trackball refit made it worse?

[Gray_Area]

I have a Happ trackball that pulled up and to the right. The bearings were crappy, so I got some new ones (from GGG) and put in some new shafts (I'd gotten a few years ago from someone here), and now the thing not only pulls in the same direction, but kludgingly so. I can't figure it.

[boardjunkie]

A bearing is likely dragging. I would dissolve the grease that came in them with some naptha and oil the bearings with some light oil. Sewing machine oil is thin enough to not cause drag.

[RandyT]

I have a Happ trackball that pulled up and to the right. The bearings were crappy, so I got some new ones (from GGG) and put in some new shafts (I'd gotten a few years ago from someone here), and now the thing not only pulls in the same direction, but kludgingly so. I can't figure it.

Please define "kludgingly"   Not sure what to suggest without knowing the issue you are experiencing, but I'll try.

You shouldn't need to do anything to bearings bought from us.  They are high-quality and already lightly oiled.

Check to make sure that everything is put back together properly and that you didn't accidentally get something stuck to the roller (it happens).  Is it bumping or sticking?  If not, you may have a PCB going bad.

RandyT

[Gray_Area]

Perhaps I should've said 'grudgingly'. As in: it just don't wanna go that way real easy.

I noticed this 'worsened' behavior when I rebuilt it, and took it back apart and could find no reason for it. I thought maybe the bearings needed working, but it's been two months now, and no change.

Here is a video. No direction spins great, but up-right obviously fights hard.




The only thing I can figure is there's a flaw in the design of the housing such that the rollers aren't exactly 'square' from one another.

[boardjunkie]

Trackballs aren't perfect. There will always be more friction in some directions than others. Nature of the beast due to having 3 rollers....

[Gray_Area]

Trackballs aren't perfect. There will always be more friction in some directions than others. Nature of the beast due to having 3 rollers....

I've seen better trackballs on Golden Tees that have been on route for three years, and are all gray from never being cleaned. No.....

[BobA]

Make sure your trackball is mounted with the top side towards the screen.   Some have an arrow and others just tell you where the top is in the documentation.   A trackball has only 3 shafts and one (no encoder) is sort of an idler and has to be in the proper position for the ball to roll smoothly.

[TopJimmyCooks]

If it's already mounted in a panel (can't quite tell from the video) make sure the mounting system isn't super tight.  you can tighten the bolts through the case so tight that it squeezes the plastic case and the case rubs on the ball or torques a roller/bearing.  Loosen then gradually tighten until the problem happens, then back off a little. 

[Gray_Area]

It's facing 'upward'. I loosed the housing almost all the way, and there was no difference. The bearings suck (they don't spin far by themselves), the trackball sucks (it never was great, and I recall someone saying Happ blew versus Betson Imperials), or both. I'm thinking its both.

[Gray_Area]

Coming back to this. The same trackball as mine in the wild:

[BobA]

Maybe you have a bad trackball.  Sort of like a Monday car off the assy line.  Gladly trade you for a used wico if you think it will help.

[RandyT]

In response to the video, perhaps when you've put 500+ hours on yours, like the one on location, and all of the lubrication has left the bearings, causing the balls and races to wear to the point that they rattle around (you can actually hear them doing this in the video), then yours will be as free rolling.

[Gray_Area]

In response to the video, perhaps when you've put 500+ hours on yours, like the one on location, and all of the lubrication has left the bearings, causing the balls and races to wear to the point that they rattle around (you can actually hear them doing this in the video), then yours will be as free rolling.

They aren't rattling.

I may take you up on that Bob. I'll PM you.

[RandyT]

They aren't rattling.

That's the loudest, "non-rattling" trackball I've ever heard.  Call it what you will, but that's bearing noise and it's from wear and/or lack of lubrication.

[BobA]

Have not been able to find the PS/2 Wico trackball yet but am posting pictures of the Happ mounting plate it fits the 2 different trackballs just fine.

[BobA]

Actual trackball with PS/2 connection.  Mouse hack spins for about 2 sec. 

[Gray_Area]

They aren't rattling.

That's the loudest, "non-rattling" trackball I've ever heard.  Call it what you will, but that's bearing noise and it's from wear and/or lack of lubrication.

That may be the case, but they still roll farther, and straight. Mine's like a mule with a bad leg.

[RandyT]

That may be the case, but they still roll farther, and straight. Mine's like a mule with a bad leg.

There are a few things to look at.  Try loosening the bolts on the case a bit and see what happens.  If the case is warped, it could be causing something to bind.  Try rolling it without the top cover and see if there is any improvement, and look for any stickage.  If there is anything in the bearing wells, get rid of it.  Anything that could compress the exterior of the bearing even slightly, will induce drag. 

If all looks good, then work the hell out of the trackball, and do it as often as you can, while playing a game or not.  All good quality bearings are tight in the races at first, lube or not.  If they weren't, they would not have any precision.  To rapidly accelerate wear, dissolve all lubrication out of the bearing with solvent, and work them a few hours "dry".  Use the solvent again to clean them out and replace the light oil so they don't continue to degrade.  There's not much else to do, or which can be done, to get it spinning freely.

[surface tension]

We install Happ trackballs in our arcade tables and have had more than I feel is reasonable with lumpy bearings. So as part of the process, I disassemble and lubricate all bearings with 3-in-1 and a drill as this is better than the customer finding it doesn't work very well.

I wrote a blog post on the process if that's any good to you...
http://www.arcade-lounge.co.uk/2009/10/31/fixing-a-sticky-happ-trackball/