Yes most Excellent. Then I threaded it and eased up the tension until it was sewing perfect straight and zig-zags in all three needle positions.

Whether its because they are simple enough to maintain and repair with common handtools, or strong enough to sew thicker fabrics without hesitation, or just because they are plentiful, cheap, and fun to collect.

This site is dedicated to passing on information to make your experience more enjoyable.

Probably half the vintage Necchis I have owned had this problem when I got them.

Necchis are victims of their own perfection - tolerances are so tight that even a minor build-up of corrosion that would not affect a lesser machine is enough to freeze a Necchi up tight.

The cure to that problem in all my machines has been to lubricate the swivel arm top and bottom and wait overnight to see if the oil has penetrated enough to loosen up the swing arm.

Mere oiling will probably not be enough to free up the swivel arm, it might need some help.

Heat will cause the parts to expand, hopefully they will expand enough for some of the new oil to work down in where it will do some good.

It might take several applications of oil and heat to get the swivel arm loose enough to move.

Once the swing arm swivels the tiniest bit, youre almost home Remove the needle, bobbin case and shuttle and hold the stitch width lever to the widest point you can get it without forcing it and bending some linkage.

Run the machine at top speed, holding the stitch width lever to the right.

As that new oil works its way in, you should notice the needlebar taking wider and wider strokes and the stitch width lever moving gradually to the right.

When you are able to move the stitch width lever all the way to the widest stitch and the needlebar is taking full 5mm zig zags, you are done.

Ironically, the Necchi oiling diagram does not show these as oiling points and does not even direct the owner to remove the end cover to oil anything in that end of the machine.

There are lots of moving parts in that location that require lubrication - the needlebar, presser bar, takeup lever, and others.

Ed.

The Sewing Machine Blue Book does not give specific manufacture dates for the Lelias, but places them in the range of machines made between 1963 and 1971.

The oil and heat did the trick, the needle bar moves freely, it zig-zags and we have three different needle positions yipee.

Your thoughts Also, what is the tension supposed to be like My old treadles the tension is really tight both top and bottom.

On my Piedmont the top is tighter than the bottom but the stitches are perfectly even.

My newer computerized machines the needle tension is darn near identical top and bottom.

Good Morning, I slept on it then fixed the needle hitting the bobbin shuttle.

There is a screw attached to the lever that adjusts the needle position.

So this morning I loosened the screw and positioned the needle right in the centre position, tightened the screw and it is fixed.

Yes most Excellent.

Then I threaded it and eased up the tension until it was sewing perfect straight and zig-zags in all three needle positions.

Necchi Serial Numbers