The how to mod your SFIV SE Fightstick FAQ

Sileighty

Read first!!!

Alright, so a lot of people have had a lot of questions on how to mod this stick, and honestly it's probably one of the easiest stick to mod. So this guide was threw together to help answer any questions anyone has and run you through the process.

Before you begin
- I'm not responsible for a damn thing, open at your own risk. =)
- By opening before your warranty is up, you've voided it.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the stick really need to be replaced?
A: It really just depends on you, if your new to playing on sticks, I'd say just get used to it before you decide to switch it out.

Q: What's the point of replacing the stock parts?
A: Basically to get some high grade parts in there. Stick and button wise, it will feel much better. But of course, it all boils down to personal preference.

Q: What parts do I need to buy?
A: Depending on what you need, here's the choices you have for japanese parts.
Sanwa Joystick: JLF-TP-8YT or JLF-TP-8Y
Sanwa Buttons: OBSF-30

Seimitsu Joystick: LS-32-01
Seimitsu Buttons: PS-14-K, PS-14-P, PS-15 (thanks Byteblock)

Q: Do I have to buy the JLF with a mounting plate?
A: Nope, you can just take the mounting plate off the stock stick and throw it onto the JLF-TP-8Y.

Q: Can I use screw in buttons?
A: Yes you can, it might require a little filing to get the button closest to the joystick to fit though.

Q: Which one is better, Sanwa or Seimitsu?
A: It's all preference. Read the Sanwa and Seimitsu FAQ by Paik4Life here

Q: Where can I buy these parts from?
A: Check out either Lizard Lick or Akihabara Shop.

Q: Do I need to solder anything?
A: No, everything is strictly remove and replace.

Q: Square or Octagon gate?
A: Preference, square gate will come with your stick already. You can always buy an octagon gate and try it out to see if you like it or not.

Q: How can I change the artwork?
A: You'll need to use a template and photoshop what you want on there. Then print it out and stick it on top of the stock artwork. Check out this great how to thread by driph on exactly how do this here.

So how do you install? Here's a rough guide, it will vary a little bit if you use screw on buttons.

Tools & Parts
- New stick and buttons
- Flathead & Phillips screwdriver
- A small flathead screwdriver would also be helpful

Steps
Note: The pictures that I took already had the Sanwa parts in it. So don't be alarmed if your stick innards don't look exactly like mine.

1. Take off 6 screws in the back and take off the panel.

2. Move the quick disconnect sleeve and move it up along the wiring out of the way. Then, grab the quick disconnect and use a little force to pull it off the button. Repeat 2 times for one button. Do NOT, i repeat, do NOT pull on the wire, do it from the quick disconnect itself.

Here's how it looks with one pulled out.


3. Take the flat head and push in one of the tabs for the snap in and use a free finger to push downward on one side. Then do the same to the opposite side and it should pop out just fine.

The position of my flathead is where you should push in towards the button on.


4. Take your snap on button and simply push it into place. You should hear it snap into place, just make sure that its pushed in all the way before you reconnect your quick disconnects.

5. After you finish replacing all the buttons, its time to move to the stick.

6. Take your flathead and hold it in place on the bottom of the joystick, and with your other hand, twist the ball top and it should unscrew.



7. Take off the four screws holding down the stick by the mounting plate, you'll notice them by the red on the screws.



8. Now it's time to remove the connector. Take note of which way the connector is facing, the gel should be facing towards you. Take your small flathead and place it under like shown on the picture. You'll want to lift the tab up, then pull the connector out.



9. Now just screw in the new stick, install the ball top and plug the connector the same position you took it off. The gel should face you. It won't snap into place since there's no tab on the Sanwa stick, but it'll be ok.

10. Replace the back panel and reinstall the 6 screws. Congrats! You've finished! Plug it in to your respective system and check to make sure everything works.

My finished stick, I used 3 dark hai and 3 white OBSF-30's and the JLF stick.


As far as changing the artwork, head to this great thread here by driph.

