Overview - 1973 Bally Circus EM Pinball Machine Restoration - Part 1

[@LyonsArcade]

Man I didn't even see you had this, i'm going to be watching!

[@MRNBricks]

Thank you! Enjoy my incoherent ramblings.

[@Entityism]

My hat is off to you, sir! Looks like you have some challenges ahead. I don't know squat about EM machines, as mine are all solid state. So I'll be following along with whatever you are able to share along your journey. Best of luck!

[@MRNBricks]

Thank you! I’ll try to get moving along. I want to play it.

[@RobbieBeatpower]

Do you have the color numbers and a paint stencil of the paintwork on the outside?

[@MRNBricks]

If you dig through my semi recent videos, I repainted a Circus. “How to paint a pinball machine” I think is what I called it. I don’t remember the color numbers, but I showed what I used. Just some red and blue that looked nice. I made stencils using tracing paper and Bristol paper. I had videos on that too. Not too hard. The stripes, I just measured and taped off the white parts.

[@cfreeze2510]

You already had the backbox door off when you walked around back. Does this take the wooden or the metal one? I have this machine that is missing the back door.

[@MRNBricks]

It was missing. Pretty sure the original was metal. But I made a replacement out of plywood.

[@CHUCKFREEZE-ni1yo]

at 12:39 Im looking at your backbox but door has been removed. Is the door wooden or metal and what holds it in at the bottom? Looks like it needs a rail or something, but I do not see anything. I have this exact machine and cant track down a backbox door?

[@MRNBricks]

I made a wooden replacement door. I believe the original was metal. I got a strip of aluminum U channel from Lowe’s to put something at the bottom for the wood door to sit in.

[@CHUCKFREEZE-ni1yo]

@@MRNBricks THANK YOU. i have not been able to find that answer in any book or anywhere. Have not been able to find a manual.

[@MRNBricks]

@@CHUCKFREEZE-ni1yo forgot I did this. See this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIvPkItoo8mihJI

[@stevebutler7951]

I have the same machine and the playing field lights went out. The coin door lights and the scoreboard lights are on and everything is scoring and working on the field, just no lights? I have been looking over the schematics and just cant pinpoint the issue. Any suggestions?

[@MRNBricks]

That’s a tough one without being there to see it. If I had to guess, it sounds like a wire issue? The lights run on a separate circuit, so maybe the wire got cut somewhere? Or that particular Jones plug is dirty? I’d start there somewhere.

[@MRNBricks]

Also, it’s been a bit, but there may be a switch on the reset or hold relay for the lights that’s dirty?

[@harryl6175]

California