Nishijin Powerflash Thunder Bird Problem

[brandonevans428]

002.jpg I need a new snap action switch for the middle left pink wing for my powerflash that makes all the tulips on the left side open up. i have been testing my powerflash and it tends to not open as fast or at all on the left side compared to the right. the right opens almost instantly and the left kind of has to me pushed down alot for it to open. when a ball enters the right pink wing just a little bit of contact on the metal and a click happens much sooner that the left wing. The metal piece isn't straight and or there is a delay when a ball enters the left wing. Does anyone know why it opens super fast on the right and on the left it doesn't open at all. It's like i have to push it together and keep it there for awhile. Also when a ball goes into the top pocket hole all of the tulips on both the left and right are sappose to open up but it doesn't. The machine just makes a sound and the tulips stay as they were. Everything worked fine i tested the machine man times. now none of the tulips open up when a ball enters the small win pocket on the top. and when a ball enters the middle left pink wing that makes contact with the snap action switch. It doesn't open at all. It's like it doesn't touch it long enough or put enough pressure or that there is a delay. Upon testing and looking in the back the black piece that holds all the wires and opens up all the tulips for the ringht pink wing moves perfectly and very fast. and the left one seems to struggle or be stuck and or moves very little. hard to explain this all in writing. If I can't figure this out I might result into taking it to someone.

[pachiwall]

You might try switching places with the 2 micro switches. If the problem switches sides, it is the switch. If the problem stays the same, it is somewhere else.

[owennewton]

I agree, best first thing to do is swap switches to see if that is the issue. if the problem stays on the same side then I thing carefully checking the wiring for bad joints or spots it could be shorting/open. Could also be a dirty plunger on the solenoid making it hard for it to work. sorry for lacking details but I don't have one of these yet so I am of limited help here

[emmadog]

first, sounds like that micro switch may be dirty inside by your having to push and hold it down-it's not making contact. remove it, get contact cleaner and spray it in the inside as best you can. alternatively, soak it in 91% iso alcohol and blow out with compressed air. you should do this for all of the microswitches while everything is apart.
you may be able to bend the metal actuator in such a way that the ball will cause it to press further down on the button. also finely sand the brass posts that the wings pivot on and any other similar components. you're trying to reduce the friction as much as possible and these are old machines with lots of grime in every spot. also do the same on the solenoid plungers and any other linkage. also check all wire connections and allinkages to be sure they're in order. it's all just part of getting these machines working right after you get them and maintaining them and something you should do to machines as complicated as this one.
if the micro switch is in fact bad which i think is unlikely, micro switches in every shape and size are available.
relax and don't panic. there's no need to take it to someone if you could even find anyone. just go thru it systematically and clean everything first. you'll learn more about the machine and have the satisfaction of fixing it yourself. you may have to buy a couple of tools or cleaners/chemicals but you're gonna need them one day anyway. once you've done all that report back here.
i suppose there could be an issue with an electrical component in the fuseblock box but i seem to remember not much in there. been a long time since i sold my power flashes. anyway, you still need to eliminate all of the things i mentioned earlier as that's most likely where your problem lies.

[brandonevans428]

I don't think I can swap the switches. The are connected to the wires and i believe are melted or whatever to the wire and connected on a metal piece. I'll see what I can do.

[emmadog]

good reason to get a solder gun (15 bucks at the shack) and learn to use it. very helpful to have when fixing/refurbishing/troubleshooting machines. a multimeter too is a good idea.

[brandonevans428]

I live very close to a pachitalk member on here who lives in Fishers Indiana. Rival is his name on here real name James. But yea I tried bending the metal part on the switch and might have done it to much. I'll just buy anotherswitcdh because it will be alot straighter and I'll also try cleaning it in that area. The machine worked perfectly at first all tulps would open. But now something happened. I'll give it a good cleaning and look up a snap action micro switch to replace IT.

[emmadog]

rival can definitely help you but i think the micro switch is salvageable. one thing about ordering micro switches as i found out-make sure you get the dimensions correct which is obvious. what's not is the amount of force required to depress the small button. these switches come with many different force specifications and a switch with too much force required and an incoming ball won't actuate it and may get hung up. just something to be aware of if you have to order one.

[brandonevans428]

I'm going to be ordering one on the digkey website more than likely. I just am going to have to bend the metal piece right. its just a switch so I don't think contact is bad. it might not be a problem with the switch since it worked earlier but probably something in the back.

rival can definitely help you but i think the micro switch is salvageable. one thing about ordering micro switches as i found out-make sure you get the dimensions correct which is obvious. what's not is the amount of force required to depress the small button. these switches come with many different force specifications and a switch with too much force required and an incoming ball won't actuate it and may get hung up. just something to be aware of if you have to order one.

