Yes - I did just that and it was very tight. Need to look into why.
As for instructions on timing - I think I found what I need and for the benefit of others here I'll copy and paste lest the link ever go dead.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/...ns/topics/7773
Hi Ed,
I'm assuming you have never had the machine sewing at all since you bought it with the broken hook gear. In that case you need to check a few more settings rather than just the hook timing. The height of the needle bar would be a good start. On my green Supermatics I have a distance of 35.8 mm between the top edge of the needle clamp and the bottom edge of the swing cradle with the needle bar fully down. I use a length of copper wire that is filed down to exactly 35.8 mm and this should just fit between the two measuring points. If not, loosen the clamp higher up on the needle bar and re-position the bar to the correct height while ensuring you don't change the orientation of the bar by rotating it. If you want to check the orientation, you need to insert a twin needle and check it lines up parallel with the slot in the needle plate. Correctly set, the needle clamp screw is pointing slightly to the right of straight towards the front. Once both of these are correct, insert a new size 80 needle and with the needle centering at center, rotate the machine until the tip of the hook is exactly behind the needle. Now measure the distance between the top of the needle clamp and the swing cradle. It should be 2.3 mm less than the fully down setting. That is 35.8 - 2.3 = 33.5 mm. If the difference is not 2.3 mm you need to reset the timing by loosening the 3 screws in the bottom of the bobbin case. While you have the tip of the hook adjacent to the needle, check that there is just the slightest gap between the two, all but touching is what you want. You should see a flat area just above the eye and that is where the hook passes as it picks up the thread. If you see a groove in the needle on the hook side, you have got the needle in the wrong way round! If the clearance is wrong you can adjust it easily.
With these settings correct, I can almost guarantee that the hook will pick up the top thread.
The fact you can get the machine to sew with the needle de-centered to the left means the relative positions of the hook and needle are not quite right. Check your needle type and position in the clamp. The more I think about it the more convinced I am your needle bar height is wrong.
Cheers,
Jim