VKB GunFighter base - dry clutch regreasing

[@bentspoon117]

I’m glad you guys embrace the DIY community and show us how it’s done right!

[@1SaG]

Having the clutches greased properly made a world of difference for me. My GF Mk III must've been sitting on VKB EU's shelf for two years when I got it (bought Sept 2022, production date on packaging is Sept 2020) and the grease that was on there must've turned bad and sticky. Which made the GF basically unusable out of the box, with any sort of clutch applied. The factory grease wasn't translucent like Nyogel 767A or like the dampening grease used on the Gladiator Evo - it looked dark and brownish. Perhaps because it was old or perhaps they were using different grease back when my stick was made. In any case: Simply getting rid of the old stuff by cleaning and de-greasing the clutches made things much better, but still not like what I would've expected in terms of smoothness and precision - it still felt considerably worse than my Gladiator Evo. Since my tube of Nyogel was still in the mail, I used some of the extra grease in my Gladiator's "stash" to re-grease both clutches. Which literally transformed the stick into probably the best flight-stick I've ever used in over 20 years of flight-simming. I've since added VKB's 100mm extension to my setup, making it necessary to run maximum spring-tension on the Y-axis (50+40) - which also meant I had to go pretty hard on the clutches, but it seems that the Evo's grease is strong enough to deal with these forces. AFAIK, that grease is about the same strength-wise as Nyogel 767A. I've never tried the stick with a 200mm extension, but I would suspect that with that setup I might have to look into stronger braking grease. The difference in leverage between "grip only" and "grip plus 100mm extension" (MCGP) was quite significant already. So far, the Evo's grease has lasted me over 1.5 years of daily use with no discernible degradation in performance - I am currently thinking about re-greasing it, but it doesn't seem necessary at the moment. It is a bit of an operation, since I use my GF mounted, so I'm not really looking forward to that.. :D

[@stevedavey1343]

I love a VKB Mechanical-How-To video. They are almost therapeutic. ;)

[@ThePowerchimp]

I agree, but I wish they'd inter-cut with alternate angles and closeups. Sometimes its hard to see exactly what they're doing.

[@VKBSim]

@@ThePowerchimp All 'action' is in front of the camera instead of the operator's eyes. Could you point out your statement reference? (no sarcasm really, just to find out what's wrong in order to improve future products).

[@thebiggestoneyouveverhad]

Thank you. Love my gunfighter and appreciate all the support.

[@dvorgaz]

How do you remove the nylon pads from the MKII? There's a rim on the metal barrel on mine that prevents me from taking out the pads.

[@VKBSim]

Hi, I just responded to your question on Reddit and I'll paste it here too, for future reference: You don't have to completely remove the nylon pads, just free them from the adjusting screw, then push them from that side so they would lift a bit from the metal barrel. Squeeze some Nyogel on something sharp and narrow, like a toothpick and push the grease in the opening; do the same on the other side, then move the metal barrel so the grease would spread around.

[@wby1975]

По описанию на алике никак не могу понять, есть ли у джоя ось Z. Может, здесь подскажут?

[@oborotbolta685]

А есть другие аналоги данной смазки? А то в РФ тяжело найти 767A

[@racingtheweb]

Are the pads at min 3:18 made of plastic?

[@VKBSim]

Custom nylon material.

[@racingtheweb]

@@VKBSim thanks

[@GENAPILOTT]

Nice! 👍🏻

[@viewer54322]

does the mkiv base have any differences in procedure?

[@VKBSim]

There are some differences. Please check the GFIV video kzbin.info/www/bejne/mH61fqZqZ6ahi9E

[@viewer54322]

@@VKBSim Thank you, forgot I asked in the other video and forgot to join the discord.

[@arkadiusz5913]

Leaving this comment for future self and perhaps others - Having Nyogel 767a, playing space sims, having no spring on the thruster axis and screwing the clutch hard enough so that the stick stays in place - I had to place literally thinnest of thinnest layers of 767a on the metal bearing thing as I could. Otherwise I was getting stiction and the axis action was jerky if I stopped for more than 5 seconds in place.

[@rpersen]

Nice video. How often do you need to do this? I got my MK3 about 7 months ago. Edit: Nevermind, you have already answered it… when it feels sticky.

[@AstroGhoulWizard]

is PG44A acceptable aswell or is it too heavy?

[@VKBSim]

It's good enough, as the contact area is not very large.

[@hralch1234]

how to know when a regreasing is needed?

[@VKBSim]

If the dampers are on and the joystick feels a bit sticky it might need regreasing. If you're not using the dry clutch at all, then don't worry about it.

[@jean-guybeaumont703]

What brand grease are you using? what do you recommend?

[@VKBSim]

Our recommendation is Nyogel 767A.

[@f1v10thebest]

@@VKBSim where did I get that grease from?

[@VKBSim]

@@f1v10thebest You could find it on Amazon or Ebay. The maker doesn't sell small quantities unfortunately.

[@done6197]

У меня не открутился верхний из винтов, крепящих платку перед внутренним демпфером. Комплексный и другой ключ проскальзывают внутри винта. База gunfighter mk3.

[@VKBSim]

Please post the issue on the Russian section on our forum forum.vkb-sim.pro/viewforum.php?f=23&sid=2109f440f2ebf5c08b3fb639b1683e64

[@whoisthatthen]

Question. Do the newer gunfighters come greased?

[@VKBSim]

Yes, they do, so if you got a base recently you're good for a good while.

[@silent_hunter3164]

what brand or kind of grease is recommended?

[@VKBSim]

Nyogel 767A!

[@Ivanov007VV]

Что за смазка используется?

[@VKBSim]

That is Nyogel 767A.

[@oborotbolta685]

@@VKBSim а nyogel 760 подойдёт?

[@oborotbolta685]

не нашел?