Suddenly top thread breaking?

[Dominover]

I'm all of a sudden having problems with my top thread breaking.  Everything has been running fine for about a month now, this is after I adjusted the hook timing and pushed the hook closer to the needle eye.  Since that time, everything has worked perfectly.

Now, all of a sudden, my top thread keeps breaking.  It seems that when the needle is moving up, there is an enormous amount of tension on the thread which wasn't there before.  The current tension setting were working perfectly on the same thickness of leather and everything.  So I'm baffled here.

I have a Consew 226-R walking foot machine. 

Here's what I've done and checked so far.

1. When the arm is at the very top, the alignment marks under the machine line up perfectly.
2. I've checked the hook timing and it coincides perfectly.  As mentioned, I adjusted this a month ago and it worked fine since.
3. Checked the hook for burs (no burs, still smooth and not bent).
4. Checked the needle guard for burs (no burs, smooth and not damaged in any way).
5. I've tried re-adjusting the upper tension and for some reason it's suddenly very difficult to get right.  It goes from too tight to too loose.
6. Checked the bobbin, re-wound it and checked the washer underneath it to see if it has been damaged (nothing different there).
7. Re-threaded the entire machine (still no luck).
8. Changed 5 different needles to the same size and stepped the needle up one size (from 100 to 110), but still no change.
9. Oiled all the moving parts.
10. Checked around the bobbin carrier for snagged thread, but there's nothing there.
11. I've really cleaned things out in the bobbin area, checked for loose screws, checked for anything bent and it all looks fine.

Would anyone know how this could possible go so wrong all of a sudden?  I was hoping somebody may have had a similar problem and recognized this issue.

Thanks

[Wizcrafts]

Check the entire thread path to see if there is any binding between the spool and eye of the needle. Sometimes thread is twisty and forms knots or tight loops that can get jammed as the thread tries to pass through a guide.

[Dominover]

1 hour ago, Wizcrafts said:

Check the entire thread path to see if there is any binding between the spool and eye of the needle. Sometimes thread is twisty and forms knots or tight loops that can get jammed as the thread tries to pass through a guide.

 

Thanks for replying.

Well, I ended up pulling apart the top tensioning system and now I see how it all works.. It's all working fine.  I recently cleaned this all out and made sure there were no snags.

However.... 

When the problem started, it may have started because there was a bit of glue on the needle.. So, I replaced the needle.

I took a set of DPX17 size 100 needles from the packet and replaced several with no luck.  But... as I have previously noted, the thread I am using is too thick for a size 90 which is why I'm using a size 100 (at least I thought I was).

I ended up getting out a magnifying glass and checked to make sure the size of the needle was 100.  Would you believe I have an entire packet of size 100 needles which read size 90 on them.. I admit that thought the size of the hole was small but kept going with it.

So, for some reason, I've bought a dodgy packed of needles (size 90's in a size 100 packet).  Couldn't believe it.. That's why the thread was still breaking after I replaced the needle.  Initially it was breaking because of the glue on the needle (could have bent it too).

Now I have around 3 km of cotton on the floor and a new understanding of how the upper tensioner works. . Also, and entire day lost.

Everything is working fine now. 

 

[dikman]

What size and type of thread are you using?

[Wizcrafts]

I have never used a #90 needle in a walking foot machine. But, I also don't use thread thinner than #69/T70 bonded nylon. The standard needle size for this thread is #18/110. You didn't specify the size of thread you are using, but if a #90 is ratting it, chances are that a #110 will give a much better result.

[Pintodeluxe]

Glad you got it sorted.  My 226 likes 92 thread with a #20 needle.  It will sew various other combinations up to 138 thread, but it will sew 92 thread with a #18 or #20 needle without any fuss at all.