This section only deals with adjusting the cannon. This is the only part of this machine that cannot be found in other machines. For other maintenance issues I advise you to go to Marvin's repair tips.
The placement of the cannon in the playfield is a major concern to all Black Rose
owners. It is a moving part integrated in the playfield close to the flippers. These
factors make it potentially troublesome.
If the cannon is not well leveled it will influence the direction of the ball during game
play. As this happens close to the flippers an upward ball will have a large deflection by
the time it reaches the target. A downward ball won't have a large deflection as the
direction is changed just before it hits the flippers, but you won't have much time to
react to it.
A badly leveled cannon also causes the playfield and the cannon itself to wear off more
quickly, so there is every reason to keep the cannon well leveled.
The cannon consists of a moving part, the part the player sees, and an immobile part
through which the cannon is mounted to the playfield. It is the immobile part we are
concerned with when adjusting the cannon. It consists of the Cannon Mounting Ring which is
screwed to the underside of the playfield. To this ring three Post Assemblies are attached
via clips. The rest of the cannon is attached to the Post Assemblies.
You do not use the ring to adjust the cannon, you use the Post Assemblies!
A Post Assemly is basicly a large screw or shaft perpendicular (had to look this one up) to the playfield. On this a Leveling Guide is screwed, this looks like a cilinder with a groove in it. The groove holds the base of moving part of the canon. Turning the Leveling Guide makes it go up ore down the shaft and thus raises or lowers the cannon. To make sure the Leveling Guide does not move unintentioned it is secured twice, with a Set Screw that goes in the Leveling Guide and with a Lock Nut that is screwed on the shaft as well.
First unlock the Leveling Guides one by one. Make sure it can't rotate in the process
by holding it with vice grips. Then loosen the Lock Nut and then loosen the Set Screw. As
the position of the cannon changes a bit if the playfield is in upright position,
adjustments can best be made while the playfield is horizontal, so lower it and try to
turn the Leveling guides through the open coin door. In theory the cannon is leveled when
its surface is in line with the playfield. In reality however the surface of the cannon is
not always flat. If so make sure the cannon levels in those places where it is most
important, i.e. close to the flippers and in the direction of the ramps.
I use a fingernail, scratching it gently over the playfield, while adjusting to feel and
hear if the cannon and playfield are levelled, but you might want to use a flat object.
But of course the ultimate test is done while playing. You should consider the cannon well
adjusted if it influences the speed and direction of the as little as possible, geometry
is just an aid.
If you think the cannon is levelled, secure the set screws only and test it by playing
again. If you are lucky enough not to have messed things up while securing the set screws
you can secure the Lock Nuts. If not start again.
This may sound a bit stupid but I've got the impression that the weather influences the levelling of the canon. I had to adjust it twice, once in spring when the weather was getting better and once in autumn when it was getting worse. So my advice is not to adjust the cannon on a really hot, moist etc day. Choose a normal dull Saterday to do it.
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