I hope this is helpful to anyone that wanted to mod their SE fightstick. If there's anything anyone wants to add, just lmk and I'll throw it on.

Inverse

Was waiting for this. Good job on this FAQ. Showing some serious love for the SE here, for that I thank you. Must have taken you a good part of the evening. :)

(Love the pictures, damn fine camera ya got too! lol)

Unknown

comment3, lucky clover casino, 7601,

eric25

Nice job.

Unknown

very nice thank u for taking the time to do this

myketuna

This is an awesome guide. I think in the future, someone should make a video guide and add it to this thread. I've been thinking about doing one myself whenever I decide to go through with my modding, but that'll be a while since I'm gonna be busy with school and wearing down the stock stuff that came with the SE. And my camera doesn't take very good video, but if no one steps up by then I'll make one; a horrible video guide is better than no video guide.

Bomberman

Great guide. I look forward to doing this soon.

But man Sile, the single white button in the black row and the single black button in the white row look funky to me.

Antman757

I can't wait till i get my SE and swap it out with sanwa parts

thanks for the guide

Unknown

a video would really help I still dont get what ur doing in some of the pictures....i mean what are u pressing down with the little red screwdriver in the second picture?

SinJul

Don't you need the Seimitsu LS32-01??I think that one was the one with the PCB and correct mountingplate.

Sileighty

Thanks for all the comments. As far as video goes, I've no plans to ever make one. This is as easy as it gets to mod a stick, just open yours up and take a look at it and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about in the guide. It's seriously not as hard as you might think, even with no experience with this type of stuff. Anyone else can feel free to make a vid though and I'll edit it in.

Bomberman - You ever see my custom stick? lol http://www.digitalremix.net/upload/uploads/DSC_0201.jpg

SinJul - Someone will have to chime in on that for me. I have no idea if the S-plate fits in directly or not.

Bomberman

Sileighty that works better with only 6 buttons...

I agree that videos are not necessary for this procedure, but people sure do love 'em.

x_tremer

quick question Sileighty, how does the stock stick feel compared to the JLF?

Sileighty

Pretty much identical to the Hori EX2 one if you've ever used that.

Bomber - Yeah, I plan to plug the last 2 buttons, which is why I didn't swap them out. I hate 8 button layouts. I'm not done with the stick after all =D

elitericerocket

F4TAL, post: 2702624 wrote:

a video would really help I still dont get what ur doing in some of the pictures....i mean what are u pressing down with the little red screwdriver in the second picture?

2009 is already full of so much fail...

The buttons are snap-ins so he's pushing in on the sides of the buttons so he can pop them out to be replaced.

Phenotype

What's required to swap the square gate for an octagonal one? Can you take a picture, or is it really simple to do? I've never opened up a joystick in my life, but I'm tempted to mod this one instead of learning to use the square gate.

Gambit Ace 61

Quick question. Would replacing the stick In my SE fix this problem?
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v125/GeninNaruto/?action=view¤t=Stick-1.flv
Moving the stick to the left produces no click and the left diagonals are being registered as either just down or up (instead of down/left (1) or up/left (7).

Rickstah

Gambit Ace 61, post: 2702633 wrote:

Quick question. Would replacing the stick In my SE fix this problem?
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v125/GeninNaruto/?action=view¤t=Stick-1.flv
Moving the stick to the left produces no click and the left diagonals are being registered as either just down or up (instead of down/left (1) or up/left (7).

Yes. The clicking noise is a microswitch, which needs to "click" in order for it to activate. So replacing the stick would mean you would be replacing the microswitches as well.

Imitrex

First off, excellent work and awesome of you to put it together to share with the community.

One comment I would like to make is on this.

Q: Do I have to buy the JLF with a mounting plate?
A: Nope, you can just take the mounting plate off the stock stick and throw it onto the JLF-TP-8Y.

Sometimes, the screws are a complete bitch to get out of the mounting plate, and they are very very soft and tend to strip the heads very easily. Be very careful if you go this route.

