Rocketeer needle plate help
 

My recently acquired rocketeer's needle plate appears to be jammed. It does not raise when the lever is moved to darning or removal . Suggestions on how to fix. I will need to clean out lint and can't get at it completely without removing needle plate. I did gently try to pry it up but it would not budge. Did not want to apply too much force. Help please

I had one stuck like that and I oiled around it and left it overnight. It came loose with a little help and a little more oil. You might try it.

Did you oil from underneath, around the lever, or around needle plate.

I oiled from the top, around where it meets the rest of the metal. Just a drop or two, and smear it around.

oreo1912,

Move the lever to the remove position then gently work the plate out. After you get get all the area clean, pry up the lock thing and pour the oil into it's hole. Then turn the machine on it's back and oil it from underneath as well.

I have two 500a's and both of them had sticky needle plate locking parts. It took a lot of oil, I used Tri-Flow, to get them unsticky.

Joe

Joe. The lever won't move all the way to the remove position. At the darn position I do not see any movement on the needle plate. I'm thinking it is more jammed then stuck.

oreo1912,

You'll have to take the bottom off of the machine and soak the entire lever and all it's moving parts in oil. Better yet Tri-Flow.

The latches are controlled by a flat piece of metal that slides in and out of the latches. Follow it with your eyes and soak those latches.

From the top you might have to use a small screwdriver and gently coax the latches up as you work the lever, then work the plate out. It's easier to do this if you remove the needle, presser foot and rotate the hand wheel till the feed dogs are at their lowest position.

The latches are a hollow tube with a spring loaded plunger inside them. They can get stuck bad and with the plate in you can't get any oil into the plungers from the top. And not much from the bottom. That's why you've got to work the plate out.

Joe

Well it is still stuck. But I do see movement and a brownish tinge so maybe it is dirt and rust. I have soaked with tri flow top and bottom and I will let it soak overnight and try again tomorrow

Many of us refer to that as putting the machine in "Time out"

Steve, question about time outs. How long should they take before one might presumably expect to see movement? Got a stuck screw - used time out, heat from hair dryer, tri-flow and not had any luck yet. Not even any movement. Swear words plus alcohol (for me) did not improve the situation but did make me feel better! Okay, I cared less which equals better with this machine.