Singer 401a stitch selector

I just did a seldom-used stitch on my Singer 401a and now all of a sudden the right (inner) selector knob is jammed. I can't get back to straight or zigzag & I'm stumped. I can see a metal part through the selector track where the selector seems to jam, but no amount of jostling seems to move it out of the way, & to be honest, I'm not sure that's where the jam is... just looks that way.

Any thoughts? I'm ready to put the waistband on a new skirt... so near & yet so far!

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Reply to
qrious
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Is quite common problem from lack of, or improper service the slide that runs up and down the post to put the cam followers on the correct cams get gummed up. Sometimes just a couple drops of sewing machine oil and manual manipulation to get it moving is all that is needed. Other times a good chemical clean.

Reply to
Ron Anderson

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Reply to
qrious

The part that slides up and down the post.

It's been a while since I've been inside one of those critters, but I believe the post has notches in it to hold the slider in the proper place for each stitch. There is a little piece on the slider that fits into the notches. If the machine has not been properly maintained, that little piece might not be moving out of the notch, becoming a physical obstruction. As Ron wrote, sometimes you have to clean and lubricate all the moving parts associated with the stitch selector before it will resume working properly.

gwh

Reply to
Wayne Hines

That is it exactly

Reply to
Ron Anderson

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