I meant to get new pots. I bought 6 of them a couple of years ago. A couple for my stick, one for my pedals and one for my throttle in case any ever wore out or got too dirty to use. And I didn't throw the old ones away either because I can always take them apart and clean em out later if absolutely needed.
If you want to then just clean the pots for now. If you're pressed for time or replacements from CH aren;t available. However I cannot emphasis enough that you do not want to use WD-40. It may seem like a quick cure-all but WD-40 is a light oil which collects moisture and traps dirt. It will will accelerate further accumulations of dirt and oxidation and you will be cleaning the pots again. Very soon at that.
To clean the pots I recommend going to Walmart and getting a spray can of
brake cleaner. This cleaner will leave no residue behind and it works very, very well. (also works great for cleaning automobile electronics like the Mass_Air_Flow meter, etc) If you can't get that get some TV tuner cleaner from Radio Shack. That will clean the crud out too. Either way, spray the living hell out of the pots thru any opening/crevice you find. Move the control post around a lot too to get the contacts inside the pot clean.
Now. To get at the pots..... (you have to do this regardless to get at them to clean or replace them. And it would REALLY help to have a digital camera standing by to take a picture of how parts go together. If not then mark mating parts with white out so the lines match later and note where wires are run) .....
There are about 14 screws holding the case together. Remove these
last. The best way (trust me) to get the case open, and at the pots inside, is to remove the foot pedals and pull the top half of the case up and off. There are about several smallscrews per pad on each pedal and then there is a pivoting "gimble" (with a pot in each too for using the pedals as autobile) underneath each that need to be removed. *Note the placement of the pivot parts and where the wires are run before removing anything*
Now remove the screws from the bottom side of the case. There are about dozen and a half. KEEP the case tightly closed while you do this. After the screws are removed carefully place the base down on a flat surface and you should be able to easily pull the top half up and off.
You can now see the rollers, the wires and the pot for left/right rudder in the front-center inside. Take a picture now!
Just in case the cat, dog or the kids knocks this over while you're working on it!
At this point removing the pot and then cleaning it is pretty much obvious - especially as you;ve come this far. Note how things are and make sure you put it back the way you took it out.
When it comes time to reinstall everything some gum or putty would help keep the "auto"plane" switch in place as you put the cover back on.
Any ?'s holler out. Nothing needs to be cut/modified or unsoldered. It all comes aprt smoothly and nothing needs to be pried not forced back together. It's just all "loose" and easily jumbled because of that. Escpecially the "rollers." And it's because of the rollers inside the left and right tracks that I recommend you do not just take the screws out of the bottom and take the bottom off. It's a nightmare to get them back in right when you take the bottom off and they fall out.
