I screwed up - now what?
 

I've been working on my 503. I oiled the gears. I just looked at the manual again and it says "Never apply oil to these gears". Looking closely at the drawing, I see they are using "motor lubricant" on them. One of the gears appears not to be metal. What do I do now? Is there a way to remove it?

bkay

Unless you oiled a lot it's fine, the probem occurs if the oil seeps into the motor. You can likely move over to some kind of grease with out further worry. The Singer grease made for these machines aren't made any more, or rather the same type is, but hard to find in sensible quantities (less than bucket size); Triflow is popular, but there are lots of other suitable greases with teflon too, some sort to vaseline.

Thanks, Mickey.

bkay

I use either grease or oil on mine. Oil will fling off but some times it has a cleaning effect. I kind of pack the area with something absorbent for fling off... then I use just a little grease. Have you got a pic of your non metal gear?

No, I didn't take a photo, but I will do so today.

I love this machine. I've been sewing on a T&S for a while now. I've been playing with some real classic machines in the garage, but not sewing on them. I'd forgotten how nice an older machine really sews.

bkay

Some of the T&S machines can be amazing as long as your bobbins wind and the plastic gears don't crumble. The old all metal 600 or 603 are best Of the T&S IMHO. The 503 should have all metal gears but the handwheel.

Wow, it was hard to get enough light to see the gear. (Obviously, this machine is not one I cleaned on the inside.) I don't know if you can see it, but, it's the same color as the gear in the 758. I expected all metal.

bkay

That is your balance wheel to motor gear. Those are on other machines, including 401 and 201 and others. I've never seen a broken one and they are not metal.

Thanks, Miriam.

bkay