Cam in Kenmore 158-17560
 

Here is a picture of a cam that is in my Kenmore. This cam appears to be a metal cam and what I have been seeing these cams are plastic top hat cams. Can I just pry this cam off or how do I remove this cam.

Blackberry,

That is your basic ZZ cam. You need to have it in the machine for you basic ZZ stitches. I guess they figure you'll use it more than the plastic pattern cams so they made it from steel. It just pops off, that's what the grove in the raised center portion is, finger groves. It might need some fresh oil to encourage it, if it's reluctant to come off it could be all gummed up with old oil.

If you don't have a manual, you do need to get one. Kenmores are great machines but they are not really user intuitive. I've found you need to have a manual to get the control settings exact. Whey they are exact you get great performance.
The manual also tells you about the metal cam and plastic cams and what to do with them.

Joe

Thanks Joe. I have a manual coming that I found on ebay. I am trying to find the cams and I think it takes the top hat cams but when I checked and saw the black metal one I was confused.

Interesting. I have never seen a removable metal cam like that. I wouldn't try prying it off, though. I'd just wait for the manual to see if there is a trick to removing it.

A couple of eBay auctions have the manual for that machine paired up with a set of plastic top hat cams, so that is likely what it uses.

There is a retaining ball I do believe under the cams. It just pulls straight up and off.

The Kenmore top hat cams come in several colors. Red, grey, orange, green. Shop GW has some on auction right now. Here is a pic of the Kenmore 158-17560 I sold last year:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]481531[/ATTACH]
There are over 50 different single and double cams available for this type of cam machine. They came in standard for the machine set as you can see in the pic and a deluxe set with 30 cams you could buy on the side. Different series Kenmores used different color cams, but they are all the same regardless of the color.

That is a great machine. Although I sold my 158-17560 I kept the 158-17570. With the right attachments and accessories they'll do everything from chain stitches to monograms.

Joe

I've only ever seen a metal cam in a Montgomery Ward. That machine had no other cams with it. It sewed beautifully. I wondered if it should ever come out.

You should be able to push the inner button inside the top of the cam and it should come right out..I have three 158s and that is how they work..

Not all of them work like that. My 1914 works like that, but my 1802 has a lever you press to the right when you insert/remove cams. Here is the page from the 1802 manual:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]481720[/ATTACH]