It's "NATIONAL CLEAN THE BOBBIN AREA DAY" nah just do it anyway...
06-22-2014, 05:43 AM
#73
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Sierra Vista, AZ
Posts: 3,992
Well, the bullet got bit yesterday. After taking a good look at my Elna, I could see that the side panel was held in place by three screws an the top two screws and I removed them. The innards were actually pretty clean on the top and side. Any lint was brushed and vacuumed and I put a drop of Triflow at every site that looked like it would move or rotate. I turned placed the machine on it's side and took a good look at the bottom I could see was one center screw. Then I realized the the foot pads had screws in them and likely held the bottom to the body of the machine. Out came the one center screw and foot pad screws. With a little coaxing the bottom came off. There was not as much lint as I expected.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]480000[/ATTACH]
The dust bunnies were vacuumed out. The inside of the pan got a cleaning with a mild Simple Green solution as did the outside. In the process I did not have to disconnect any electrical connections. There were a couple of gears (nylon of some sort?) that did have some kind of white grease. I did not touch them. Now, if there was a mechanical or timing issue then I would not hesitate to take her in to be serviced.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]480000[/ATTACH]
The dust bunnies were vacuumed out. The inside of the pan got a cleaning with a mild Simple Green solution as did the outside. In the process I did not have to disconnect any electrical connections. There were a couple of gears (nylon of some sort?) that did have some kind of white grease. I did not touch them. Now, if there was a mechanical or timing issue then I would not hesitate to take her in to be serviced.
06-22-2014, 11:38 AM
#74
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Not Here
Posts: 3,817
Oh Good job Caroline! Looks like your Elna must be one of the ones they didn't build so you had to "split the cases" to get into where you needed to. Some of them don't have that top panel and to properly get to the top or the bottom you have to split the back from the front. Those are the ones I was referring to when I mentioned all of the cables and such to have to pull. Like this:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]480043[/ATTACH]
(That's the needlebar assembly on the mat at the bottom left)
The nylon gears usually take a lithium grease according to the manufacturer. I'd be curious to know what that's going to be like for them long term.
The only thing I would mention here too though is that only the metal on metal spots should see the Triflow. Spots like the plastic piece of the take up lever may be damaged by a non-synthetic oil, just like the nylon gears we always say not to get oil on.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]480043[/ATTACH]
(That's the needlebar assembly on the mat at the bottom left)
The nylon gears usually take a lithium grease according to the manufacturer. I'd be curious to know what that's going to be like for them long term.
The only thing I would mention here too though is that only the metal on metal spots should see the Triflow. Spots like the plastic piece of the take up lever may be damaged by a non-synthetic oil, just like the nylon gears we always say not to get oil on.
06-22-2014, 12:16 PM
#76
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Not Here
Posts: 3,817
Miriam, some of those machines (and I'm talking $6k - $10K machines) have been the worst. I've had them with spilled coffee on them. Full grown dust rabbits and everything. The only thing that is a saving grace with them is that people think they don't have to oil anything, so at least the lint comes out easily! 
The worst ones for cleaning so far have been the Quilt Expression machines from Pfaff. There's no easy way to get in to clean the hook area and the bunnies like to play hide and seek. You'll get everything out that you can see turning the handwheel and everything and it will look spotless, then you turn the handwheel a little more while cleaning something else, and out will pop a bunny like it thinks it's a whack-a-mole game!
The worst ones for cleaning so far have been the Quilt Expression machines from Pfaff. There's no easy way to get in to clean the hook area and the bunnies like to play hide and seek. You'll get everything out that you can see turning the handwheel and everything and it will look spotless, then you turn the handwheel a little more while cleaning something else, and out will pop a bunny like it thinks it's a whack-a-mole game!
06-22-2014, 12:34 PM
#77
Power Poster
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 15,507
Well I was mad because it took 10 minutes or more to de-lint an old white with a cam stack. Lint was all over the place just like you said - bunnies coming out of nowhere every time you turn it. The cam stack knob is still stuck - it's in time out with drop of T-F and a shot of Kroil. Mix in lint... ew la la.... But hot dog - the reverse decided to work thanks to similar treatment. After time out and unstuck stuff it will be time to fine tune everything.
06-23-2014, 05:10 AM
#78
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Sierra Vista, AZ
Posts: 3,992
Thanks Tammi. I thought that the grease may have been lithium. I will add that to my tool box. And yes, I am very careful to only oil the metal to metal spots and keep it away from the nylon gears.
06-24-2014, 02:58 PM
#79
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Not Here
Posts: 3,817
Originally Posted by Caroline S
Thanks Tammi. I thought that the grease may have been lithium. I will add that to my tool box. And yes, I am very careful to only oil the metal to metal spots and keep it away from the nylon gears.
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