Nintendo 64 (N64) joystick teardown - How to clean/fix/restore/refurbish

[@adamwilson1691]

Yes, I like that you’re encouraging people to do THIS. I hate when people throw away oem parts in place of aftermarket ones just because they’re not clean.

[@h8GW]

That people may have thrown out stick modules with perfectly working optical sensors(which aren't made anymore) for crap amazon potentiometer replacement is my nightmare fuel.

[@supercattelephone]

I've done this repair many times but I always come back to this video just to listen to while I clean these stick boxes, always good to go back and make sure you're doing it correctly

[@zanthiel2009]

The best video after 5 searches, very detail and great audio!

[@restore64]

Thanks for the feedback. Audio and video was done with an old iPhone SE but I was able to clean the audio up quite a bit with Audacity. 4k is available if your display supports it ;)

[@izaiahmathew9076]

i know im randomly asking but does any of you know of a trick to log back into an instagram account? I was dumb forgot my login password. I would appreciate any tricks you can offer me!

[@onyxshepard5057]

@Izaiah Mathew Instablaster ;)

[@izaiahmathew9076]

@Onyx Shepard Thanks for your reply. I got to the site on google and I'm in the hacking process now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@izaiahmathew9076]

@Onyx Shepard it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. Im so happy:D Thanks so much you really help me out!

[@DoctaPanda82]

Hey, just a heads up. Isopropyl alcohol is known to be harmful to some plastics regarding their longevity. If you leave some plastics in alcohol, it will start to degrade within a few hours. Idk what these sticks are made from, but it might be safer to just use water with soap.

[@OGSERB]

Legendary tutorial. Followed this for all my n64 pads, and they feel great. Hopefully no more degradation. Thank you!

[@restore64]

No, thank you for leaving such a nice comment.

[@paulnovacek3715]

I've used this video for 2 repairs now and it was very helpful. Joystick butter is an absolute godsend. Highly recommend it to anyone doing this repair. Makes the stick movement so smooth. Thanks for the helpful guide.

[@restore64]

Awsome!! Yeah, I still have the same tube of Joystick Butter from this video. I've done over 100 joystick assemblies and still have like 75% of it left I think. If Nintendo knew about this stuff when they made these controllers I don't think anyone would ever be watching my video. I still use the same controller from this 4-year old video. It's still perfectly lubricated 6 years later. It's crazy.

[@LuchaMenos]

@@restore64 Excuse me. Where Can I get it? edit: Oh my bad, I´ve seen where...thanks

[@ChrisHollandGuitar]

Thanks for this tutorial. I'm going to replace the gears in two of my N64 controllers, lubricate all moving parts and contact points, while using this vid as a reference. I've watched almost every video on KZbin showing how to do this, and yours is the best.

[@johncring9783]

No, thanks for taking the time to write this comment. I'm glad it helped :)

[@maxmeek8923]

Extremely thorough, much appreciated. Will have to invest in some joystick butter lol. Also, I think it's awesome that you mention where to get each tool and what they do, etc. Very helpful video

[@restore64]

Thank you for the kind words :)

[@Luuuwun]

I just installed a new stick and gears with this video's help! Great camera work, easy explanations, and you got down to business right away! Thank you

[@restore64]

Only way to do it. I hate when I watch other videos and you have to watch 5 minutes worth of intros and ads before they get to it.

[@Luuuwun]

@@restore64 haha same, and there are a LOT of those videos especially with video game stuff

[@pieshot]

This is by far the best video of all the ones I've seen on fixing the n64 controller, contains very critical details the others left out. I consider this the go-to for n64 controller maintenance. Thanks for the video.

[@restore64]

No, thank you for taking the time to leave this comment. It means a lot.

[@rebow2568]

That is the Nintendo 64 control stick being served as the ancestor of Joy-Con control stick. - Me as the Nintendo Switch User -

[@msanchez1680d]

Mate, I recently bought a n64 and it came with a controller and a bought another controller, both controller were in a bad state, I followed your instructions and wow that was a miracle happening right there, thank you for this, both controller feels and play amazing.

[@restore64]

I'm just now seeing this but THAT IS AWESOME. Love to hear it!

[@MeekMushroom]

I bought a used N64 controller recently and it didn’t quite work right because of the analog stick. This video was easy to follow along with and instilled confidence in me that I could do a simple clean up of the controller. My $30 spent wasn’t wasted on a controller thanks to the clear guide and it’s fully functional. Thanks!

[@restore64]

I'm just now seeing this comment. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear that even after all these years this video is still helping people!

[@Zazabar]

This video helped me out a ton. I had no idea about the larger gear part being on the bottom and in that particular spot. I could never close my case and it drove me nuts. Great video!

