Singer 236G131 Post Bed needle won’t pick up tread from Bobbin

[Rogueshoemaking]

Where would I find an engineers report to set the needle bar height to its correct position, 

I know the hook has to sit 1/8 above the eye of the needle, so 3.38mm. 
But does it change things if the needle bar is out of whack, can I just move it down to the correct height, below the hook, and everything else should work accordingly. 
 

I have the 134 LR needle back in. 
it can’t be the tension, and I’m running out of time to get this project done. 

Just now, Rogueshoemaking said:

Where would I find an engineers report to set the needle bar height to its correct position, 

I know the hook has to sit 1/8 above the eye of the needle, so 3.38mm. 
But does it change things if the needle bar is out of whack, can I just move it down to the correct height, below the hook, and everything else should work accordingly. 
 

I have the 134 LR needle back in. 
it can’t be the tension, and I’m running out of time to get this project done. 

[AlZilla]

@Rogueshoemaking the G manual is specific to your machine and should be trusted as the most authoritative.

I think I see timing marks on that needle bar. The top mark will align just with the needle bar bushing when the needle is at bottom. The lower mark will align with the bushing when it's in position to set the hook timing.  Just as the mark starts to disappear is what I've always used. Usually it's a machined groove. I catch a finger nail in it and raise the bar until the finger nail catches.  You lucked out if those are timing marks.

(Bearing in mind that if your needle isn't the stock length, you'll need to adjust the needle bar height to compensate)

[Rogueshoemaking]

2 hours ago, AlZilla said:

@Rogueshoemaking the G manual is specific to your machine and should be trusted as the most authoritative.

I think I see timing marks on that needle bar. The top mark will align just with the needle bar bushing when the needle is at bottom. The lower mark will align with the bushing when it's in position to set the hook timing.  Just as the mark starts to disappear is what I've always used. Usually it's a machined groove. I catch a finger nail in it and raise the bar until the finger nail catches.  You lucked out if those are timing marks.

(Bearing in mind that if your needle isn't the stock length, you'll need to adjust the needle bar height to compensate)

Thanks AlZilla, 

they are indeed needle bar height and where the hook meets the needle. I’ve had it since 2021, but only noticed the marks this week after many attempts to set the timing. 
The 287 needles are far too thin, and the same length as the 134 needles. I have it picking up the tread from the bobbin with the 134 LR needles, don’t know what I did to make it work, since I was stopping and starting during dinner time. but it’s still missing stitches. So I’m still playing around with it.

the 287 needles might not go to waste, I was told they would fit my Singer 331K16, so that’s great.
thanks for everyone’s help so far, it can be a little bit frustrating, but I think I’m still enjoying myself. 

[RockyAussie]

I may be mistaken but I can not see the cut out scarf of the needle on the right side in your pictures above. The hook and the needle scarf always need to go together. 

 

[Rogueshoemaking]

4 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

I may be mistaken but I can not see the cut out scarf of the needle on the right side in your pictures above. The hook and the needle scarf always need to go together. 

 

Hello RockyAussie, 

im was sure I had changed the 287 needle out to the 134 before I took that picture. 
You are correct RockyAussie, the 287 doesn’t have a scarf, or very much of a scarf at all. 
so that was the 287 needle in the machine before I changed it 

first two pictures are the 287(16x2)

and the last few pictures are both the 287:right and 134:left the shaft off the 134 is very much wider in diameter. 

[Rogueshoemaking]

I believe I fixed the problem, why the needle wasn’t picking up the tread on the bobin. 
I must have upset the whole timing, when i loosened two screws under the shaft of the shuttle hook, and loosened two extra screws I shouldn’t have touched. 
when i was moving the horizontal cog to turn the shuttle hook shaft. I also moved another part bolted to the shaft that sits against the horizontal cog, the horizontal cog turns a vertical cog at the bottom of the shaft of the shuttle hook and when I moved the horizontal cog a little bit to one side I accidentally speed  up how fast the hook turns round. 
and after a few hundred stitches it would skip a few stitches and then wouldn’t pick up the tread from the bobbin. 
didn’t take me long to sort it out, luckily. 
I have my 236g131 working again. 
a fantastic lesson learned, from a great mistake. 
I will add photos later on this evening. 

[AlZilla]

Congratulations on getting it working. Sometimes a long drawn out ordeal can be a great education!