Then there IS hope! I took in a 500 in similar condition yesterday. I need to get photos today and get an idea of what is missing. Right off I know I am missing the face for the tension, the spool pins, the upper lid and the side lid needs work to stay on. The machine desperately needs cleaning and oiling but the motor was making a horrible growl when the poor woman tried to demonstrate it for me.

This one is going to need donors to live.

I will keep the motor oil tip in mind. This "screaming" sound...is it truly a higher pitched scream? or does growling qualify?

Christy,

I got parts for mine from Sew-Classic and my LSMG. The motor noise was a bearing howl. Not a scream really but not a growl either. The oil on top did fix it.

I started by making a list of what I needed, then tore it apart and started cleaning it. As the parts came in I cleaned them too and reassembled it. Then some adjusting and it's a keeper.

Joe

Oh, there was a thread here just last week I think where the poster ( I forget who that was ) detailed how he replaced the nose piece pins with small 4D nails. It might be easy to find.

Joe

Joe, My plan of attack will be basically the same. Make notes of the missing or damaged parts while I clean and oil and then add them in as I can. I SAW that thread on the hinge pin too, so I'll be looking for that. Luckily that part looks intact, it's just missing the pin.

Christy,

I just found that Sew-Classic actually stocks those nose door pins:
{ http://www.shop.sew-classic.com/PIN-...900-170032.htm }
That would be easier than making one.

Joe

What a story! You have a gift!

ha! thats funny! I should see if they have the spring steel for the top lid too. One of mine is broken. And i should drag through my parts bin. :)

I finished round one with the cleaning and oiling and plugged her in to see if she moved any better. At first it was very sluggish and then slowly started picking up speed. I got the machine up to a pretty good speed but it is fluctuating some. If I turn it off, it starts slower and then picks up. *Not as horribly slow as it did originally. Could this be related to the motor bearing?

I'm not sure I understand exactly where I am going with this motor oil. Do I need to remove anything other than the top of the sewing machine? In my mind I am thinking you mean to drip it so that it runs under the gear and down the motor shaft? Is that correct? :confused:

Christy, I just pull the motor out. Then I put a couple drops of oil on the top next to the shaft in that depression. The shaft has the gear thingy on top of a long piece of long metal shaped like a shaft.... Then I turn that motor back and forth by hand by the shaft and hope the oil works it's ways in to the bearings. I had a machine one time somebody baptized that shaft with oil. I never did get all the oil out of the motor. I ended up robbing one from another machine. The other thing you may need is a drop or two of oil in the hole in the thing the bobbin carrier rides on. There is a bit of friction between those parts and it may need some more oil. I know this because I had a machine that would run slow - I had pulled the motor and I knew it was good. I even traded motors I was so frustrated. It was that friction point in the bobbin area. Once I got that sorted out that machine REALLY ran slick.

Christy,

I was told to put 1 to 3 drops of 30wt motor oil, not a whole squirt, at the base of the motor drive shaft. (It's the shaft that drives the bobbin winder tire.) That is where the top bearing is. As you run the motor it will get warm. The oil will seep into the bearing, combine with and soften the grease in it. The trick is you have to run the motor to get this to happen.

You can pull the motor if you want, but to put a drop or so of oil on it you don't need to. Just follow the drive gear down to the top of the motor and put it there.

You might need new brushes along with a good cleaning of the commutator on that motor. And make sure the big fiber gear is greased. Not oiled, it takes grease.

Also make sure the main shaft and everything the main shaft moves, IE the cam stack and needle bar parts are clean and free to move. If not they will bog down the machine.

Joe