ThayerRags

There's still something wrong inside of you numbered upper tension if you can go around and around '"until the cows come home". You've got missing/broken parts in your tension assembly if that happens.

CD in Oklahoma

J Miller

Looking at the picture of the assembled tension I cannot see the thread take up spring.
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For your tension to work that spring must be there.

Here is a couple pics of the top tension of my MW 7 Jewel machine that has a very similar tension unit.
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Follow the path of the red thread. Under the right side around the bottom then up and under the hook on the left side of the housing. Then down to the left under the thread check spring then back up to the take up lever.

Here's a bigger cropped version:
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The thread take up spring keeps the tension on the thread as the thread take up lever moves up and down.
Without it the tension is very inconsistent.

If the thread check spring is there, sorry, I just don't see it .....

Joe

KenmoreGal2

Thank you all for devoting so much time to helping me. You are great! I'll reply to each comment individually so there's no confusion.

Champanier - I'd like to settle the threading issue. If it's something that simple, I'll be very happy. I know exactly what you mean about having the thread go behind the wire. My 158 threads that way. I give it a little tug and poof, it's behind the wire. I've tried again to thread this one that way, and I just can't do it. I took the pressure knob off and removed the outer plates to take the photo below. I can see that the wire is not attached to anything toward the front of the machine but I can't get the thread to go inside there and engage.

I'd like to add that while I had the tension assembly like this, I looked very carefully at the wire and noticed a clump of lint on it. I removed it and promptly found 4-5 more behind what must be more pressure discs (??) and removed that lint too too. Could that be a problem? Should I disassemble further and check for even more lint? How would I do such a thing? (remember I'm a total noob but very eager to learn)

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Thank you also for the detailed description above. I did exactly as you said. I did it with the tension set up so I get a good stitch. Was that right? With the tension set that way, it felt as you described it. But was I supposed to check the tension at various different settings too?

KenmoreGal2

Thank you for your help. I misspoke when I said this in my first post. Initially I was too afraid to turn it too far because I thought it may fall off. Since I've gotten help from you folks and gotten a little braver, I have found that I can probably turn my knob 10+ rotations and then it comes off to expose the guts of the tension assembly. So I really can't turn it until the cows come home.

KenmoreGal2

Joe, I deleted your pics from the quote to save space but thanks for going to the trouble of taking them for me. I appreciate all your help. Here is a side shot of my tension assembly (resized - just for you!) I hope I got close enough for you to see the thread check spring. I can definitely see it in your pics, but I think mine must be different. As I replied to Champanier, I can't figure out a way to get my thread to engage like that. I didn't repost the picture in his/her reply to save space. Can you see it there, on the side?

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KenmoreGal2

I've also gotten DH involved, he's very good mechanically. (I'm not really). We took the tensioner apart again. He agrees that if the spring is getting too compressed, that would make the discs give less tension. He found a smidge more lint behind the back layer of discs. We'd like to take the tension mechanism apart completely to see if there's anything else hiding there, maybe making things too tight, but we hesitate for fear of breaking something. He inserted a screwdriver in what looks like a screw top on the center shaft and gave it a slight turn but it didn't budge so he stopped. Is that how we get the rest of the tension discs exposed?

We checked the tension on the bobbin and it seemed good. I loosened it and it was obviously too loose at that stage, so I put it back where it was. I think it's ok.

it seems the tension gets too tight too soon, after just a couple of turns. The tension discs are definitely working in some form, the tension does change when we adjust them.

We successfully removed the whole tension assembly from the machine. (I own the service manual. It didn't touch on the problem I'm having.). We could still not figure out how to see if there's something at the back end of it making everything too tight so we put it back. I've noted (again) where the machine is stitching well and I'll monitor if I have to loosen the tension again. Maybe this time it will just magically keep working as is?

As I stated before I own another 117. (It was originally a parts machine, in rough shape, but I'm fixing it up to use it) The tensioner on that machine does not get tight so quickly. It's a noticeable difference. I realize I could probably trade out tensioners but I had my heart set on having two working 117's - one set up for piecing and one set up for FMQ.

Any and all advice appreciated!! Thank you again, you guys are so nice.

Joan

J Miller

Joan,

I must be blind, I can't see the check spring in the side view picture. That tension assembly just don't look right to me. Maybe if I had it in front of me, but not here. Maybe it's too early in the morning .....


Joe

KenmoreGal2

Thanks again Joe for trying. I've put a circle around the tension assembly. Can you see it now?

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Edited to add - Now that we know how, we could pull the whole tension assembly again and take more pics. Is there something specific for us to take a picture of? DH is pretty sure after playing with the tension on my other 117 that this one gets too tight too fast. It even starts off tighter than the other one. We can remove the spring and 2 tension things. There are more tension things but we can't figure how to access/remove them. He thinks the tension things which we can't remove are physically more forward in the machine that's giving me trouble. Did that make sense?? I'm not sure I explained it properly and could certainly take more pics.

Or could it really be the threading? I wish to say that I took this machine from my Mom in March and have been sewing very successfully with it ever since, almost daily. One time during this period I had this event, where I fixed things by one full tension rotation. But nothing like what's happening now. Could I really have been threading it wrong all that time and had it work pretty much fine??

KenmoreGal2

One more thought which comforts me. My machine is the same as the 117.840 and 117.740. I'll bet I could scout out a replacement tension assembly from one of those machines if need be - correct??? I can just replace the whole darn thing? Can I replace it with other assemblies as long as they fit the hole? (noob question again)

I absolutely love this machine and want to keep it going forever! I use it just about every day.

KenmoreGal2

Measured the two tension assemblies minus the spring and removable discs. They are the same. It was an optical illusion I guess.

DH is here next to me now. Here is his explanation : The distance from the tip of the shaft to the disc is the same.