Thanks for the feedback. Audio and video was done with an old iPhone SE but I was able to clean the audio up quite a bit with Audacity. 4k is available if your display supports it ;)

i know im randomly asking but does any of you know of a trick to log back into an instagram account? I was dumb forgot my login password. I would appreciate any tricks you can offer me!

@Izaiah Mathew Instablaster ;)

@Onyx Shepard Thanks for your reply. I got to the site on google and I'm in the hacking process now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

@Onyx Shepard it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. Im so happy:D Thanks so much you really help me out!

No, thank you for leaving such a nice comment.

Thank you for the kind words :)

Thank you :D

It’s a fun little puzzle. Once you’ve taken a few apart it becomes effortless. I still remember the first one I took apart. I was so confused. Haha 😂

No, thanks for taking the time to write this comment. I'm glad it helped :)

Awsome!! Yeah, I still have the same tube of Joystick Butter from this video. I've done over 100 joystick assemblies and still have like 75% of it left I think. If Nintendo knew about this stuff when they made these controllers I don't think anyone would ever be watching my video. I still use the same controller from this 4-year old video. It's still perfectly lubricated 6 years later. It's crazy.

@@restore64 Excuse me. Where Can I get it? edit: Oh my bad, I´ve seen where...thanks

This comment made my day! Thanks!

No, thank you for taking the time to leave this comment. It means a lot.

In the last few years of the N64 cycle they actually did. It's really hard to find the ones that were but they used a super thin oil like substance on the gears. I actually have a brand new example of one. If it wasn't factory sealed I'd do a video on it showing what they did exactly. Probably wouldn't get that many views though, haha. Up until 2007 you could actually call Nintendo and they'd send you a brand new replacement joystick, with the oiled up gears, for free. It wasn't the best but it was better than nothing. A lot of times if you find a really old N64 controller with a pretty close to tight stick it more than likely had the oiled up gears on it.

@@restore64 cool!

Only way to do it. I hate when I watch other videos and you have to watch 5 minutes worth of intros and ads before they get to it.

@@restore64 haha same, and there are a LOT of those videos especially with video game stuff

The only thing that means more to me than comments like this are that there's more controllers out there in the wild getting properly took care of. Love it.

Thanks. I need to work on my "video voice". I fall asleep listening to myself. I plan on doing a full controller restoration video first, then cartridge restorations, then console restorations. This video took FOREVER to edit so I don't plan on making anymore videos for another month or two. www.etsy.com/shop/joystickbutter

I'm just now seeing this comment. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear that even after all these years this video is still helping people!

Thanks!

I'm just now seeing this but THAT IS AWESOME. Love to hear it!

Thank you for commenting! Stay tuned. I plan on putting some new ones out that show some tips and tricks that have never been shown before. Working on them now.

Thank you for your kind words. It took a lot of work.

No problem! I appreciate you taking the time to leave this comment :D

No, thank you for watching!

@@restore64 well, time to play some roblox

No! Thank you for the comment. Just now saw this. Sorry for the late reply!

Bolcsi sorry for the late reply I’ve been sick 🤒 just remember, joystick butter stops the wear from occurring, it doesn’t tighten up joysticks. The powder is actually nylon powder. If there wasn’t much and you cleaned it properly and put joystick butter on it it’ll definitely bring it back to life and give it a much nicer feel :)

@@restore64 what would you suggest to tighten it?

@@TheDeathOfLucifer I am using kitsch-bent replacement parts with great success. Depending on the amount of wear, the bowl is the biggest thing that needs to be replaced, although the gears are sometimes really rough if it's in a super almost unusable condition. Good luck! Also, you might have to do a bit of work to get them perfect as they are oem parts, the biggest one for me is widening the hole where the sensor wheels snap in so they aren't too tight. This is all information you can find googling.

Thank you so very much for leaving this kind comment.

No my friend. You are. When you leave comments like this it makes the video relevant to other KZfaqrs searching for similar content.

No problem :)

Thanks! I shot this on a first gen iPhone SE :)

Do it, you won't be disappointed. I wish I would have found the stuff sooner. It really does what it's supposed to do. Thanks for the like!

Where do you get joystick butter? Not on Amazon or eBay! Help! Or can I substitute something else?

