Castle not rebuilding correctly

[philw]

After 5,603 games my castle has broken.


Symptoms:

• it doesn't "rebuild", it's in the "damaged" state all the time (see image)
• the machine makes the usual "castle is breaking" noises, but nothing much happens when the castle's supposed to "vibrate".
• I took the cover off and found a black plastic bracket which appears loose inside the castle

Looking at the manual I can't quite work out where that bracket comes from, but from the location it was found in plus the shape of the break it looks like it should sit at the bottom of the castle. From the manual page 2-25 Exploding Castle Assembly it looks like:

• item number 1, part 04-10879.2 Bracket Castle

• Could anyone point out where I can buy those brackets?
  UK dealer support has been... not great in the past, but I have a US bank account so just buying stuff direct from there is easiest although I'm in Europe.
• I could presumably super glue the bracket as a temporary repair whilst I try to source the part?
• Is there any reason I should not continue to use the machine even with the castle broken?
• Does anyone have any idea how to start disassembling the castle? There are four obvious slot-headed bolts around the black metal base (can't find a diagram for this)... probably taking those out will allow the whole assembly to be removed, then I can likely work out how to get to the base of the main tower.

[philw]

Ah, it was the four slotted hex-head bolts, one of which was pretty tight to get out. Maybe I should use some removable Locktite on them when they go back in.

Here's the assembly removed, which is that on page 2-25. The removed rod and holds the main tower to the metal base. Taking one circlip off is sufficient to allow wiggling the rod out of there and releasing the main tower.

The main turret has a grey base plate stuck to the bottom of the actual tower. That base plate is "poked" by a rod from beneath when the castle is "breaking". Hence the base plate has a load point where it meets the main tower... which is where it fractured in my case.

I will try to epoxy the base back onto the tower. Maybe that will hold. If it doesn't I could probably "beef up" the base by adding something under the plastic to strengthen it (carbon fibre comes to mind). If that doesn't work then I'll need the replacement part, which I suspect is both base plate and castle combined.

[philw]

Right, that's fixed, with epoxy.
I glued it back on, put it all back, and it's working perfectly.

Next up:

• I have 2.01 so I need to upgrade that to 2.02 as I have the "date time" issue.
• I'm getting balls stuck behind the right hand troll now and then - anyone know how to stop/ fix that?
  
  Problem solved though!

[Lloyd Olson]

There is a metal extension behind each troll carriage. Bend it out a tiny bit should help. Not too much or the carriage will bind going up and down.
LTG : )

[philw]

I see those... I will have a shot at that and see if it sorts it. Thanks!

[philw]

Just for the record... my repair to the main tower there lasted a couple of months, but eventually failed at the join. I replaced the whole base plate with a piece of metal (thin steel from an old metal ski-scraper I had lying around). That's now self-tapped into the old plastic base of the tower and it works ok, for now at least. If anything the tower is more sprightly than before... steel really makes it flap about.