Original 70`s & 90XL

[jmfnavyguy]

I am about to take the Head Mechanic position at a Center which has been Closed for 4 Years. This Center has 82-70`s fitted, as far as I can tell they have had no Modifications or Upgrades made to them. My Current Center Of which I`ll still be the Lead Mechanic has 90XL`s fitted.

Is there anything I should know about the differences between the 70 & the 90XL.

[JimDorsin]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Nothing you wont be able to figure out... ! chassis per lane rather than 1 for 2 lanes. Probably have wireways on the table, depending on what chassis you have, you may still have respot cell wires. Not near as much plastic parts, most is cast aluminum. But nothing you cant handle.

[jmfnavyguy]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Thanks, Jim, I`ll let you know how I get on, or if i have any other questions.

[Mark_S]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Gear boxes will probably be different.The westy's are slightly heavier and don't have electronic start switches ect.

[Mark_S]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Out of interest, your not close to the north west of england are you. If you get stuck I'm sure there will be someone close by willing to call in for a brew, and give any advice you need. For some reason I can't st.mawgan on my map.

[Mark_S]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Found it.

[welby]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

I went from 70's to 90XL's. I dont think you will have any problems either. If you do just ask mate.

ste.

[maister]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Good luck.Which centre are you going too.I know St.Mawgan well.Is my very good Scottish friend, Bert still there.Tell him Laurie says hi and if i can help you , call me , he has my number.70's from 90's is slightly different.What scoring will you havein the new centre.Aluminium tables,different set up.Cells different set up.Wireways full of wires.tread slowly and we will help if you require it.
Laurie, Scotland.
Scotland.

[Ted]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Hey, and what about that openable back end - woo hoo!
(Any one ever open it?)

[LaRue]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

On the 70's if you want to get rid of the table wiring it is very simple. In the wireway next to the sweep and table caps there is a terminal board with the table wires on it. only disconnect all the wires from the Table respot cell harness on that terminal board. on the terminal board, take the # 7 wire and connect to the ground terminal. there is two connections marked switch, connect those together. this mod allows you to get rid of all the respot cell wires.

[Dutch]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Ted,

Never worked on 90's myself but I've been told that it's more trouble than it's worth.

LaRue,

Navy Guy said, "as far as I can tell they have had no Modifications or Upgrades made to them."

He could eliminate the TBL wires that way but if he doesn't have automatic scoring with the proper chassis setup he'd just eliminate the X cycle, causing the bowlers to press the reset button after a X.

[jmfnavyguy]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Thank you all for the advice, I will definatly ask If i have any problems
I`ve been able to have a better look at the setup it is as follows,

Scoring, Acuscore 1 - Unable to tell if its working, as I couldent get the system to fire up,

Lanes, System 300 - Looks OK just needs a Clean and Oiling, The Center has no Oiling Machine, Manual or Automatic of any kind.

Pinspotters - Are original spec, the Chassis are still 5 Board. The belts need replacing, however I managed to get the lanes Pinspotters Running for a short while.

Ball Returns - Mendes, Not sure of the model number but they look very similar to the C90`s I use at my normal Center.

Apart from a major Clean the Center looks fine to re-open. I am now waiting for the Management/Owners of the building for the go-ahead to reopen.

Maister - The answear to your question is, yes Bert is still at JMF Bowl he is my Boss. We have spoke a few times about problems we have had.

For the other UK or US members Ny mormal Center JMF Bowl is located near Newquay, Cornwall, we are on a Military Base called RAF St Mawgan. The Other Center is the Former Newquay Bowl, Located in Newquay. If anyone`s in the area Look me up i`ll be happy to show you around.

Andy

[TheGMan143]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Originally posted by jmfnavyguy:

My suggestions for a center like this... for what they're worth. If you think it'd help, pass it on to the new owners:

Scoring, Acuscore 1 - Unable to tell if its working, as I couldent get the system to fire up,

See what needs to be done to get it running and updated if necessary... They are attached to the machines, and 'run' them at least partially... the machines may not even run right without it.

Lanes, System 300 - Looks OK just needs a Clean and Oiling, The Center has no Oiling Machine, Manual or Automatic of any kind.

Wipe off the major dust and such with a damp floor mop. Best bet is a wringer mop bucket with a solution of warm water and detergent lane cleaner, followed by a dry-cloth wipedown to pick up excess moisture. When the lanes are dry, you may also want to cover them if any 'dusty' work has to go on, then uncover them and linodust before applying lane conditioner to pick up any fine dust that may have settled.

