Champanier

I bought a Kenmore 158.17741 the other day, but although it looked great, I found problems when I tried to change stitches.

I oiled everything according to the manual and it all seems to move freely when I move things with my fingers, BUT...there's a long list of problems - maybe related. (I put a short video online to show some of what's happening: https://youtu.be/BDy05qClySQ My phone ran out of space before I could film everything).

Here's the list (sorry if I don't have the parts names right - I'm one step from doohickey and whatchamacallit):

• Reverse does not work. The push-down switch moves easily, but usually doesn't do anything (it did randomly work a couple of times). If I move some parts inside, it sometimes slightly moves some parts in the top part - nothing happens underneath the machine. After trying to use the reverse, it sometimes sticks so that it ONLY sews in reverse. Again, moving things inside seems to restore it to sewing forward. The reverse seems to be a common issue for Kenmores, but I haven't found a clearcut solution. Most talk about jams from old oil, but everything seems to move freely, just not enough. I've looked at the parts blowup on the Sears site and it looks like all the parts are there, including springs.
• The top plate of the cam follower is sluggish and doesn't follow the cam pattern. (The machine has a removable metal cam with a white side and green side to control the built in stitches. To use the decorative cams, you remove this metal cam and replace it with one of the pattern cams). If I get it into position so that the arm is against the cam, it moves back as soon as it passes one projection and then doesn't follow.
• The stitch modifier lever sometimes moves the cam follower and sometimes seems to be entirely to the side and doesn't touch it. This model has a lever that has a red dot on the left for straight stitching and a white arrow, white dot and green dot on the right. I'm not sure how to line up with the different marks on the right, particularly the arrow. I changed the lower knob for the stitch selector so that it corresponds to the stitch modifier. For example, if I pick a green/white pattern on the bottom, I turn the stitch modifier lever to the green and white dot side. It still doesn't work.
• The pattern cams work intermittently. To use them, you have to remove the metal cam that handles the built-in green/white patterns, which I did. Sometimes I get something close to the pattern. I can't tell what's happening when it works, because I have to put the top back on to actually sew.

I don't know if this is beyond what I can do, but I'd like to try to fix it. I'm a lot more comfortable with treadles!

Thank you!

miriam

I quit buying Kenmore machines. I have run into that kind of thing a few too many times. I don't know what kind of oil they used on them but it sets up and nothing moves right. You will have to find a way to clean all the gummy oil out of every moving part even in the inner most parts of that machine. Once you get the gummy oil out the rest of your problems should be solved rather easily. Getting that oil out is a pitb.

J Miller

Linda,

First you'll need to clean all the old gummed up oil out of the mechanicals. Then properly oil it. The sluggish movement of the cam follower is the best clue you gave.

Then, well this might should be first, get an owners manual. All the knobs must be set in the correct places for the reverse or the pattern settings to work. As good as Kenmores are, and I do like them a lot, they are not user intuitive. I have to use the manual to get mine to work correctly.

If you have the stitch length set on a wide stitch, the reverse lever will move farther than if the stitch length is set on a small stitch. And if you do not have the controls in the right place, the stretch stitches with require reverse mechanism movement to work, will not work.

Joe

Rodney

That matches my limited experience with Kenmores (excluding the White made machines). Gummed up oil in hard to get to places and not being intuitive to use. They are really solid machines when they're right though.
Rodney

Quincunx

My 1400 was working OK, and then I oiled it and something started to stick. It did not want to be over oiled and I over oil. Once I cleaned that arm off with alcohol it stopped being sticky.

And taking a quick look at 1774 online it looks to be the same outside as the 1400 with all the knobs in the same place. I am curious, are the built in cams laying flat and horizontal or on their edge and vertical? It probably does not matter to the problems. The 1400 was the middle quality of Sears machines and it has vertical built in cams.

ann31039

I've got a 1730 that had some of the same problems. I worked on the cam issue it seemed like forever. oil, heat, work it with the fingers, repeat. Finally got tired and stuck it in the closet for maybe 6 months before I got the urge to torture myself again. Got it out and it worked. I guess the oil finally worked in. It fixed itself.

Champanier

Hi,

The cams are horizontal and lay flat in the middle of the machine.

Thanks!

Champanier

Hi,

That's a great story!

What did you use on the cams? Just oil? How do you heat it? Hair dryer? I read someone online recommending a heat gun, but I don't have one.

Thanks.

Champanier

Thanks, Joe!

How much can you reach to clean up the oil? I can't see how to get to some things, but I'm not sure whether to try to take things apart more than just taking the top off. What did you use to clean it?

I have the manual, but I'm not sure how to line up the stitch modifier. It has the two dots (green and white) side by side, with the arrow above them. I don't know whether the arrow is supposed to go straight up or just be a little above the dots.

I noticed that with the stitch length on 6, the reverse tends to work better. But the stitch length doesn't seem right. Set on 6, I get the same length as set on 12.

Thanks again!

Quincunx

Oh, exciting! That is the tougher and higher end style of Kenmore construction.