sur pik

[felix]

24 lane center half the house is swingers with the brunswick gummed rubber which i like and eliminates undergrounds other half is still original amf but i would not hesitate to put another swinger in when another amf becomes a problem child. 20year old sur piks, what would be the next best solution?

[8270king]

Re: sur pik

I have worked in a couple of houses with surpiks and have never had a major underground problem but here is my 2 cents.

1. The black AMF belt seems to shake off oil real well and grip balls good.

2. I only run 4 springs on the leather strap.

3. Make sure the strap assy. is adj. high enough to let the ball "roll up the belt" and it doesn't hit the strap upon entering the lift.

4. Get rid of all downsweep ball wipers. They slow the ball down and after one game the just apply dirt and oil to the ball.

king

[Dutch]

Re: sur pik

I disagree with getting rid of the ball wipes, but that’s another topic.
Right before I found out that we were replacing our Sure-piks with the Vantage version of the C-90 I was going thru & replacing all of the bushings at the top of the leather. (Where the bracket bolts to the frame) This made a huge improvement in the performance. Check these bushings & make sure they’re lubed. It made all the difference in the world for us.
Another thing that helped even more was to “cup” the leather. With the leather out of the machine, ruff it up with a wire brush to remove the glazed surface. Fold ¾ of it (The part that contacts the ball) in half, making a trough along the length. Wrap it with rubber bands every 4” to hold it in that shape. Wet it thoroughly & let it dry for a day or 2. This will put the entire width of the leather in contact with the ball instead of just the center. Don’t worry if it looks too “cupped” to fit the ball. It will open up when the ball presses against it & will become the exact shape that it needs to be after a short time of use.
Dutch

[John_Galt]

Re: sur pik

Dutch, you're a genious!
That "cupping" idea is great!
Felix:
are these adjustable belt/pulleys like in the C-90 surepiks (do they have the integral safety stop attached to the top pulley) or are they original ModIV/V surepiks with the safety stop on a magnetic button? If they are the previous, tinkering with spring adjustment can make 100% difference!
Chad Q.