[@restore64]

It’s a fun little puzzle. Once you’ve taken a few apart it becomes effortless. I still remember the first one I took apart. I was so confused. Haha 😂

[@whatcarpaltunnel]

Damn that was satisfying to watch not to mention heavily informative. Great job, bud.

[@restore64]

Thank you :D

[@ButtholioTheGreat]

great video, but for a loose joystick what part needs to be replaced?

[@Bolcsi]

Thanks for the in depth guide, I bought an N64 on the flea market and the joy was horrible, turned out the inside of the joy was like it had powdered sugar in it from years of use. Now it's really responsive. Thanks again.

[@restore64]

Bolcsi sorry for the late reply I’ve been sick 🤒 just remember, joystick butter stops the wear from occurring, it doesn’t tighten up joysticks. The powder is actually nylon powder. If there wasn’t much and you cleaned it properly and put joystick butter on it it’ll definitely bring it back to life and give it a much nicer feel :)

[@TheDeathOfLucifer]

@@restore64 what would you suggest to tighten it?

[@isaacholzwarth]

@@TheDeathOfLucifer I am using kitsch-bent replacement parts with great success. Depending on the amount of wear, the bowl is the biggest thing that needs to be replaced, although the gears are sometimes really rough if it's in a super almost unusable condition. Good luck! Also, you might have to do a bit of work to get them perfect as they are oem parts, the biggest one for me is widening the hole where the sensor wheels snap in so they aren't too tight. This is all information you can find googling.

[@bluorb]

EXTREMELY HELPFUL!!! I'm definitely ordering a philips & regular of those screw drivers & some joystick butter right now. By next week. I'll have some actually properly lubed controllers! Hard to image why they didn't lube these in the first place. Also, fantastic job on covering all the ins and outs of getting that taken apart & reassembled. Very thorough.

[@restore64]

In the last few years of the N64 cycle they actually did. It's really hard to find the ones that were but they used a super thin oil like substance on the gears. I actually have a brand new example of one. If it wasn't factory sealed I'd do a video on it showing what they did exactly. Probably wouldn't get that many views though, haha. Up until 2007 you could actually call Nintendo and they'd send you a brand new replacement joystick, with the oiled up gears, for free. It wasn't the best but it was better than nothing. A lot of times if you find a really old N64 controller with a pretty close to tight stick it more than likely had the oiled up gears on it.

[@joshm264]

@@restore64 cool!

[@Jon55mcc]

Easily the best video I’ve watched on KZbin for a really long time! Cheers!

[@restore64]

This comment made my day! Thanks!

[@Ostricht199]

Super helpful video, and as a bonus there's a "involuntary ASMR" quality to it (I mean this as a compliment!)

[@restore64]

Thanks! I shot this on a first gen iPhone SE :)

[@alexmurray91]

Such a good video. Way better than all the other videos. Detailed but short. My controllers are as good a new now.

[@restore64]

The only thing that means more to me than comments like this are that there's more controllers out there in the wild getting properly took care of. Love it.

[@yung_sirloin]

This is some good shit. Hella detailed thank you man!

[@restore64]

No, thank you for watching!

[@gengibrekookie6022]

@@restore64 well, time to play some roblox

[@zenithskoll5746]

Excellent video! Very detailed, professional, just all around great. I'd love to see a tear down/clean video of the console itself, if you haven't already. Would you be able to provide a link to the joystick butter? If this is really all that needs to be done to completely make them sit correctly again I have like 5 controllers I want to fix up.

[@restore64]

Thanks. I need to work on my "video voice". I fall asleep listening to myself. I plan on doing a full controller restoration video first, then cartridge restorations, then console restorations. This video took FOREVER to edit so I don't plan on making anymore videos for another month or two. www.etsy.com/shop/joystickbutter

[@cav3man666]

Best video i have seen on how to fix my crappy sticks! Good job mate

[@TheYonGamingShow]

This video, plus a new set of gears and some lube, now my original joystick is like new. Thank you so much for the great explanation. Great video!

[@ericrommens...7181]

You are doing the lords work my friend.

[@restore64]

No my friend. You are. When you leave comments like this it makes the video relevant to other KZbinrs searching for similar content.

[@Jailbreak49]

Where can I get good quality replacements for the button pads?

[@erictomillon3944]

lmao @ the part where you put the stick back together being the most replayed part. people out here struggling.

[@joseesteban413]

Great video! I appreciate how thorough you went to explain the cleaning process.

[@restore64]

Thanks!

[@illustriousinc8608]

Awesome. This will be my next little project since I really want to use my N64 again after many years. Thank you!

