Singer Bobbin Winder Clutch (model 30920)

I've had a request to show how to repair a Singer (model 57825C) Bobbin Winder Clutch.  There were a few Singers with this rocker-type bobbin winder clutch.  There's not much to them, and they're a lot different than the typical handwheel-type clutch.


Let's take a look at the outside first.

When you're sewing, the clutch would look like this.

When you're winding a bobbin, push the clutch in on the indentation.

Here's the top shaft of the bobbin winder.

Here's what the bobbin winder looks like underneath.

Before you do anything else, check to make sure that the rubber O-ring (or tire) on the big round hub is in place, and is in good condition.  It should be supple, and have no cracks.  This can easily be replaced, and usually costs less than a dollar.

Also (as Ryan pointed out below), you'll want to make sure the spindle will turn easily.  If it's frozen, you can try two things.  First, I usually put some WD-40 in the cracks and work it until it's loose.  Always blow the WD-40 out with an air compressor or canned air.  Then re-oil.  If that fails, you can pop the c-clamp off, disassemble the bobbin winder, clean it, and put some oil on the shaft directly.  Then put it back together.

Next, we'll take a look at the inside of the clutch.  You can carefully pry off the rocker with a screwdriver.

Inside the handwheel, you'll see the center shaft, and the notches along the outer portion of the handwheel.

If the notches are damaged, the handwheel would need to be replaced.  If that's the case, you'd be better off putting your money into a new sewing machine.

This is what the underside of the rocker looks like.

If the metal clip or the plastic that holds the metal clip are broken, it would need to be replaced.  Once again, you may be better off putting your money into a new sewing machine.

The Wrong Oil

I'm working on an old White sewing machine.  DH got it for the foot control, but I want to try to fix it up to sell.  The problem seems to be that the previous owner used the wrong kind of oil.  

It took DH's muscles to un-screw the center knob.  And my sons helped me get the handwheel off.  After trying to pull it off, we tried to pry it off with a screw driver, which didn't work.  Then we finally positioned a screw driver on the inside metal casing, and smacked it with a hammer.  That worked!

The "Before" picture is fuzzy, but you can see the red-ish, sticky, old oil.  That is what old oil or the wrong kind of oil looks like, and it feels tacky to the touch.  It's just like glue.

To remove the old, gummy oil, I put some WD-40 on it and scrubbed it with an old toothbrush.  It didn't get all of it off, so I used a very fine sandpaper to get the rest off.  The inside of the casing on the handwheel also needed scrubbing as did the center knob and the position ring.

So, what kind of oil should you use?  Only "sewing machine oil."  That doesn't include 3-in-1 oil, engine oil, olive oil, or FAX machine oil.  And, as you can see, it doesn't include WD-40.  We only use WD-40 to REMOVE the old oil.