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Reconditioning Nintendo 4-Way Joystick or Alternative

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DonkeyKong:
As I've read, and piloted, Nintendo joysticks suck... but if you want to keep it original you only have one option... make it suck less.

So to do that, usually the spring needs to be replaced, and everything needs to be cleaned and re-greased.  What grease is preferred in these?  I used white lithium in a DK3 stick I have and it's ok but still kind of sticking.

The other thing I'm hearing is there is a buildup of crud and potentially rust in the ball joint.  Is there any way to disassemble the joystick to get to the tootsie roll center pictured here?



Or is this thing spot welded together? ...which would be really dumb.

Does anyone have a 4-way nintendo in GREAT shape that you would sell me?


Let say I could look the other way and not use a nintendo joystick in a DK restoration, what are the best alternatives?  I've read that the Sanwa 4-way is good.  Preferably I would want that same tight feel but less sucky of course!

Thanks!

MaximRecoil:
Using grease is your problem (plus it probably hasn't been cleaned properly since the Reagan Administration). Grease makes it feel sluggish/sticky. Use something light, like machine oil or silicone spray on the main pivot bearing. Also, you have to clean the pivot bearing and its socket thoroughly first.

And of course it is spot welded. That pivot bearing is in the socket for good. However, all you need to do is spray some degreaser in there and let it soak. Then get in there with a tooth brush or pipe cleaner or whatever and clean all the gunk out of there.

You will of course want to disassemble it to its basic components first though (remove the E-clip from the bottom of the shaft and it will essentially fall apart).

I doubt your spring needs to be replaced unless it is broken. They were light springs even when new.

I have one of these that came in a Punch-Out CP I bought that needs to be cleaned and lubricated. It is bad enough that in one of its 4 directions, the shaft actually sticks there indefinitely, and in the other 3 directions, the return to center is very slow. I should make a before and after video of this joystick to show that they are not sticky/sluggish by design—which seems to be a popular opinion among people who for whatever reason, don't clean and lubricate them properly.

DonkeyKong:
Well here's a little more history of my efforts.

I have this joystick on a Donkey Kong 3 panel, and it was very clean on the backside of the panel compared to most.  I disassembled the joystick as much as possible, removing the e-clip and micro switches, joystick shaft and everything else.  I cleaned all of the pieces in carburator cleaner until they were bright and shiny again.  But I could not completely remove the joystick from the CP because 2 of the 4 carriage bolt were stuck.  I didn't try super hard to get them off because I didn't want to scratch the front of the CP with vice grips or pliers or whatever.  So I just tried to get in there and clean as best I could.  There was a ton of stuff in there but no good way to blast it all out in the middle of my kitchen.  So I just kept working on it with q-tips and the cleaner.  After I had enough I decided to just put it all back together and lube it up.  I made sure to just get the lithium grease in the ball joint and left it OFF of the microswitches and spring and stuff.

I will have to disassemble it again and go for the gusto out in the garage.  It was just to damn cold before.  Now it might not be so bad.

Does the ball top and the shaft disassemble?  If so what do you grab and which direction do you turn it?  There is that discolored once-clear piece of plastic under the ball to deal with too.

I say the spring is toast because it doesn't really pull the joystick back to center all that well.  Yes I probably need to work on the ball joint more, but I still think it's weak.  I'll cross that bridge later then I guess.

MaximRecoil:
Were the nuts on the two carriage bolts stuck because of that green LocTite-type stuff that Nintendo liked to splash everywhere? If so, you can dissolve that stuff with Goof-Off and there may be other stuff that works too. Whatever you use, be careful of where it goes. Some of those harsh chemicals can damage e.g. the Lexan that CPO's are made from.

If your ball top has a set screw at the base of it then it is removable. If not, then it won't come off without breaking it off. Nintendo made both types.

Like I said earlier, you need to make sure that the pivot bearing and its socket are completely clean; but do not use grease in there when you are finished. I've tried various types of grease in my own Nintendo joysticks, ranging from white lithium grease to bearing grease designed for a bicycle and it is no good. It makes the stick sluggish/sticky (slow to return to center). The light spring isn't the problem, the grease is. I use 3M dry silicon spray in mine now and it works great. I know it looks like grease would be just the thing, being a steel ball bearing in a steel socket and all, but it simply makes matters worse in this case. And remember, there is no significant load on that bearing during operation of the joystick, so a grease isn't necessary anyway.

DonkeyKong:

--- Quote from: MaximRecoil on February 17, 2008, 01:57:56 pm ---Were the nuts on the two carriage bolts stuck because of that green LocTite-type stuff that Nintendo liked to splash everywhere? If so, you can dissolve that stuff with Goof-Off and there may be other stuff that works too. Whatever you use, be careful of where it goes. Some of those harsh chemicals can damage e.g. the Lexan that CPO's are made from.

--- End quote ---

Yep!  Damn stuff works too good.


--- Quote from: MaximRecoil on February 17, 2008, 01:57:56 pm ---If your ball top has a set screw at the base of it then it is removable. If not, then it won't come off without breaking it off. Nintendo made both types.

Like I said earlier, you need to make sure that the pivot bearing and its socket are completely clean; but do not use grease in there when you are finished. I've tried various types of grease in my own Nintendo joysticks, ranging from white lithium grease to bearing grease designed for a bicycle and it is no good. It makes the stick sluggish/sticky (slow to return to center). The light spring isn't the problem, the grease is. I use 3M dry silicon spray in mine now and it works great. I know it looks like grease would be just the thing, being a steel ball bearing in a steel socket and all, but it simply makes matters worse in this case. And remember, there is no significant load on that bearing during operation of the joystick, so a grease isn't necessary anyway.

--- End quote ---

I hear ya, I've just read a lot of people talking about greasing them.  And mine had grease in it.  I would think something has to be in there to cover the steel so it doesn't rust.  A light oil will eventually wear away and expose the metal.  And when it's rusty inside, what can you do?  I would think it's pretty much toast then.

It's too bad someone doesn't make replacement nintendo joysticks that are just like the original, except brand new.

I'll give this one some cleaning when I get a little more time.  Thanks for the help and advice MaximRecoil!

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