[@restore64]

No! Thank you for the comment. Just now saw this. Sorry for the late reply!

[@raygun23]

How to refurbish a worn down controller: step 1 steal your kids tooth brush step 2 *iSoPrOpYl* step 3 put ky jelly all up in there step 4 bran noow

[@restore64]

My insides hurt. Hahahaha

[@raygun23]

Restore64 you needa post more videos and keep doing what you’re doing. Your current videos are great and a lot of others and I would agree that you should keep on going with the n64 content we’d love to stick around for!

[@restore64]

@@raygun23 I'm unable to film anything new at the moment. Hoping that'll change soon. I have a lot of great stuff I plan on putting out that I think will help a lot of people.

[@DuckRotation]

@@raygun23 you want more of his stuff to break? How rude.

[@theripper1222]

@@restore64 that’s what she said

[@kvh911]

Fantastic just fixed a controller by following this as the wheels were full of dust. Great video. Thank you

[@WaylonSlate]

Super straightforward and easy to follow! Thanks for making this

[@darthsynchronic]

Most thorough video I saw yet! Excellent Tutorial! 😄👍

[@restore64]

Thank you for your kind words. It took a lot of work.

[@idiogamez3619]

THANK YOU MAN I FIXED MY OLD NINTENDO Toys r us controller

[@justmetal227]

This dude needs way more subs

[@restore64]

I see you subbed as well! Thanks! The comments mean more to me than the subs but I'll take whatever I can get :)

[@justmetal227]

@@restore64 I'm restoring two right now I think they are way beyond repair so I was gonna order the gear parts from store.kitsch-bent.com/product/n64-joystick-gears

[@restore64]

@@justmetal227 only use those as a last resort. They aren't very good. Even if you spend a lot of time hand filing off the flashing they're still far from accurate.

[@justmetal227]

@@restore64 got a new method. Heat at 312 Fahrenheit and close the gears until they are back to original size :). Then lube and done.

[@restore64]

justmetal227 I saw one guy on KZbin do that a long time ago and I haven’t been able to find the video since. He had a custom jig made so it would resize them to the exact factory specs.

[@giovannii5759]

The only issue I continuously have is the stick almost feeling sandy even after lubricating it, I'm thinking this is just due to the bowl being worn and maybe the only fix I can think is almost like a steel stick bowl solution. Or maybe a way to elevate the stick a little so it doesn't grind against the bowl

[@Vitoamiibo]

Hi! question: would you recommend white lithium grease over joystick butter?

[@joshm264]

White lithium grease can work if you don't have any joystick butter, or if you're a kid and $20 is alot, but make sure it's not petroleum based because it will deteriorate the plastic

[@restore64]

@@joshm264 White lithium grease should never be used to lubricate plastic under any circumstances. Not only does it not work well it's not what it was designed for. It's only used for metal on metal lubrication. While a petroleum free white lithium grease is safer to use on plastics it doesn't make it better to use on plastics. The purpose of petroleum free white lithium grease is for applications where you need to lubricate metal on metal that inevitably come into contact with other plastics/rubbers. I've used both petroleum and petroleum free variants of white lithium grease and they both preform the same way. Very poorly. I knew they would since they're not designed for plastics but the penny-pincher inside me had to do it just to see. I've easily done over 100 controllers with the tube of joystick butter I got a long time ago and still have plenty left. I did the math and it works out to about 20 cents an application. There are tons of cheaper alternatives that work way better than lithium grease but I can't in good conscience recommend them because they all suck :(

[@joshm264]

@@restore64 Yeah, but the only problem is that you can't get smaller amounts if you only have a few

[@restore64]

@@joshm264 I agree. To do one or two controllers it's pretty expensive. I didn't think about it like that. I'd still buy it though. It's worth it to keep your joysticks perfect. It's not like you can go to Walmart and buy a new factory fresh N64 controller anymore :( Plus, I use it when I restore consoles, controllers, and cartridges in a different way that I'll share once I get around to making restoration videos for those. I just keep putting it off because making new videos is so time consuming.

[@joat1979]

Joystick butter is extremely expensive at about $24 per ml. However, if you are only working on a personal collection, it's probably worth it. I am currently experimenting with Molykote 44 medium, which seems to be a very good lubricant. It states that it is safe for most plastics, but to test it. So, currently, I have a joystick bowl from an N64 "soaking" in it for a couple of months to see if there is any etching or otherwise general degradation. That being said, I do have some old QuickShot joystick controllers, which have large joysticks, so I'm not so worried about testing. I used some of the MolyKote on them, and they are very smooth, not sticky at all and, just like joystick butter, you really don't need much; just a very thin coating. All that said, it was only about $27 for 5.3 oz, which is a huge value if it works out. Anyway, like I said, still testing, but my hopes are up. Great video.

