Star Tech Journal

m
May 7993
STAR*TECH Journal
Prince's Corn.er
Donald B. Prince
D&RMusic
Bozeman, Montana
DATA EAST LETHAL WEAPON
3
COIL SUBSTITUTE
SUB.JECT
SOLUTION
IMPROVISE
In October oflast year, I wrote
on article about substituting
the shooter lane switch with
the drain lane switch. This
was done in order to keep the
pinball running until the new
part arrived. I had another
similar experience with the
pinball, Lethal Weapon 3.
The key here is to find an ex-
pendable coil, one that has less
impact if missing, then the one
your replacing. Since the one I
was replacing is in the Ball
Launch Assembly and the
game can't be played without
it, almost any coil on the pin-
ball would do.
There is one other problem,
however, in employing this
substitute. If the coil sleeve
has melted, which it probably
has if the coil itself has over-
heated, then you must use the
Knocker Assembly coil sleeve
also.
PROBLEM
It was Friday and our best
money making pinball was
non-operational for the week-
end. So, in checking out this
Lethal Weapon 3 pinball, I dis-
covered that the coil for the
Ball Launch Assembly was
fried.
The coil is anAE 23-800, which
we don't have in stock (at least
I didn't at the time). Checking
the first aid kit in the pinball
also yielded no coil. Since I
didn't have the needed part
(AE 23-800 coil), I looked for a
possible substitute in the pin-
ball.
As it turns out, the AE 23-800
coil is the same coil used for the
Knocker Assembly. This is a
perfect compromise because
you're taking a coil that has
little effect on the game (only
used in announcing a free
game or credit) and placing it
in a location of greater impor-
tance (mainly in being able to
operate and play the pinball).
This sleeve is not an exact re-
placement but it will work un-
til the right one becomes avail-
able. The plunger assembly is
the same for both the Knocker
Assembly and the Ball Launch
Assembly. You may need this
plunger assembly if the nylon
tip of the plunger has also
melted because of the over-
heated coil.
BoTToMLINE
Again, this is a fix to be per-
formed when exact part re-
placements aren't possible,
and the Account's trust, satis-
faction, and income are injeop-
ardy.