How to move a Pinball

[Rando]

Hi all,
I'm picking up an old EM machine this weekend, the house has no stairs to navigate, but I will either be doing solo or with the limited assistance of my 12 year old son.  Looking for suggestions for the best way to get this out of the house and into my pickup.  Out of the truck and into my house is the next issue, but I'm more concerned about getting the machine out of it's current location first.

I've never moved a pin before, limited in my pin knowledge.

Planning on bringing some sawhorses to enable me to support it when I remove the legs.  Is this something that my son and I should be able to carry, or should I invest in some type of dolley to get it moving.  Suggestions?

[HaRuMaN]

Kinda depends on how strong your 12 year old is.  Might want to consider setting it on a dolly and just rolling it out.

[ChadTower]

Have the kid hold your tools.  EMs are heavy.  Don't put him in a position to try to hold that thing up.  My son was big at 12 and I still wouldn't have asked him to do that.

Sawhorses might help but you probably don't need them. 

• Open the door on the back of the head, remove the head bolts at the bottom, and remove the head. 
• Take the back legs off while holding the game up somehow.  I usually rest a pin on my quads.  Lower the back to the ground.
• Push the pin back so it's resting on the back of the body.  Remove front legs.

Move it as two separate pieces with a hand truck and reverse the process when you get to your house.  Remove the backglass if you feel it is safer during moving.

[spoot]

Buy a case of beer as bait for one of your friends to help move it IMHO.

[Rando]

• Open the door on the back of the head, remove the head bolts at the bottom, and remove the head. 
• Take the back legs off while holding the game up somehow.  I usually rest a pin on my quads.  Lower the back to the ground.
• Push the pin back so it's resting on the back of the body.  Remove front legs.

Thanks Chad,
Question about step 1, I haven't removed the head before, aside from the bolts, I would assume that there is some type of wiring/cabling connecting the head to the body.  Should be all ok/non-issue to disconnect whatever is there?  I'll research with my existing pin, but as this one is older (1969) I don't know that I'll be seeing the exact same thing.

Thanks![/list]

[TopJimmyCooks]

There are usually 3 connector plugs near the bottom of the backbox, accessed by taking the  back cover off.  They are different sizes and the wire colors match up so you don't really need to label them or anything.  Be careful because they can be easy to break and are hard to repair.  pull those carefully and drop them into the cabinet and you should be electrically ready to separate.  Obviously, check for any other wires running through the hole into the cabinet.

[ChadTower]

Thanks Chad,
Question about step 1, I haven't removed the head before, aside from the bolts, I would assume that there is some type of wiring/cabling connecting the head to the body.  Should be all ok/non-issue to disconnect whatever is there?  I'll research with my existing pin, but as this one is older (1969) I don't know that I'll be seeing the exact same thing.

 

You'd think I would have mentioned that.  An EM is going to have connectors, but they won't be in line, they'll be at the mechs in the backbox or a distro block.  And there's a damn good chance they will be fragile or already broken.  So label them and be gentle with them.  Other than that the concept isn't that different than moving any other pin.

I have yet to see an EM where you could reliably tell the wire colors in the backbox.  Usually they're so dusty and faded that you'd have to call all of them "solid grey".

[Rando]

Thanks for all your help!
Got the backbox removed without much issue, found a guy at the location to help me put it in the truck.  Took off legs while he supported it and then moved.  Put on a dolley back at my house and it's currently in my basement still strapped to it as I'm lacking a second person to get it raised up for me.  Little details...

Lots to do, I'll create another thread documenting the machine and my planned work, thanks for the tips!

[ChadTower]

Unless you have a back problem you don't need a second person to put it back on the legs.  I do that with WPC games by myself.

[TopJimmyCooks]

If you let a 1 man setup on level ground stop you, you don't want to play pinball that badly.  Before I get to play a game I get to go through pulling the pin up 20 steps on a hand truck to the attic gameroom.  I still do it.   

EM won't be bad since the backbox will be completely off.  Easier to do close to a wall so you can lean the legs up closeby for an easy grab.  Hold the bolts in your teeth or behind your ears or sticking out of your back pocket. 
 

[Rando]

Alright alright, sheesh!

Guess my issue is laziness... Cab is currently on the dolley, and I need to repaint, but I don't want to repaint with legs on, so I want to get it onto something without legs, but will be easier to get legs onto it in its current state, and then onto something ELSE for paint with the legs off.

So basically trying to avoid that put on legs/take legs immediately off step, but as you've all called me on it, I will proceed!

And for the record I DID have to get it out of the truck and onto the dolley myself, and then down steps to the basement, but as I was coming from the garage it was only 6 or 7 steps.  Woot!

[ChadTower]

Heh, that's just the start.  Wait until you're doing that with a Williams Widebody or an Atari Star Wars.