[@restore64]

This isn't the first time I've heard of someone using Molykote 44. There's a guy that repackages the 44 Light variant and sells it under his trade name "Stick Grease" which is super illegal "passing off". I guess that's where people got the idea to start using it. Molykote 44 is a high-temp bearing grease, as stated in the Dow SDS and on the Dupont website. The main ingredient in Molykote 44 is lithium stearate which is basically lithium grease. Lithium grease is used to lubricate metals which makes sense since this product is designed specifically for bearings. It's perfectly safe to use Molykote 44 on plastics as it doesn't contain petroleum so your soaking test won't yield any results, /just to save you some time/. The only thing you'd have to worry about putting it on is silicone. The reason I shared this video is to hopefully save others from the months I spent researching/experimenting myself. Don't let me stop you though. There's nothing like feeling it in your thumb and seeing it with your own eyes. Molykote 44 may feel alright at first. Just about anything would. I wouldn't recommend using lithium based products on an application like this. Of the countless things I have tried the lithium based products initially felt okay but were the absolute worst overall. I will say this. I did my fair share of research before using joystick butter as I have some very rare controllers in my collection. I wanted them to be perfect even though nobody, while I'm alive anyways, will be using them. While there's no way to prove this, the controller in this video still has perfect/slick gears. They, still, haven't worn down at all. It's a satisfying yet shocking feeling every time I pick it up.

[@joat1979]

@@restore64 Thank you very much for the info. I have tried a few types of grease and so far, the MolyKote felt the smoothest. I have not tried joystick butter, mostly because of the price and every time I've looked it up, it seemed in very short supply. I was mainly looking for a really good grease, that I could order at any time. If you have other suggestions as well, I would definitely listen. However, I do see what you're saying, with potentially rare equipment that you will never play. My rarest being a first run Odyssey in the box, I'm going to take it out and play it just once next year for its 50th birthday, then put it up forever. Anyway, before I rant too much, thanks again.

[@restore64]

@@joat1979 You ain't lying. When it first came out I paid something like $45 for a 3 mL syringe of it. I'm cheap as hell so it killed me to do that. After doing some research and talking to the owner I realized it's exactly what these gimbals need. I also found another clever use for it which I plan on showing in a future video. Time has been getting the best of me lately.

[@joshm264]

Thanks for showing me how to keep my stick great for years to come!

[@restore64]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. This took literally forever to edit :/

[@joshm264]

@@restore64 Yeah, my channel [ kzbin.info/door/TP1cHW4n2iAuX6r5v7Bq1g ] that I started has 1 video because of how hard it is to edit it

[@restore64]

@Josh McCellan that intro you did with the floppy disk is pretty cool.. didn't even know you could do that. The link you posted is incorrect. You accidentally added an "N" on the end. Here's the link: kzbin.info/door/TP1cHW4n2iAuX6r5v7Bq1g

[@joshm264]

@@restore64 I use shotcut, its a free & open source video editor, and ad an incentive to make more videos, here's an intro for you: drive.google.com/file/d/1oevTMybetDgGn6gP5Dd5N1HwMHfwPPTY/view?usp=sharing

[@BarrickMacready]

Never ever understood why the joystick would get this powder in it all the time. Thanks for the video!

[@restore64]

No, thank you for commenting!

[@ICEYWEISSEY]

Thank you man this really helped 10/10

[@restore64]

No problem :)

[@Sporomaniacos]

Hey thanks for the great vid man. I just finished cleaning up some originals that I just bought. Unfortunately, the black gears are all worn out so ordered some replacement bits, will definitely come back to this clip once the parts arrive in case I get lost on the way out haha.

[@vscen]

Thank you so much! Used this video as a guide to install new gears in my really bad OEM controller... It was very very loose.

[@b3nner]

I followed this tutorial but now my controller is moving on its own. any fixes?

[@shinichikudo282]

I'm your 500th sub 🙂

[@restore64]

THANKS!

[@gamertundra907]

Awesome video, now I need to get some joystick butter!

[@restore64]

Do it, you won't be disappointed. I wish I would have found the stuff sooner. It really does what it's supposed to do. Thanks for the like!

[@thekiddie73]

Top Quality this man!! Done an Original earlier following this. Superb, smooth as butter. Controller feels great. Overall 5* video🙂👍👍

[@restore64]

Thank you so very much for leaving this kind comment.

[@RabidBeave]

If you have an ultrasonic cleaner, you can use that with a 5% Simple Green solution to clean all those parts with grooves and crevasses. DO NOT use the heat feature though as that will discolor the ABS plastic.

