Centipede, crystal castles and millipede trackball

markfromcanada

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Hi all, anyone know of the id # on the trackball bearing for a typical Atari trackball game?
Should be able to buy local or a bulk buy. Also, are the rollers only available at arcadeshop? I got so many trackballs that are *u*ked. Lol
I know missile command is also different but chime in if you have any trackball fixes. Pictures would be nice too.
 
They actually just wear, believe it or not. It seems counter intuitive, but when you look closely at the way the trakball actually works, there is almost always friction between the ball and one of the three rollers, depending on which direction you're moving it in.

Over time the ball just wears crescents into the rollers. The only real solution is to replace them (and make sure the bearings are running free and lubricated), if you want the best performance out of the trakball.

There are numerous threads about refurbishing bearings, as it's possible to restore ones that are frozen up or dried out, if you don't want to replace them. I've actually been doing some experimenting lately, as I've wanted to look into this further for some time.

If the original bearings are pitted, you can get them to spin again (by soaking them in vinegar, and spinning them up in a drill, flushing them out, and lubing them with light oil). They will actually spin pretty well, though they tend to be noisier than new bearings.

I've also been experimenting with different types of new bearings, and have yet to find any that are as silent as the original ones that are in my Millipede's trakball, which I believe are the original Atari factory ones, and were never left to dry out. I've even tried ceramic bearings, and they still aren't as smooth, though none of the sets I've tried would be considered 'high end' bearings, and were all from China. But it gives me a starting point to hopefully improve on. I hope to post more about it, if I find ones that I think are significantly better, as in my experience, they all can technically work, but do each give a different feel, especially if you compare them side by side.
 
Interesting, I suspected the roller would wear and need to be replaced, but isn't it funny how a plastic ball could actually wear a groove into a piece of metal. About the bearings I placed an order for those chinese ones off eBay, thanks, we will see the difference. Mine spins like a bear and sounds like a banshee. Maybe some sticky dried Pepsi got into them in it's arcade days, maybe they need a good cleaning. There must be high performance lubricants that can make the bearings run smoother like Lukas for engine assemblies. I would think that a smooth trackball than spins freely would be of a great advantage to a person who is trying to set a world record compared to one that doesn't spin so well. I look forward to hear what you discover.
 
If you remove the shields from the new ones, dissolve out the factory grease with Goof Off or 100% acetone, dry them out, then re-lube them with a fraction of a drop of light oil (I use Liquid Bearings), they will spin much better, as the factory grease is fairly thick, and the seals also slow them down. That would be fine for heavy applications, but for trakball use, less drag means better spinning.
 
Just noting my experience, pulled the original bearings off my CC which were rusted. Put them in a vinegar bath, ran them on a drilled and relubed. They weren't bad but as expected loud and jumpy. Tried arcadeshop bearings and they really were stiff even after soaking them. Tried out the bearings that paradise arcade sells and those were the best. Fast spinning and smooth as silk very much like the machine at funspot which I've played many times. Hope this helps!
 
Just noting my experience, pulled the original bearings off my CC which were rusted. Put them in a vinegar bath, ran them on a drilled and relubed. They weren't bad but as expected loud and jumpy. Tried arcadeshop bearings and they really were stiff even after soaking them. Tried out the bearings that paradise arcade sells and those were the best. Fast spinning and smooth as silk very much like the machine at funspot which I've played many times. Hope this helps!


Funny, Arcadeshop must be sourcing them from a different place now, as you aren't the first person to say that, even though the set I got from there are some of the best I've found (though that was probably a couple of years ago now).

I'll have to try the Paradise ones. Thanks for the update.
 
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