My machine has a squeak and I can't locate it!!

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01-27-2015, 09:39 PM

#11

foufymaus

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Join Date: May 2013

Posts: 613

With my kenmore I've had mysterious squeaks appear. Try cleaning under your bobbin area especially around your feed dogs. Sometimes the squeak under there translates up because it's so close to the surface.

01-28-2015, 03:29 AM

#12

KenmoreGal2

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Join Date: Sep 2014

Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum

Posts: 1,271

I will inspect and clean that area again. It's hard for me to see that area clearly so perhaps I missed something. The machine is in a cabinet so I can't lay it completely flat on it's back to look underneath plus the lighting in that room isn't the best. I'll inspect it again with a flashlight today.

A question about the feed dogs. I'm doing FMQ. I'm pretty sure the feed dogs on this machine are completely disengaged when I drop them, not sure about all machines. Could they still squeak even if they are disengaged?

Thanks for your help!! You have this machine correct? Gosh, how annoying is the bobbin area on this machine? Like when you have to disassemble it to clean it. I find it tricky getting the shuttle hook cover back in place properly.

01-29-2015, 07:17 AM

#13

bonnyh

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Join Date: Mar 2011

Posts: 127

Suggestion

My husband, our local sew and vac mechanic, suggests it's the upper crank shaft and its components. They need to be cleaned and lubricated. BTW, he uses gun oil, not sewing machine oil. It's also a rust inhibitor as well as lubricant

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenmoreGal2

In addition to my avatar, I have a Kenmore 117.740 made in 1956 by Gritzner Kaiser. It's my dedicated FMQ machine. I oil it when I complete a project. I try to oil not only the red marked areas, but every place where metal meets metal.

Today I was using it and it started squeaking. I oiled it again but I guess I am missing the dry spot because I didn't stop the squeak. I disengaged the clutch so I can be sure the squeak isn't in the motor or the handwheel. I think the squeak is in the top of the machine, not the bottom. I actually think it's in the spot above the needle but I can't find anywhere else to oil. I used the machine for a bit squeak and all but it was getting worse and worse so I quit. I'm at a loss.

I think I oiled a bit too much, I wiped a lot away. I don't have any more FMQ to do for the next week or so. My thinking is to just let the machine sit during that time and hope that my oil magically finds it way to the spot where it's needed. Any suggestions??

Thanks!

01-29-2015, 07:55 AM

#14

J Miller

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Join Date: Feb 2012

Posts: 8,091

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonnyh

Bonny,

That is / was my conclusion too. Something to do with the upper shaft. No matter how much I cleaned or oiled it simply would not go away until my wife had sewed with it for good while.

It's been my experience from use as well as reading the labels that a good gun oil and sewing machine oil are pretty much the same thing.

Joe

01-29-2015, 09:27 AM

#15

cpfrog

Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2009

Location: Ohio

Posts: 469

When I hear a squeak on my FW, It dawns on my that I did not disengage the bobbin wheel from the belt when I had reloaded it for the current project.

DUH! It's near the 'wheel' but I've done that soooo many times, I know immediately the squeak location - you'd think I'd remember to flip it back up! HAhaha

Hope this helps for the future.

01-29-2015, 10:26 AM

#16

KenmoreGal2

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Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum

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Thanks Bonny and Joe. I'm sure when DH comes home, he'll know exactly what part you mean but I'm itchy to work on it so can you give me a bit more detail? I've googled the term "upper crank shaft" and didn't get good images with that exact wording. Is this the long horizontal bar that rotates when I turn the handwheel?

Thanks too cpfrog. I don't wind bobbins on this machine, my other one has a much better system. But I engaged and disengaged the bobbin wheel anyway. Wish that worked for me, but not this time.

01-29-2015, 10:49 AM

#17

KenmoreGal2

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Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum

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I'm currently inspecting every single inch of this machine with a flashlight. I haven't found any thread bits or lint. I'm also turning the handwheel slowly as I watch for moving parts. I swear I've oiled every bit of metal on metal (not just the red dot areas) but I guess I'm missing something. I'm also running it slowly with a blow dryer on it, not sure what that will do but I feel I have to do something!!

Anyway, wanted to add that the squeak would be more accurately described as a chirping. Hopefully that will be helpful. Thanks to all, I really hope I can fix this problem.

02-02-2015, 01:00 PM

#18

KenmoreGal2

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Here's an update and I think it's good news. I had my machine open for the past few days and I'd peek in at it every time I passed. I disassembled parts that I didn't even know came apart and oiled in there. Learned a thing or two about my machine!! I never did find any thread bits inside even though I searched with a very strong flashlight. But it still squeaked when I turned the handwheel.

So today I did the same as Joe's wife and Tink's Mom - I used it squeak and all. I had 2 small FMQ projects to do today and as I worked I could hear the squeak becoming less prominent and sometimes it went away completely. I guess the oil has worked it's way in or the bit of thread has worked it's way out. IDK!!

Thanks for all the help. Without Tink and Joe saying they didn't wreck their machines by using them, I probably would not have dared to try this. I'll report back again next time I use it. Fingers crossed.....

03-31-2015, 11:22 PM

#19

miriam

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Some times it helps to turn the machine in a direction that you haven't had it setting in and let gravity be your friend. You will have to pull it out of the cabinet - well I guess you could turn the cabinet on it's side or back........ I had a Singer that was making me crazy. I oiled it and oiled it. Finally I laid it on it's back side and ran it. Some oil must have run in the right place because all of a sudden it ran better and quiet. There are only so many friction points but some how that oil has to reach them.