Unknown

Sometimes, the screws are a complete bitch to get out of the mounting plate, and they are very very soft and tend to strip the heads very easily. Be very careful if you go this route.

So so true. Don't try to do it in a brutal way, you'll lose. You'll have to use the perfect screwdriver.

Unknown

From the pictures it looks like the SE Mad Catz JLF knock-off has an Octogate. Is this correct? That seems like an odd distinction for them to make. If this is so could you please check to see if it fits a JLF?

BTW, at Step 7 you forgot to close your img tag.

Also for parts you list the PS-14-KN, but that is a screw-in and will be a pain in the ass on this board. ( )

30mm Seimitsu Snap-ins are PS-14-K, PS-14-P, PS-15

Sileighty

Thanks, didn't realize I listed the wrong part. Updated.

Oh and the pics were taken after I had modded the stick already, I have a note about it before the instructions. =D

Unknown

Thanks man exactly why I came here. Very good job.

LightsOut

Thanks man. My broke @ss can't afford the TE.

Unknown

So if we want to go all sanwa the joystick we would need to buy is the one for 24.95 on lizardlicks? It is a JLF-TP-8T, i dont know if thats the same as the onoe you posted.

Unknown

Since Lizard Lick is getting totally hammered here another place to buy parts is Gremlin Solutions in the UK http://www.gremlinsolutions.co.uk/arcadeparts.htm (Scroll down for Japanese Parts)

A few questions relevant to this thread have occurred to me though, what size are the Start - Select/Back buttons? 24mm, 30mm, 1.125" or something else? Would Happ's player imprint buttons fit back there? If not, whose? I imagine several people would like to make that swap for aesthetics. Though perhaps a stencil on the stock would be an easier way to achieve the effect.

On the same topic, how does one go about connecting to .187" terminals with the provided wiring?

JedahZero

I'm wondering if there are any Happ parts that can fit in without serious work.

Unknown

JedahZero, post: 2702643 wrote:

I'm wondering if there are any Happ parts that can fit in without serious work.

buttons are too tall to fit in correctly. need about another half inch.

DanSC

for those who own one of these, how heavy is the stick?

JedahZero

J.Garcia, post: 2702644 wrote:

buttons are too tall to fit in correctly. need about another half inch.

I was afraid of that. Also I'm pretty sure getting a Happ stick in there would be a nightmare. Is there anything out there comparable to Happ parts that WOULD fit in?

EDIT: I should clarify a bit, I want a stick with a bit more tension in the springs than the stock SE one, but not sure if Sanwa or Seimitsu will be a big upgrade as far as that goes.

As far as buttons I have a thing for concave buttons.

RoboKrikit

Byteblock, post: 2702642 wrote:

what size are the Start - Select/Back buttons? 24mm, 30mm, 1.125" or something else? Would Happ's player imprint buttons fit back there? If not, whose?

24mm. Happ will not fit. You could try a clear Seimitsu button with art under it. Sanwa/Seimitsu do not have the US-style player imprint on any of their buttons.

TheEvilChinaMan

DanSC, post: 2702645 wrote:

for those who own one of these, how heavy is the stick?

stick is of some pretty good weight, its not like the HRAP but its up there.

Unknown

Can the standard non-upgraded stick take a restrictor plate? Or do I need to replace the stick to add a restrictor plate? Specifically I'd like to fit the stick with a 4-way/8-way plate so I can switch between stuff like Pac-Man CE and fighters/shooters.

Unknown

biever, post: 2702649 wrote:

Can the standard non-upgraded stick take a restrictor plate? Or do I need to replace the stick to add a restrictor plate? Specifically I'd like to fit the stick with a 4-way/8-way plate so I can switch between stuff like Pac-Man CE and fighters/shooters.

yes you can add the octoganal that would fit the jlf.

Unknown

J.Garcia, post: 2702650 wrote:

yes you can add the octoganal that would fit the jlf.

So the stock stick is basically a JLF knock-off?

LightsOut

Artwork

A noobie question about the artwork in the official thread. Are they all for TE sticks unless otherwise specified or can they also be resized in some way to fit SE sticks?

pc1x1

Sileighty sucks at Street Fighter Confirmed!

