miriam

CD, I agree.
I don't take machines apart any farther than I have to just to to clean either. For reassembly you will need to see a repair manual to know how to adjust the depth of the foot and the pressure and line up the pressure foot square on the dogs or already have done it. Some times the foot shaft and the needle bar can be stuck. I have a pristine looking Kenmore clone with a needle bar shaft that does not line up it's more than a hair off. It was not made right from the get go. Some times you have to take the needle bar out, too but I try to avoid doing that. If you do you will need to be able to retime the stitches. Usually though a machine can be cleaned with out taking either shaft apart. It is usually not all that hard to clean what ever gunk you have off with out all that much trouble. Some times it just takes a few rounds with some oil and some patience. Recently I had one very stuck pressure bar. So I saved that project to show Lovie and Wilbur how to free up a pressure bar. The rest of the machine had cleaned up nice but that bar was STUCK. First the machine had an oil soak for about a week before they came over. I gathered the kids, armed them each with safety goggles and dire warnings about what might happen. We took off the foot, screw and thread cutter. We re-oiled the bar then I warned the kids about the spring again as we loosened the nut at the top to take off pressure. I got out a screw driver and we loosened that needle bar screw you are referring to. Lovie moved the pressure lever and the shaft went free! Wow. We got lucky. But it was a teachable moment... Since we had the bar dropped we pulled pressure nut off and pulled the shaft and spring out and cleaned up the gunk, cleaned behind where it was before we put it back. Then all we had to to was reassemble and adjust it. I sure hope they don't try that at home.... A lot of adjusting that pressure bar is done by feel. They would have to know how it is suppose to feel for the fabric their mamma plans to use and knowing what height the foot goes but at least they have seen it done.