How do you replace a Tron centering grommet?

Xyla

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Hi,

I'm trying to take apart a Tron joystick to get at the centering grommet, and it's not going well.

In the joystick diagram in the manual there is a thing called the "actuating pin" which is basically a bolt that screws into the bottom of the joystick shaft. It looks like you are supposed to unscrew this bolt with a wrench to remove the grommet, but mine won't budge. If I try too hard, the grommet starts twisting with the bolt/actuating pin.

Should I put the joystick shaft in a vice and try harder with the wrench?... or am I doing it wrong? I sure hope I don't have to hammer out any of those roll pins... but it definitely doesn't look like it from the diagram.
 
Hi,

I'm trying to take apart a Tron joystick to get at the centering grommet, and it's not going well.

In the joystick diagram in the manual there is a thing called the "actuating pin" which is basically a bolt that screws into the bottom of the joystick shaft. It looks like you are supposed to unscrew this bolt with a wrench to remove the grommet, but mine won't budge. If I try too hard, the grommet starts twisting with the bolt/actuating pin.

Should I put the joystick shaft in a vice and try harder with the wrench?... or am I doing it wrong? I sure hope I don't have to hammer out any of those roll pins... but it definitely doesn't look like it from the diagram.

Ok..the bad news is..YES you have to remove the rollpin..it holds the Grommet in place :)

i found this on the net. they were talking about the joystick grommets


http://forums.arcade-museum.com/archive/index.php/t-234777.html

winslow's quote is "It is true that these grommets do require a "slot" to be cut into them to accommodate the roll pin used on Tron and Gorf"

so YEP..gotta remove the rollpins ;)


good Luck

END OF LINE.

Daniel.
 
Ok..the bad news is..YES you have to remove the rollpin..it holds the Grommet in place :)

Are you certain? It looks to me like the notch might just be cut into the top and the roll pin slides into the notch when you move the grommet up... But then since I havent disassembled mine I can't see exactly what is going on with the grommet above that point. Look at the close up here:

http://arcadefixit.com/product.sc?productId=128&categoryId=-1

Or is the notch on top different from the notch I am seeing in the rubber? There are so many roll pins in this thing, I'm not sure what is going on!!
 
Are you certain? It looks to me like the notch might just be cut into the top and the roll pin slides into the notch when you move the grommet up... But then since I havent disassembled mine I can't see exactly what is going on with the grommet above that point. Look at the close up here:

http://arcadefixit.com/product.sc?productId=128&categoryId=-1

Or is the notch on top different from the notch I am seeing in the rubber? There are so many roll pins in this thing, I'm not sure what is going on!!

not sure..i havn't had to replace one of those in over 25yrs when i was working as a tech in my arcade i worked at... if you can take a pic of yer joystick i'd help any way i can...just been soo long since i had to ever fix one.


END OF LINE.


Daniel.
 
Coincidence. I was about to replace my grommet 2 weeks ago while doing CP rehab. I also could not get the bottom part of the joystick separated from the grommet, so I gave up (my original grommet is just fine anyway). From what I've read online, you'll need to spray some penetrating oil on it, let it sit, and then pull it away. Others recommended cutting away the rubber, getting vice grips on the metal center and then pulling.

By any chance, did your pin have the plastic roller (part 21 on pg 5-21 of the manual) on it. It appears my pin was molded with additional metal so that it doesn't need a roller (there was not one on there and it would not fit anyway) against the actuator. My UDOT joystick has the plastic roller and a thinner pin.
 
Hmmm, so neither of your sticks have this pin with the thicker diameter metal above where the actuator goes? The roller on my UDOT doesn't look like it would fit over that thicker part, but maybe a larger diameter roller could fit. Anyone know of a place that sells them (or a part that could be substituted)?

DSCF4251_1.jpg
 
Actually both my sticks are exactly like that. You're missing the roller... it fits over that thicker part. The roller is quite thin.

And actually, I just looked again... the roller is metal, not plastic.
 
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Hmmm. The roller on my UDOT is white plastic. I guess I can take off the control panel on my other TRON and check it out. I really don't think the roller makes a difference as it doesn't feel like anything is missing from the gameplay. I wonder if it keeps that red plastic plate from wearing too quickly.
 
Ok, so here's an update...

I oiled the washer/lock washer between the pin and the grommet and let it sit for a couple of days. Today I put the shaft in a vice and took a wrench to the pin... it came loose fairly easily once I had the vice tighted enough.

The grommet slides right off... none of the roll pins go through the grommet, they just sit in the slot cut out of the top of the grommet.

So, no roll pin removal required to change out the grommet.
 
Hmmm. The roller on my UDOT is white plastic. I guess I can take off the control panel on my other TRON and check it out. I really don't think the roller makes a difference as it doesn't feel like anything is missing from the gameplay. I wonder if it keeps that red plastic plate from wearing too quickly.

YES...the original metal ones used to wear the guide plate out faster so the plastic roller was milder on the guide plate and didn't wear out as fast :)


Very Good :)


END OF LINE.


Daniel.
 
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