bdschafer

Hi, I got a Singer 401 and it has a great stitch. But after sewing on it for awhile, I notice that the thread was twisting and jamming up the thread..So I turned the tension dial, will it turns but the tension doesn't change. It's very tight when sewing. So I cleaned it, but still it won't loosen up. I've never taken a tension dial apart. The funny thing is, it sews a great stitch!!!! What should I do??!?!?

Rodney

I don't know the particulars on the 400 series machines enough to tell you how to fix it. Does the tension release when the presser foot is raised? Also what kind of thread are you using and how is it wound on the spool? That can have an effect on how the thread feeds too. It might be Archaic Arcane's blog that has a great write up on the different ways thread is loaded on the spool, the effect it can have and what to do about it. Someone here will correct me if I'm wrong I hope.
Rodney

bdschafer

Yes, the tension does release when I raise the presser foot. The thread is a cone that comes up and over. The same set-up I use for the 99.. I've never had this trouble before..

NapaJohn

Is your thread on a thread stand? That will probably work better if it's not already on one. You could try a smaller spool of thread and see if that solves the problem. That would eliminate the possibility of it being the tension assembly.

Next, I would take the tension assembly apart and clean well. There are free diagrams available if you don't have one. If you can't find it, post again and I'll look for where I got mine.

Good luck.

NapaJohn

P.S. Also put another needle in it, even if it's a new one. Sometimes there will be a burr on the needle eye that will cause problems. Try the simple fixes first.

ThayerRags

My wife uses cone thread in her Singer 401A machines both at home and at the shop. The twist of the thread on the cone can cause the problem that you’re having, even when using a thread cone stand. She noticed it more at home than at the shop, and we finally figured out that she changes thread colors often enough at the shop doing alterations that the tangle doesn’t get big enough to cause a problem before that thread is removed and another color is threaded up. We’re not sure if it’s all cones, or just some of them causing the twisting condition. We haven’t taken time to study it that far.

There are a couple of things that we do to solve the problem. One is to stop sewing periodically, remove the thread completely from the machine, slide our fingers down the thread to spin out the curls, and re-thread the machine back up again. The second thing is when a twist is visible in the thread coming to the first thread guide, simply invert the cone on the thread stand and it will unwind itself. You may need to put something on the top of the center pin of your thread stand to keep the cone standing up straight and the thread feeding off freely. We’ve been able to keep our cone standing on its small end, but you could use something as simple as a small disk of hard paper cut with a diameter slightly smaller than the cone, poke a slot in the middle of it with scissors or a knife, and slide the disk onto the center pin of the stand.

CD in Oklahoma

miriam

As far as the tension not turning... At some point you will want to pull it apart, clean and re-assemble then adjust. Yes, Tammi has good information on her blog/videos. The 401 and the 500 tensions are totally different and I'm thinking there might be two kinds of 401 tensions. One easier to work on than the other. SSSOOOO be sure to arm yourself with a real good drawing of how it is suppose to go back together for that tension. Then explode it 100% so you can see it well. I used to figure take it apart and put it back together the way it came apart but there are people who go around taking them apart and not putting them back together right so get a manual picture - their mistakes show up at my house... If there aren't two kinds of Singer 401 tensions somebody put one on a machine or two and it arrived here like that... LOL Just getting a little part in backwards or out of order will make it not work right.

bdschafer

I would sure like to have a good diagram of the tension dial for the 401. If you could guide me to a place that has one, I sure would be greatful.

miriam

http://parts.singerco.com/IPsvcManuals/306W25.pdf page 132 how to set it and page 148 has a diagram. Tammi has a very good video and it might be more helpful than the manual. The Singer 500 has a different set up. I'm not sure I've seen a diagram for it anywhere. I think I had to fool with a couple until I got them right.

Cari-in-Oly

401 parts assembly chart.

Cari