacts

If you really want to clean every contact (what's wrong with you anyway?) try and stick to a game function and clean/adjust only those related contacts, turning the game back on when you finish each functional section to ensure the game still works right.  For cleaning contacts, I use a "whetstone" type of burnishing file that looks like an Emory board.  Check out my Pinball Links page to find places where you can buy the tools or you can also check for local Pinball dealers that may stock them.  I kind of pinch the contacts together with my left two first fingers while I slide the whetstone back and forth between the contacts with my right hand.  This is assuming I can actually get my fingers in the right place to pinch the contacts together.  Sometimes you have to put a screwdriver or something behind the stationary contact as a "brace" in order to be able to put enough pressure on one contact so that you can actually accomplish the cleaning.  After I finish the contact burnishing using the Whetstone flexible file, I readjust the point gap to about 1/16th of an inch and then run a business card between the contacts to get rid of any metal particles.

 

Vacuum After Contact Cleaning

I vacuum the "circuit board" one more time to get up anything I may have loosened up during the previous exercise.  Then I get an old white Water Bed cloth liner that I cut to fit inside the box and  lay it over the plywood "circuit board."  This has saved me more grief than you can imagine.  I cut it a little longer and wider and flip all four sides up so that any screws, washers, solder, etc., that fall off while I'm working on the underside of the playfield land on a nice white, easy-to-see cloth rather than searching around inside a dark box  for stuff.

 

Clean Score Wheels

Next I pull loose the score wheels from the inside of the back box.  It's sort of hard to describe how you remove them, but usually there's a metal "tang" that is pushed down (or up depending on the manufacturer) to slide the score wheel backwards towards you.  Then I use some mild soapy water to wipe each of the wheels which usually works pretty good for cleaning the wheel.   I use a sponge and then go back with a dampened paper towel.  These score wheels for whatever reason get very dirty with what looks like unusually black dirt.   While I'm at it, I put a few drops of sewing machine oil on the spring loaded main shaft of the score wheel (not too much or it'll just attract dirt).

 

Clean Playfield & Plastics

My next step is to clean the playfield plastics.  By this time I have already obtained the rubber O-rings that are used in the game, and boxes of #44 or #47 light bulbs. I usually use the #47 light bulbs since they don't get as hot as the #44s.  Note that #47 light bulbs work well for the older games but it isn't as big a deal for the newer Electronic games since after a short period of time they automatically dim the bulbs.  As I take off each plastic artwork piece I do three things:

1) Clean the playfield surface under the plastic artwork pieces with Novus #2 cleaner followed up with Novus #1.
2) Clean the plastic piece that I remove using Novus #1 cleaner.
3) Clean and adjust any target/slingshot contacts that are only accessible when the plastic artwork is removed.  Always remember to adjust the stationary contact rather than the one that moves (unless the one that moves is bent out of whack, then you should straighten it out first)!

You need to be careful around cleaning plastic playfield pieces because sometimes you will remove the artwork if you use too strong a cleaner (such as Windex).   I use Novus #1 Plastic Cleaner to clean these pieces with a soft paper towel.   I also soak the plastic stand-offs in a soapy solution.  By now the playfield surface that I cleaned earlier has hazed over so I use an old T-shirt piece of cloth to wipe the playfield surface clean.

I burnish any target or slingshot contacts and use my contact adjusting tool to set the gap (the gap varies depending on whether a slingshot is involved or not.  If a slingshot is involved the gap is a little wider since if too close, the slingshot rubber will vibrate like a guitar string and cause the contacts to rapidly open and close resulting in a slingshot that fires multiple times when it really shouldn't be.  I always replace the light bulb rather than testing the existing one (I test the light bulbs later when I don't have anything better to do).  Then I remove the plastic stand-offs from their soaking bath and use an old toothbrush to clean them some more since they probably have old game wax on them.  I dry them off with a paper towel and slip O-rings on them (if required) or put the larger O-rings that span more than one plastic stand-off. Then I put the plastic piece back in place before I move on.  I repeat this process for all the plastic pieces.

Next I clean the pop bumpers (AKA jet bumpers on Williams games).   I also clean the bumper cap (typically they have 100 points or so painted on them) and replace the light bulb that is underneath the cap.  Watch out for the paint coming off of the numbered bumper caps.  I find that this will happen quite easily on the older games.

 

Examine Bumper Mylars & Repairing Jet Bumpers

This is a good time to check for the circular Mylar (or worse yet, no Mylar) that is usually adhered to the playfield below the plastic "skirts" (actually, the Mylar usually isn't adhering to the playfield any more on old games - it is either missing or just a loose dirty piece of thin plastic).  Now this is where things can become a real pain.  If you need to replace the circular playfield Mylar I feel sorry for you, but it must be done to keep from chewing up your playfield, so read on, otherwise skip to the next step.

You can order the circular Mylar from a Pinball parts place, or you can make your own by using a tuna can as a template and carefully cutting a circle out of a piece of Mylar that is used to cover and seal documents (can buy it from any store that supplies office supplies - even KMART sells them).   Of course, you will need to de-solder the wires from the underside of  the playfield that go to the light bulb, and also remove the two nuts from the mechanism that pulls the round metal ring downwards (this is the thing that forces the ball to fly away from the bumper when the ball strikes the plastic "skirt" and trips the bumper solenoid).  I also clean the "spoon" that the skirt point rests in because it usually has a lot of dirt and grease in it.

Review my page on repairing jet bumpers here.

