removing joystick from Nintendo Cab

[djruden]

I have a DK cab with all original parts and I'm pretty sure the joystick has never been removed or cleaned.  I can get the control panel off but I'm not sure how to safely remove the joystick from it without breaking anything. 

How do I get that ball on top off?  Is it possible that it's just been on there so long that it's just grown onto the shaft?  It's been driving me crazy as I really wanna take it out and clean all the gunked up grease off.

I've seen a lot of posts about how to properly clean these sticks but unfortunately can't get that darn thing off the control panel...

Any one have some experience with this?

Thanks
DJ

[EwJ]

I have a DK cab with all original parts and I'm pretty sure the joystick has never been removed or cleaned.  I can get the control panel off but I'm not sure how to safely remove the joystick from it without breaking anything. 

Nothing to worry about. Nintendo joysticks can't be broken.

[djruden]

So does that black ball just pull right off the top?  Cuz seriously, I was using about all the muscle I got and it wasn't budging.  I tried gripping the shaft with a plyers to help but that just started scratching it up and I want to avoid doing that.

[EwJ]

nin1
nin2
nin3
nin4

Dunno, hopefully you can find something useful in those links - there's a schematic in there somewhere.
Good Luck!

[jimkirk]

So does that black ball just pull right off the top?  Cuz seriously, I was using about all the muscle I got and it wasn't budging.  I tried gripping the shaft with a plyers to help but that just started scratching it up and I want to avoid doing that.

If your ball top has a set screw in it you need to loosen it then hold the bottom of the shaft with a wrench and turn ball top. If no set screw or squared end on shaft then you have to remove e clip and remove stick. Take care to see where all the parts go. If you need help putting back together mikes arcade has a DK manual download which shows the joystick.Buy the way if your ball top has no set screw or no squared end at bottom of shaft then you have an 8 way joystick with a short stick.Here is a picture of the two different sticks.

[Bender]

you don't need to take the ball top off!!!!!

Just put a small screwdriver in the E-clip on the bottom and twist to remove the clip, then the shaft (with the ball top on) slides right out the top
Oh yeah, watch out for the spring, take the e clip off with a ziplock bag over it so the spring doesn't hit you in the eye or fly across the room

[djruden]

Thanks guys,  I was starting to think there might be a way around not removing the ball top.  It seems mine *had* a set screw in it but now theres just a tiny hole on the lower portion of the ball top where it used to be.  And it's definately a 4-way stick.

I'll probably take another stab at dismantling it this weekend.  I appreciate all the info!  Does anyone have any recommendations for a good silicone spray to use on it after I get all the grease cleaned off, is WD-40 fine, else I have some stuff out in the garage for use with the car.  It all seems the same to me, but this is my first arcade cab and I wanna fix it up nice ^_^.

[CheffoJeffo]

Don't use WD-40 as a lubricant because it isn't.

Somewhere, I think maximrecoil posted on how to best maintain Nintendo sticks.

I'm on my way out the door now or I would search for the thread -- maxim is the expert, except that Nintendo sticks DO break and DO burn ! 

[Bender]

Check out This thread