[@dirediredude]

Awesome video man. Great information and clear camera work. Well done. Need to do this on my controller as well. Just curious does this eliminate the "slop" that older N64 controller get or is that due to something breaking inside?

[@JonnyFlash80]

That's due to the groove in the black "gears" being too wide and the white bowl being worn down. The white bowl is what is putting upward pressure on the stick to help it center. If the bowl is worn down it won't push upwards on the stick anymore. Some people have fixed that with epoxy but there are replacement bowl and gears that are available for sale on ebay or Kitsch-Bent. Shipping from Kitsch-Bent can be pricey if you're not in the US though.

[@IzzySarru]

I'm keeping this video favorited for when I can make use of it. The aftermarket controllers I've used just don't hold up in quality. Most notably, their joysticks are FAR too sensitive. Not great when you're trying to snipe keese in Zelda.

[@restore64]

Aftermarket options are horrible :(

[@DisneyTLK110]

I have an issue which appears on every other N64 stick, and that is the spring sometime "jumps" or "clicks" when you move the stick from the center (even if I follow your tips about the positioning of the spring and plastic ring. Do you know why this happens and how I could silence this noise? It would be awesome to have a transparent joystick module case, to be able to see exactly what is causing this clicking noise, it seems to happen with almost every stick in some way.

[@restore64]

Sorry for not replying sooner. I believe, if you don't seat the PCB properly (15:10) it'll leave the slightest gap which will cause the problem you're having. I should have put more focus on placing/seating it correctly but the video before editing was over an hour I think. You want to make sure the PCB is flush with the bottom and make sure the cable/ribbon is nicely in the channel. If it's not you may have to bend it around a bit in order to make sure it's exiting the housing correctly.

[@toilet64_]

@@restore64 thank u for this

[@SpaceCamelWonder]

Only video I needed to watch dead ass.

[@restore64]

Only comment I like... dead ass.

[@JudyHoppsandNick]

Hey when would you reapply the joy stick butter on the joystick after when you first put it on

[@restore64]

I haven't had to reapply it once since I've put it on my main playing controller. It's made out of something fancy that coats the gears and when you move the stick around it just keeps reapplying it. It's wild.

[@ElRincondelosMalditos]

My stick still loose 😢

[@restore64]

This procedure will prevent it from becoming looser.

[@Thatdudemayne]

So, I followed this tutorial but the gears are so worn that my joystick is still wobbly. What do I do? Did I miss something?

[@restore64]

Cleaning and lubing the gears won't make your joystick tight again. Sadly, there is not a single aftermarket option for the gears.

[@timtamz1674]

The best video on youtube

[@restore64]

I thought so too until I saw this guy doing cradle on agent in 33 seconds: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3SYn6ONZteEmrc

[@marioboi323]

I can’t open the screw to the joystick. I’m twisting in the right direction but I’m not entirely sure if I’m doing it right or if I’m just not strong enough

[@restore64]

Oh no! If you're twisting counter-clockwise "to the left" and it's not coming out it may be stripped. If it is you'll have to use a thin trim tool, inserted in between the two parts of the housing, to apply pressure on the housing while unscrewing to get it open.

[@marioboi323]

@@restore64nvm, I found a screwdriver that was both small enough to fit around it? And has magnetic ability so I managed to get it out. It works with most of my stripped screws too because of the magneticness

[@blurry9744]

so I can do this clean/repair even if its very worn down, I see in some other videos that its created almost a powder like mass from the grinding of the plastics against eachother, at that point, isnt it ruined?

[@restore64]

They are ruined at that point. You're correct. If they aren't extremely bad this will prevent them getting worse

[@charlesgreen5408]

What's the best thing to do if the joystick is a bit loose/worn out?

[@CleftoTheBoyLipWonde]

Great video! Is this permanent? If not how often do you reapply?

[@restore64]

Nothing is permanent but the Joystick Butter lasts forever it seems. I only play mine once or twice a week and it's been fine since I made this video almost 3 years ago. It's really nice stuff. If you played heavily maybe you could reapply it once a year if you wanted to but I don't think even that is necessary. When I get some time I'm going to re-open my joystick just to check the condition but 3 years later and it still feels like the day I applied it.

[@squiiidxcx]

@@restore64 do you need joystick butter?

[@StonerAmongstUs]

My controllers thumb sticks are loose, bit of a wiggle before moves register. Ordered new ones but could only find GameCube style as I cannae solder.

[@restore64]

The GCS joystick is horrible and you'll lose all of your fine movements. If you push the stick more than 15-20% out the movement will jump out to 90%+ even though the stick isn't that far out. It makes every game a nightmare. Kart, Super Mario, 007 etc.

