Singer 66 Red Eye
 

Hi all, I just brought home this beauty today. It does need cleaning, oiling and a new belt. There is one issue, though that concerns my husband. When the stop motion screw is engaged and spinning the wheel toward you like the manual says, the needle bar doesn't move (or maybe once). When the screw is engaged, the needle bar moves perfectly. Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong? We haven't taken it apart yet as we just got it home today.

Thanks,
Shari

That is my favorite decal set and I think that one is going to clean up nicely.

Reading your post, it looks like you've typoed something. You seem to be saying that the needlebar doesn't move with the stop screw engaged and then that it does move. Unless I'm reading it wrong.

Congratulations on a great machine.

I posted this real quick because I had to go make dinner so it may not be real clear. Let me see if I can make it better. When the stop screw is tightened, the needle bar does not move in the proper direction (spinning the balance wheel toward me) or it moves maybe once or twice then stops, but it will move just fine spinning the balance wheel in the wrong direction. And as I was just double checking my thinking, I tightened the stop screw, not too tight, then spun the balance wheel toward me and the needle moved like it should. It will mess up again with just a slight amount of pressure on the thread take up lever. Then I tried again, putting my finger under the take up lever and it worked correctly again. My husband thinks there is something wrong in the clutch mechanism. We need to take it apart, just don't feel like it tonight. I hope that makes it as clear as mud as to what I am describing.

I hope we can figure out the issue, I really want to learn how to treadle which is why we bought the machine.

Shari

Are you talking about the screw in the chrome knurled hand wheel? That is acting properly But that is not how it is supposed to work.That gib screw goes between two lobes of a three lobed washer and will let you lock /unlock the stop motion action.

This is what the hidden pieces look like. https://www.quiltingboard.com/member...738-576744.jpg

Since you have been unscrewing the gib screw I would suggest loosening it, turning the chrome wheel till it is tight, tighten the screw and the turn the chrome wheel left and see if the handwheel will free wheel then. That is your goal.

Leonf - I'm talking about the chrome wheel and not the gib screw (or set screw in the chrome wheel). The set or gib screw won't move and needs to have some wd-40 or similar to free it up. So balance wheel does spin freely when the chrome wheel is loosened.

Shari

You can feel the gib screw on the back of the chrome disc. a bit of oil back there may help, too/

Since I'm not quite sure of what is actually happening with your machine, I'm going to tell how I understand how the stop motion clutch (the chrome knob) works. Holding the hand wheel with your left hand to keep it steady, turn the chrome knob away from you to tighten it. If you turn the chrome knob toward you, you should be loosening it so that you can wind a bobbin without the needle going up and down.

There is a washer in between the silver knob and the large hand wheel. It can be put on in four different ways. Only one of which is correct. I don't remember what the symptoms are for the incorrect ways. If you can unscrew the set screw on the stop motion clutch knob, the knob should unscrew all the way off to see the washer. There is page with a video about it at http://vssmb.blogspot.com/2012/06/ho...bbed-stop.html Then there is a thread here about a theory about putting the washer in the correct position for a 201 which is a little different, but I think the theory may be correct. https://www.quiltingboard.com/vintag...y-t320539.html I haven't tried it on any of my machines, yet.

There are three manuals at https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_mac...e-manuals.html that should work for your machine. The first three for 66 are the ones you want. You do not need the 66-16 or either of the 66-18s.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
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We've gotten the issue figured out. It was the clutch washer. The theory is someone prior to us buying the machine has it apart and put it back together with the washer in the wrong orientation. The machine is working like it should now. It pays to be married to a mechanical engineer. Now we just need to give it a good cleaning and oiling and a new belt and she should be good to go. Might have to adjust the treadle itself, but need the belt for that. Thank you to all the replies with your suggestions. I'm very happy to have found this forum. Everyone has such great suggestions. :)

Shari