Adler 67 - Bobbin Case Opener

[Mrstsb]

Hi everyone.  This is my first post from good old England.  Please be gentle with me.

My husband has bought me an Adler 67 machine to have a go at making leather upholstery for a Campervan he is in the process of converting.  I am a 'hobbyist' who enjoys sewing but I'm on a steep learning curve.  The machine is sewing but the handwheel was quite stiff to turn and the thread underneath had been jamming occasionally.  Hubby has stripped the bobbin holder down to clean it out, with everything stripped out the handwheel is freely turning. Unfortunately, one of the parts look broken and after some research on youtube, I think it's called a bobbin case opener (pictured below).  

Can someone tell me how to find a replacement part? I am struggling with trying to find a part number or any information regarding this item. What does this part actually do on the machine? Could this be the reason for the stiff handwheel? 

[shoepatcher]

Go to Sew24blogspot which is a site Durkopp/Adler has for older machines.  Down load the parts list for the 67 class.  I assume looking at the part you have a 67-373?  Durkopp Adler in Germany may have the part. It is part #067-00-170-0.

good luck.

glenn

 

[Mrstsb]

Wow thank you for your quick reply.  The machine is a 67-72.  I'll check out the information you have kindly given.

[Matt S]

I have an Adler 67 (might be a 67-72, can't remember). It definitely shouldn't be stiff to turn over, though it shouldn't freewheel either if you see what I mean. Without thread or material in the machine, is it equally stiff throughout the stitch cycle or is it stiffer at any particular point?

I'm not sure if a broken bobbin case opener should make it stiff to turn the wheel, unless the broken part is rubbing on something. Did your husband take the shuttle hook assembly down any further than what's in the photo? If you rotate the basket relative to the hook at a certain point you should be able to remove it. Make sure to clean under this thoroughly with solvent then lube with a suitable oil before reassembling. The clearances under here are really tight -- even a short length of thread or an accumulation of oil and fluff can jam it right up so this could be a source of the problem.

Also check the bevel gears that drive the bobbin assembly (could be too tightly meshed, I guess, or claggy grease in the box). Try not to take the gears out of mesh though, or you'll have to retime the hook.

I guess also the timing belt could be tensioned too tight, or maybe just very old and stiff.

Anyway, once you sort out this issue you'll be very pleased with your machine I'm sure. I think that Adler 67s are real "sleepers" at the moment -- boxy and fugly but very solid, reliable and fast machines that can be picked up for not much money.

[Mrstsb]

Thank you Matt. I'll will get him to have a look at the gears and grease etc. i don't know where the timing belt is but we will have a look together under the machine. I can't look myself as it's too heavy to lift for me. 

Where do you get parts for your machine. I've been Googling all day and can't find the part I'm looking for. I daren't use it at the moment( even through I was only practicing)

because of the broken part but it was sewing okay the majority of the time

[Uwe]

That bobbin case opener can cause a bind if adjusted incorrectly (or if you run the machine without the throat plate installed), and it will break if it gets stressed too much.

I made  a video some time ago that shows the function of the bobbin case opener on a different machine (Juki LS-341). Your Adler 67 has a nearly identical  bobbin case opener design. Hopefully it will help you understand what this part is supposed to do and how it can bind, cause problems, or even break. 

 

This video shows the removal of the hook on an Adler 167, which is nearly identical to your Adler 67, just with.a larger hook. You obviously already did this part. I’m just adding the video again for others who might view this post in the future.

 

 

Once you get your bobbin case opener replaced, you can use this video to check and adjust hook timing.

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Uwe

[Mrstsb]

Thank you Uwe,

Sometimes it seems a very small world. I had found and watched the 3rd video a few times before I joined this forum so a big thumbs up for that.  I'll watch the 1st one today and try and learn some more.

I'm looking forward to having a play on the machine once and if I can find the broken part.