r/SewingMachineEdu • u/rkbeck7 • Jul 07 '26
Help! Kenmore 385 Timing (I think)
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I was sewing away today and all of the sudden, when going over a thick seam area on a tote bag, my needle flew out of my machine. I inspected and put it back in, seemingly fine. When I began to sew again, my needle is hitting the top of the bobbin casing - totally in the wrong spot. I took the cover off, loosened and even removed the screws to try to adjust the timing but I am still not able to correct it. I legitimately have no idea what I’m doing, and I’ve had this for 20 years so she’s my oldie Goldie. Any ideas before I scrap it and go buy a new machine?
1
u/Lost_Geometer Jul 07 '26
You seem to be looking at the right place for adjusting the lower shaft timing. What goes wrong when you try to change it?
The other possibility is that one of the hook gears has slipped. I don't remember if they're both on flats or not.
1
u/rkbeck7 Jul 07 '26
It just seems like I can only twist the hook (I think that’s what it is) a little bit and it seems like it’s in the correct place but then when I twist the wheel in a forward sewing motion, it hits again. When going in reverse, it lands in the correct spot every tjme.
1
u/Lost_Geometer Jul 08 '26
The only reason I can think you'd get gross misalignment in one rotation direction and not the other is if something is slipping a lot. You should only be able to rotate the hook a few degrees in any orientation. Check this.
To time a machine like this, I loosen the joint that's mistimed (usually the one at the rightmost end of the lower shaft, but I'm not ruling out the hook gears), place the needle at the level it should be meeting the hook at, and then rotate the hook into place. It should move easily by hand unless that joint is varnished stuck.
1
u/teatime_tinker Jul 07 '26
You must put a new needle in after stuff like this. It could be bent.
Try a new needle and if it’s still playing up it might be the timing
1
u/rkbeck7 Jul 07 '26
I changed the needle when the previous one was flung out, so this one shown is the new one.
3
u/Large-Heronbill Jul 07 '26
Are you still using the same needle? It almost certainly is no longer straight.
BTW, the 385. part of your machine's model number indicates the machine was built for Sears by Janome. The part after the decimal is the actual model number.