[@StonerAmongstUs]

@@restore64 as long as I can play again I'm not too bothered, not ideal I know but not like I can get new Nintendo parts as production stopped about 20 years ago. I'll try fix the original but not entirely confident I'll do ok.

[@Lil_Laflame]

Do u needa add that stuff u added becuase I don’t have it so I just used toothbrush that’s it...

[@restore64]

If you don't it'll just continue to get worse.

[@puff]

I have watched this so many times, its killing me I have 10 or 15 controllers, I have a bunch of replacements parts I ordered from a reputable website, some of the controllers go back together no problem. Many of them have the joystick drifting in all sorts of ways. Even with the OEM part back in place. Sometimes the stick will get stuck in one direction. It has to be something im doing with the reassembly and its driving me nuts. Please help

[@2slow2survive]

Is there a difference beteen this "joystick butter" and a normal grease? Because it is really expensiv

[@restore64]

Short answer is yes.

[@Hellfireknightmare]

DUUUUUUDE! Thank you so much, I disassembled my yellow Pikachu one and couldn't assemble it back! And I was afraid of disassemble my other controller (I only have 2) and screw that one too! Lol But thanks to you, I just saved my Pikachu one! :D Subscribed! There's a little of drift and left is not that good but I don't care! It works again! Thanks! :D

[@Barjile]

You're a legend dude

[@johncring9783]

Stop, you're making me blush.

[@sneakymut]

Damn he used his kids tooth brush 😂😂😂

[@restore64]

Yeah I don't know why I kept calling it the kid's toothbrush over and over again. It is a "kid's toothbrush" and that's what I call it but when I play the video back it sounds like I'm saying I'm using my kid's actual toothbrush but I'm not, I promise, haha. They just work really well because it's nothing but a short bit of bristle. No rubber things or extra stuff in the way. Next time you go to the dentist if you already have a toothbrush ask for a kid's one, they're pretty nice :D

[@TheLink8284]

So wait, this doesn't fix a loose joystick? Out of my 4 controllers I'd say I have one that the stick isn't absolutely brutal to use. Do you have any tutorials on how to do that, or should I consider them paper weights? Thanks in advance 🙏🏻

[@restore64]

Don't call them that :( No, this procedure prevents them from wearing out. So if you have good gears you would do this to prevent them from wearing out further. If you have a really loose stick just cleaning it will make it feel a bit better but the gears are done for at that point.

[@emil82]

Mine dig not look like yours at all. But I simply cleaned inside ant put a little bit of silicone grease. And now min it’s as new. But I ordered new ones that supposedly should hold up better.

[@restore64]

You may have an aftermarket stick.

[@dvulpis29]

Does cleaning and lubricating fix the looseness and floppiness of the stick?

[@restore64]

No, lubricating doesn't add volume back to the worn gears. Sometimes simply cleaning/rebuilding will make the stick feel better and retain whatever tightness is still left.

[@PopeLeo]

Seems this wasn't that worn down, I've just bought one and it was very loose, you could wiggle it almost 50% left to right without it actually doing anything.

[@dannie31110]

Can I send you both of my Nintendo 64 controllers to get restored ?

[@DerSaa]

Is isopropyl alcohol better than normal ethyl alcohol?

[@oatmeal7818]

Yes, has less water

[@scarface43Gaming]

Did replacement with the kit bensch parts and the stick gets stuck

[@restore64]

That's because Kitsch Bent makes poor quality parts. I go over this at 16:39

[@moistjohn]

What about using silicon based plastic lubricants? I use them for my 80s and 90s mech kb switches. I'm mostly interested maintaining the original analogs as well since it seems all the replacement options aren't as good as the original.

[@restore64]

I've used them all. They all "seem" to work since they're all technically lubricants but they don't do exactly what you want them to. Some get sticky, some dry, some are too thin, or too thick, some dry into a dusty like abrasive that makes things even worse, and a hundred other nightmare scenarios. White lithium grease was by far the worst thing I tried. Putting actual butter in your joystick would probably work better than half the stuff people recommend in online forums. Joystick butter is expensive for people who just have one or two good controllers they want to keep tight but for me, a controller enthusiast/collector who does a lot of them, it's worth it's weight in gold. There's literally nothing like it.

[@rapathyk]

Any idea why a new controllers joystick would be messed up? I bought 4 new ones, 3 of which veer off to one side or are extremely sensitive/over reactive

[@restore64]

You bought four new authentic controllers or four new aftermarket ones?

