New to me Pfaff 1245 feeds backwards

[Bulldogger]

Hello all.  I'm new to having a leather sewing machine and new to Pfaff mechanisms. I do ok with my Singer 519 but I'm stumped with this older 1245 Pfaff (706/47).

 

After following the service manual guidance for calibration I was nearly finished when I realized the feed dog and vibrating foot are moving backwards. I am sure I'm rotating the balance wheel correctly (towards me like most machines) since the bobbin assembly is clearly rotating correctly. 

If I push the reverse lever upwards the machine feeds forwards, which is good I guess (it "reverses") but no less confusing. The machine was old and sitting in a shed a long time. I took off external fittings for rust removal, but none of the main mechanisms or lever arms, and dosed her well with kerosene. After a while she started moving freely and now turns over fine. 

It is very possible (and my working theory) that attempts by me and previous acquaintances to turn it over while half frozen caused an internal timing error. Unfortunately the service manuals I've found online are not assembly manuals, they assume a working machine only in need of calibration, more or less. 

 

Has anyone else seen or heard of this and can you offer any advice where to look please? There is a service center near me, if I fail in my attempts, but I've spoken with them in the past and was rubbed the wrong way. I'll take it there if I must but hope I can DIY this. 

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

Alex

[Gunnarsson]

Any chance the reverse lever has lost a spring or something like that, so it has fallen to reverse position?

[Constabulary]

is it just feeding or is it permanently sewing backwards? If it is just feeding backwards and the stitch length lever is in correct forward position it could be a motor failure.

[Pintodeluxe]

Are the upper and lower shafts synchronized?  In other words do the timing arrows align under the machine?

This is a common problem, and should be pretty easy to sort out.

[Bulldogger]

Gunnarson, the reverse mechanism appears intact, and it reverses the direction, just that it’s backwards 

 

Constabulary, I don’t have it on a motor yet, I’m turning it by hand so not a motor problem. The stitch length lever is positioned correctly. 

 

Pintodeluxe, where are these timing marks please? That sounds like a distinct possibility. 

 

Lastly jere are a couple of photos, in case they help. 

 

Bulldogger

[Pintodeluxe]

Nice looking Pfaff.  Wow that thing is clean.  If you don't have a paper manual, pull it up online.  I think it shows the timing arrows in the manual.  It's been a long time since I had a 1245, but most machines have some sort of synchronization arrows under the machine head, to the right of center.  Turn the handwheel toward you until you see an arrow.  It should come into alignment with a second arrow.  If it doesn't, the internal timing belt was probably installed incorrectly, ie: like 180 degrees out of phase.

Edited July 7, 2019 by Pintodeluxe

[Bulldogger]

Thanks pintodeluxe, I'll go look. I don't recall any timing marks in the manuals I found but I didn't look on the shafts for arrows so I will

 

Bulldogger

[Bulldogger]

I cannot find anything that look like timing marks or arrows on the shafts underneath or on the pulleys. My manuals do not include instructions on replacing the internal drive belt or timing the pulleys... I will search for more manuals. Most manuals online are for newer machines not mine. 

Bulldogger

Edited July 7, 2019 by Bulldogger

[shoepatcher]

Sounds like the feed eccentric is 180 degrees out. No timing marks underneath a 1245.  Can you upload a quick video of the machine being turned by hand so we can see the feet and feed dog in action?

glenn

[Bulldogger]

Thank you shoepatcher, you were typing this while I was sweating in the garage one more time through the calibration steps. The "lifting eccentric" for the vibrating presser foot was indeed way off! This was the most rusted part in the machine. I found acorns in the recess in fact. I think a mouse had been living inside at one time. Some bravery with a gentle punch freed up the eccentric and allowed me to observe its effects. Once I brought it noticeably far around the shaft the vibrating presser foot reversed its motion and the feed dog obliged. 

I then recompleted the entire calibration order to realign everything. It appears ready to mount to a table and motor. I had a stiff piece of 1/8 leather next to me on the workbench, which I use as vise jaw pads, and I hand stitched a nice long bead of holes in it. (Didn't have thread or bobbin handy)

 

Next I will mount it and perform the thread tension and alignment steps and see how it will stitch. 

 

Thank you all for your encouragement!

 

Bulldogger