Trackball tune-up?

[GameOver]

I finished my first cab back in Oct. '04, and the trackball on it takes quite a beating from toddlers.  I don't mind, that's what the cabinet's for!  I knew there'd be some regular maintenance involved, especially with toddlers being frequent users. 

The trackball (Happs 3" translucent) is pretty 'stiff' now (especially after the beating it took New Year's Eve - World Class Bowling, baby!).  I've seen several posts that refer to trackball rollers & bearings, but none that tell you what to check for to determine which is the problem.  I went to Happs website & found rollers, bearings, and rollers and bearings together.  To buy all would be @$35, or less to get only what I need.

Can anyone tell me what I need to check to determine what I need to replace?  I want my T-ball rolling smooooooth again!

Thanks

[Matt Berry]

Take the trackball apart. You will see three rollers inside, each one has 2 bearings on it. These bearings should spin freely. If it doesn't clean them and give them a little grease / oil like a 3 in 1 or something similar. You can move each roller individually. I have a bunch of trackballs I've gotten off Ebay, all needed to be rebuilt, but it usually only required me to replace the bearings. The rollers only need to be replaced if they start getting a large groove worn into them, or flat spots. I only have 1 or 2 that required new rollers. Your rollers may have rusted or got something on them causing them to grab. If you replace the bearings I'd replace them with sealed / shielded bearings (one's that you can't see the bearings)

[RayB]

Yeah, TBs don't wear down that fast. You say kids use it... chances are food, drink and junk may have gotten inside. Just open it and clean the rollers and oil the bearings as per what the previous poster said.

[GameOver]

I've cleaned the rollers & lubed the bearings.  The trackball works MUCH better now.  Thanks!   

[stevejt]

I saw someone here in a post reccomend a "bearing blaster", designed for RC car bearings,(which are the same size as atari/happ trackball bearings).  I bought one online for $8.  Worked great!  It forces what ever lubricant you use THROUGH the bearing, forcing most of whats inside out.  I bought a lot of trackballs on ebay.  The worst one didn't roll at all.  The bearings were sticky, from dried soda or beer of something like that.  After soaking them in oil, they spun, but slow and still sticky inside.  I used the bearing blaster with WD40, (you need something pressurised with a nozzle straw).  WD40 is normally slightly yellow.  What came out of the bearing blaster was brown.  The bearings work like new!  The Bearing Blaster is definately worth the money.

Steve

[Bones]

I worked in the bearing industry for 14 long years so I picked up a thing or two.

The biggest cause of bearing failure (apart from incorrect installation) is contamination. Make sure that when you clean and re-pack the bearings all traces of previous lubricant have been removed as best as can be done, then re-pack.

Would probably be a good idea to suck up any dust while you have everything apart as any floaties in the air will most likely stick to any lube that dribbles out of the rollers & will eventually work it way back in.