Sears Kenmore
 

I saved a Sears Kenmore in cabinet model # 158.17030/serial # 000 5338 from being trashed today sews great needs to be cleaned up, anyone know anything about this model ? I would like to find a manual for it.

Well, I have three Kenmores that are similar to it. Your machine uses the large blue grey or green and orange cams ( same cams just depends on what color die they used in the plastic)

Lots of accessories available for it too.

Here is Sears parts page for the machine, they didn't show an owners manual though.
{ http://www.searspartsdirect.com/part...hdMod=15817030 }

This page shows it to be made in 1972:
{ http://www.searsarchives.com/history.../sewing_id.pdf }

And here is a manual for it. Relics manuals are not free, but they are high quality laser reprints. I've got several of them.
{ http://pages.sewing-machine-manuals....1834491/1.html }


Hints:

The motor will have oil ports on each end. Use sewing machine oil only and give it a drink. Every Kenmore with internal motors I've worked with have been dry.

Use Tri-Flow and oil everything that moves or looks like it will move. It will make a big difference.
Use Tri-Flow grease on the cam drive gears.

Watch ShopGoodwill.com for the blue-grey or orange and green top hat cams. They have lots of different patterns available.

Joe

Joe, I read with interest your idea to use sewing machine oil only on motor oil ports on this Kenmore. I have a Kenmore like this and plan to mech it soon. Do you know if sewing machine oil is safe to use on other machines in motor oil ports? I have a Featherweight that calls for Singer machine oil lubricant.

Also, on this Kenmore, how does one get into the inner workings? Is there a place to put a screwdriver and pry the top off, for instance? Is there a trick to get the handwheel off? I'm presuming there are gears to be greased behind it.

Thanks!
Cricket

Just pull up on the top....it just snaps into a couple clips. To get the hand wheel off, you have to loosen the motor bracket & push up on it. That loosens the bottom belt...which in turn also loosens the top belt (the one that's on the hand wheel). The side plate probably has 2 screws at the top....take those out & the top of the side will spring out. The bottom is just kinda tucked in the bottom. OK...now that everything is loose, you can pull the hand wheel & the side off. Pat

Cricket,

I use either Singer or the Alpha Sew sewing machine oil for the motors. Any real sewing machine oil will be good for those motors that use oil.
For Singer motors DO NOT USE OIL. Use only the older Singer amber or clear, Motor Lube in the tube ( it looks like petroleum jelly ) or petroleum jelly. I have a lot of the old lube, so that's what I use.

Pat gave you good info on popping the top off, but to just oil the motor, lay the machine on it's side and look for the little oil holes.
The machines I have, have a felt wick around the bearing on both ends. If it's as dry as mine were you can see it darken up as you feed the oil to it.

Joe