Centipede Trackball repair/replacement

Zinfer

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So I was perusing Arcadeshop's warez one day, when I saw they had a trackball and a bearing repair kit for 28$ plus shipping.
I then glanced down to find a complete, brand new trackball unit for $70.00 plus shipping.
Now, I would think that the $70.00 unit would be the way to go when half the price the other way your only getting a ball, 5 bearings,2 rollers and an idler pin? Or is there new technology in there, with non-workable, throw-away pcboards? Has anyone bought either?
Which way is best? If there's new tech, pardon me, but I like to be able to rework the board if it ever has problems some decades down the road. That's what's kept these arcade games afloat well beyond their 5 year expected lifetimes.
My new centipede's trackball is in sore need of a rebuild, so I'm scouting it out.
 
Trackball rebuild kit from Bob Roberts is only $23. Includes new rollers, new bearings, and theyre already broken in an ready for action.
 
Ok, cool. What kind of lube do you normally use on those? maybe silicon lube?
 
Broke the unit down tonight and inspected it. Man was that thing caked with gook. I washed it out with some dishwashing detergent and a brush, then took some qtips dipped in isopropyl to get the caked on stuff out. The old bearings and rods looked pretty well worn.
I wiped them off and tried spraying some silicone lube on them. Reassembled the unit and placed it back into service. Maybe I have to wait a bit more for it to dry or something cause I have little control at all now :D
It's probably not used to being clean for so many years. I may double check that the etched encoding wheels are in the channels properly.
 
I wasn't aware there were so many colors to a trackball. Which one is the popular choice for a Centipede - Snow White?

The one I have is like : Nicotene Yellow, could be a close match for pee Yellow thought.
 
The factory one is an off-white. Butt ugly if you ask me. I would go with snow white. That is what I have. Others however have gone with translucent blue or red and lit it from underneath. They do look pretty slick, but definitely not original looking.
 
Lol, cue-ball. Yea I saw that light kit. Not sure what that would like like, blue or red. I was also trying to figure how it mounted. Looks like you have to put an extra plate under the assembly.
Hey I guessed that one right man. I put the unit back in service with one of the boards not in the channel. Removed the darned thing and tore it apart again, made sure the boards were both in properly, sealed her back up and man. That thing works alot better than before.
I'll probably go ahead and replace the bearings and rods anyways, while they're still available for another 30 year run.
I was thinking snow white too. But that translucent red and blue really throws a curve ball into it. Be nice if there were some youtube vids or pics of it looking like that.
 
Here is a red one (Level42's):

web.jpg
 
The picture and video are of the same machine. Not mine, Leve42's. It is a euro Centipede. The colors are different in a few places.
 
I wasn't aware there were so many colors to a trackball. Which one is the popular choice for a Centipede - Snow White?

The one I have is like : Nicotene Yellow, could be a close match for pee Yellow thought.


I replaced the original on the left with a new white one. I think white looks better than the original yellowish-white color

IMG_6031.jpg
 
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