[@rapathyk]

@@restore64 3 aftermarket ones. I replaced one and realize now that those aftermarket ones are a lost cause

[@restore64]

@@rapathyk I too, at one point, thought they were the answer. They're garbage :(

[@aggiefan88]

Question. I thought this would fix the looseness in my stick. It didn’t. How do you fix that? (Though my joystick assembly is now clean, so thank you)

[@restore64]

No, that dust you cleaned out is the original gears/stick. Nintendo didn't properly lubricate these plastics from the factory so they wear against each other and in turn create the inevitable wear/looseness. Putting lubricant in the assembly will fix this notorious issue from occurring but won't reverse the damage that's already been done.

[@aggiefan88]

Restore64 thanks for replying! The replacement stuck assembly I ordered was I credibly clunky and sticky, and the reason I picked my old stock back up to clean it. Would you have any suggestions for a new stick assembly? I havnt found anyone just selling the sticks (except for that steel startup). Thank you!

[@mickeysrc]

Austin N the best thing to do is to buy a controller on eBay from Japan. There are quite a few Japanese sellers that sell cheap n64 controllers with tight joysticks. There are US sellers too I’ve just personally had better luck with controllers that come from Japan.

[@aggiefan88]

@@mickeysrc I've been searching. Do you have a seller on ebay that you personally recommend from Japan?

[@restore64]

@@aggiefan88 I haven't looked in years since I stopped collecting controllers. A lot of times they'll advertise it as "tight stick" and you can always message them and ask how they'd rate it out of 10. Anything above a 9.0 would be pretty good.

[@Jabodie]

What's wrong with the kitsch-bent parts? I've restored some very loose sticks with the gears/bowls before. Of course, I'd keep original parts if the sticks where still tight.

[@restore64]

Well they're not as bad as the company name "Kitsch-Bent" but they're far from perfect. Even if you meticulously remove all of the flashing they're just not good. If you take a joystick refurbished with KB parts and compare it to a factory fresh N64 joystick you'll know what I mean. The KB example will feel very rough and gritty.

[@Jabodie]

That's fair enough. But it's turned my unusable sticks (as in the stick would flail around if you shook it) to usable, and they're dirt cheap. I might do an epoxy style refurbish with my OEM parts one day, but for now they're worn out beyond recognition.

[@Jabodie]

By the way, have you had the opportunity to try the steel sticks bowl?

[@restore64]

For a cheap fix you can't beat it. But I wouldn't do it. It'd suck the enjoyment right out of the game for me. Look into using heat to fix the gears. Epoxy is a lot of work. Steel sticks is too rich for my blood. He goes through great lengths to produce those extremely high quality parts but without getting into it I feel like it solves one problem and creates another. Regardless, if Steel Sticks wasn't so expensive I'd still buy one.

[@airplane6417]

Dude like how? I don't want to go cheap and unreliable with the tape, so how?

[@loganhall741]

After I did this my controller now creeks badly and the joystick clicks when moved left and back to normal position, any way to fix this?

[@restore64]

Make sure everything is seated properly when re-assembling everything. Something is off.

[@DisneyTLK110]

I have that problem as well. I've been doing some maintenance on N64 sticks for a long time, and I've still not found a solution to that particular issue with the spring.

[@firemeyer1256]

Thank you so much for this!!! Appreciate your time and effort in doing this

[@restore64]

No problem! I appreciate you taking the time to leave this comment :D

[@mangekyos82]

this is so detailed, thank you for making this and i cant wait to refurb mine! im just recently getting into modding and refurbishing and this helped a lot!

[@restore64]

Thank you for commenting! Stay tuned. I plan on putting some new ones out that show some tips and tricks that have never been shown before. Working on them now.

[@retr0bits545]

I have two and just bought two more, i need to go through all of them however one of the one I bought has seen a lot of use and I am slightly worried that the mechanism is worn down to much as the amount of slop is somewhat concerning. Any chance that it could be salvageable? Also what alternatives are there to the “joystick butter?” To me it looks like lithium grease in a precise injector applicator. More restorations and cleanups of other n64 accessories would be nice but I don’t know your personal life so I’ll wait.

[@restore64]

If it's gone, it's gone. Joystick Butter won't fix the missing plastic on the gears but if you have a tight stick Joystick Butter will prevent it from ever wearing out. If Nintendo had this stuff when they made these every controller would have perfectly tight sticks. Wouldn't that be something :/

[@retr0bits545]

@@restore64 k, thought as much, however will still be doing it to all my controllers no how bad they are as cash is tight at the moment, have a good day!

[@zoellopez5930]

What happens if I don't have joystick butter?

[@restore64]

Then your joystick will continue to wear out over time.

