# Machine out of whack, I may have broke it, Please help.



## casperboy77 (May 20, 2009)

I just got a Toyota AD860 and I don't really know anything about embroidery machines. I have spent hours reading and watching YouTube videos to learn what I can. Anyways The machine has been perfectly embroidering designs already in the machine plus one logo I have been working on. Yesterday I attempting to print my own made digitized logo again. Now I did center the hoop and told the machine to trace before I began. But for some odd reason the machine went close to the edge of the hoop and hit it and actually broke a small piece of the hoop right off! I stopped the machine as fast as I could. I then moved the hoop and low and behold the machine no longer embroiders properly. It appears to "pull" up too much of the bobbin thread and the designs are white on the edges and small text is completely white. 

It doesn't stop there... So I put in a new piece of material with backing and tried another design and suddenly when the machine was doing a color change it had the #2 needle in the machine and it tried to move over and grab #3 with #2 still in the machine! This caused an interesting jam and "Sewing Motor Lock" error. After about an hour I fixed that problem. I took out the bobbin case and bobbin and did a drop test and slightly adjusted it to where it appears perfect. The machine is still pulling too much white through I tried to add stabilizer I had 2 x 3.0oz cut away stabilizer on the back of a t-shirt! I went through the service manual and oiled the machine fully. I then was working on the timing for the bobbin case and found that is was already perfectly timed. I then thought that maybe the top tensions might be too high so I fiddled with that for a bit. At one point I made the top tension so loose that the knob came off in my hand. 

I am very frustrated and can't really afford to get a technician out here to look at it any time soon. Again this machine was functioning perfectly until it bumped the edge of the hoop and it only happened for about 10 seconds. Everything else appears to be perfect, nothing bent or out of place. Thanks for any help!

-Jim


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## lizziemaxine (Nov 14, 2007)

Your machine timing may be off from hitting the hoop. I don't have a Toyota so I can't tell you how to reset the timing. There may be a YouTube video on timing your machine. It really isn't as difficult as it might sound but it is something you need to know how to do yourself. Good luck with this.


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## FatKat Printz (Dec 26, 2008)

This logo you digitzed .. you have digitzing software or just auto digitizing?

Is the presser foot where the needle its in bent? Look closely make sure the needle is in the middle

Tip: 

Just an example.. if your design is 5 inches and some change and your hoop is 6 inches doing a trace is always good.. but if you have a trace light make sure its angled perfectly. If the light moves onto the hoop at all, and just because you are sure the design fits. Do a retrace but this time push down on the presser foot all the way that's doing the trace and follow along with..this will tell you if the pressser foot is gonna hit the hoop, your design is too big or you don't have it properly centered or your trace light is off


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

if you had a hoop strike you probably broke the reciprocator. you should have a tech come out and replace it.


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## casperboy77 (May 20, 2009)

I read on how to check the reciprocator and it moves up and down very easily by hand (as stated in a tutorial I read). The presser foot was off center slightly, so I bent it back over to center. It is at the right height and angle according to Toyota's Service Manual. 

Any other ideas as to what it could be? When looking through the service manual they don't refer to the part as a "reciprocator" so hopefully I am looking at the same part that is being mentioned. I think they call it a needle rod, is that the same thing? 

The needle and bobbin hook are perfectly in time as far as I can tell. I followed Toyota's Service Manual and used a caliper gauge to make sure it was perfect. This really has me baffled and bummed out. I can't afford a technician to come out at the moment (I already checked their pricing in my area). Is Coats brand bobbins any good? I was sent about 8 different prewound bobbins to try and all have same results currently. I also have 2 cases of bobbins from Data-Stitch. 

This problem did start right after the machine hit the hoop. If someone can please detail or send me a picture of a recipricator so that I know that I am looking at the correct part. Thanks again!


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

casperboy77 said:


> This problem did start right after the machine hit the hoop. If someone can please detail or send me a picture of a recipricator so that I know that I am looking at the correct part. Thanks again!


it may be called something different on your machine but basically when the needle strikes the hoop you will break a part along the drive shaft path. that part is designed to break away to avoid more damage to your machine. it would normally be where the head connects to the body of the machine and is what presses the needles down.


