ByteRot :: Installation of the 8BitDo Mod Kit for Original N64 Controller

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Installation of the 8BitDo Mod Kit for Original N64 Controller

Device	Nintendo 64 Controller
Difficulty	Easy
Time	30 minutes - 1 hour
Steps	21

This guide is by Marc_Alx on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >>

This tutorial will guide you through the installation of the 8BitDo mod kit for Nintendo 64 controller.

Tools: Phillips #0 Screwdriver

Parts: 8BitDo Mod Kit for Original N64 Controller

Step 1

• Behold the glorious retro controller face, then forget about it because you will flip the controller for the rest of the teardown.
• Use the size #1 Philips to remove the 7 screws on the back of the controller.
• Use the size #0 Philips to remove the smaller screws in the controller pak slot.

Step 2

• Remove the back plate. You can now see the:
• Power Input
• Game Pak Slot
• Trigger Button Assemblies
• Z Button Assembly
• Joystick Module

Step 3

• Using a spudger or similar tool, carefully pry the Z button assembly from the joystick module.
• Remove the 3 size #0 screws holding in the joystick module.
• Remove the joystick cable from the main board.

Step 4

• Remove the joystick module.
• NOTE: This particular module is a third party replacement. Yours may look different.

Step 5

• Remove the main board and trigger assemblies.
• Your controller is now fully disassembled!

Step 6

• Full IC Identification:
• NOTE: You may need to enlarge it to view the text.

Step 7 :: Prepare all the mod kit elements

• Rumble pak / wireless connector
• Hall effect stick
• Mother board

Step 8 :: Remove motherboard tapes.

• Carefully remove the tapes that are holding the L, R, Z buttons contacts in place. Caution: The wires that connect the contacts to the motherboard are fragile.

Step 9 :: Put Z, L, R button's membranes

• Place membranes on their respective motherboard connectors. Holes are positioned on the connector to guide your positioning.

Step 10 :: Place buttons and membranes on the front shell.

• Place the buttons into their respective holes, the tabs around each button match the cutouts to avoid incorrect placement.

Step 11 :: Position the motherboard on the front shell.

• Put the motherboard on the front shell.
• Place L and R connectors in their housing.
• Don't forget the silicone in the old cable enclosure.

Step 12 :: Place the new stick in its enclosure

• Place the stick.
• Tighten the 3 screws.

Step 13 :: Attach the Z button connector to the stick module

• Attach the Z button connector and its membrane onto the stick clips.

Step 14 :: Connect the stick

• Insert the stick plug inside its connector on the motherboard.
• The green wire must be on the L button side.
• If the controller is positioned with the stick in front of you, the L button is on your right, remember you are working upside done.

Step 15 :: Place L and R buttons

• Place L and R buttons on the front shell.

Step 16 :: Place the Z button

• Place the Z button on the bottom shell.

Step 17 :: Assemble the controller and tighten the screw

• Put together top and bottom shells.
• Place the bottom part on to the top one, doing the opposite may led some part to fall.
• At first, tighten only the first 3 screws, this will reduce undo steps in case of problem.

Step 18 :: Connect the rumble pak

• Place the rumble pak in its enclosure.

Step 19 :: Test the controller

• For this part will use the Nintendo Switch
• Connect the controller to your console. Put the rumble pak in "S" position (via its bottom switch), push "Start" and hold connect button to start pairing.
• It the controller does not appear, try to update it (see next step).
• Test each button via the Nintendo Switch dedicated button tester menu. Access it via the switch settings "Controller and sensors" section then submenu "Test input controller". See the official Nintendo documentation (https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22451/~/how-to-test-the-controller-buttons) for more information.
• n.b its important to test each button before re-assembling.

Step 20 :: Optional - Update the controller

• Download the 8BitDo upgrade tool (https://support.8bitdo.com/firmware-updater.html).
• Connect the controller to a computer via an USB-C cable. (the rumble pak must be attached to the controller).
• Do the upgrade. Even it says 1.00 to 1.00

Step 21 :: Tighten the last screws

• Once everything works tighten the last bottom screws.
• Do not forget to tighten the extension port screws.

Conclusion

Your controller is now fully operational with Windows and Android bluetooth devices. It also works with the Nintendo Switch and its Nintendo 64 app provided with a Nintendo Switch Online Subscription.

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