One method I've seen is applying heat and pushing the outer edges of the gear in with an additional heat source in the middle to melt the inner walls flat again thus making the gear perfect. I believe this is along the lines of what the steelsticks64.com guy does when refurbishing and fitting his joysticks with his own custom internals. Hopefully someone will release a tool that'll make this easy to accomplish then everyone will have perfect sticks :)

I thought so too until I saw this guy doing cradle on agent in 33 seconds: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e6llodOIlti1lIk.html

I thought I already replied to you but I guess I forgot to click "REPLY". Sorry about that. I planned on putting a lot more out but I've been extremely tied up with life here lately. Hopefully I'll be able to soon. Never thought this video was going to get over 10k views, haha. If you subscribe and click the notifications thing you should be the first to hear about it when I do. I think the next video I'm going to do will be a Game Pak "cartridge" video similar to this one. Exciting stuff! :D

@@restore64 Nice, I'm really looking forward to it! Thanks for the reply! :-)

Thanks :)

No problem! Glad it helped :)

White lithium grease can work if you don't have any joystick butter, or if you're a kid and $20 is alot, but make sure it's not petroleum based because it will deteriorate the plastic

@@joshm264 White lithium grease should never be used to lubricate plastic under any circumstances. Not only does it not work well it's not what it was designed for. It's only used for metal on metal lubrication. While a petroleum free white lithium grease is safer to use on plastics it doesn't make it better to use on plastics. The purpose of petroleum free white lithium grease is for applications where you need to lubricate metal on metal that inevitably come into contact with other plastics/rubbers. I've used both petroleum and petroleum free variants of white lithium grease and they both preform the same way. Very poorly. I knew they would since they're not designed for plastics but the penny-pincher inside me had to do it just to see. I've easily done over 100 controllers with the tube of joystick butter I got a long time ago and still have plenty left. I did the math and it works out to about 20 cents an application. There are tons of cheaper alternatives that work way better than lithium grease but I can't in good conscience recommend them because they all suck :(

@@restore64 Yeah, but the only problem is that you can't get smaller amounts if you only have a few

@@joshm264 I agree. To do one or two controllers it's pretty expensive. I didn't think about it like that. I'd still buy it though. It's worth it to keep your joysticks perfect. It's not like you can go to Walmart and buy a new factory fresh N64 controller anymore :( Plus, I use it when I restore consoles, controllers, and cartridges in a different way that I'll share once I get around to making restoration videos for those. I just keep putting it off because making new videos is so time consuming.

No, thank you for taking the time to leave this awesome comment and even more so thank you for showing your controller some love

@@restore64 😊👍

I saw your earlier comment and to reply to that it's called "isopropyl". I put it in the video description. It's very strong stuff so protect your skin and make sure you don't use it on any visible surfaces on the controller because it can burn the plastic if you use too much. I've used tons of different stuff but the Joystick Butter is the superior option. Once you use it you'll understand why. If you have a tight stick and want to keep it that way you need to properly lubricate it since they don't come properly lubricated from the factory. It's been 2 years since I applied it to my daily driver and it feels as good as the day I applied it. I've restored over 100+ controllers and I'm still on the same tube. It has been awhile but I believe mine came with 3.5-4ml. For the average person one tube will last you a lifetime. With the precision tip it allows you to apply only what you actually need so if you're just using it for one controller you won't even see the plunger go down.

​@@restore64Is this joystick butter similar to white lithium grease?

No, thank you for commenting!

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. This took literally forever to edit :/

@@restore64 Yeah, my channel [ kzfaq.info/love/TP1cHW4n2iAuX6r5v7Bq1g ] that I started has 1 video because of how hard it is to edit it

@Josh McCellan that intro you did with the floppy disk is pretty cool.. didn't even know you could do that. The link you posted is incorrect. You accidentally added an "N" on the end. Here's the link: kzfaq.info/love/TP1cHW4n2iAuX6r5v7Bq1g

@@restore64 I use shotcut, its a free & open source video editor, and ad an incentive to make more videos, here's an intro for you: drive.google.com/file/d/1oevTMybetDgGn6gP5Dd5N1HwMHfwPPTY/view?usp=sharing

There's really something special about finding CIB decades later. These controllers are pretty indestructible. The point of the Joystick Butter is to prevent wear and keep the gears perfectly lubricated. It won't increase your tightness but if you have a really loose stick and it's cleaned properly it may definitely feel more responsive.