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## casperboy77 (May 20, 2009)

> it may be called something different on your machine but basically when the needle strikes the hoop you will break a part along the drive shaft path. that part is designed to break away to avoid more damage to your machine. it would normally be where the head connects to the body of the machine and is what presses the needles down.


Binki,

Thanks for the input. I checked and there isn't anything broken. Phew.. But I still can't figure out how to get it to embroider like it was.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

it may not look broken but is or it may be cracked. 

call toyota on monday and tell them about the needle strike and ask them what is the most likely part to replace. that will be it. 

it takes someone with experience an hour to replace.

here are the directions for an swf single head. it will be similar on the toyota. 

http://www.mesadist.com/downloads/reciprocator-single.pdf


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## FatKat Printz (Dec 26, 2008)

How fast were you going when it hit the hoop? does the hoop sit correctly into the arms (no gaps on the side) 
you could have loosen one of the arms on the side, as well. 

Now, on my embroidery machine (I have a removable needle plate- with screws) if you have that see if you can remove it and clean it underneath the plate and in and around the bobbin area.

Did you break a needle? or just part of the hoop? something may have fallen in there. Did you replace the needle? even if it didn't break.. 

Do you have an "H" test or a embroidered file that doesn't look like something you would embroider? its a file that tests every needle you have for tension. try and embroider that file after your replace the needle and check under the needle plate.


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## casperboy77 (May 20, 2009)

> Is the presser foot where the needle its in bent? Look closely make sure the needle is in the middle


WTF!! I can't believe it! That seems to have fixed the problem. The presser foot was off very slightly but I bent it back. Then I decided I better unscrew it and tighten it back down properly. I went to take it off and the screw was nice and tight but a little buggered so I went to Home Depot and got a new metric screw (M4 x L10) which is a plain steel screw instead of stainless but it will have to do for now. I put it back together and perfectly centered the needle and left a 1mm gap from the presser foot to bottom plate. I fired up the machine and had it stitch a default Tajima design and it is _almost_ perfect.



> Do you have an "H" test or a embroidered file that doesn't look like something you would embroider? its a file that tests every needle you have for tension. try and embroider that file after your replace the needle and check under the needle plate.


I actually know what you are speaking of because of a YouTube video I watched. From what I could see in the computer my machine didn't come with that test file. But I am a member of a Yahoo Toyota Embroidery Group and they have one that I downloaded for my 12 needle machine that looks like a bunch of large "I"s. 

Thanks FatKat Printz! you made my day! Now I can enjoy what is left of the weekend (all of 3 hours). Take care!


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## LB (Jul 25, 2009)

Kudus to you Jim! You hung in there and fixed the beast without that big repair bill from the tech. Many times necessity is the mother of invention. Congratulations on getting it going. I know nothing about embroidery machines but I know how frustrating your situation can be, been there, done that.


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## casperboy77 (May 20, 2009)

LB said:


> Kudus to you Jim! You hung in there and fixed the beast without that big repair bill from the tech. Many times necessity is the mother of invention. Congratulations on getting it going. I know nothing about embroidery machines but I know how frustrating your situation can be, been there, done that.


Larry,

Thank you! Yes very frustrating indeed. We just got in a bunch of new equipment for the business and trying to learn all of the new stuff so that we can start to offer the products to the customers. Time is short and money is tight and in the learning process to have a machine break down that I know nothing about yet was really causing me some undo stress. I am so relieved and can sleep well tonight. These forums are a life saver!


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## FatKat Printz (Dec 26, 2008)

You are welcome.. I had this happen once and freaked it. So now I am extremely cautious with my trace. 

good to hear you back up and running..


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## LUV DEM TIGERS (Jul 25, 2008)

On my Tajima Neo-2 I have had to replace the recipricator twice. One time a bind on the frame caused the machine to go haywire and it hit the frame. It still sewed but it made a strange clicking sound and some other odd motions when sewing. The second time was when I had a logo professional digitized and I new the size was well within the frame. The problem was that the digitizer didn't "center" the design. Now I don't take any chance. 

I can change the reciprocator in less than an hour and the hardest part is getting the front faceplate to "click" back into place.


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