Originally Posted by
miriam
My question is what changes by the time it slows down? I want to know that, too.
10 seconds isn't a lot of time... if you hadn't said you'd changed the motor out, I'd have said that was the problem. A motor with little to no load will behave differently than one with a "Regular" load....
Has it generated heat anywhere by there? I haven't checked for heat
Heat is an indicator of excess friction. It might lead you to the source...
Anything swelling? I hope not, but.... either of those would close up tolerances and slow things down. Does the motor labour? How would you tell if something is swelling? It is all metal. I don't run it on and on
I was thinking (and poorly worded it) that old oil and grease likely swells up a little as it warms. If it's sticky nasty stuff hidden somewhere it would cause a sudden drag if it were to do that.
ETA: Really Really well hidden. Like on the elevator pins we were working on. You could see on top and bottom where we'd gotten the fluid film into it, but there was a spot in the middle where it just couldn't get to, and that's what was binding it up.
How long do you get to sew before it slows down? It runs well for about 10 seconds then starts to slow. The motor has no drag on it when the clutch is released. I don't believe it is a m
otor problem. I'm wondering if it might have a bent shaft the hand wheel goes on. Maybe someone dropped it or something. (Someone knew - there was an incredible amount of oil in that area - I've never seen oil pooled up inside a balance wheel before. There was a pool of oil in the gear place where the motor goes, too. Incredible amounts of oil... or maybe grease..). I put a handwheel off another machine on it and it would not move at all. The machine turns very freely without any handwheel - just rather awkward to run a machine like that...
I would think that a bent shaft would be an "always" problem.... The 401 I was working on had an unreal amount of old grease all over that entire cavity. I had to scrape it off and wash a ton before it was smooth. Until then, it was even hard to get the handwheel on. There isn't any on the "ceiling" of the handwheel area that you couldn't see is there?
Is the motor you're testing with -that- motor? The oil filled one? Grease would be "ok" I guess, it shouldn't run down. Oil could compromise the motor.
How does everything smell??
Is there anything out of round in the handwheel area? I'd be especially suspicious around that clutch area...
Do you have any pics? Maybe we can spot something all together...
How much do you sell a machine for that you spent between 7 and 12 hours cleaning and tuning up? LOL I get the same as when I have a very nice one. I consider machines like that continuing education costs... and if after 12 - 15 hours they aren't going to work I set it aside for a while.... then again some machine are for parts... argh... I really don't need a parts machine and I paid too much for it for it to be a parts machine. Wah...
This one was bought as a parts machine. I didn't think it would run again, or at least not well enough to stitch well. That was certainly an education.
I'll list it for the "going rate" and see what happens. I think I won't mention the cat pee, it doesn't smell anymore anyway.
Maybe this one could be modified somehow to treadle... Any ideas how to do that? It IS a 401A not one set up from the factory to be treadled... The machine sews great - fine stitch - the stitch selector turns as good as new - everything is clean - machine looks great. It may be the only thing that will save that machine... well short of a new shaft...
I'd say you'd need to change the handwheel and do a little bonding with your dremel. That's a best guess at this point. Will the 411G or the 401G handwheel fit? I know the 411 has a different style handwheel.... should work the same though.
Oh! And a sidewinder. I don't think the bobbin winder would survive the conversion.
Just on a lark,.. what happens with a different handwheel?
Are there any rub marks anywhere to say that something's rubbing somewhere it shouldn't?
Will get DH to read this when he gets home and see if he has any input.