Leonf, I really shouldn’t be allowed to do this because I don’t know anything about motors, etc. You mentioned brushes...I know you don’t mean as in bottle brushe kind of things. (I can see your eyes roll now LOL). Are the brushes something I should be able to see because all I see is the spring and nothing that looks remotely like a brush under that. Also... on the left and right ends of the motor are protrusions with a little hole that looks like it might be a place to put in oil? lubricant?

Thank you to everyone for helping me. I love this machine and am anxiously waiting for a new bobbin winder tire to come in the mail before trying to sew with it. Unfortunately I pulled the old thread off the bobbins that I got with it and I don’t have any other bobbins that fit it. So I have to wait. ☹️☹️

The brush is mounted on the end of a spring. The screw in caps compress the springs so that the brushes brush against the commutator mounted on the drive shaft of the motor. No oil, grease or other lubricant should go anywhere near the brushes or commutator. You might find the Vintage Sewing Machine Garage channel on You Tube useful. They've just done a series on sewing machine motors.

I love the after marked reverse modification. I've never seen one of those before. I would keep it on this machine for curiosity value and the fact that a machine which can sew forwards and backwards is useful. Just my opinion of course. It's your machine to do with as you wish.

Happy restoring!

Motor brushes are like solid boxes of carbon. Some are attached to the springs, and some springs fit over a knob on top of the brushes. John did a thread about one that he had trouble getting out of a 201 to see if it need replaced https://www.quiltingboard.com/vintag...-+Singer+201-2 From my understanding there are different sizes and some sizes are not made any more, so I have read that some have gotten a larger size and filed it down. Sew-classic sells some at https://shop.sew-classic.com/Carbon-...7-w-spring.htm (Not affiliated)
There is also https://oldsingersewingmachineblog.c...ewing-machine/ that shows two sets of brushes (Not affiliated)
There are many places on the web that talk about motor brushes for sewing machines. If memory serves they should be over 1/4" long and if aren't that long, they will need to be replaced.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

Thank you Janey for the great explanation and links. I mentioned to my DH about the brushes or the lack of them in my case; at least there was nothing attached to the spring that I removed. I’ll have him look to be sure and, if he agrees that none are present, we will be ordering new ones.

Everyone has been so helpful in my quest to get this machine cleaned up and useful. Thanks again.

I started this thread in May, 2019 when I first got my Singer 66. I haven’t used it much but I have another problem with this machine in that the stitch regulator that was put on after market does not stay in place at the stitch length I select. I screw the knob tight against the plate but it still skips down to a tiny stitch as i sew. I tried to tape it at the stitch length I want but then the paint was compromised. Any suggestions?

Beautiful Red Eye! Enjoy.

There were several after market styles. Could you post a picture for us?

Glad you got your brushes in,

I'd have to see a picture of the after market stitch length control. Without seeing a picture, if there's a post or screw that has room for a spring to be added to provide some tension then I would try that.

I am on my IPad and I can’t figure out to post a picture from here but if you look back to page 1 of my original post on this thread, I had posted pictures of the machine there

Thanks. It is a Revco, but not like mine. Sorry.