I see you subbed as well! Thanks! The comments mean more to me than the subs but I'll take whatever I can get :)

@@restore64 I'm restoring two right now I think they are way beyond repair so I was gonna order the gear parts from store.kitsch-bent.com/product/n64-joystick-gears

@@justmetal227 only use those as a last resort. They aren't very good. Even if you spend a lot of time hand filing off the flashing they're still far from accurate.

@@restore64 got a new method. Heat at 312 Fahrenheit and close the gears until they are back to original size :). Then lube and done.

justmetal227 I saw one guy on KZfaq do that a long time ago and I haven’t been able to find the video since. He had a custom jig made so it would resize them to the exact factory specs.

Thank you for the kind comment. It was a lot of work!

I love it. If you like restoring controllers as much as I do just wait until I upload my next video showing all the other things you can restore on them :D

No, thank you for the comment!

Nothing is permanent but the Joystick Butter lasts forever it seems. I only play mine once or twice a week and it's been fine since I made this video almost 3 years ago. It's really nice stuff. If you played heavily maybe you could reapply it once a year if you wanted to but I don't think even that is necessary. When I get some time I'm going to re-open my joystick just to check the condition but 3 years later and it still feels like the day I applied it.

@@restore64 do you need joystick butter?

THANKS!

Only comment I like... dead ass.

I haven't had to reapply it once since I've put it on my main playing controller. It's made out of something fancy that coats the gears and when you move the stick around it just keeps reapplying it. It's wild.

Thanks! They're gettin' old so they all need a little TLC sooner or later :) You can get the Joystick Butter here www.etsy.com/shop/goodgameco - I wouldn't use any type of natural lubricant from a plant/fruit on plastic.

Glad I could help!

Thank you for the comment!

Thank you for the comment! Cheers!

It's a lubricant. Please don't put glue in your joystick :(

@@restore64 thanks!!!!

Well if they're really expensive I'd recommend restoring/cleaning your console to ensure your games don't get damaged. I'll be doing a video on that when I have more time. You need to go on eBay and buy some game bits, they are pretty cheap and allow you to open your console. From there all it takes is two phillips screws (+) to remove the cartridge tray, doors, and two springs. Make sure they aren't rusty. If they are you will need new ones. If you're games are really expensive you can just remove the springs and doors completely. They really aren't needed.

Stop, you're making me blush.

Sorry for not replying sooner. I believe, if you don't seat the PCB properly (15:10) it'll leave the slightest gap which will cause the problem you're having. I should have put more focus on placing/seating it correctly but the video before editing was over an hour I think. You want to make sure the PCB is flush with the bottom and make sure the cable/ribbon is nicely in the channel. If it's not you may have to bend it around a bit in order to make sure it's exiting the housing correctly.

@@restore64 thank u for this

I've used them all. They all "seem" to work since they're all technically lubricants but they don't do exactly what you want them to. Some get sticky, some dry, some are too thin, or too thick, some dry into a dusty like abrasive that makes things even worse, and a hundred other nightmare scenarios. White lithium grease was by far the worst thing I tried. Putting actual butter in your joystick would probably work better than half the stuff people recommend in online forums. Joystick butter is expensive for people who just have one or two good controllers they want to keep tight but for me, a controller enthusiast/collector who does a lot of them, it's worth it's weight in gold. There's literally nothing like it.

This isn't the first time I've heard of someone using Molykote 44. There's a guy that repackages the 44 Light variant and sells it under his trade name "Stick Grease" which is super illegal "passing off". I guess that's where people got the idea to start using it. Molykote 44 is a high-temp bearing grease, as stated in the Dow SDS and on the Dupont website. The main ingredient in Molykote 44 is lithium stearate which is basically lithium grease. Lithium grease is used to lubricate metals which makes sense since this product is designed specifically for bearings. It's perfectly safe to use Molykote 44 on plastics as it doesn't contain petroleum so your soaking test won't yield any results, /just to save you some time/. The only thing you'd have to worry about putting it on is silicone. The reason I shared this video is to hopefully save others from the months I spent researching/experimenting myself. Don't let me stop you though. There's nothing like feeling it in your thumb and seeing it with your own eyes. Molykote 44 may feel alright at first. Just about anything would. I wouldn't recommend using lithium based products on an application like this. Of the countless things I have tried the lithium based products initially felt okay but were the absolute worst overall. I will say this. I did my fair share of research before using joystick butter as I have some very rare controllers in my collection. I wanted them to be perfect even though nobody, while I'm alive anyways, will be using them. While there's no way to prove this, the controller in this video still has perfect/slick gears. They, still, haven't worn down at all. It's a satisfying yet shocking feeling every time I pick it up.

