Orbit Launcher Mod - Looney Tunes and Texas Chainsaw Massacre Pinball | Installation Instructions

Thank you for purchasing the LT/TCM Orbit Launcher Mod for Spooky Looney Tunes and Texas Chainsaw Massacre Pinball. This Mod is simple to install but does require some

 basic technical skills like how to raise the playfield, use nut drivers and screw drivers. 

If after reading this guide you feel you need help installing this mod we strongly advise you seek a pinball technician to install it for you. Avid Creation and affliiates are not liable for any damage caused by incorrect installation

Pre Installation Steps

  1. Please turn off your pinball and remove the glass.
  2. We strongly advise you use artblade protectors to ensure your inner walls are not scratched by lifting the playfield.
  3. Please remove all balls from the pinball machine.

Tools Required

  • 1/4 inch nut driver
  • Phillips Head Screw Driver
  • Snips
  • Recommended: Blue Loctite

Mod Installation Steps

  1. Remove balls. Once the artblade protectors that came with your spooky machine are in place, lift the playfield.
  2. Locate where the mod needs to go. On the left half way up the playfield is a grey subway with a VUK below it. That's where we will be working. Refer to the circled area in the picture below left.
  3. Remove some of the cable ties around the cables in front of the Vault plastic entrance subway. We need easy access to this area. Refer to picture above right to see how the wiring should look like after removing some cable ties. 
  4. Using a 1/4 inch nut driver, remove the 3 hex screws holding the plastic vault subway.
  5. Carefully twist the subway through the wires to sit above the wires out of the way. Refer to picture below.

  6. Remove the 4 screws attaching the old scoop to the VUK weldment. With your spare hand, get ready to take the screws as they come out, you don't want one to drop and be lost in the other mechanisms. These have had Loctite applied to them so they may be tough to budge. Just go slow and if needed use a shorter shaft screw driver so you're not blocked by some of the other mechs under the playfield. You can also try a 90 degree screwdriver.

    Set the screws aside you will reuse them for the mod.  If you are finding the screws are in too tight and you’re concerned that you might strip the screw head refer to the troubleshooting section. There is another way to get to these screws but
    it’s a lot more work. 

  7. Once the screws are removed, reach around to the top of the playfield and remove the old scoop.
  8. Put the playfield back down to its resting position and pop the new Orbit Launcher Mod into the hole where you just removed the old scoop from. The mod's rails point towards the back of the machine. It will be a snug fit.
  9. Lift the playfield and screw in the 4 screws. It is recommended that you add blue Loctite to the screws before you reinstall. Install all 4 screws half way, have one hand guiding the screw from the side whilst screwing in. Once all 4 screws are in, tighten them down.
  10. Carefully position the subway back into place and screw down the 3 hex screws.
  11. Add back any cable ties that you cut if desired (not required).
  12. Lower playfield and reinstall balls.
  13. To test, start a game without glass on, and pop a ball into the vault. The ball should make it around the orbit. You may need to play with the coil power for the Vault kickout. If you are not getting 80% or more success rate, proceed to troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting

Install

Can’t remove the screws. If the screws are too hard to remove, then you need to remove the whole VUK so that you can get a good grip on the screws. To do this you need to remove the upper left flipper mounting plate. To do this every PCB blocking this flipper plate’s hex screws needs to be removed. BEWARE – the PCB hex screws are NOT the same length as the flipper or VUK screws. So do NOT get them mixed up less you penetrate the playfield surface when reinstalling. Once you have the flipper mech base removed, the entire VUK weldment can be removed. The 4 scoop screws should now be easier to remove. 

Mod Performance

Ball doesn’t make it around orbit. Even with this mod you may still get the occasional failure. But if you have less than 80% success rate then you will have a problem with the solenoid below not hitting the ball at the correct angle. A guide is only useful in the ball is entering the start of the guide. With the playfield up, check the VUK weldment attached to the mod.

a.  The ball resting plate and the top plate holding the solenoid must be parallel. If not,
carefully bend either plate with pliers to try and correct. If it’s so misaligned that you
can’t fix, see if you can swap the VUK weldment with the one used by the anvil/meat
grinder. It may be a better made VUK weldment. That’s what I had to do. Refer to the
troubleshooting point above on how to remove the entire weldment. 



b. The back plate of the VUK weldment may be bent in the section between the solenoid and the ball resting plate. Straighten by hand.

c. Check that the solenoid is screwed in straight. The small bracket with the 8-32 screws holding the solenoid at the bottom may need adjusting.

To help troubleshoot:

  1. Press up on the solenoid plunger, make sure the solenoid is travelling straight up the middle of the ball. If not, the weldment is bent or the solenoid screws in the bracket are crooked. 
  2. Once 20 or more tests have been performed with the mod, remove it and
    check the ball path on the inside of the deflector. If you can’t see a ball trail
    starting near the screws or a bit higher, then the ball is not rolling correctly
    along the wall of the deflector. The ball is just being fired upwards towards
    the deflectors curve. This will ricochet the ball rather than guide. The VUK
    underneath needs to be corrected to start the ball rolling along the
    deflectors vertical wall. Refer to pictures. 
  3. Remove the bottom left ramp so that you can see the new mod deflector
    and the ball resting position underneath. You can slomo the ball launch and
    check for any launch issues. 

If you are still having problems getting consistent orbits, a new adjustable VUK weldment is being developed which eliminates VUK deflection, crooked ball rest and solenoid plates and allows the ball rest to be adjusted. This along with this mod should remove any remaining inconsistencies. 

If you have any further questions - please contact us directly.