Seimitsu LS-32 Actuator

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1. Excellent price-point for rebuilds and upgrades of existing hardware. Now, you can buy the replacement part in the US!

   I upgraded 2 Zippyy joysticks over the previous 2 years to LS-32 equivalent.
   There's no question the actuator is an important part to get for an upgrade or to replace a part worn by useage or *ahem* aggressive maintenance! The LS-32 actuator as-is is perfect for engaging the Panasonic and Omron microswitches of your Seimitsu LS-32 control lever.
   
   The LS-32's always been kind of an odd duck for a joystick. Don't get me wrong -- I think it performs well and is superior to most of the later joystick models BUT it has some "interesting" design choices that can bite the owner. These design issues can also shorten the life of one or two shaft components, mainly the actuator.
   
   For some reason, Seimitsu chose to use a C-clip to hold the shaft assembly together; almost every other major model of Japanese joystick lever uses an E-clip to hold the whole joystick shaft together. That was a terrible choice for the LS-32 fightstick player who likes to mod and maintain the stick hardware. You end up throwing the LS-32 C-clip away because A) it requires a specific tool to remove and replace the C-clip; the tool itself is a piece of junk! And, B) the C-clip can only be removed and replaced so many times (perhaps twice?!?) before it loses elasticity and is permanently warped.
   
   Get yourself a proper E-clip to hold the LS-32 assembly together, ESPECIALLY if you're going to be servicing the LS-32. You definitely have to regrease the LS-32 pivot every so often if you're a tournament player. The pivot grease will get dirty and gummy over times and needs to be removed and replaced. It's unavoidable that you'll remove the C-clip if you haven't already and you'll encounter the issues I've listed with that awful C-clip part. A 5/16 inch E-clip or M6 E-clip (what Seimitsu bundled with the 40th Anniversary LS-32 joystick lever release) is best. I used to recommend 3/8 inch E-clips as best choice but they changed the manufacture of 3/8 inch E-clips and they may have grown too big to be practical to use on the LS-32 now. 5/16 inch E-clips are easy to find in local hardware stores but the M6 E-clip has to be special-ordered. Cheapest I've found for M6 E-clips are Amazon, 50 pieces for $5.99! They just don't ship E-clips individually online.
   
   The actuator is affected is when you remove the E-clip. The actuator CAN be lightly chipped and worn by replacing the E-clip. Over time, the actuator will get damaged on the end -- especially if you try to use tweezers to replace the E-clip. After a few removals, the E-clip (3/8 inch or 5/16 inch) metal gets worn to the point it's easy to push it back onto the shaft barehanded. However, you'll always require a small flathead screwdriver (like what they use to fasten on attachment heads for Dremels) to remove any E-clip from any joystick lever INCLUDING the LS-32.
   
   Unlike the other joystick E-clips (Hori Hayabusa, Sanwa JLF, Seimitsu LS-40/-56/-58), you don't need to use tweezers to put the E-clip back on the LS-32. The LS-32 shaft is so wide compared to other Japanese control levers that the LS-2 E-clip seems twice as big as the E-clips for other Japanese joysticks. (I think the other E-clips, like for Hori Hayabusa and Sanwa JLF, are M3 or M4 size.) You're more likely to damage the LS-32 actuator with tweezers. Should it feel difficult OR if you're concerned about injuring your fingers, use a torn T-shirt or rag/small towel/blanket to hold and push the E-clip back onto the LS-32 shaft. Once the E-clip has been worn in, it's easy to put it back on and you may no longer need the rag or blanket to protect your fingers...
   
   As far as changes in the LS-32 actuator piece are concerned, the design appears to be identical to what I first used in 2009(?) on my HRAP 3 SE, the first joystick I ever bought that had an LS-32 lever in it. The only noticeable change is that Seimitsu manfactures brand-new LS-32 actuators (at least since 2021) in plastic that is a deeper green. The 2009-2011 LS-32s I own have lighter green plastic used for their actuators. The change in plastic hasn't affected the lever's performance. Regardless of plastic color, the actuator performs the same on Panasonic and Omron LS-32 units. GeorgeC on Oct 16th 2023