Get a lane machine... even an old Century unit would be preferable to hand-conditioning. It's a lot easier to set a machine to lay down a consistent shot than it is to try and make consistency by hand. You equipment doesn't have to be new... just so it works. If a fairly modern "combination" machine isn't in the budget, a used or rebuilt vacuum lane stripping machine would be a help as well.

Pinspotters - Are original spec, the Chassis are still 5 Board. The belts need replacing, however I managed to get the lanes Pinspotters Running for a short while.

This is probably going to be one of the most time-consuming (and possibly money-consuming) areas, but one that's high up on the importance list. Remember, the product you're selling is BOWLING. The product is only manufactured for sale as long as those machines are running well. Cleaning the machines first is very helpful... it gets rid of dirt and gunk that would only wind up working it's way in and causing wear, and helps you to spot problems. You picked out the first issue to address... the belts. Go through and replace any cracked/worn/stretched ones... especially the kicker drive belts if applicable. Once you can get everything in the backend spinning, run one machine at a time (backend, table, and sweep) and see what each one needs... write it down on a piece of paper and tape it to each wheel so you can keep track. Cross off the items as you complete them. If everything seems to "run", maybe not perectly, but will at least go through a cycle without blowing up, go through all the cam adjustments.

Later on, I would recommend replacing the old 5-board systems with Omega-Tek MK70 single boards, and the MK70EX adapters if needed to interface to the scoring. Even if you can do a pair of machines every few months, it will greatly reduce chassis/electrical breakdowns.

Ball Returns - Mendes, Not sure of the model number but they look very similar to the C90`s I use at my normal Center.

If they're like C90's, you're ahead of the game... they will require a lot less work than the older Shur-Pik lifts that were original equipment. Make sure that the belts are good and the tires are clean (clean them with some mild detergent)... as long as they start up with the machines, they'll probably run pretty good. I'd also recommend wiping off the underground rails to remove any built-up gunk and settled dust (and checking for any problems with the rails in the process).

Apart from a major Clean the Center looks fine to re-open. I am now waiting for the Management/Owners of the building for the go-ahead to reopen.

Chemicals like Clorox Clean-Up, Castrol Super-Clean, and Windex (combined with elbow grease) should take care of most of the cleaning. I would recommend that if there is carpeting anywhere, clean it or have it cleaned if it's in decent shape (if only to get any "musty" smell out of it), or replace it if it's in poor shape. Tile flooring should be stripped and rebuffed to bring the shine back up.

There's other important stuff that needs looking at, too... Make sure that the plumbing fixures are in good working order and clean, check the HVAC system in the building and replace the filters (old filters can get musty-smelling... if the air handling system is run with old filters, it can blow musty-smelling air through the whole building pretty quickly. The air-outlet diffusers should also be cleaned of dust buildup. Replace all burned-out bulbs... If there is recessed lighting, clean or replace the covers/panels so the place looks bright... dirty light covers and panels make dingy-looking light. Take down and wipe the dust off of exposed flourescent tubes with a damp cloth to maximize the light they put off. Replace any broken, dirty, or broken ceiling tiles... if any are waterstained, make sure that the cause of the stains has been repaired. Clean and sanitize all food/beverage-handling equipment.

Putting any business that has sat idle for a while (especially a bowling center) is a big job... concentrate on making a "best-foot-forward" reopening... Everything doesn't have to be perfect, but get it to the point that the customers will think at their first visit that the place is clean, bright, and neat, and the machinery works well. If they think of the place as dingy, musty, "unsanitary", or they get the idea that the machines are going to keep breaking down, you're off to a bad start already. First impressions are important.

Many new owners want to get the place open as fast as possible to start getting some revenue back to pay the bills and the initial outlay to purchase the place... it can be a dangerous gamble if the business isn't ready. A customer who gets a bad first impression of the place may not come back to see if it's improved... but a customer who gets a good impression will most likely be back, and will be even happier as things improve more.

Good luck!

[jmfnavyguy]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

Thanks, GMan,

I like the Comments/Sugestions and take them on board. When i get the go-ahead i`m planning to take some before & after photos, and if anyone`s intrested i`ll try and post them.

I`ll let you know how it all goes if i get the OK.

Andy

[Mark_S]

Re: Original 70`s & 90XL

I'd love to take 2 weeks hols and come down and help, just for the experience... not for money.
But unfortunately with 2 little people at home it ain't going to happen. But if i'm in cornwall for my holiday next year .. who knows.

Anyway, with all the rain this week you'll know if the roof has any leaks.