I have been their going crazy looking for a solution. So I’m going to say it Clearly here. I have used plumbers grease. It works great. The brand i have used is, Do It Best : silicone grease. Its cheap, around 4 bucks. I actually found a local retailer from their site and went down town on 34st to buy it. I live in NY but they have other retailers in the USA. Or you can order online if you like. I have done research like crazy to see what is that sanwa grease used for. It is o ring grease for cars. Trust me i have tried many different methods to lube up the sanwa. But the plumbers silicone grease works almost just like the sanwa grease around 90% - 95% the same. The thickness and texture of the grease is different than the sanwa grease but it works. On the fingers it feels sticky but on plastic is slippery. Sanwa grease is light and slippery on the fingers. The way you apply it is the same except you have to clean the bottom where the metal ring and the black plastic (that goes on the shaft under it). First apply. Then put the shaft and the white round plastic in and move it around. Then when some of the grease comes out the bottom where the metal ring is. Just wipe it with a q-tip dipped in alcohol until the metal ring has no more grease. Don’t use a q-tip that has too much alcohol. Just lightly for it won’t leak on the white plastic. So just clean the metal ring. You might have to repeat the cleaning and moving the shaft around a few times until it doesn’t ooze any more and the metal ring is clean. That’s it finish assembling your sanwa stick and your good to go.
i just bought this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Traxxas-TRA1647-1647-Silicone-Grease-/270523260800?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Radio_Control_Vehicles&hash=item3efc715f80. it’s just 5 bucks with shipment to my country.
i will follow you guideline to applying the grease and comment the results when i get the grease in my mail.
Make sure its really pure silicone grease. Like the plumbers grease. I think it makes a difference. Lets find out. Lets all figure this out 1 ounce of silicone at a time. But i really do recommend plumber silicone grease.
this worked for me…
http://www.steren.com.mx/catalogo/interior3.asp?pdto=LIM-LUB
I have seen a Steren Store in SoCal…
it’s a lubricant used in rc cars so i guess it must be pure silicone (used for plastic parts)
http://www.etokki.com/MiscParts/Shin-Etsu%20G-40M%20Silicone%20Grease
good deal if your getting other stuff as well!
Is this grease any good?
That should be fine. FYI, you can get stuff like that at your local hardware store.
can i post a picture of the jlf parts and you tell me where i should put the grease?
This:
I just got some Shin-etsu and I’d also like to know what part I exactly I need to apply this stuff to and how.
I get this a lot.
You would put lubricant where the Bearing goes.
Bearing is the piece on the Shaft.
Others call it a Pivot.
This thread never dies, does it?
Shouldn’t it have already been made as part of a FAQ?
I ended up buying my grease from a Honda dealership.
Seemed to be the best compromise between getting a cheaper grease ($6-$8) from a hardware store (don’t know if that would hurt my joysticks) and buying the stuff that’s $13 more expensive online.
Tube should last me a lifetime!
So I got the Shin-Etsu grease and applied it to the area where the bearing goes… And it doesn’t really feel like the stick got any better. I kinda like I just put some peanut butter in my arcade stick X(.
Another (possibly weird) question: Is there a proper way to apply this Shin-Etsu grease? I’ve read around on some computer sites of injecting some of the grease into a syringe and putting it in warm/hot water to soften the grease, then applying to the necessary area. Does this sound right?
You are only supposed to apply a thin layer. About the same as enough lip balm for just one lip. That tube of shin-etsu on etokki.com is probably a 5 year supply for an busy tokyo arcade.
i agree this should be a sticky thread.
Joystick, lubrication? Call it whatever you like buddy.
I hang to the left.
I found something called Permatex Ultra Slick Multi-Purpose Synthetic Grease at Canadian Tire. It says it has petroleum oils but it also says it’s safe for metal and plastic. Anyone know if it’s usable.
Bump for a useful thread.
This thread should go in the sticky up top.
When it comes to using the Shin-Etsu lube, I just submerge the tube in hot water for a few minutes, then apply thin layers of it to the actuator and pivot. Worked great on 3 Sanwa JLFs so far.