29K help

[Ole South]

I've acquired a 29K-30 Patcher.  Works okay but I found a flat worn on the cam follower roller mounted at the end of the needle bar lever.  Ordered and received  a new roller and pivot assembly from Pilgrim (p/n 1801) but the drive shaft is so worbled up at the end I can't pull/hammer the cam/pulley off.  I can pull it back enough to free the roller but don't see how to pull the pivot.  The original roller appears to be peened or swedged onto the pivot shaft so I can't just replace the roller.

Any advice?  I'm taking a couple wheel pullers to the shop today to remove the pulley but there's no place I can see to clamp onto the worn part.

[Constabulary]

usually the arm has a hole on the bottom from where you can hammer out the roller with a pin punch or the like. Because of the shaft - if you dare hammer it back as good as you can I did that with my Singer 34KSV5 and the wobble is almost gone. I have used a dial gauge to find where the wobble is and hammered from the other side - it just took 2 or 3 hearty hammer strokes.

[Ole South]

We have to remove the arm to replace this roller?

 

[RockyAussie]

Yes you do. From memory the pin that holds the rocking arm is tapered smaller at the back I remember. When last I did one I was concerned about breaking the main casing driving it out. Get prices on a new pulley and the arm as I got a brand new arm some years ago for only $27.00. If the pulley is cheap enough it would pay to have a nice even slide track for the new roller.

[Constabulary]

Yes, remove the pin on the needle bar and the larger one in the middle of the arm (both from back to front) turn around the arm and you will notice the hole from where you can hammer out the roller in.

[shoepatcher]

Before removing the cam roller on the end of the drive rack on top. remove the drive rack from the casting.  That big tapered pin drives from back to front.  Remove the drive rack.  I pour a little Kroil oil into the hole that is the access hole used to remove the cam roller.  Turn it upside down so roller is at the bottom and let it set for a few days.  Oil will seep around the pin at the end of the roller and loosen any corrosion holding  the pin in.  I thin take a center punch out and begin tapping the roller out.  You may have to  heat the end of the drive rack where the roller goes in up a little bit break the bond on the pin. Be careful no to get it too hot!   If and when you get it out, make sure you taper the end pin on the new roller a little bit with a file  to make it easier to go back into the old hole.   Good luck.

glenn

[Ole South]

Thanks for all the help guys!!

Okey-doke.... center pin (needle bar lever/big pin) is frozen in the needle bar lever.  It oscillates freely front and back in the main casting but won't budge when trying to drive it out (back to front).  I've heated it, froze it, doused it with penetrating oil all to no avail; hammered the back of the pin until it's gone flat.  I'm afraid to beat on it any more for fear of mushrooming the tapered end of the pin (note: the front side of the pin was already flattened).  All I can think of now, is to try and find a small bearing splitter/separator tool and see if that will break the roller or roller pivot free from the end of the lever.

Anybody got another idea???

Additional notes: Circa 1945 machine and... Is there supposed to be a pin securing the cam/drive pulley to the main shaft on a 29k-30? The clamping screw was missing and only a pin held the drive pulley to the shaft.

[RockyAussie]

Starting with a 1/8" drill bit from the front drill the pin through. Try with a driver close to the size to drive out then if no go, drill next size up and so on.

Although the pin should be cheap enough to replace you most likely could still use it. I don"t remember when I did mine it having a clamping screw.

[ndnchf]

New guy here, but I just went through this a few days ago with my 29-4. Beating on that pin risks damaging the casting and the pin. I used a trick I learned many years ago. Get a strong C-clamp and a 7/16" nut. Position the nut over the pin on the front, then put the clamp in place. Tightening the clamp will press the pin into the hole in the nut. It will be tight, when it breaks free there will be a bang! If it is still stubborn, let the clamp sit on it overnight tight. The constant steady pressure will work on it. Heat it a little if necessary. Here's a pic I took when working on mine. Hope this helps.

[Ole South]

Thanks Ndn.... what we forget... a brilliant suggestion.  I'll take a C-clamp and a couple sockets over to the shop tomorrow (I've actually used this technique before I got an arbor press.  ' must be getting old, dang it.)

[Ole South]

Weellll, that didn't work. Three days under pressure and only the clamp gave. The pin didn't even move. I guess I'll have to grind off the end of the roller pivot and punch it out from the needle bar lever end. Or drill it out :\

[Constabulary]

I don´t think constant pressure will help you with the pin. I rave restored a few patchers already and never had bigger issued with this pin. Usually 3-4 hammer strikes will loosen it. The pin clamps in the driving rack arm and not in the casting and the pin is tapered so when you give it some hearty hammer strikes and I´m sure this will work. Have you tried a heat gun or blow torch for either problem? When you drill it out the roller pin and damage the driving rack you will most likely have problems installing a new roller properly.

[RockyAussie]

Like I said if all else fails drill through that pin bit by bit.A tap with a good drift from the back will eventually loosen it.

[Ole South]

Yep Conny, I beat the beejeebers outa that pin (from the back) to the point I was afraid of mushrooming it.  The end started out rounded and now is pretty flat.  Yessir, I've heated it ("it" being the lever pivot area{driving rack arm} not the head casting), torched it, frozen it and doused it with penetrating oil all to no avail.  But the good news is that I got the roller pivot out (my original objective)... I finally just clamped a pair of vice grips on it and gave a hefty heave-ho and lo & behold it broke loose and rotated out.

Then the other shoe fell...

The new roller pivot O.D. is a mic or two larger than the one I removed (~7mm) AND... about 5mm longer.  Now the roller pivot is out I can run a pin punch down the lever hole and there seems to be an obstruction.  It could be just corrosion buildup but if it's the casting then drilling and punching from the hand-wheel side wouldn't have worked probably and my new roller assembly will bottom out before seating.  Does anyone know if that hole is drilled thru and thru?

Aussie I didn't ignore your advice... I just can't get to the backside of the roller pin since removing the needle bar lever has been a no-go.  Btw, this being a 29k-30 I found the driving rack pivot pin is a significantly larger diameter than on my 29-4.

I really need to get this poor orphan sewing. 

Thanks guys for all the advice and help!