[@zoellopez5930]

@@restore64 ok, so the sooner I get it, the better.

[@restore64]

@@zoellopez5930 Where are you located? I might be able to send you a little bit of what I have. Will be more than enough to do one joystick.

[@zoellopez5930]

@@restore64 I do very much appreciate it, but I am a little too far. México. I really appreciate it though.

[@marcopolo547_]

Could I use WD-40 ?

[@marcopolo547_]

Because I don’t have jelly butter

[@restore64]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWLKYYx7a5aDgrM

[@marcopolo547_]

Got it 😂

[@TrueCanad1an]

Good video, I replaced all 4 of my N64 controller with a new joystick.

[@restore64]

Nice!

[@davideblonda6159]

Thank's man i have found so much dirt in my controller...nice tutorial.

[@restore64]

No, thank you for the comment!

[@Flam1ngP0tat0]

Restore64, great video, I really love the amount of care and detail that went into this. This worked great on one of my controllers, but the other is really worn down. What would you do to a controller with a floppy joystick?

[@restore64]

One method I've seen is applying heat and pushing the outer edges of the gear in with an additional heat source in the middle to melt the inner walls flat again thus making the gear perfect. I believe this is along the lines of what the steelsticks64.com guy does when refurbishing and fitting his joysticks with his own custom internals. Hopefully someone will release a tool that'll make this easy to accomplish then everyone will have perfect sticks :)

[@dsrecs]

Really thorough! Thanks for this video!

[@kyleefthemes]

Making life easy for us. Thanks!!

[@TheXdeR21]

GREAT video, you've helped out tremendously in 2020! :)

[@HectorArchundia]

Hey man, your video rocks! I am doing restoration of my old consoles and now it's time for the N64. The only thing I ask if is there anything to replace the butter? Is it lubricant or glue? I don't think I can find it here in mx. Thank you man!

[@restore64]

It's a lubricant. Please don't put glue in your joystick :(

[@HectorArchundia]

@@restore64 thanks!!!!

[@Vinnay94]

Such a soothing video watching the stick get cleaned and putting it all back together. is this an OG stick or reproduction one?

[@restore64]

If it ain't OG it goes in the trash where it belongs ;)

[@Vinnay94]

Good

[@wizemonk4925]

hi sorry to go off track could you advice pls are n64 cartridge door flaps ment to squeak loud im worried mine may gone rusty and i have lot high price rare games and dnt want any rust near them thanks

[@restore64]

Well if they're really expensive I'd recommend restoring/cleaning your console to ensure your games don't get damaged. I'll be doing a video on that when I have more time. You need to go on eBay and buy some game bits, they are pretty cheap and allow you to open your console. From there all it takes is two phillips screws (+) to remove the cartridge tray, doors, and two springs. Make sure they aren't rusty. If they are you will need new ones. If you're games are really expensive you can just remove the springs and doors completely. They really aren't needed.

[@Mango_Dragon637]

I cracked mine open and found what looked to be battery acid or some white sand substance. What is it and what can I use to clean it?

[@restore64]

If you follow the steps in this video you wont have that issue at all.

[@Mango_Dragon637]

Krynek yeah I figured it out another video, but thank you anyway.🙂

[@agdog420]

Thanks I taking apart my 64 Controller and was having a little trouble figuring out how the joystick back together I also found a bunch of white crude in my joystick is that a common thing does anyone know about it

[@restore64]

Yes, that is plastic "nylon" dust. That's from your ABS joystick wearing away at the soft nylon gears.

[@agdog420]

@@restore64 oh okay, I see. Is that why the joystick is loose, but still works fine?

[@Porthin]

What to use if i dont have the joystick butter thingy? What could i use

[@restore64]

I wouldn't use anything else that's not recommend for it. I've tried tons of cheaper alternatives because I'm cheap and... nothing compares.

[@MiniBonkus]

what do you think is the second best option for lubricating the joystick? Looking for a cheaper option.

[@restore64]

Anything other than Joystick Butter would be a second best option because nothing else works. There's no other product designed for ABS on Nylon wear.

[@joseph-socialist.bsky.social]

Great video I know it's old but it helps one question what if I don't have joystick butter any alternatives thank you.

[@restore64]

Thanks! The joystick internals are comprised of two different non compatible plastics. This lubricant is specially designed for it. I tried about 15 different things before I bit the bullet and paid for it because I'm cheap but it's worth it's weight in gold. I can't, in good faith, recommend anything else.

[@joseph-socialist.bsky.social]

@@restore64 Thanks good to know

[@jonny9425]

really nice tip about getting the clips off. thanks dude

[@restore64]

No problem! Glad it helped :)