Missile Command!

thefader

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Got my 2nd cabaret today, Missile Command. In great shape.

Just needs the trackball lubed up, is there any trick to doing this? Will 3 in 1 oil work? Thanks for the help guys.
 

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The only part you'd really want to lube is the bearings. The ball needs to have friction with the roller shafts and the shafts need friction with the bearings. Ball rolls shafts, shafts are assisted by the bearings, and the optic sensor reads the disc attached on the end of the shaft.

You'd want to repack the bearings with fresh grease. Unfortunately the bearings are a sealed type so I don't think you really can lube them.

You will probably also find that the rollers are worn to hell. And - while not obvious - the ball is probably also worn down some (I've tried replacing the rollers/bearings only on a couple rebuilds before and had lackluster results due to ball wear down).

Bottom line is you will probably be stuck getting a rebuild kit (shafts, bearings, and a new ball) for ideal results. New bearings and a good cleaning at a minimum.

Or you could just lube the shit out of it and the ball will seem like it moves better. The game will probably play like ass though. :D
 
Nice! I can't wait to get mine going again. Just sent the board off for repair. I rebuilt my trackball right before the board crossed the rainbow bridge.
 
Very cool! Yeah, you may need a rebuild kit, but if you do lube the existing bearings, 3 in 1 will work. I wouldn't use grease, unless its a VERY thin grease. Grease just slows the trackball down really quick. At least it did on mine; I ended up soaking the bearings in "Gunk" industrial cleaner overnite to get the grease out so I could start over. The bearings in my game were not completely sealed, so I was able to easily put oil in there to keep them rolling smoothly. That was my experience. Others may have had luck doing it a different way.
 
if you got rust in the bearings.replace them. If you got sticky gunk a dip in an ultrasonic cleaner will clean out the gunk. I use wd-40 as a flush to make sure the bearings are clean. Any contaminates in the earing will slow it down followed by 3 n 1.
 
Bottom line is you will probably be stuck getting a rebuild kit (shafts, bearings, and a new ball) for ideal results. New bearings and a good cleaning at a minimum.

agreed. the shafts will probably be so worn it'll make a world of difference when you replace them. rebuild it now, or you'll be doing it later.
 
agreed. the shafts will probably be so worn it'll make a world of difference when you replace them. rebuild it now, or you'll be doing it later.

+1.

With older trackball games the best thing to do is get a whole new one or a complete rebuild. Even if you lube stuff and whatever else you will not get as precise of control, even though you think it works well try a new unit and you will notice the difference.
 
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