JoeJr

I have a 66 that is not spinning freely. I have oiled, oiled, and then oiled again, and it is binding up when the thread take up lever is on the down stroke, pictured, and the bend in the main shaft is heading towards the top of its rotation, pictured. When I apply oil in the hole indicated it will spin more freely, but not all the way, until that oil drips down then it binds up again.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Could something else be bent/binding?

This machine came off someone's curb for the trash so maybe this is why it went there in the first place.

leonf

I would be looking at everything that moves behind the face plate next.. Doe the handwheel look straight as you turn it?

OurWorkbench

In addition to oiling as Leon suggested, what about the oil hole between the spool pin and the balance wheel? I happen to have a 66-18 manual near by --- it should be with the machine, but isn't. There is a manual at https://res.cloudinary.com/singer-se...ng_Machine.pdf on page 12 shows oiling instructions. If you want a 66-16 manual there is one at https://res.cloudinary.com/singer-se...ng_Machine.pdf

The 66-16 shows the tension assembly. Interestingly, neither the 66-16 nor 66-18 shows the needle/nose oil. I know lots of the manuals do show that area, too. The 99 manual at https://res.cloudinary.com/singer-se...ng_Machine.pdf does show oiling behind the face plate. Since the are basically the same machine, but different sizes, you can get an idea of the oiling points there,

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

The handwheel appears to be true, so I don't think the main shaft is bent. I will check the manuals and start oiling the nose end of the machine, as the binding up occurs when the needle bar is at its lowest point, so that could have something to do with it.
If it doesn't resolve I will still make a case for it and at least look at it, which is what I do with most of the machines anyway.
Thanks!

JoeJr

! I soaked the nose end in oil and the problem didn't change so I thought I would try to disconnect the needle bar to see if it was binding there. I attempted to unscrew the circled connection, couldn't do it, and the problem was now even worse. The next step was to give a little pry outward where shown with the screwdriver, and now it runs, well, like a sewing machine! The nose end must have had some real pressure put on it at some point.

Thanks!

KalamaQuilts

good news! the 66 is a great machine, it is what I use for my treadle

leonf

Hoooray.for you.