Sanwa JLF Arcade Joystick Cleaning Tutorial

[@FinalContra]

I've swapped joystick springs and actuators several times and I think this is the first time putting the e-clip back on didn't go horribly wrong at least once. Thanks a ton for the guide and sharing the paper towel trick!

[@chuyrenteria1505]

Thanks for this. Had a joystick that was sticking and this was the best tutorial I found online. Great step by step and helpful tips that sped things up (like using the paper towel when pushing the E clip back in). Good stuff!

[@jonyfraze]

Awesome glad I was able to help!

[@Justintricate]

I have a JLF that was starting to stick on the down-left corner (I play a lot of charge characters) -- I've had this stick for legitimately a decade, never cleaned/taken apart/nothin. Disassembled, cleaned it with your help, and it's so CRISPY, I forgot how nice it felt! Like it's out of the box fresh, thanks so much jony!

[@rssurge]

Thanks alot man. I've gone through so many fight sticks, and never thought about taking it apart and cleaning it until I saw your video.

[@PharoahsKingdom]

Just followed your guide and my stick is smooth like butter. Appreciate it. FYI: You can use ANY Silicone grease. I just went to Lowe's and bought Danco Silicone grease for $4.75 Save yourselves some cash.

[@jonyfraze]

Great tip!

[@9Koopa]

can you use wd40?

[@sick45hitcombo]

Thanks so much for this video! Came here after making the screw up you warned about at 2:54 and my actuator/spring flung across the room and I wasn't sure how to put it back together lol.

[@AlexRFightgames]

Thanks so much for this! I just followed along with the joystick in a 1996 Namco Arcade Stick, and it was similar enough for these instructions to help a lot! And now my lever feels just right!

[@dooberknob3947]

The paper towel trick saved my ass. I was driving myself crazy trying to get the clip back on lol.

[@X_CHILLer_X]

Thank you for the in depth guide on this. I recently bought a new JLF. When all the parts come back in stock I will rebuild my old one that broke a couple weeks ago.

[@JohnSalvador]

Great guide dude! Cleaned up my Sanwa stick and lubed it for the first time since.. whenever I bought this Qanba Q4RAF like a decade ago lol

[@jonyfraze]

Nice!

[@mandarinduck5507]

I just cleaned my stick and it feels so much better now, was a bit tricky getting the clip on and off but was an easy job. I had the stick still connected to the box only had to remove the stem to get to everything, it feels smoother and more responsive. I bought a little tin of silicone grease on ebay for £2.50 i also applied grease to the spring and around the restrictor gate

[@s3np411]

The shuriken replacement pcb lets you easily replace broken microswitches or customize the actuation force for your joystick.

[@jonyfraze]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJXclauArbCJhqc Was able to review a early version before they came out! Shout out to BITBANGGAMING!

[@ToadManJon11]

Awesome walk through, my stick had started to drop down left inputs so I cleaned it out and it works good as new. Thanks so much for the guide :)

[@peternguyen1911]

I was dropping down left inputs too, the red switches had black junk on it, I also bought my Razer Panthera used so it definitely needed the cleaning

[@adilornodeal8237]

Thank you for this video. I just cleaned my Sanwa stick right now.

[@ferndog1461]

Thank you for the walkthrough. PSA for those who are OCD: for cleaning , you can use coffee filters/ lab lens wipes to avoid lint. 50% ( 90% alcohol ) & 50% water is a good balance of alcohol's cleaning power, while lessing pure alcohol's drying of plastics/rubbers.

[@Lord_Alimdor]

I can't tell if this comment is sarcastic or not lol

[@HuhWhatHuhwhatHuh]

Thank you! I’ve watched 10 breakdowns and none mention that damn base for the spring that came out of my JLF. I installed it. Correctly but wanted to make sure that was how it was supposed to go. I put on a phreakmods link and a 2lb spring and the stick was super tight. I might go back to the lighter spring or see if they make a 1.5

[@Playa-V]

Great guide 👍. I recommend doing this to a joystick, after 3-4 years of use (maybe re-lubricate once a year?). Be sure to replace the old pivot and actuator, as those are the 2 pieces that wear out the most. Dont forget the lube! For those that cant get their hands on shin-etsu and are into mechanical keyboards, any thick lube used to lubricate mechanical switches will do.

[@dadahosain1158]

Great video, followed step by step and stick feels new again

[@jonyfraze]

💪🏼💪🏼

[@jo_aut2090]

THANK YOU! Watched a bunch of videos and fotos and can’t figure out where the smaller black plastic ring before the spring has come. Great video!

[@Toushirou00]

Really great walkthrough. Appreciate this.

