Singer 4423 lube maintenance

**Banjoman** · 07-15-2017, 23:29

Tonight my Singer 4423 began sticking in reverse. I've had this problem intermittently since I bought the thing a couple years ago, but tonight it wouldn't fix itself (in the past, it would end up correcting itself after a few extra stitches and I just tolerated it). I managed to minimize my fit of rage, as I usually have limited slots of time to spend sewing, and began removing the housing of the sewing machine to see what I could see. Long story short, I ended up finding where the sticking was happening (see pics below, with screwdrivers pointing to the locations). The main problem, I believe, was the upper pivot point in the second pic but I lubed both points just in case. After I added the oil, I swiveled it back and forth to work in the oil and could tell I loosened it up. After everything was reassembled, the machine worked BETTER than new! I was amazed! Not only did the reverse work much more smoothly, but the machine ran more smoothly and a little more quiet than it ever has. Hope this helps someone.

**psyculman** · 07-16-2017, 05:09

Thanks for the alert. I bought the 4432, and keep the 4423 as a back up. The 4432 has gone 3 or 4 years now or more I don"t remember. It has stood up to a great many mishaps, all "user errors" and "entanglements". It has recovered from some pretty bad looking wads of thread in the bobbin mechanism. But has never gotten out of adjustment. Sewing all sorts of DIY items, I am really happy with it. Just blowing the lint out, and a little oil here and there once and a while quiets it a bit, but there is not any maintenance that I know of required.

**JJBrewbus** · 07-16-2017, 08:41

Duly noted, Banjoman.
I've just ordered a 4432 today. I'm living on an island with no Singer repair or service centres. Hope I won't need your advice in the 'near' future, but thank you very much for the heads-up.

Hmmm... I envisage myself half-remembering this in a year's time, and then spending hours trawling though forums trying to locate this picture for reference.

**Bubba** · 07-16-2017, 13:53

A little maintenance goes a long way. Happy to hear your problem has been resolved.

**TreeCub** · 07-20-2017, 09:58

As I've learned in the past, (RIP 1st sewing machine) you should oil the sucker once a month or so if you sew a lot. Your manual should have a page showing all the spots that need a little drop or two.

**DrPhun** · 07-20-2017, 16:14

What do folks use for lube? Is there a special sewing machine oil? I think when I was little my mom used a light oil like 3:1 on hers.

**Banjoman** · 07-20-2017, 17:51

Yes, they do make sewing machine specific oil. There may be other suitable substitutes, but I'm not sure. I think my sewing machine oil is even lighter than 3:1.

**TreeCub** · 07-21-2017, 13:00

There is specific sewing machine oil. 3n1 is not recommended for use in sewing machines or sergers.

**P-Dub** · 07-23-2017, 09:08

Thanks Banjoman -- mine just stuck in reverse today so this info is very useful.

Especially since I just noticed that the service manual I paid for does not show lubrication points (unlike the owner's manuals of all my older machines...) It seems that manufacturers now hope we will throw away our machines when they break and buy new ones. Sheesh!

**P-Dub** · 07-23-2017, 12:21

Just a note after taking covers off to lube everything that moves: I had to lower/raise the feed dogs a couple of times to get reverse to sort itself out and run in forward motion.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Edit: I had a photo, but don't know Tapatalk very well, so it's not here...