John's Arcade Forum - Classic Arcade and Pinball Collecting and Restoring Discussion Forum - RETRO MAME - Nintendo Vs Forum

Ok guys, first thing I apologize for not getting this up sooner. Also, sorry about the lack of lots of pictures. The seller, my brother, his friend, all didn't want to be photographed.

I'll start with once we got it on the truck. It was a thing of beauty but we hurried right out of there since it wasn't a great neighborhood. We were in St. Louis and the area where this guy lived was dicey at best. We hurried out and stopped in another area on The Hill to make sure things were tight.

(http://i.imgur.com/j6w98ew.jpg)

I knew John was an assplunderer but didn't know he made a company out of it.  ::)

(http://i.imgur.com/EGfQ4qZ.jpg)

Ok so seriously now, this game has some issues. But first let me know you some pictures:

(http://i.imgur.com/HDfilrf.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/6k7nB0o.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/npCIkmV.jpg)

The CPO needs replaced. No big deal. Rich at thisoldgame.com suggested I look at phoenix arcade. They have lots of art and cosmetics available for baby pac. http://www.phoenixarcade.com/art.htm#babypacman (http://www.phoenixarcade.com/art.htm#babypacman)
(http://i.imgur.com/t4ua4ie.jpg)

You can see the spinner targets are shot but that is OK. The fine gentleman at noiselandarcade provided the art and info to print your own spinner targets. http://www.noiselandarcade.net/index.php/2008/01/07/baby-pac-playfield-restoration-part-5/ (http://www.noiselandarcade.net/index.php/2008/01/07/baby-pac-playfield-restoration-part-5/)
(http://i.imgur.com/QNBuM4m.jpg)

I didn't get a closeup of the drop targets but yeah, some of them are worn out. Seems people on ebay still have them for sale. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=301054531752&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1120 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=301054531752&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1120)

Ebay also has playfield restoration kits. The rubbers this guy has are in fact correct. http://www.cafr.ebay.ca/itm/1982-Bally-Midway-Baby-Pac-Man-pinball-super-kit-/140674666358?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1120 (http://www.cafr.ebay.ca/itm/1982-Bally-Midway-Baby-Pac-Man-pinball-super-kit-/140674666358?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1120)

I was able to get replacement video ram from here: http://www.arcadechips.com/product_info.php?products_id=43 (http://www.arcadechips.com/product_info.php?products_id=43)

Arcadechips also has replacement video CPU's http://www.arcadechips.com/product_info.php?products_id=85 (http://www.arcadechips.com/product_info.php?products_id=85)

Twisty Wrist Arcade still has baby pac vidiot board cap kits: http://www.twistywristarcade.com/kits/968-baby-pac-vidiot-pcb-cap-kit.html (http://www.twistywristarcade.com/kits/968-baby-pac-vidiot-pcb-cap-kit.html)

Twisty Wrist also has the midway rubber centering grommet. Reproduction: http://www.twistywristarcade.com/other-parts/18-midway-rubber-joystick-centering-grommet.html (http://www.twistywristarcade.com/other-parts/18-midway-rubber-joystick-centering-grommet.html)

You can view the rest of the gallery here: http://imgur.com/a/xXGUd#0

The seller gave me a cap kit for the monitor so I don't need to order that. However I do have a singing flyback so I will have to either shim that or replace it. Not sure yet.

One of my current struggles is figuring out what crimper(s) to buy and what kind and type and where to buy replacement connectors for the wiring harness. Turns out those old connectors were only designed with about a 25 connection life cycle. No wonder they are universally flaky. They were designed under the planned obsolescence principle.


Tonight when I was taking pictures I experienced something interesting. The game powered up and I got to see baby pac and even start a game!. However something wasn't right. I could eat about 2 dots then I would lose a life, rinse and repeat until game over. I let the game run about 5 minutes and power cycled it. Now I can play a game! I was eating dots and dodging ghosts! Time to try the gates and get to the pinball part of the game! Oh, well something interesting here. The right flipper made a loud sound and fully engaged in the up position and froze like that. The right side spinner target is dead. The ball catcher on the right side doesn't spit the ball back out. When the ball drains the right flipper goes back down. Seems like the right side of the game had a stroke!

After the game ran for about 10-15 minutes I started to get snow on the screen. Little vertical lines randomly flash across the monitor. The graphical glitches slowly build up. The audio cuts in and out. After awhile the game ceases to play.

Other days when I power on the game I get a blank screen, sometimes snow, sometimes not. The video test graphics are glitched, I got no board communication between vidiot and MPU. I also only get 9 flashes on the vidiot board in that condition. That is why I ordered the replacement video ram.

Anyhow parts are on order. This should be a fun project. I stuck some replacement light bulbs in the game after taking some pictures and they actually lit up so it's nice to see at least the light sockets work! Gotta start somewhere!

If anyone has seen or heard of these issues and would like to suggest parts of the game to examine please do so, especially the right side stroke issue with the play field.

I'm also very open to help on figuring out what kind of connectors I need to replace on the wiring harness, where I can get them, and so forth.

CFG

You haven't replaced the memory yet right? You need to do that. As far as the flipper engaging all the way. Check for bad logic gates.

I am not the right person to ask for crimpers as I just bought the cheap die set type from amazon and they work okay. You can buy a lot of the connectors on digikey or if you want to deal with him, bob roberts.

Thanks Ian.

Bloody Cactus said if the flipper locks on, the TIP/FET might be shorted to gnd. might have to replace the tip/fet, whatever its using...

So I'll check that out.

Also I'll get a logic probe as you suggested. I should order a heatsink and compound for that video output cpu.

I have some curled playfield plastics so I think after I get them flattened back out I will order some LED's to put in there and solve that heat problem.

Good luck with your project!

Be sure to check out Steve Young's site at pbresource.com -- I got a bunch of my Baby Pac parts from him when I was working on mine.

Thanks man.

I also just found http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/CKBLY-MPU This rebuild kit thingie for MPUS so I have to look around and see what related things I can find to make this easier.. lots of kits out there, but you realllllly have to look.

Yeah, Marco is a good resource. A little pricey but they always have everything you need.