Eight Ball Deluxe (Bally, 1981) : pannes et cartes de remplacement (MPU Bally)
Is your Eight Ball Deluxe by Bally no longer starting, has it lost its voice and sound, is a rollover temperamental or the coils running wild? These symptoms are typical of Bally microprocessor pinballs, whose original MPU board is now over 40 years old and almost always suffers from a leaking battery. Good news: the BallyFA replacement MPU board, Plug & Play and battery-free, gives your machine a second life.
Eight Ball Deluxe (Bally, 1981): overview
Released in 1981, Eight Ball Deluxe is one of Bally's most famous pinballs, on a pool theme, with speech synthesis (Squawk & Talk board). It uses the Bally MPU of the AS-2518 series.
- Manufacturer: Bally
- Year: 1981
- Electronic system: Bally MPU (AS-2518)
- Type: electronic pinball (solid state), speech synthesis
- Theme: pool / 8-ball
Common faults (Bally / Stern)
On Bally and Stern microprocessor pinballs (1977-1985), recurring faults come from ageing: battery leaking on the MPU (corrosion of traces and sockets around U10/U11, the number-one cause of dead boards), tired PIA 6821 (U10/U11) (oxidised pins, no start-up), RAM 5101 and sockets to replace, MPU/power connectors oxidised or burnt (look for heat marks), displays with missing segments, and power/driver board (rectifier, fuses, coil transistors) to service.
Issues specific to Eight Ball Deluxe (forum feedback)
- No more voice or sound: Squawk & Talk board to diagnose; mind the ROM jumpers (W/Y position, don't confuse with Mr & Mrs Pac-Man).
- Left lane rollover that doesn't always register: switch to adjust/clean (extra ball hard to get).
- Battery leaked on the MPU: corrosion around U10/U11.
- Dead or partial displays: display and MPU power supply to check.
- Runaway or dead coils: driver board (transistors, fuses) to service.
- Oxidised or burnt connectors: to replace (re-pin) to make the machine reliable.
Replacement boards compatible with Eight Ball Deluxe
- BallyFA — replacement MPU board (battery-free).
- BallyDri — power + driver.
- BallyLa_60 — lamp driver.
📚 To go further: Guide: which MPU board for a Bally / Stern (1977-1985)?
The BallyFA replaces the original MPU board (start-up, logic, battery-free memory) and removes the battery, the number-one cause of corrosion. For the coils and power, the BallyDri takes over; the lamps via the BallyLa_60. The Squawk & Talk board is serviced separately. Plug & Play installation, battery-free, free support. Contact us.
FAQ — Eight Ball Deluxe Bally
My Eight Ball Deluxe has no voice.
The Squawk & Talk board is diagnosed separately (check the ROM jumpers). The BallyFA makes the MPU and start-up reliable.
My left rollover doesn't always register.
Switch to clean/adjust; on the logic side, the BallyFA makes switch reading reliable.
Is the BallyFA compatible with my Bally?
Yes, for Bally/Stern microprocessor pinballs (1977-1985). If in doubt, contact us.
Should I keep the original battery?
No. The BallyFA works without a battery and removes the number-one cause of corrosion.
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
- Powered off, visual inspection: look for any trace of battery or corrosion on your Eight Ball Deluxe's MPU, especially around U10/U11; remove the original battery if it is still present.
- Power supply: check the rectifier and the voltages (5 V logic, coil and lamp voltages); replace tired fuses.
- Grounds and connectors: redo the grounds and re-pin the oxidised or burnt MPU/power connectors.
- MPU: check the PIA 6821 chips (U10/U11) and the RAM; the BallyFA replaces the MPU and works without a battery.
- Displays: never plug or unplug a display while powered on; test with a known-good display.
- Final test: check start-up, credits, coils and displays; if needed, contact free support.
