JustRetired

I found a 237 in great shape, brought it home and am attempting to test it, but I can not get the needle to stay in. I found the manual, have the right size needle, turned the flat side to the correct side, tighten the set screw, and the needle falls right out. Any suggestions?

Pat M.

Get a flashlight and look where the needle goes into the hole, check to see if there is lint in the area, pick it out with a needle if there, are you sure you have the right size needle?

Tartan

Get a little mirror and look up the needle hole (without the needle) as you screw in the needle clamp to see if the clamp comes right over to the other side of the hole. If not, perhaps a piece has broken off the end of the needle clamp.

JustRetired

No long, the machine is actually very clean. It is a 2020 needle.

JustRetired

The hole that the set screw goes into does not go through to the other side, the set screw however does not appear to be broken

JustRetired

Next question, how do I fix this?

bkay

This probably isn't your problem, but I have it occasionally. On my 401, I miss putting the needle in the right hole. There is something in the same area (Haven't gotten a mirror to look at it) that feels like you're putting the needle in, but it just falls out. It's right behind where the needle goes, so on the 401, it's easy for me to miss. I've done it so many times now, I know what the problem is and just try again.

If it were mine, I'd get a mirror and a flashlight and examine it carefully to see what is happening as you tighten the set screw. You might even have to use a magnifying mirror to be able to see what's happening.

Other than that, I have no ideas.

bkay

Tartan

Put the needle in and tighten the screw as much as you can. Hang on to the needle and use the hand wheel to see if the needle goes down to the hole in the center. If it is at one side or the other, try putting in a little wedge beside the needle to center it and allow you to tighten it in. Maybe a flat toothpick piece on one side of the needle?

hobbykat1955

reck which way the flat side goes in...Might be putting flat side wrong and screw isn't going in enough to hold it in place.
Some of my older machines the flat side goes to the side not back and you thread from either the left or right side not straight ahead to bk.

OurWorkbench

The manual can be found at https://www.singer.com/support . The needle needs to be inserted with the flat on the right. Does you machine have a thread guide under the needle clamp? Have you made sure the clamp screw is long enough and not broken off? I think that the suggestion to take a mirror and see if the screw enters the hole where the needle goes to make sure it is long enough to actually clamp the needle. Or I suppose you could unscrew it completely and take the whole clamp comes off. I'm not sure how the thread guide fits in the needle clamp. Perhaps someone didn't get it in correctly and that is why the needle falls out.

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