And wait you need to add my Light up bubbletop mod to this :),

Yo can I have some shots of the pcb? and do you know where the 5V line is ?

:)

Inverse

LightsOut, post: 2702652 wrote:

A noobie question about the artwork in the official thread. Are they all for TE sticks unless otherwise specified or can they also be resized in some way to fit SE sticks?

No, there are specific templates for both sticks on the very first post of that thread. I recommend reading them. They are there for your use.

ShinJN

The +5V line is the red wire coming from the USB cable. It's also labeled on the PCB.

LightsOut

Inverse, post: 2702654 wrote:

No, there are specific templates for both sticks on the very first post of that thread. I recommend reading them. They are there for your use.

How about I slap the taste out your mouth?

x_tremer

LightsOut, post: 2702656 wrote:

How about I slap the taste out your mouth?

oh noes internet tough guy, he answered your question dumbass, no reason to get all hostile.

JedahZero

Actually, anyone know the difference between the Seimitsu LS-32 and LS-56, and will the 56 fit in the SE?

Inverse

LightsOut, post: 2702656 wrote:

How about I slap the taste out your mouth?

You could have sat here all day, checking the thread. Hitting F5, hoping to see someone answer your question. I took the time to do it myself. I'll think better of it next time.

You just joined the forum recently, please don't alienate yourself from the rest of us so soon. Would hate to see you leave us suddenly. Good luck with your template.

Unknown

RoboKrikit, post: 2702647 wrote:

24mm. Happ will not fit. You could try a clear Seimitsu button with art under it. Sanwa/Seimitsu do not have the US-style player imprint on any of their buttons.

Thanks a lot, RoboKrikit.

That's a good idea, I think I'll pick up a couple of PS-14-D-N.

Unknown

biever, post: 2702651 wrote:

So the stock stick is basically a JLF knock-off?

yes, and a bad one at that. i received my SE stick on monday. On tuesday, the (up) switch and 2 of my buttons (A) & (Y) were sticking. the top of the pcb board was worn out and made a short! and this is with-in 1 day of playing with it!

Danmartigan

J.Garcia, that sounds terrible.

You know MadCatz should have just sold a set of blank control panels. Everyone switches the damn buttons out anyway, and most of the folks who would order the blanks know how to hack our favorite pads anyway.

Unknown

J.Garcia, post: 2702661 wrote:

yes, and a bad one at that. i received my SE stick on monday. On tuesday, the (up) switch and 2 of my buttons (A) & (Y) were sticking. the top of the pcb board was worn out and made a short! and this is with-in 1 day of playing with it!

WTF... how did the PCB get worn out?

Unknown

Anyone planning on doing a dual PCB mod on it yet? I wanna put in a PS1 pcb. Does the SE have a common ground?

Unknown

Byteblock, post: 2702663 wrote:

WTF... how did the PCB get worn out?

im sorry if i wasnt clear, but the pcb where the switches for the stick are got worn out in 1 day!!!! i am not a heavy or hard stick user either!. there is some sort of plastic or metal disc on the shaft of the stick that rubs on the top of the pcb and wore out the green protecting film than the copper on the board. more on the left side then on the top of the stick.

Unknown

J.Garcia, post: 2702665 wrote:

im sorry if i wasnt clear, but the pcb where the switches for the stick are got worn out in 1 day!!!! i am not a heavy or hard stick user either!. there is some sort of plastic or metal disc on the shaft of the stick that rubs on the top of the pcb and wore out the green protecting film than the copper on the board. more on the left side then on the top of the stick.

WOW! Thanks for the clarification. If you can I'd be really interested in seeing pictures. That is just crazy.

Most of us are obviously going to gut this thing; as long as the main PCB works it is a good deal. $40 for the PCB, $30 for the Case (+$10 for Xbox 360 for M$ tax) still beats going full custom.

dmac

totally sweet, been waiting for a guide like this, thanks!