@@restore64 Thank you very much for the info. I have tried a few types of grease and so far, the MolyKote felt the smoothest. I have not tried joystick butter, mostly because of the price and every time I've looked it up, it seemed in very short supply. I was mainly looking for a really good grease, that I could order at any time. If you have other suggestions as well, I would definitely listen. However, I do see what you're saying, with potentially rare equipment that you will never play. My rarest being a first run Odyssey in the box, I'm going to take it out and play it just once next year for its 50th birthday, then put it up forever. Anyway, before I rant too much, thanks again.

@@joat1979 You ain't lying. When it first came out I paid something like $45 for a 3 mL syringe of it. I'm cheap as hell so it killed me to do that. After doing some research and talking to the owner I realized it's exactly what these gimbals need. I also found another clever use for it which I plan on showing in a future video. Time has been getting the best of me lately.

Don't call them that :( No, this procedure prevents them from wearing out. So if you have good gears you would do this to prevent them from wearing out further. If you have a really loose stick just cleaning it will make it feel a bit better but the gears are done for at that point.

Anything other than Joystick Butter would be a second best option because nothing else works. There's no other product designed for ABS on Nylon wear.

If it ain't OG it goes in the trash where it belongs ;)

Good

If it's gone, it's gone. Joystick Butter won't fix the missing plastic on the gears but if you have a tight stick Joystick Butter will prevent it from ever wearing out. If Nintendo had this stuff when they made these every controller would have perfectly tight sticks. Wouldn't that be something :/

@@restore64 k, thought as much, however will still be doing it to all my controllers no how bad they are as cash is tight at the moment, have a good day!

The fine dirt/debris in the housing is essentially what was once your gears/gimbals. So if it's loose this processes won't make it tight. It merely prevents them from wearing out further. There's not a single affordable replacement option on the market that is even half way decent. Your best bet is to go on eBay and search for N64 controllers in Japan. Their controllers came lubricated. Not by much but more than ours which weren't lubricated at all. You can normally get one for $30-$35 shipped but I haven't checked in some time.

@@restore64 Gotcha, thanks! If I go through and order them, would you still recommend opening it up and applying some joystick butter?

@@Trevor_Exley 100% - I still use the same controller from this video and it's still perfectly lubricated. It hasn't worn down at all. Pretty wild considering when I was kid I had so many controllers with loose sticks laying around. I remember all my friends coming over after school to play 007 and those were the sticks they got to play with :) The fact Nintendo didn't properly lubricate them or the fact they didn't just use a potentiometer like Playstation still doesn't make any sense to me.

What game are you talking about? Are you using an authentic controller? Sorry for the late reply!

I’m crazy about restoring these things to perfection so I couldn’t, in my heart of hearts, recommend anything other then what I did in this video. It would kill me to do so 😖

Short answer is yes.

Yes! That’s the main point of this video. If you have a factory original joystick that is still tight you HAVE to do this.

No, thank you for the nice comment :)

It doesn't work as a fix for loose sticks. For that, you will need replacement parts! You should do this to any N64 stick in good condition, however, as it is crucial for keeping it in nice condition for as long as possible.

What Disney said. This method only prevents the stick from becoming loose. If it's properly lubricated you'll be able to enjoy a tight stick for years to come.

@@restore64 any advice for how to fix a loose stick without flat out replacing it?

It's something the guy had custom formulated. I don't know what is I just know it's amazing. They ship worldwide though.

It's comments like these that make it all worth it. Thanks!

They are ruined at that point. You're correct. If they aren't extremely bad this will prevent them getting worse

My insides hurt. Hahahaha

Restore64 you needa post more videos and keep doing what you’re doing. Your current videos are great and a lot of others and I would agree that you should keep on going with the n64 content we’d love to stick around for!

@@raygun26 I'm unable to film anything new at the moment. Hoping that'll change soon. I have a lot of great stuff I plan on putting out that I think will help a lot of people.

@@raygun26 you want more of his stuff to break? How rude.

@@restore64 that’s what she said