[@bygonebebygones8503]

Thanks for the vid ! I had to use pliers very gently to pop the C clip in and it was super easy !

[@reedm7619]

Thanks, my stick looks like the back of a restaurant fryer!

[@jonyfraze]

Ahhh the stick “cheese” 🤣

[@BongWeasle]

Thanks you covered everything I wanted to know.

[@MaybeTiberius]

nice video : ) i was recently cleaning up a jlf from a stick i bought used aswell. i had to improvise a little bit with the grease, wich i dont have at hand. But, since i m into custom keyboards however, i simply used what lube i had for the pivot and stuff, wich is Krytox 205g0. Turned out...it feels pretty awesome. i cant say how it turns out longterm but so far, its smooth as butter. even tho its not a silicone based lube but a ptfe based lube the materials it comes in contact with are about the same you encounter in keyboard switches and stabilizers and stuff like that so i guess it should be fine.

[@jonyfraze]

I’m sure it will be fine. Some people just use Vaseline and that works out as well.

[@ifrizz9359]

Btw, if you can't find that silicone greace a good solution is Vaseline. It works almost the same. Pretty good tutorial! 👍

[@ShivamYadav-fp1hb]

really ?

[@ifrizz9359]

@@ShivamYadav-fp1hb Well, its better than nothing but it won't damage your stick.

[@ShivamYadav-fp1hb]

@@ifrizz9359 okay then i will use some Vaseline

[@ricardorqr]

Which Vaseline are you talking about?

[@coolzdevin777]

So mine is getting stuck in every direction.. imma try to clean it, it's not gunked up but if I push it in a direction it just holds the switch down and won't return to the neutral state

[@qwertyuiop46853]

Thanks for the tutorial, man. :)

[@saporob]

Bro you saved my life lol. You are the only one mentioning that stupid metal ring!!! I forget to put back years ago and i feel like an idiot playing really bad because the clearance of the lever...😁

[@PalisadeGaming]

whats crazy is on my razer atrox I bought a new pcb switch board for the sanwa jlf, and im still getting an input on the "press" and then another input on the "depress" of the microswitch, tried it with another stick and its still doing it but in a different direction, Is it actually likely that i have 3 faulty pcbs? What's even weirder is that it happens mainly in the dashboard almost like its a software error within the dash, Ive been spending a week troubleshooting this and its driving me crazy although in game I rarely have an issue besides a "stuck right" input, next time it happens ill just open the stick up whilst its happening and see if the switch is stuck. Thanks for the succinct videos, arcade stick customization is such a fun hobby

[@jonyfraze]

Sounds likely a faulty PCB or wiring harness

[@rodneywheeler7764]

I have this problem where the metal washer pops out of place…? Possible solution?

[@jonyfraze]

Try replacing the spring, might not have enough tension to hold everything together

[@flipballaz93]

My sanwa joystick on my sf4 te stick sounds really clicky when it hits the gate. Is it supposed to sound like that or its a sign i need to clean?

[@jonyfraze]

thats about right to be honest. also the sound also amplifies in metal or hollow cases. Keep that in mind.

[@Alfdroyd]

Great vid. Thanks for the help.

[@heoioh]

Before you got to the wipe down and lube part I was already wondering if I would be able to lube my stick. My question is, what if I already have lube for mechanical switches (kryox), would that be suitable lube to use? It’s what I have on hand

[@jonyfraze]

Yeah that should be fine

[@heoioh]

I hope people thank you when you help them save money @jonyfraze Thank you!

[@twoshirts1842]

I am gonna go to my local music store and buy the grease they use for various instrument keys. I don't have an arcade shop anywhere near me.

[@thejedioutcast804]

Go to focus attack.com or arcade paradise shop, usually focus attack is the way to go for sure. It's only like 50 cents + shipping, so buy 2 of them just incase you lose one.

[@kumaSOevl]

Great tutorial

[@DerWemser]

very helpful! Thanks!

[@jeremyt.2540]

Question what lbs do you prefer for the tension springs?

[@jonyfraze]

I prefer stock 1lb springs. But it’s really up to you.

[@ionmyke]

This was useful, thanks!

[@jonyfraze]

Glad it was helpful!

[@AhopeGG]

great vid

[@toapsingh]

I pulled the spring a Lil bit and I feel it's too tight for me, what should I do to make it loose

[@jonyfraze]

Try using it for a few sessions, it should balance out. Unless you stretched it too much…

[@toapsingh]

@@jonyfraze Oh thank you i was so scared i have tourney in few days.

[@SickleSlash]

Is it safe to use alcohol on the panel and buttons? I read on a forum that it can crack.

