Needle Not Going Into Machine Straight
 

Just purchased a White 628 and it sews a beautiful stitch.
I went to try out the zig zag and the needle broke because it hit the needle plate. It was then that I noticed that the needle is not coming down into the centre of the needle plate, but is off to the side. I took out the broken needle and replaced it with an 80/12 Universal and it is like it won't fit into the collar on the bottom of the opening where you insert the needle. It will only fit in on an angle.
I have absolutely no idea why this machine is sewing with the needle like this!
Does this machine take a different size needle than average? Any other ideas why this would be happening or how to fix it?
Hopefully, the pics will attach so you can see what I mean.
Thanks, Watson

Google says your machine requires a 15x1 needle.

Also, you can download the manual here:
https://www.scribd.com/document/7036...ruction-Manual

Instructions are in the manual on how to change the needle.
Hope this helps.

My first impression was that somehow the thread guide was out of whack, somehow, but not sure why that would be. It has been suggested that sometimes it is good to take off the needle clamp and clean out the slot on the needle bar that the needle goes in and maybe there is something (dried oil, lint, ???). Other than that, I don't have any suggestions.

Looking at the manual, there aren't two needle plates, one for straight stitch and the other for zig-zag. Maybe try slowly turning the hand wheel and see if the needle still hits the plate. Maybe without the presser foot? Is it a left homing machine?

Can you post a picture showing the entire needle plate area? Also, with no needle, hand cycle the machine with ZZ at the widest stitch width and see if the needle bar is traveling all the way back and forth. Have you oiled the needle bar at all the pivot points for ZZ?

Well...it appears that on this machine the needle doesn't go into the centre of the needle plate? It is actually supposed to be off to the left....that is where the markings for the seam measurements start.
Seems awfully weird, but I put on the foot that has the single needle hole in the centre and it came down perfectly into the hole.

Watson

That is interesting that the the needle looks crooked in the slot, though. I finally found a Singer service manual that shows the needle sizes in relationship to the needle hole in a straight stitch plate. I'm sure there are others, but this is the one I found again, just now https://www.manualslib.com/manual/36...page=22#manual

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/36...page=22#manual Thank you for this link, Janey! There are many old singer manuals referenced here.