401 problem
 

Being the overly generous person that I am, I gave away my 401 to a young friend who wanted to learn to quilt (it was my favorite machine). I had another 401 in the closet that I had not rehabbed. I'd cleaned up the one I gave away from being totally stuck from old grease, so I figured I could do it again.

Well, it didn't work out that way. I would get it unstuck and it would be stuck again the next day. I ended up taking it to the shop. After several months, I got it back. By then, I had gotten used to my 301 and just kept using it.

Long story, short...the hand wheel is really hard to turn. I took it back, but it didn't help. I was so sure it was OK, that I just took it without checking it.

Any ideas of what the problem might be?

bkay

Gosh, bkay, no luck yet? Two thoughts come to mind: needle bar and lower mechanism. (Well, three, a bent shaft from the handwheel. Let's ignore #3.)

Heat the needle bar area with a hair dryer. Use WD40, or electro motive cleaner, sprayed on the needle bar, to cut through any possible gummed up old oil. (Cover the bed with a cloth). Charcoal lighter fluid can work, too, applied with the tip of a screwdriver blade. Turn that handwheel several times to distribute the "solvent." If it loosens, you've found the source of the issue. Repeat, then give it a good chaser with fresh sewing machine oil.

You can do similar with the lower mechanism, but there are so many moving parts. Focus on the "below the bobbin area."

Speaking of bobbin area, have you removed the "case" that holds the bobbin in the race, and thoroughly cleaned under the rim? It is amazing how much crud gets stuck there. I have had more than a few machines with enough bobbin case crud to freeze them up.

I hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.

Sorry I haven't jumped in sooner. I would drop out the motor, to remove that as a contributor. Is it hard to turn for the entire stitch cycle? Does it only stiffen up in certain parts of the cycle? Open up the top, bottom, and nose, and turn by hand while observing each area to see if anything obvious jumps out at you. I would not think that stitch pattern selection would have anything to do with it, but just in case try changing up the pattern and then try hand cycling to see if any changes.

I just got around to working on the 401. I took the "lid" off it and it appears not to have any grease on the gears. I haven't looked under the bottom yet, but I assume that's what I will find there, too.

I was so shocked that I had to tell someone. I will report back when I see what happens with grease and oil.

bkay

Good luck with getting it to work properly.

Hope your young friend took good care of the machine you gave to her/him.

I think so. She has taken several sewing classes. She's made a couple of quilts, a quilted jacket and other things, I assume. She's gone back to school to get her masters in hospital administration. I don't regret giving her the machine.
bkay

It did have grease. It's a real thick, gooey lubricant. It may not be a problem. I have not used it, so use might result in a better outcome.

I'm not sure I will ever get it to work as well as the old one. It is what it is, though. I have plenty of sewing machines that are in good condition, so I'm not without options.

bkay

You more than likely will!

How is your 401 doing?
I am sure it will free up and run smooth again. There is always a machine that needs extra effort to free up and much the best method is to take the machine into regular use. If it can't be used quite yet, keep it on a table; detect all (!!!) oil points, go over them every day for the next week or two, a drop or three every where. Take off all covers, lids, faceplate, oil all hinges, joints, gears, anything were metal goes against metal. I don't use the very goey grease, find the soft smooth type, and you can even add a single drop onto the greased gears to thin it out. That is the only point not to oil every day. Sew a few minutes on it once or twice a day. Move levers, test sew the zigzag, the various stitch patterns, etc.


Keep wiping off joints and grooves as you go about oiling the next week or two. Take out the bobbin case, scrape all corners and grooves you can detect down there with a wooden tooth pick. On a 201 I had to take off the a hand wheel entirely, smear oil on all surfaces, inside the wheel as well as the rod thing it slides back on, including stop motion part. It had to be repeated again a few weeks later, after that it never froze up again. I never could detect any particular issue other than not turning smoothly, the stop motion screw not entirely freeing up the needle bar. I think part of the trouble is old oil and grime starts to dissolve as we start to oil and clean, it runs smoothly for a bit and goes sticky again until all the old oil has dissolved and been replaced. It takes a few oiling and whipe-off sessions to get there.

Best of luck ;- )

Thanks so much for your input. I've been neglectful of my 401. While the 401 was in the shop (for months), I got used to my 301 and have kept using it. (I love the speed.) I haven't done much to see what's actually ailing the 401. However, it's the only machine I have that has a zig-zag, so I need to get it working well.

The only small problem is, that it's in the front window and the dogs love to sit on the cabinet and watch the world go by.

Thanks again,
bkay

So, the additional challenge of dog smell and being left in direct sunlight for a long time

;- )