Singer 153W Repair Manual

[JeffHami]

I have search and search and can not find anyone selling a repair manual for a singer 153W. I do not want a parts manual or a general setup and service manual. I am looking for a repair manual that will describe had to remove parts and the order they go back. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[Yetibelle]

I'm not familiar with any repair manuals, there are just parts manuals and user guides.  There are also troubleshooting pages sometime at the back of the user guide "Instructions for Adjusters and Machinists" that go over how to recognize and fix common issues like replacing the internal belt and adjusting the timing, setting the needle bar, ect.  If your planning to take the machine totally apart I'm not aware of a compete manual for that level of detail.  I think what most of us do is take pictures of each stage as we take parts off, then use those pictures to put it all back once they are clean or replaced. 

 

[JeffHami]

Yetibelle,

 

 Thank you for the reply. I agree taking photos is a good idea, but sometimes you don't see the screw that is holding a part and you might force something you shouldn't.

 

[Uwe]

There really are no repair manuals for most vintage machines, as far as I know. They just assume that's what you learn in your apprenticeship when you become a sewing machine technician. Once you've taken apart a few dozen machines, things will start to look very familiar in other machines.

The closest thing to an actual repair manual with removal and re-installation instructions is this Military training manual: TM10-3530-202-24.pdf .  It covers repair instructions for variety of machines, including the Singer 111, which shares certain design elements. with your 153.

Having a beater or parts machine to tinker with is really useful, so you know what's going on when you start working on a precious machine. 

Often you have to get a little creative. In the absence of a manual for a specific machine, documentation for a very close relative can be very useful. In your case of the Singer 153, the Consew 227 is that close relative. Check out the User Manual for the Consew 223/227 (223.pdf). Also, the Consew 227 Parts Manual shows parts in small groups as mini-exploded views where you can tell how things go together, or if something that looks like a screw really is a screw.

Edited August 23, 2017 by Uwe

[JeffHami]

Uwe,

 I repair clocks for a living and leather work is something I have picked up for therapy. I know enough about clocks that I can repair just about anything that is put in front of me, but when it comes to sewing machines I am flying by the seat of my pants. I've always felt if you have not worked on something and there is a manual available  then you buy the manual. Thanks for the pdf files.

[gottaknow]

9 hours ago, JeffHami said:

Uwe,

 I repair clocks for a living and leather work is something I have picked up for therapy. I know enough about clocks that I can repair just about anything that is put in front of me, but when it comes to sewing machines I am flying by the seat of my pants. I've always felt if you have not worked on something and there is a manual available  then you buy the manual. Thanks for the pdf files.

Welcome to the forum! I've been an industrial sewing machine mechanic for 37 years. I use manuals nearly every day. I learned the most from studying parts books in the evening, then studying the machines with the parts books and service manuals. Singer did publish a wide range technical manual for most of their different machine classes all in one 3" thick book. They actually have step by step instructions for several machines. I don't recall if the 153 class is covered, but I'll check. It was printed in the early 70's. Cowboy Bob has probably seen it. The 153's a good machine. I still use 3 for binding. They have some inherent design flaws, but I've never seen a machine without that didn't. 

Regards, Eric 

[dikman]

I reckon a book like that would have some members on here positively salivating.......