Thanks, Treadle&Gears, I have the service manual. I can't remember who, but some generous person shared it with me. I appreciate your offer, though.
The quiet 503 is my second 503. This one is light years better than the previous one. The first one is loud and sews crookedly. The one I bought a couple of months ago at an estate sale was really dusty and dirty, but it's quiet and sews perfectly. It's at the school where I volunteer right now. The kids prefer the T&S, but they like the 503.
Cari - thanks, it did not have caked yuck in the channel in the bobbin area. However, I removed the bobbin case and cleaned it really well. Even though I had just cleaned around in the bobbin area with a brush, tons more lint came out when I removed the bobbin case.
Like magic, though, the "rattle" stopped. Thanks. It's still not as quiet as I'd like, but it doesn't rattle.
They can't all be 201s.
bkay
Last edited by bkay; 04-07-2018 at 03:48 PM.