Originally Posted by jljack
OK, I have a big problem. Further to my problem of the needle won't go down the throat on my FW, I cannot get one of the throat plate screws loose. It's like it's glued in place. It's the front one, so of course, hard to get a good sized screwdriver on it. I put some WD40 around the edge of the screw, and I tried for 20 minutes to get it out. Not a budge!!! I am soooo frustrated with it. The rear screw came right out. From the bottom I was able to see some very old thick thread wound around behind the bobbin/hook assembly, and I think I got it all out. But the needle still won't go down.
Any suggestions? I think I'm just gonna bite the bullet and take it to the shop. I'm kinda mad at myself for not verifying that it was operational before I bought it. The handwheel turns fine until you put a needle in...which it did not have in when I bought it. My own fault. But at this point I just want her working.
Try some penetrating oil let it set. Be sure your screwdriver fits tight tap it with a hammer to jar it then turn it. You can also take a wrench and put it on a square screwdriver handle for more leverage while pushing down on the screwdriver. Or use a ratchet with the correct fitting bit.
Thread in or behind the hook is why the needle bar is frozen. Try moving the hand wheel backwards to see and work the thread loose to be seen and pulled out. Look under the bed to see the thread after you take the oil pan cover off. Try a scripto blade behind the hook to cut the thread also.