[emmadog]

anything's possible. most of my arrange ball machines have micro switches for the ball pockets and a few other things so each machine has anywhere from 16 to 25 or so and i've encountered plenty of non working micro switches that when cleaned, worked fine.
good luck.

[brandonevans428]

and what would you say about the top pocket hole that when a ball goes into it all tulips are sappose to open but nothing happens for me like before. it just makes a noise. is there a micro switch in there as well? in my first picture the ball goes into there and nothing happens. it just lands on a metal piece and the other half goes into the air kinda like a see-saw. i cant explain that problem and there is no microswitch in there.

[emmadog]

i can't remember the interior layout of the center feature but if it's just making a noise it sounds like something is binding. so the next thing to do is to open the solenoid layer and make sure everything is moving smoothly. When a ball goes in the top pocket it has to trip a switch of some sort wheher it's a micro switch or a leaf switch, it may not be exactly right there but it may be further down. seems like i remember it hits a lever that in turn trips the switch. you said it was working fine before so we know that no components are missing
if i had one here in front of me i'd be able to figure it out. someone with one will likely chime in soon.
take some pics of the top of the solenoid layer where the ball in the top pocket travels

[brandonevans428]

Well believe it or not i fixed the problem for one of them problems so far. When a ball goes into both the left and right pink wing it seems to open all tulips on either side like it should without having to keep it there and just from the weight and movement of the ball alone. Just had to change the springs with the other one... haha it even closes all tulips on either side when it goes inside every dead ball tulip. The only problem that remains is when the ball goes into the top hole it only makes a noise. Nothing happens. I checked from the back and when the ball goes into it it lands on this piece of metal that makes it lift up and click. it is sappose to make all tulips on both sides open up. I tried and this seems to be the only problem left and have yet figured out how to fix it. any suggestions anyone? Just need to make it so all tulips open when ball goers into small hole on top.

[Rival]

Just to let you know, I have a junked out powerflash that I can scavage for parts. If worst comes to worst we can swap parts out. I also have a fully functional powerflash that can be used for comparison.

[brandonevans428]

The only problem that remains is when the ball goes into the top hole it only makes a noise. Nothing happens. I checked from the back and when the ball goes into it it lands on this piece of metal that makes it lift up and click. it is sappose to make all tulips on both sides open up. I tried and this seems to be the only problem left and have yet figured out how to fix it. any suggestions anyone? Just need to make it so all tulips open when ball goers into small hole on top.

[Moparformances]

i have been looking at all your posts.. and knew it was a micro switch... i got a machine down and shot ya a pic... its kinda hard to see but in the center of the pic is the switch... behind the linkage..



the ball falls threw the top center pocket between the center solonoids... it roles out of the back and roles onto the micro switch lever... the lever is off to the left side (looking from the back side) behind the black linkage that opens then tulips... your problem is in that switch or the wires to it..

[Moparformances]

the orange and white wires are leading to the switch

[emmadog]

I knew it was a switch too and was pretty sure it wasn't right underneath the ball pocket, just couldn't remember where exactly. Now that I think about it, on my tbird resto I had a bad microswitch in the solenoid layer. Actually, one of the wires broke at the switch. Couldn't see it till everything was apart.

[brandonevans428]

So follow the white and orange wire? Would you recommened I take the back off of it to see whats going on? Before it stoped working it kinda moved the linkage put hasn't since. Probablly do some cleaning maybe got a loose wire or something. What do any of you recommend I do once I get back there and what should I be looking for. exactly problems wise. Thanks again for all help everyone. First Powerflash

[emmadog]

So follow the white and orange wire? Would you recommened I take the back off of it to see whats going on? Before it stoped working it kinda moved the linkage put hasn't since. Probablly do some cleaning maybe got a loose wire or something. What do any of you recommend I do once I get back there and what should I be looking for. exactly problems wise. Thanks again for all help everyone. First Powerflash

Yes man, I mentioned it a couple times already- take it all apart and clean it, that machine can't tell you what's wrong with it!! Just open it up and learn!!! Sorry no caffeine yet.That's how you fix things and find the source of the problem. No way around it. Remember, these machine's are decades old and full of grime and have seen alot of use. As far as recommending what to do just think about it. You've got all the parts right there so look at how they interact and make sure everything moves and is clean. Trace out where the balls go and clean all the paths both in the solenoid layer and on all the rear plastic parts or the balls will continue to track dirt all over. Its more complicated than most vintages but it's still a fairly simple device.