Early solid-state pinball machines like my 1979 Stern Electronics “Meteor” start showing there age. After years of service in the arcades of the 1980s and then in-home use, by the time a pinball machine shows up in your home, it has been plugged in and plugged out countless times.
With these older machines, the heads are removable from the cabinets and the circuit boards in the head are connected to the playfield and cabinet via wiring harnesses with connectors. These connectors wear out over time and need to be updated with new pins.
It’s not a hard task with the right tools but it can be a tedious process. In the end, your machine will be much more reliable after re-pinning the connectors.
My recommended crimping tool for working on pinball machines – the IWISS SN-28B Dupont Crimping Tool for 3.96mm, 2.54mm, 2.5mm Pitch Dupont, JST XH VH Connectors, AWG 18 to 28
Before new crimps can be added, the old wires need to be cut off and a bit of wire stripped back. These quality wire strippers made in Italy are perfect for the job. Wire Stripper – Hakko CHP CSP-30-1 Wire Stripper, 30-20 Gauge Maximum Cutting Capacity
