Singer 153k103 and 151w1 Questions

[Dream4est]

Hi I have a few questions about two machines I own:

 

153k103- I have had this machine for 3 years I got a new cylinder arm that is much better so I went back to tinkering on the 153 to get it working better in hopes of selling it or using it. My issue is play in the lower feed and in the upper feed. The four lower parts that are slightly worn but very functional are 240688, 240607, 240605 and 240608. That is just a guess on what I have learned about the lower front feed mechanism. I have my gib (240608) moved up a bit per instructions to remove play but that doesnt help much it binds feed if moved up too much. So I added a thin aluminum shim to the right of the gib evenly applied it helps the gib take out some play without being moved up too much. 

Up top I have  slight play in the needle bar inner foot bar assembly. My parts 210910 and 202666 are worn IMO but not sure about the whole assembly (240138). I can move gib 202666 over but when i added a split washer to the bushing 210910 it made machine lose stroke etc. 

I have machine dialed sewing very well feed adjusted perfectly now. The play upper and lower is workable the machine has Seiko two row feed dog and needle plate  it works well with those but nothing else too much play in the feed dog with single row setups. i havent tried the single row since i have the machine dialed too afraid to mess up my current setup. My question to the experts is should i buy all these parts and rebuild the machine? I did timing belt and need a few thread guides but it sews like a champ at the moment scared to mess it all up meshing new parts with old.

 

Singer 151w1- This machine is setup to bind only. The feed dog is a special one with tiny teeth on left edge. The needle plate and plate to right of needle plate (224543 and 208570) are machined to fit a binder in the deck so to speak. they are ruined I cant fit a binder in the spot. I can slide a custom binder over from a  tapped hole southeast of needle plate and make it work. Its a cylinder arm binding attachment it covers the hole in both plates and doesnt touch the vibrating needle plate. With this setup i can bind well. My question like with the 153 is should i buy new feed dog and plates or just run with my binding setup as is? Unlike the 153 this conversion takes 5 minutes and can be put back in 5 minutes. 

Edited March 15, 2021 by Dream4est

[Dream4est]

So I worked on the 153k103 last night. I changed out feed dog and needle plate to a single row set. It works well but only with the old outer presser foot installed. That foot is a 1/6 cording or piping foot and if I swap out to a new foot or a zipper foot my stitch length goes short. I have been able to swap out inner feet from the weird inner cording foot now I have a zipper foot with teeth on the inner foot and it works well. I also tried to adjust the relative height of the vibrating and lifting presser feet. My machine only works well when the inner foot is set all the way up.

The original needle plate is two row and is a Singer part ( the feed dog that is two row is a Seiko though). It has been ground down on the underside to get more clearance under the outer foot to sew through thick items say 1/4" or more. When I use the single row setup I get less clearance and the thread tensioner engages at a lower point over the fabric so I cant sew a thick sample I sewed previously with the two row setup. But having said all that the machine actually sews even better than before stitch length is a smidge over 5mm and voila! I am binding again and the stitches look solid and no short stitching with the binder like before. I could lower the current needle plate by filing away underneath like my two row one but the stitching is better so a lowered needle plate may be why I cant bind with that setup. 

So I have play upper and lower. I have play in a walking linkage part. My needle hits left center in my single row feed dog setup. I cant use any outer feet but one. I cant lower the inner foot one mm. But I can bind and sew topstitch all day so I guess thats a win lol!

Edited March 17, 2021 by Dream4est

[Dream4est]

So I did a little more playing etc on my 153k103 and I am able to get my needle a little better centered in the feed dog/needle plate it sews well makes clean stitches. The  outer foot is S31 1/8 cording/piping foot. However it looks different than current S31 offerings it has a larger/thicker right foot than left. So I guess my finicky old machine just likes these style feet which may be very old and hard to find. I get about 5.3mm stitch with this one foot any other foot gives me about 4.3mm at best. 

edit- Thanks to a member here I get better lift and much higher upper tensioner close point with this zip tie mod. Original tip was for a Singer 44-90 but it works on other machines too.

Edited March 18, 2021 by Dream4est

[Dream4est]

So I went back to school on the 153k103. I watched a bunch of Uwe videos and read posts. I was able to do the upper and lower feed adjustments (thanks to Uwe and his consew 227r vid) to center my needle in the feed dog. BUT I still had the play in the lower feed. My little shim was not helping as it was causing binding and not really taking up the play much. So I moved the shim to where I wanted to put it intially (I had my little shim right of the gib but that wasnt my first idea). I superglued a tiny thin piece of aluminum to the angled surface on the feed dog cam (240607) that meets the gib. I was scared to try this before. I filed the shim down after it dried and I greased the whole lower feed assembly instead of oiling. 

I have zero play in the lower feed assembly now. And no binding at all. I moved my upper gib/slide plate right a bit and my upper feed play is only fore/aft no side to side upper play. The sewing is so clean now and the sound the feed makes is so much better. I can sew fast and the stitches stay consistent. 

A top mechanic at Ralphs Powersew in Denver advised me not to replace any parts in my 153. He was not keen on any shims either. But shims worked in this instance so I can now make my feed dog cam piece fit with used pieces around it and not bind the machine. I dont think a new part will work in this case I think the shimmed used part is the answer.

[Campleathergoods]

I have a Singer 153k103 serial # W1779328, can anyone date this for me? I can't seem to find it.

Thank you!

[Dream4est]

1 hour ago, Campleathergoods said:

I have a Singer 153k103 serial # W1779328, can anyone date this for me? I can't seem to find it.

Thank you!

1957. Mine was a 1965 sold it.

[Campleathergoods]

11 hours ago, Dream4est said:

1957. Mine was a 1965 sold it.

Thank you, can I ask where you found the info?