Victory (Gottlieb, 1987): faults and replacement boards System 80B

On your Gottlieb Victory, do the kickers no longer respond, are the flippers dead, does the game reset or no longer start? These symptoms are typical of Gottlieb System 80B pinball machines, whose original boards (MPU, Driver, power supply, sound) are now over 40 years old. Good news: modern replacement boards, Plug & Play and battery-free, give your machine a second life.

Victory (Gottlieb, 1987): overview

Released in 1987, Victory is a System 80B pinball machine with a Formula 1 motor-racing theme. It features the alphanumeric displays and sporty atmosphere typical of the series.

• Manufacturer: D. Gottlieb & Co.
• Year: 1987
• Electronic system: Gottlieb System 80B
• Type: electronic pinball (solid state), alphanumeric displays
• Theme: motor racing / Formula 1

Common faults (System 80B)

System 80B machines use alphanumeric displays and an MPU with battery-backed 5101 RAM. Recurring faults: leaking battery on the MPU (corrosion and loss of the 5101 memory), unstable power supply (the original trim pot struggles to hold the 5 V and 12 V), cracked solder joints (notably on the CPU daughter card), inter-board connectors needing repinning, deficient grounds (ground mods essential), blank displays if a single bit fails to pass from the MPU to the display, and start-up disrupted by the starter of the backbox fluorescent tube.

Issues specific to Victory (forum feedback)

• Inert kickers: when the ball enters the three playfield kickers, nothing happens; the ground mods often restore the extra ball kicker, sometimes not the others.
• Kickers firing on ball loss: all the kickers trigger one by one before launching a new ball.
• No more flippers or slings: check the Driver board (flipper and sling transistors) and the playfield fuses.
• Deficient grounds: ground mods essential; missing earth terminal on the mains plug to be replaced.
• Backbox reset board: useless at home, unplugging it improves stability.

Replacement boards compatible with Victory

• GottFA80_Plus (Light) — all-in-one board CPU + Driver + power supply, without sound.
• GottFA80_Plus (Full) — same with integrated sound board (80B audio limited to a few titles).
• Gosof — replacement sound board for System 80 and 80A (80B support currently limited to a few titles).
• Godri80 — replacement Driver board.
• Lisy80 — CPU board + web diagnostics.
• GoPOP80 — bumper driver board (MA-922).

System 80B specifics: favour the GottFA80_Plus Light — the 80B is covered on the CPU/MPU side. On the audio side, support is for now limited to a few titles (Bounty Hunter, Chicago Cubs Triple Play, Tag Team); for the other System 80B machines, keep and repair the original sound board and contact us (an audio solution is in preparation).

Plug & Play installation, battery-free, tutorials and free support. Contact us.

FAQ — Victory Gottlieb

My kickers do not respond.
Start with the ground mods. If some kickers stay silent, check the Driver board and its transistors; the Godri80 replaces it.

I have no more flippers or slings.
Check the Driver board and the playfield fuses. The Godri80 board (or GottFA80_Plus) replaces the drive stage.

My Victory resets.
Redo the grounds and unplug the backbox reset board. A GottFA80_Plus power supply stabilises the game.

And what about 80B sound?
Audio support is for now limited to a few titles (Bounty Hunter, Chicago Cubs Triple Play, Tag Team). For Victory, keep and repair the original sound board and contact us; a solution is in preparation.

How long does it take to install a replacement board?
Installation is Plug & Play: a few minutes, no soldering, with tutorials and free support.

Does a battery-free board keep the settings and high scores?
Yes. Modern replacement boards use non-volatile memory: no more battery, no more corrosion, and the settings are kept when powered off.

Step-by-step diagnosis

1. Power off, visual inspection: look for any battery or corrosion traces on the MPU of your Victory; remove the NiCad battery if still present.
2. Power supply: measure the 5 V and check that it reaches the MPU (resolder the regulator or Q1 if the voltage drops).
3. Grounds: apply the « ground mods » between the boards (CPU, Driver, power supply, sound).
4. Connectors: re-pin the oxidised Molex connectors, especially the MPU↔Driver link.
5. Displays: never plug or unplug a display while powered on; test with a known-good display.
6. Final test: check start-up, credits, coils and displays; if needed, contact free support.

See also

• Arena (Gottlieb, 1987)
• Spring Break (Gottlieb, 1987)
• Diamond Lady (Gottlieb, 1988)
• TX-Sector (Gottlieb, 1988)

Sources & further reading

• Pinside Forum — Victory
• IPDB — Internet Pinball Database
• OPDB — Open Pinball Database