 

Polish The Playfield

By this time I assume you've cleaned the playfield pretty good (for example, using Novus  #2 followed by Novus #1), it's shiny and smooth, you have new O-rings, pop bumper parts are all OK, and the Mylar circles have been replaced or are in good shape.  Some folks use either "Mill Wax" or "Wildcat" on the playfield surface.  Some folks even use Carnuba car wax on the surface (not the petroleum distillate-based stuff), buffing it up to a good shine.   I use Novus# 3 to remove fine dirt that is in the ball trough and along the top of the playfield where the ball travels (looks like a dirty arc across the top of the playfield), followed by Novus# 2, then Novus #1.

I'm a little leery of petroleum based products due to one of them lifting some paint off of my playfield once.  On the other hand, I know others that use Wildcat or Mill Wax all the time and have never reported a problem.  You definitely won't want to do this on the newer Electronic games.  Personally I'd just use the Novus and stay away from the petroleum-based products.  I also use Zymol Carnuba wax for my games.  If you've never seen some of these products, take a look at Novus #1/#2/#3, Mill Wax, and Wildcat.

 

Examine Underside Of Playfield

After all of the playfield has been cleaned, I lift and prop it back up and examine the underside of the playfield for problems.  I closely examine the contacts found under the playfield and adjust them as necessary.  Got a sticky flipper or one that just doesn't seem to have enough "oomph?"  Check the End-Of-Stroke contacts for the flipper in question.  They're probably opening too early.  I adjust it such that  the contacts don't open until just before the flipper has completed its travel - about a 1/16 of an inch gap.   I usually turn on a game with the playfield propped up and exercise each of the playfield targets, pop bumpers, rollover switches, kickouts, and slingshots to ensure something bad isn't going on under the playfield that you couldn't otherwise see with the game buttoned up.  By the way, if the contacts aren't clean or have arced creating pitted contact points, you may even see a green arc when you exercise one of these items. You will want to file the points or even replace them if you have too serious a problem.

 

Tilt Mechanism

Are you familiar with the game tilt mechanism or even where it is or what it is?  If not, check out my tilt mechanism page.  You will want to be sure and have the tilt plumb bob adjusted right and now is just as good a time as any to see if it is even there. Follow the link and read the discussion on how the tilt works.

 

Check Coils

With the playfield propped up and the power turned off, I also check out the coils, their plunger, the tube they slide in, and the coil stop.  Since a coil is an electro-mechanical device that causes rather abrupt movement, there can be loosening of parts as well as wear over the years that slow the mechanics down.  You typically want to smooth burrs on the plunger shaft using the flexible Whetstone or 600 grit Wet or Dry sandpaper, and you can replace the plunger guide with newer plastic ones if need be.  A Pinball store also sells the end piece (coil stop) that get mushroomed out, broken, or otherwise damaged.  I clean the plunger with Alcohol only, and I never put grease on the shafts.  Just leave them dry or they will attract dirt and start sticking again.

 

Check Moving Parts

I examine the other moving parts such as the flipper assembly, slingshots, kickout mechanisms, etc. for missing parts or looseness and adjust/repair where necessary.  Although the discussion here is about cleaning and not really repairing, I find that when I periodically clean a game is when I discover things that aren't quite right but have not manifested the problem during game play. Usually it is due to loosened screws.  More of a proactive approach than a reactive one.

I use some Teflon grease that you can get from Radio Shack on any spinners or rotating finger boards in the back box.  Not too much, just some for lubrication.  I might add that I also have burnished these contacts with 600 grit wet or dry sandpaper when I was cleaning the contacts in the back box.   Some games have the paperwork that came with them which recommends where to put drops of oil if needed.  Don't use auto oil, but rather a real lightweight oil that you can buy from your local Pinball store.  I have my own ideas of where to do this but I won't go in to this since it changes from game to game and I need to add pictures to really describe it well.  Most often I just oil pivot points.

 

Replace Plunger Tip

Always, always, always, replace the tip on the ball plunger.  If you don't you'll be sorry when you mushroom the head out and can't remove the plunger.   I also take the entire plunger assembly out and clean it with Alcohol including the plastic guide the shaft slides through (I have to admit that I don't always do this though, just on a game where the plunger seems to stick).

 

Replace Pinballs

I inspect the Pinballs for wear or even rust.  If they aren't smooth and shiny, I just go ahead and replace them.  For games I get from someone else rather than an old game I've had around for a while, I usually just go ahead and replace the pinball.  There is only one pinball in EM games most of the time, so that's not such an expensive thing to do.  I never use old balls, although I haven't quite figured out what to do with them yet.

 

Turn The Game On

By now I'm pretty much done with the underside of the playfield, so I remove the white cloth, lower the playfield, and then turn the game on to ensure I didn't cause any problems while cleaning the inside of the game.  If things don't work right, go back and see what you might have accidentally caused while cleaning the game (hopefully nothing).

Finally, I have a friend that swears by using  WD40 on the connectors where the wiring harnesses plug in to the back box or on to the plywood "circuit board." I used to do this but now just use an old green pad from the kitchen (you know, those 3M product scrubbing sponge things that get worn out).  He never had bad luck using WD40 but you probably don't need the sticky substance and overspray it leaves, but like I said, he swears by it.  One important tip is to not fire up the game with WD40 fumes around or you may truly "fire up" the game.

If it doesn't fire up OK and you want a more detailed discussion regarding repairs and troubleshooting, then  try out my link to a  page on repairing EM games.  Clay has quite a bit of info on his page that you should find very helpful.

Fini

Well, that's about it for cleaning a game.  See my other suggestions for repairing jet bumpers, cleaning score wheels, and setting the playfield incline.

Let me know if you have any comments on how I've done this page, or if there's something missing that you think I should really have discussed to make cleaning a Pinball game more clear.

Here's a list of topics I referenced in the above text and they include pictures.  After clicking on a link below you can click on your Browser's Back button to return to this page.