Pfaff 545 presser foot lift and needle stop

[Catharina]

Hello all, my Pfaff 545 h3 is doing a little strange these days......... With presser foot lift adjusted at it highest point, with the adjustment screw at the back, the needle stop position is down, as it should, most of the time anyway, sometimes it comes up a bit after the stop and a bit more when after putting presser foot down after turning my work. This is really a problem if I ajust the presser foot lift to its lowest position, when stopping the needle comes completely out of my work, so turning is not an option anymore. Does anyone have any ideas what I have to do to make it work again as it should?? Many thanks in advance! PS I might be able to add a video.

Catharina

[shoepatcher]

video?

GLENN

[Catharina]

14 minutes ago, shoepatcher said:

video?

GLENN

I wish I knew how to upload videos here, they are too heavy.....

 

[Uwe]

This sounds more like an issue with the motor control and needle positioning system, not the machine itself. What motor/controller do you have on your machine? Does it have the heel function where you advance the needle by pressing on the pedal with the heel?

A video showing the problem would be great!

You have to upload the video to YouTube and then post the link here.

I’m guessing to mean the walking height of the presser feet. There’s a chance that the adjustment of the walking foot mechanism and timing is not quite right and causing problems.

I made a video once describing how the walking freight and timing on my Pfaff 545 was adjusted. Compare your machine to the adjustment in the video. 

 

Edited March 25, 2023 by Uwe

[Catharina]

9 minutes ago, Uwe said:

This sounds more like an issue with the motor control and needle positioning system, not the machine itself. What motor/controller do you have on your machine? Does it have the heel function where you advance the needle by pressing on the pedal with the heel?

A video showing the problem would be great!

You have to upload the video to YouTube and then post the link here.

Ah thanks Uwe! Making my first steps on youtube right now, not much of a good video maker as of yet! I thought about the needle positioning system, but why on earth would it work with the foot presser lift at its highest ajustment and not in its lowest ajustment? I have a Ho Hsing G60 servo on the machine. It does have the heel function which works great.

First video , foot presser lift at its lowest, after stopping, needle comes up, you can see the difference, needle coming up completely  when I press the heel function. But it will not stop with needle down

 

[Catharina]

Second video, feet presser lift adjusted to its highest, needle stays down I can turn my work, needle up with heel function works great too 

 

[Uwe]

Thanks for that video! That looks like the needle positioning sensor might be out of adjustment or faulty. In the first video, the motor appears to advance the needle position after initially stopping in the correct needle-down position. It’s unclear to me how the different walking height adjustment could cause that. 

 

After watching the first video again in slow-motion, it looks like the rear presser foot lowers to the material after the machine stops in the correct needle-down position. Perhaps the too-strong walking foot spring mechanism is “driving” the machine to relieve spring  pressure. Since the problem does not occur with the lower walking height setting, the increased spring pressure at the high setting is a suspect.

Your front foot also arrives at the material well before the needle, so the walking foot timing is not quite correct. 

Adjusting the walking foot timing and lowering the foot pressure might help resolve the problem.  

Edited March 25, 2023 by Uwe

[Catharina]

13 minutes ago, Uwe said:

Thanks for that video! That looks like the needle positioning sensor might be out of adjustment or faulty. In the first video, the motor appears to advance the needle position after initially stopping in the correct needle-down position. It’s unclear to me how the different walking height adjustment could cause that. 

Thanks for your video too! I'll take it to my sewing room tomorrow first thing to check! Needle positioning sensor ... so I should look at the servo motor controller then?

 

 

[Uwe]

I edited my previous reply (several times, actually!) The walking foot timing and spring pressure is the primary suspect, I think. 

[Catharina]

35 minutes ago, Uwe said:

I edited my previous reply (several times, actually!) The walking foot timing and spring pressure is the primary suspect, I think. 

Oh, just went into the sewing room to check. I can see now, walking foot timing is off... hmm, I will see if I can ajust that then. Thanks so much for your help Uwe! Can I ask another question too? I noticed that the rear foot is quite wobbly (front - back of course, it cannot go sideways) , no matter how much I tighten that screw.. is that normal, or not?

[Uwe]

Your screw that holds the rear presser foot may be going in from the wrong side (perhaps presser foot shaft is rotated 180˚) The split bottom end of the shaft has threads on one side only. The screw needs to be inserted from the side opposite those thread.  That way the screw will squeeze the split shaft legs together and hold the foot very tight. 

[Catharina]

12 hours ago, Uwe said:

Your screw that holds the rear presser foot may be going in from the wrong side (perhaps presser foot shaft is rotated 180˚) The split bottom end of the shaft has threads on one side only. The screw needs to be inserted from the side opposite those thread.  That way the screw will squeeze the split shaft legs together and hold the foot very tight. 

I am laughing so hard right now... no, the shaft is not rotated, screw goes in from the right way. But using a chinese foot adapted to pfaff 545 is NOT the same thing as the original Pfaff foot that came with the machine, that foot sits nice and tight in the shaft.. That will teach me a lesson! Will try and get the front foot and needle rightly timed today.

[Catharina]

I think I got the timing right, if anyone wants to look 

Foot lift adjusted to high. I can stop with needle down. But still not with lift on lowest... I will think about it , and leave it on high for the moment!