Oh, I'll be there, barring natural or family-made disasters!! I hope to see Di and Pam next weekend as well.

Alex on The American. (Which I covet, BTW.)

http://www.sewalot.com/american_sewing_machine.htm

I found your response from this morning. Missed it. Not difficult to take the tension parts off. Shown in many manuals.

Nancy,

Here's another Hitachi. It's electric. This one sold at the Oakland Museum's rummage sale a few weeks ago.

Cathy

[ATTACH=CONFIG]318123[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]318124[/ATTACH]

Candace,

Let us know how your kitty does. Surgery is tough for anyone, let alone a little furpeople.

Cathy

Joe,

The feed dog cam is way off/ out of time. This cam is what is being hit by the stitch length slide.

Feed dog timing should be adjusted so that the top of the feed dog teeth are level with the needle plate when the eye of the needle descends into the hole of the plate. The feed timing adjustment on your machine is a cam on the main upper shaft.
To adjust the feed timing set the needle eye so that it is just going into the needle plate hole. Then loosen the set screw slightly and turn the cam to have the top of the teeth just go below the level of the plate. Tighten the screw and test.Note that when you advance or retard the feed timing you will also increase or reduce the maximum stitch length. The picture below is of a different machine, but very similar and I have marked with a yellow arrow the set screw that you need to loosen. Set the stitch length during this adjustment at midway so as to get the slide out of the way of the cam.


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[QUOTE=J Miller;5040173]

He has several problems. First was the feed dogs hit the front side of the needle plate. I adjusted that so it doesn't happen, but either I caused another problem, or it was there but I didn't know it. I suspect it was there as when he was put in reverse he banged and clunked horribly. Now he only does that if I hold the stitch lever down.

When the stitch lever is lowered all the way to the bottom for maximum length stitches, the feed regulator (T2, Figs 30 and 32 ) in the 15-91 service manual is in the way of the cam next to it.
The arrow points to the interference point in the following pictures:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...efrombackb.jpg

I need a donor machine, but I'm so soft hearted, I'd probably try to fix it instead. (My furgirls are rescues, too). The Admiral needs a light and a foot pedal and the Universal may need a foot pedal.

The Universal has another problem. It's a turquoise Japanese made ZZ machine. It ZZs well, but it won't straight stitch. Anyone have any idea on what the magic setting is? I have no manual and didn't think I'd need one, but this has me stumped. Nanamoms is going to share a manual with me when she gets it, but it's in a different location now. Luckily, I don't need it to SS _ I have plenty of machines that do. The Universal does have the buttonhole stitch that I want. It needs a tiny tension adjustment but I can do that. Just haven't had my small tools and the machine in the same room. Why won't it straight stitch?

Glenn,

The 16x1 needle is the same length as a 16x231, DBx1, 16x87 and all have a round shank. The shank is listed as 1.63mm in diameter. Some DBx1 needles are 2.02mm in diameter. Household 15x1 needles are also the same length, and 2.02mm in diameter. Check and see if a 15x1 will fit up in the needlebar. A larger shank can sometimes change the eye to the hook distance, so check by carefully turning the machine by hand and watching the hook and needle.

Understand it and have not yet gotten to it. I'm bouncing from one project to another and trying to sew a quilted machine cover for my #2 66 Treadle machine.

Joe

Joe,
Senior moment here. The picture that I marked with the yellow arrow is your machine, not a different one.