Mickey2

Grease under the face plate seems all wrong on this machine. It will never reach the inners of the joints on the swing arm, neither the lubrication points for the needle or presser bar. The similar but newer Singer and Janome models I have seen are oiled in these places. Machines like this hardly ever get any service or maintanance, they just go very noisy after a couple of years with either grease or oil.

Rocketeer

I would recommend "KrudKutter" to remove any grease or varnished oil -- it's water based and non-toxic, and where plastic is involved I'd worry about alcohol-based solvents softening the plastic. That said, the rote I've been taught is "grease for gears, SMO for everything else." I think this has to do with the fact that slide-y parts especially like a needlebar can be slowed down actually by a viscous lubricant like grease.
If a remover like KrudKutter or alcohol is used, I'd think to rapidly get the surface cleaned and then oil it, to prevent flash rust from forming. If rust does form, the folks at KrudKutter make another incredible product, The Must for Rust, that not only removes light rust but forms a protective barrier until you can get oil on there.
These are things I've learned from AndyTube and from my own experience. I have no financial relationship to any product or company (except an undying loyalty to Singer )

Cheers!
Matt

Mickey2

I would add that a lot of gears are oiled on vitage machines, plastic as well as steel, Elnas, Berninas, The early manual for 201s called for oil on the bottom meshing gears, and only grease for the gears near the handwheel on the potted motor version. Only later manuals recommend grease for all three set of meshing gears, the oil points are still there on the later versions too. My main point is, with some things you can go by your own preferance.

Pat M.

Get a dental pick and scrape the grease off, the heat probably made it spread. I really think it just needs oil where metal meets metal. You also have lint on the needle bar than needs to be removed. You can use Q-tips, cotton balls to help clean up the grease. There are produces for cleaning grease just be careful where you put it. Use oil when all is cleaned up.