I didn’t test my coils before before installing, so that was dumb. When looking up test procedures I saw a note about fixing coils so I went ahead and tried that, managed to fix one of the broken ones. Installed it, and had the same “flipper don’t work” experience. Installed a known working coil, and it still doesn’t work.
Surprise, jackass! You’ve been wiring the flipper wrong from the beginning! This is a case of moving too quickly and not taking enough process photos during teardown. SLOW DOWN.
Surf Champ is now working properly, and I repaired a couple of plastics and installed lexan washers to keep them from cracking or breaking again. I lubed the spinner, and did some light cleaning. Unfortunately, when it was all back together I found another couple of bulbs that need socket fixes but I’m moving on for now. The pop bumpers are strong and responsive, so I passed on rebuilding them too.
The game is playing better than it ever has before. I adjusted the playfield angle to about 4.75 and with the right coils installed, it’s like a dream. Reminds me that someday I hope to do some light restore to the playfield and clear coat it. The geometry of this game and the mix of shots is so satisfying. Of all my games I have the least amount of money into this one, but it’s absolutely a favorite.