Sewing Machine Clutch Problems

 If your vintage sewing machine runs, or the handwheel turns, but the needle won't go up and down, there is a good chance you need to check your clutch, and make sure it is assembled correctly, and if necessary, has been correctly cleaned, and oiled, if that is necessary, on your sewing machine model.

The simplest clutch mechanism, which is on at least tens of millions, of antique, and vintage sewing machines, consists basically, of a 2 tab, 3 eared washer, which can be installed 4 different ways. 3 incorrect, 1 correct. 

1. The clutch washer tabs in most sewing machines (not Italian made Necchi's, possibly a few others - their tabs are flat), including Singer, and Kenmore, and most Singer 15 clones, the 2 center aimed tabs should be aimed out, towards the handwheel. If you do this correctly, you only have 2 possible positions for the washer, the right rotation, or the incorrect position, lol!

2. If you put the washer on, and tighten the clutch knob, and try to install the stop motion screw, but the screw hits one of these 3 tabs, you need to remove the clutch knob again, rotate the washer 180 degrees (turn it half a circle), and reinstall it, the clutch knob, and the stop motion screw.

Now, you should be able to loosen the clutch knob (twist it to the left), to wind a bobbin, and tighten it (twist it to the right), to run the machine, to sew.

NOTE-  if your STOP MOTION SCREW is missing, you SHOULD still be able to sew, or wind a bobbin, without it. I learned this recently, thanks to Crystal Briley, in one of the Facebook Kenmore sewing machine groups. She had noticed that machines missing the stop motion screw, still could sew, and wind bobbins. I experimented on a Singer 15-88 and Kenmore 95, and discovered that the stop motion screw is intended to stop the motion of unscrewing the clutch knob too far, when releasing the clutch, NOT to stop the motion of the machine sewing function, like I had previously believed.

So if your machine is missing the stop motion screw/clutch screw, and your machine cannot sew, even with the clutch knob tightened, it means your clutch washer, has been installed incorrectly, or that you loosened the clutch knob too far, without the screw to stop it, and the washer slipped out of position.

Here is a YouTube video about assembling this type of clutch correctly, 

Sewing Machine Clutch Assembly

Some sewing machines have different clutch systems, from this early, most popular clutch design, which was the one used on tens of millions, possibly hundreds of millions of sewing machines.

The Sears Kenmore 1603, 1703,and 1803, have a unique clutch system, which interacts with the bobbin winder, so the clutch disengages, automatically, if the bobbin winder is engaged, so you have to push the silver clutch button down, to engage the clutch again, so the needle will work, when you push the pedal.

 I made blog posts, including tutorials, and videos to help you fix these Kenmore clutches, too. Click on below, to go to tutorial post.

 Frozen Clutch 1603 1703 1803 Bobbin winder