Runs backward but not forward?
 

This is the machine I learned to sew on as a teenager. I have used it for years with no problems. Always ran great. About a year and a half ago I went to use it and it will not run forward. The feed dogs will run in reverse but not in forward. I called a repair shop and was told that it wasn't worth fixing. I think that is just crazy. It is such great condition except this issue.

Any suggestions? I have looked at it from the underside and don't see anything getting stuck.

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It was hard getting a decent picture. She is so dang shiny that I kept getting so much glare you couldn't see how pretty she is.

Can you take the top off and look down in the inside where the reverse button is? Maybe there is a loose spring?
Good luck and find another repair man.

x2 No repair person worth a wit should say this.

Who are they to decide the value of a particular machine?

I have had ONE person say this to me in the sewing machine shop and I set him straight. "If I was looking to sell this for a profit that might be true, but "I" value this machine very highly and would like it fixed."

That encounter is part of what inspired me to learn to do it myself. I figured if an idiot could fix one, I had a better than average chance myself.

I agree with Steve. If you are willing to pay then why would the repairman not want to repair it. He will make his money and should not be concerned with the value of the machine. I feel that if you are in business to repair then repair if the customer would like it fixed. They should not be in business.

OK, now first the disclaimer. The following is a SWAG and only a SWAG, cos I've never had one to tinker with.


I have an Alden ZZ with built in cams that requires you to move a lever when you do stretch stitches so the machine can do it's back and forth dance as it sews. If you leave this lever in the wrong place on certain stitches, it will sew backwards.
Perhaps your machine has such a lever or knob or switch and it's in the wrong position.
Something to check at any rate.

I agree about taking the top off and cleaning and oiling it good.

Also, by all means find a real sewing machine repair shop, not just a store.

Joe

The first thing I'd do is lay the machine on its back and pour Koil gun cleaner around that reverse knob. Let it soak for a while and then wiggle and jiggle the area, both inside and out.

Probably the mechanic wasn't familiar or comfortable working on your machine, I'd find another mechanic if possible. If you want to try fixing yourself, I'd get a can of PB Blaster or some other similar nut loosener product, and trace the path of Reverse and stitch length all the way to the feed dogs and spray wherever two parts rub together. Should free things up if you work the controls back and forth. Most likely somewhere along the path something is gummed up preventing forward movement. Old WD40 and gummy lubricant acts as a powerful glue in the older sewing machines.

Jon

Folks have shared some great suggestions but I think the best is to find a different repair person. I just have to say that that's one BEAUTIFUL machine!

When it's running, is the reverse button stuck pushed in? If not, what happens when you push it?

ETA: For that matter, when you turn the stitch length dial, does the reverse lever move in and out?

Absolutely the worst situation I had with a machine running backwards was the timing of the dogs was off. The lady'd managed to throw it 180 degrees, and not affect the hook timing, which shocked the heck out of me. I stared at that machine for a week before I was willing to take it on. Took me 10 minutes to fix it, once I got in and did it. LOL! That's the issue to troubleshoot last though.

I agree, especially "in this economy" I don't understand why people would turn away business.

My Morse Fotomatic has the knob yours does on the base at the right. It reads (from left to right) EMBR, SILK, NORM.
Yours appears to be in the middle which would be SILK, if yours reads the same as mine does. I wonder if this could have anything to do with your problem. Try turning the knob to NORM and see what happens.

Your machine has an auto buttonhole setting. I that engaged by any chance?
One part of that buttonhole feature runs totally in reverse.

Cathy

Even though I never heard of a machine going only in reverse, (OH, I had a car that did that once when I was a teen ), that repair man was an idiot. I always try to fix things , ANYTHING.. first before I bring it to be fixed. If the machine hasn't been used in a long time it could have "froze" in reverse or could be a spring like someone else had mentioned. Good luck

Even though I never heard of a machine going only in reverse, (OH, I had a car that did that once when I was a teen ), that repair man was an idiot. I always try to fix things , ANYTHING.. first before I bring it to be fixed. If the machine hasn't been used in a long time it could have "froze" in reverse or could be a spring like someone else had mentioned. Good luck...OH, btw Beautiful sewing machine

I think you should have another talk with the repair man or get a new one. I know in the shop where I worked, women would say "if I knew that it would be that much, I would have just bought a new machine". Perhaps your repairman didn't realize you wanted THIS ONE fixed, even though it might not be cost vs. value efficient .

I've had that conversation regarding certain machines. Each time the issue was some older plastic gear (not necessarily the same gear each time) had broken a tooth and the repair person was not hopeful of finding a replacement gear that would be in good condition. I think this is a primary reason so many people love the even older machines that are all metal and thus less likely to have this sort of issue.
If the repair person gives you the "not worth fixing" speech, find out why they are telling you that. Then you have a solid basis for deciding if you agree with them or not. Good luck!

I have a Kenmore that is only running in reverse. I must not be a repair person worth my salt - I haven't figured it out yet.

Naw,.. I think you just haven't strictly dedicated the time to it. :) You'll figure it out. The clue I had for the one I had was that the dogs were in the wrong place when the needle was down.

