I had a customer reach out in December about getting his Gottlieb King Pin (IPDB.org) up and running. He decided to wait a bit, but got back to me a couple of weeks ago. He brought the machine to my shop, and I could tell right away it was going to need some love. It had a dirty playfield, dried and broken rubbers, and a spliced (and worn) electrical cord.
First Things First: Safety and Power
Before diving in, I swapped out the old, brittle power cord with a grounded 3-prong replacement. It’s always worth taking a few extra minutes to make sure these old games are safe to power up.. This is also a great time to check the fuses and make sure they’re the proper ratings.
The Obvious Damage: Burnt Coils
Two coils were completely fried:
- 10-point chime coil — it had melted, and at some point, the plunger was removed and found in the cabinet.
- 10-point score reel coil — this one had visible burn marks and disintegrated when I started cleaning the score reels.
I replaced both coils and, while I was at it, inspected nearby components for any heat damage. I also double-checked the 10-point relay and looked for any additional stuck switches.
The Sound of Silence
There was no sound coming from the game, and it wasn’t just the burnt chime coil. The chime plungers were stuck to old foam tape someone had used in a past repair. This is a pretty common problem, and I saw the same thing during my El Dorado repair.
I removed the old tape, cleaned everything up, and added new foam tape. That brought the chimes back to life.
Drop Target Woes
Some of the drop targets weren’t scoring when activated, and the bonus lights and scores didn’t trigger after all the drop targets were down.
The culprit? A dirty J Relay. A quick clean and some fresh lube brought the lights and scoring back!
Ball Count Weirdness
The game wouldn’t end after the 5th ball; instead, it kicked out a 6th. It wasn’t until that 6th ball entered the shooter lane that the game finally ended. Not how this machine is supposed to behave.
I started by digging into the backbox and noticed the score reels were pretty gunky. I gave them a good cleaning. At the same time, I inspected the ball count unit. It was dirty too, so I cleaned the contacts and re-lubed the rivets.
Fixing the ball count unit took care of the end-of-game issue.
Flipper Fixes
One flipper was sticking and turned out to be a stuck plunger and a grimy coil sleeve.
- Replaced the coil sleeve
- Cleaned the entire flipper assembly
Another flipper was missing a screw, which made it feel loose and unreliable. I found a matching screw, secured it, and re-tested both flippers. The last adjustment was to reduce some of the spring tension connected to the bat. It was too tight and was affecting the power of the flipper.
Final Touches: Cleaning and Adjustments
Final Touches:
- Cleaned and waxed the playfield
- Replaced the rubbers
- Adjusted switches for responsiveness
- Heated plastics to bend back to original shape.
Once it was all back together, I played a few test games, and it was night and day difference.
What’s Next?
If you’ve got a machine with ball count issues, burnt coils, or quirky scoring, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. These classic games were made to be repaired, and half the fun is figuring them out. Got a question about your repair? Drop a comment or send me a message — I’m always happy to help!
Love pinball and arcade repair stories? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter for repair tips, behind-the-scenes projects, and fun trivia delivered right to your inbox.
I always enjoy reading your step-by-step process of repairing a pin! 20 years ago when I first started in the pinball hobby one of my great joys was buying a machine that “needed work” and figuring out the problems and the solutions :-). My pace has slowed considerably since then, but I still enjoy reading other people’s stories.
Thanks, Mike! Hope all is well. I always appreciate the kind words and feedback!
Enjoyed watching your videos. I’m working on a Gottlieb Fun Land that has a short in the lights in the head, blowing the fuse. Looking for ideas on locating the issue. Thanks!
Try to isolate the circuit by the fuse listing in the schematic or the connector in the head of the machine. Unplug one jones plug at a time to help find the culprit. Then use a circuit breaker to avoid blowing fuses while you isolate sections of the lamp circuit. Check for bent socket tabs, rubbed wires, or shorts around the score reel lamps and stepper units until you find the culprit. Good luck!