[@jonyfraze]

I would be careful on top panels since it can wear down any protective coatings. But for the buttons it shouldn’t be a problem for cleaning purposes.

[@SickleSlash]

@@jonyfraze And how would I go about cleaning a balltop or battop?

[@RacerShooterFighter]

thks man , very useful video

[@ricardorqr]

Which other Shin Etsu Grease do you recommend? I don't find it here in Canada.

[@jonyfraze]

Just use petroleum jelly

[@jl3052]

Thanks for the video! Really appreciate all the detail. Question: Would cleaning plastic parts with 70% Isopropyl alcohol wipes damage them over time? Like break them down or make them brittle? Thanks in advance.

[@jonyfraze]

Shouldn’t be a problem.

[@chiwingwu1478]

@@jonyfraze I think the restrictor gate (Acrylic?) is susceptible to alcohol. There is a guy who posted a vid with tests: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIvLqXuVn5akqJo

[@jonyfraze]

​@@chiwingwu1478 if it was a cosmetic piece like a top panel acrylic, then definitely don't use alcohol. But since were cleaning internal pieces its fine. And also the plastic used for the gate isnt the same type of acrylic, much more robust.

[@shazmanbound1496]

Your supposed to clean a joystick once a month or twice a month? I use my joystick very few times a month.

[@ZahmbeesFGC91]

If you dobt have that grease, what woukd you recommend instead? I guess for a more "I need to clean my joystick now" kinda situation.

[@jonyfraze]

Just use petroleum jelly (Vaseline)

[@ZahmbeesFGC91]

@jonyfraze thank you! Your the real mvp!

[@ELWISoooYAKUZA94]

Cleaned mine today, used krytox 205g0 for lubricant , works wonders

[@neccros007]

That lube looks the same as what they use as dif lube in RC cars.... clear silicon lube

[@jonyfraze]

This is the stuff: www.amazon.com/Honda-Genuine-Shin-Etsu-Grease/dp/B006Z9TZ9M

[@epicon6]

It's silicone grease that's specced to high heat resistance. Shin-Etsu makes two different kinds of grease for arcade sticks. Sanwa uses the G-40M version and Seimitsu G-501. The G-501 seems to oxidize much slower, so that's what i've chosen to use on all my sticks. The Honda version has a different code but i'm sure it also works fine.

[@jonyfraze]

Wow thanks for the detailed info

[@ArcherKid-eg9rf]

Good stuff, thanks

[@apoena-allnitemusic7203]

My stick started to had problems specifically with the upper diagonal right input. It will often make neutral jumps instead. What should I do?

[@jonyfraze]

Did you watch the video? 🤣

[@minismoke9393]

my spring didnt come off when i removed the e-clip, what can i do now?

[@minismoke9393]

my balltop doesnt screw off too, if i screw the whole stick (shaft and balltop screw together) maybe this is the cause of the problem

[@jonyfraze]

The spring is covered by the actuator, did you remove that as well?

[@minismoke9393]

@@jonyfraze sorry for not specifying, the actuator is the one that wasnt come off, thus making the spring to stay in place. english isnt my native language

[@jonyfraze]

That’s very strange, you might have to use some force and possibly replace the spring

[@SticksAandstonesBozo]

Anyone know what stick pcb is in the atrox ? I know it’s Sanwa but I can’t find a firm answer on what pcb I need to replace to repair the drift.

[@jonyfraze]

JLF

[@fgc-linux1650]

Actually it's an E clip, not a C clip.

[@jonyfraze]

you right. =)

[@R1Arcades]

Brillante Jony!

[@celestial9839]

Just get silicone grease or a can its the same thing you can find it at Home depot

[@tango_gru]

Will Silicon Oil used for treadmill belt lubrication work well instead of shinetsu grease ??

[@jonyfraze]

I would stay away from oils.. some people petroleum jelly / Vaseline as a sub

[@tango_gru]

@@jonyfraze Thanks for the reply.... Shin etsu is difficult to get here. I might use vaseline .....

[@kevinnava822]

Can I use tungrease g-36?

[@jonyfraze]

should be ok. just use a light coating.

[@rymond621]

You dont lubricate the spring?

[@jonyfraze]

Nope

[@BigHushAffiliate]

It’s an E CLIP! Why does everyone call it a C CLIP?!

[@ProMediaCompany]

reeeeespect!!!!!

[@lostadonna2938]

I'm retarded and somehow after I put it together all I can do is move upwards only, no left right or downwards. I'd appreciate some help

[@jonyfraze]

Did you plug in the cable upside down?