New to this 31K20 and to everything else too

[Tride]

3 hours ago, sandmanred said:

It might have been my 31-15 or another machine but  I've had a needle bar scarred up too and resist moving after the set screw is loose.  I recall doing something along these lines, put a soft metal spacer between the body where the set screw goes and the casting below, then tapping on the top of the needle bar.  I still didn't hit it very hard but once loose I was able to extract it out the top and file the burrs back to smooth.  The spacer transfers the tapping force to a beefier part of the body and keeps any forces off the linkage connected to the needle bar but still go gently!

 

 

Yes! Good thinking, and happy to report it worked! (I used a plastic block). Thanks!

Now that I freed up the needle bar I removed it and cleaned it up with some wd-40 and a scotchbrite pad, it's looking like new again and slides freely through the adjuster piece.

I then tried to set the needle height as best I could to try and accommodate the needles that I have, which are labeled : "DPx35LR  134x35LR  SY7227 130/19"  

For a minute it looked like it might not work, as it seems like these needles are just a tiny bit too long. My initial attempt, setting the height with the needle tip sitting just under the hook, looked good but then when I tried turning it through a complete cycle the needle holder hit the body of the machine at the top of the stroke. So I moved to what seems to be the maximum distance that still allows a complete turn cycle, which set the eye of the needle a bit further under the hook than the recommended 3/32 distance, but, on trying it out with a slow speed hand turn.... was successful in hooking the thread!

Guessing maybe this is the absolute maximum length needle that could work. Will look into all the other needle system options that everyone has been recommending, feel like getting a tiny bit more tolerance is probably a good call.

[sandmanred]

Great!

My needle bar might be a tad low by that 3/32 standard but there's plenty of clearance to the body on top at the top of stroke running the needles I pictured in the post above.