Warm eggs, some bacon...maybe a nice foot rub to start their day?

If it's "poked" back to life - if it's a socket style that isn't the twist, bend the wires out a smidge at the base of the bulb to maintain proper contact. Overtime probably just got worn.

#44 or #47 ? Put a dot of solder on the bottom making them taller and fit into the socket better.

#55 or #906 or #912 ? Pull wire away from bulb base a little, and inside the socket bend the things that grip the bulb together so the grab the bulb tighter.

LTG : )

If you are talking about bayonet style (use #44 bulbs as an example):

You need one of these:

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/77-SCS

It shines up the bottom contact in the socket.

It also cleans just the area where a bulb would rub on the sides of the socket.

After using this to clean the bottom contact, take needle nose pliers and slightly bend the 'tabs' at the top of the socket in a bit.

Now when you put your bulb in the socket it should be quite hard to insert, and the metal tabs should tightly grip the metal sides.

If you are talking about the wedge base style (use #555 bulbs or #96 flashers as an example):

Make sure the metal finger contacts in the socket aren't bent to one side or the other. Sometimes I use a 'spring hook' tool to pull the contacts out a bit and bend them so that they will grip on the bulb wires better.

If the connection is poor on a wedge style bulb or LED, I take the wires at the bottom of the bulb, and move them to their other sides. This makes connection with a different piece of metal inside the socket. It also makes sure that the wire at the bottom of the bulb is correctly aligned to make connection with the bulb socket fingers.

For older pinballs, like 80's solid state and various gottliebs, the sockets fail. They fail a lot.

Replace them. You can do some hacks, but the better answer is to replace a lot of sockets.

I end up rebuilding the ones that I get that become finicky.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/lamp-socket-repair-non-solder-technique-
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/lamp-socket-repair-part-two

*Bows*

Impressive stuff!

Thanks!

Back in the day, I'd futz with sockets.
These days, at about a buck each, I just replace them.
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.ChrisHiblerPinball.com/Contact
https://www.youtube.com/c/ChrisHiblerPinball
http://www.PinWiki.com - The Place to go for Pinball Repair Info

Though this technique is much easier done with the socket out of the game (which by that point, you might as well put a new socket in), here's what i usually do on those style sockets when they're flaky:

The base of the socket and the solder tab/mounting bracket are riveted together, but often lose tension over time causing the bulb to work intermittently. If you find it's easy to twist the socket, that's a pretty sure sign that's the reason it's acting up.

I learned from Clay's guides/videos that you can solder the base to the solder tab/mounting bracket to restore a solid connection there. The solder often will not easily take, so i find filing the 2 surfaces with a metal file then adding some flux to the surfaces before joining them with solder helps a lot. I like to use a high-power solder gun to get the job done quickly too. Here's a diagram illustrating the surfaces you're trying to connect:

Screenshot_20240323-135307.png

Done properly, the socket will no longer be able to twist free of the solder tab/mounting bracket. I also like to file the rivet on the back side, add flux, and solder the wire directly to it instead of using the solder tab that connects to it:

PXL_20240323_180734460.jpg

Doing those fixes has worked most of the time for me. Clean the inside of the socket as well, like PinRetail said.

Again--sockets are cheap and are the most reliable fix. Some places like Pinball Life offer bulk discounts too...

Not the base. The solder blob on the middle of the very bottom.

LTG : )

Inside or outside of the cone/base?

On the end by the red arrow.

LTG : )

bulb (resized).jpg

Just replace it. I've done all the recommended fixes in the past and they're all bandaids and didn't last.

If you do do the solder it shut thing a metal file, paste flux, and a 100 watt gun makes quick work of it. You can do two in about ten minutes.....

Wear gloves it's hard on your fingers.

This is for a bulb not making good contact with it's base in a socket, makes it snap in a little snugger.

LTG : )

Whah?

So it doesn't spin you solder the barrel of the socket. To facilitate this a file will rough up the metal to give the solder some bite.

OK, now I get it...

...if you do, do "the solder-it-shut-thing" and use a metal file, etc...

Another thing to consider, you might look at Pinball Life, they have a bulb replacement tool:

https://www.pinballlife.com/bulb-replacement-tool.html

I'm not sure if it still does, but mine has sandpaper on the black part - its been a while, but if I remember correctly they fit into the 44/47 sockets and you spin it to help clean out corrosion.

Different subject.
Same procedure...
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.ChrisHiblerPinball.com/Contact
https://www.youtube.com/c/ChrisHiblerPinball
http://www.PinWiki.com - The Place to go for Pinball Repair Info

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