I suspect that the repair people being worth their salt is more about diagnosing a machine as "not worth it" without looking at it.

I have seen the most trivial things wrong with machines.... One had thread wrapped around a belt on the bottom of the machine - the machine was in great shape otherwise. Her repair man said it was a broken gear.

google your machine name and model and backwards and see what comes up. We did this once with another type of machine during a class when it happened to one of my students. Sure enough there was information out there and we got it resolved. Turned out that it was stuck in the buttonhole stitch mode and it was thinking it was making the one side of the buttonhole. Weird, but check that out to make sure its not stuck in button hole mode. Good luck. And yes, I agree with the others, find another repair shop. Its a beauty.

I think the new repairmen would rather have the shop sell new machines rather than repairing them. Their money is from the manufacturer in the warranty repair work with parts readily available. You know they get rather large commision The repairman does to if he recomends a new machine rather than repairing the old one. Most people will buy a new machine.

yeah - pretty dumb people out there - I get them on the rebound - when the plastic wonder breaks they go back to the oldies.

Ok,.. I Have to ask,.. how does the thread get into those places? I've found it wrapped around internal belts, inside the external motors, the gears below I can -almost- understand...

I don't know but if you turned Wilbur, my 3 year old grandson loose I bet anything could happen.

Just remember folks, most of us get our machines because of these "dunces" who buy new ones. Wouldn't it be horrible if they one day woke up and all realized that these things are worth keeping... where would we be?

That might explain this one:

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Closer up:

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That machine landed on my desk as a "Doesn't run"

I pulled 8 buttons, and a needle pack with dental impressions from a dog (I think), plus the usual pins and needle shards.

The scary part is when they want to keep the machines, but ruin them every 3 weeks. :( Had an embroidery machine (the home sewing machine pretending to be an embroidery machine ones) hit my desk in February for that timing issue I mentioned above. Earlier this month she called again to say the timing seems off again. *face palm*

I had one just last week - machine looked good but the tension would not adjust. I looked closer - it looked a little bent. I took it apart - took some doing... That pin was VERY bent. Funny but it did sew. Must have though by golly it works so I'm going to get it welded if just smacking doesn't work. I pulled the tension pin out of a T&S and got it working just fine. Real nice little machine.

Well I had this very same problem with an old Viking sewing machine, What it was after my DH looked at it was..the grease you put on the gears had turned to cement. He very carefully went around the gears and removed the hard old grease and viola it worked like a dream and I still use this machine. It takes a lot of time to do this and that's why the repairman said it wasn't worth fixing. Just my experience.

I agree with the cleaning suggestion. Until very recently, my fav repairman was an old guy who was retired from working for singer, but for a number of years worked out of his home. If you ask around, there may be someone like that who will tackle your baby and who really knows what he/she is doing.

I hope I learn what I am doing.... maybe some day...

wow, some great suggestions...Beautiful machine. Keep it and if you can't figure it out find a REAL sewing machine mechanic!

Good luck with that one...

I agree that it may be set in step #3 of 4 step buttonholes. Do you have an instruction book so you can pretend to make a buttonhole? This happened with the Elna once. My daughter didn't finish up a buttonhole and when I started to sew, the machine ran backwards in ZZ. Took me a few panicky minutes to figure that one out.

My favorite repairman is working part time at the LQS. Every time I see he's there, I wonder if the Elna needs anything - she doesn't, but it's good to know he's around again. He had the Singer store for a while. I should have look at this T&S before I start dismantling it.

As far as repair people go - we all started out at the same place - experience will teach a lot. When a person quits learning or thinks they have arrived they better watch out.

I'm with Irish Rose on this one. To me, that reverse button - which I assume is the round button - looks stuck. I worked on a Morse like that. The Kroil should free it. You may have to get it via mail. And yes, the spring could be broke.

Everyone has good ideas. Nice machine! Worth fixing, in my opinion.

I'm in Oklahoma City and our local auto parts store carries the Kroil oil. Good luck in getting your "beauty" working again.

I have a similar problem that has to do with the feed dogs, but that I was able to trace back to the reverse button. I'm trying to resurrect an old machine and the reverse button was completely gummed up. Yours looks much newer and nicer than mine, but it has the same reverse button, so I'm guessing the internals may be similar. I took off the end and the top and shot all the joints and levers liberally with PB Blaster as recommended above and the button eventually freed up. There are a lot of levers, cams, gears and springs that come into play to make it run in reverse. From what little I know, if they get balky and gummed up, the old oil and grease need to be dissolved to get things back on track. I posted as Universal Model 5510, if you're interested.

The first thing I would do is to find a new repairman. If he didn't appreciate the machine for what it is, I would want him to touch it! I have a Morse that I love, as well!

following this thread, I'm anxious to see how it all plays out - it's such a pretty sewing machine - one I would definitely try to salvage! Get yourself to a real sewing machine repair shop. That man did you a major injustice by telling you it was not worth fixing! The nerve!! Please let us know what happens!!