Is this alignment on my speed reducer on my Juki 1341 clone too off center?

[lehmanjack945]

Just trying to install a speed reducer on my Juki 1341 clone and wondering if this is too misaligned. I've measured it to be about 0.5in off center (even if it looks like more).

Is this bad or acceptable? Do I need to move the motor over a half inch or can I get away with this alignment?

It seems to run okay currently. The belt going from the speed reducer to the actual sewing machine head is completely aligned.

I'm trying to get away with no needing to move the sewing machine head or motor if possible because it's alot of drilling and repositioning to move it.

Edited July 5 by lehmanjack945

[AlZilla]

I think it depends how much sewing you're going to do.  Also, how tight you're running the belt.  It's definitely going to cause the bearing to be loaded at an angle and will no doubt cause premature wear.

I have one off center like that, just about 1/2 the angle. Maybe 30 or 40 hours of hobbyist slow speed sewing on it and it hasn't shown any problems yet. I run my belts fairly loose. It doesn't slip ... very often.  I'd rather the belt slip than break something.

In a shop environment, I wouldn't have let it run like that. 

Edit: I'd like to revisit my answer. I looked back at the pic and see that the angle to the motor is pretty severe. Same answer applies, but I think I'd move that motor. That motor bearing is replaceable but moving the motor is easier. Maybe you can slot the existing holes.

[AlZilla]

It might be the angle of the shot, but the reducer/handwheel belt doesn't look aligned. See the attached screenshot. The offset I see on the left seems to match whatever is going on with that pillar on the right.

[friquant]

A simple improvement might be to drill one additional hole for the motor. Basically move the hole that is closest to the motor pulley. Then slide the motor over to that hole, and the other two slots straddle the existing bolts. But it depends on how much room you have to go in those other slots.

I don't think you'll hurt anything but your pride by leaving it the way it is. It might be a little bit harder to hand wheel. 

PS Still not too late to put a 45mm motor pulley on it. Also worth noting you can remove the brake shoe from that motor if you'd rather the motor always freewheeled.

[1hp]

if you could remove the pulley & flip it over so the larger one is on the left, stuff might line up better.

[friquant]

Where is the ideal place to mount a speed reducer? 

The motor on a table is generally mounted in a good place such that when running a single belt from motor to hand wheel, it allows tilting the machine head back without stressing the belt. So wouldn't a speed reducer ideally go where the motor is, then move the motor to somewhere else?

I've never installed one of these two-belts-required speed reducers. I've only changed motor pulleys to be smaller and handwheel pulleys to be larger.

 

 

[bruce johnson]

If my truck had belts like that, I'd end up along the road somewhere between Barstow and Needles. I've got three machines here with the two belt reducers. They all line up squarely. I ordered them with speed reducers or that was part of the package so I am guessing that Ferdco and Leather Machine Co both allowed for the speed reducer when they mounted the motor. If it was me, like a few other suggestions, I would move the motor. I also agree with AlZilla that the lower part of the speed reducer looks tilted. That may from excess belt tension from the reducer to the machine and end up to be more of an issue than just misalignment down the road. Check that tension because machine bearing failure is no fun. Another question - Is there supposed to be a grease zerk in that hole near the bottom or does your reducer have sealed bearings? 

[dikman]

As mentioned that speed reducer mounting looks skewed and needs to be squared up. Aren't the motor mounts slotted to allow for adjustment? The motor looks like there is enough thread to fit a spacer behind the pulley to shift it a bit further out. If it was me I'd definitely be trying to line things up a bit better - but that's just the sort of person I am.

[lehmanjack945]

On 7/4/2026 at 9:51 PM, AlZilla said:

I think it depends how much sewing you're going to do.  Also, how tight you're running the belt.  It's definitely going to cause the bearing to be loaded at an angle and will no doubt cause premature wear.

I have one off center like that, just about 1/2 the angle. Maybe 30 or 40 hours of hobbyist slow speed sewing on it and it hasn't shown any problems yet. I run my belts fairly loose. It doesn't slip ... very often.  I'd rather the belt slip than break something.

In a shop environment, I wouldn't have let it run like that. 

Edit: I'd like to revisit my answer. I looked back at the pic and see that the angle to the motor is pretty severe. Same answer applies, but I think I'd move that motor. That motor bearing is replaceable but moving the motor is easier. Maybe you can slot the existing holes.

 

On 7/4/2026 at 11:25 PM, friquant said:

A simple improvement might be to drill one additional hole for the motor. Basically move the hole that is closest to the motor pulley. Then slide the motor over to that hole, and the other two slots straddle the existing bolts. But it depends on how much room you have to go in those other slots.

I don't think you'll hurt anything but your pride by leaving it the way it is. It might be a little bit harder to hand wheel. 

PS Still not too late to put a 45mm motor pulley on it. Also worth noting you can remove the brake shoe from that motor if you'd rather the motor always freewheeled.

 

On 7/4/2026 at 11:43 PM, 1hp said:

if you could remove the pulley & flip it over so the larger one is on the left, stuff might line up better.

 

21 hours ago, bruce johnson said:

If my truck had belts like that, I'd end up along the road somewhere between Barstow and Needles. I've got three machines here with the two belt reducers. They all line up squarely. I ordered them with speed reducers or that was part of the package so I am guessing that Ferdco and Leather Machine Co both allowed for the speed reducer when they mounted the motor. If it was me, like a few other suggestions, I would move the motor. I also agree with AlZilla that the lower part of the speed reducer looks tilted. That may from excess belt tension from the reducer to the machine and end up to be more of an issue than just misalignment down the road. Check that tension because machine bearing failure is no fun. Another question - Is there supposed to be a grease zerk in that hole near the bottom or does your reducer have sealed bearings? 

 

15 hours ago, dikman said:

As mentioned that speed reducer mounting looks skewed and needs to be squared up. Aren't the motor mounts slotted to allow for adjustment? The motor looks like there is enough thread to fit a spacer behind the pulley to shift it a bit further out. If it was me I'd definitely be trying to line things up a bit better - but that's just the sort of person I am.

Hi everyone, thank you for all the advice on this. Decided to remount the motor to prevent any excessive wear and tear on my machine. Here's a pic of the re-aligned belts. Although, I was advised that the pulley from the sewing machine to speed reducer should be fully vertical (up and down) rather than diagonal so I'll spend some time tonight to fix that.

Edited July 6 by lehmanjack945

[friquant]

39 minutes ago, lehmanjack945 said:

I was advised that the pulley from the sewing machine to speed reducer should be fully vertical (up and down) rather than diagonal so I'll spend some time tonight to fix that.

I'm curious about this. How will you tilt the machine back if the belt is fully vertical?