yay for happy endings!! =))

I hope you bought it!

I am back from the trip and first thing tried the cam stacks. Now the formerly stuck back one moves great and the front one appears to have gotten stuck while we were gone! It was moving very freely before we left and I left it doused in Tri-Flow. I guess I'm going to have to start wiggling, jiggling, and heating all over again!!!

The front one isn't just stuck because the back one is in a position that doesn't let it move? Try one of the "middle" positions and see if the front moves. The good news is that video works for the front selector too. It will look slightly different, but all 4 parts are still there to work and oil. Perhaps the front got jealous for attention....

It can take some time.

It can be a dab of dried up oil anywhere in the system - yes and if the other selector isn't seated they don't move well. Usually if they don't seat well there is still dried up oil somewhere - pesty dried up oil.

Wow, this is even more info than you guys gave me a few weeks ago for the same problem. I still don't have my 401 going because I lost a very small screw that holds the entire top thread tension assembly together. Miriam, the part you sent me looks to be the correct one and I was ready to put it all together and found that the ***** cat had tipped over the cup with all the tiny pieces in it, and the screw is gone. I suspect I vacuumed it up, not realizing that the cup was upended. So now to search for a screw. I truly want to use this machine so will do whatever to get it together correctly, and all the support here has been a lifesaver.

Oh yeah, I've been there. I think I periodically (as in once every 6 months) wash a screw down the drain when cleaning machines. I've done the hunt for screws on the floor too. A couple of hints:

• They go way further than you think they can.
• You can look directly at them 5 times and not see them, especially the tiny ones
• With the help of furry 4 legged friend, they can travel even further.
• If you have a magnet, any kind of magnet but the stronger the better, wave it around the floor and see if it "sees" something you don't (I can't tell you how many times that's worked for me)
• I have been known to "root around" in the vacuum cleaner canister with the magnet, you never know.
• Sometimes they don't hit the floor... ledges, bookcases, chairs, under the machine, under that big stack of paper or fabric... I don't know -how- it happens, I just know I've found things in the weirdest places. My new setup is actually worse for hiding screws than my old one. So much for progress. :D

I've also started keeping all parts in a plastic "tub", one of the so called disposables that Ziplock and Glad make or on a magnetic dish (like the ones I have in the garage for working on vehicles, but smaller). That way when I or the cats knock it over, I have a fighting chance of finding all the parts.

I think the reason we went so in depth for this one is because it took so long for Alyce's machine to give up fighting.

Screws have little tiny invisible arms & legs and some of them have wings, too. When they get loose they go anywhere and everywhere, turning cartwheels and doing aerobic exercises, dancing to their own music - they are Singers aren't they? Then they get tired and hide in the tiny little places places - then they laugh at you as you crawl around on the floor trying to find them with a magnet or broom. Oh and when they fly through the air, they throw lots of dirt and dust down to hide in. I don't know where they find all the dust and dirt - these screws are simply amazing.

I will watch out for loose screws (not the ones in my head!).

Good news is that the machine is unstuck and stitching all the stitches with the built in cams near as I can tell. I only have one "top hat" cam, and haven't tried that yet.

Now my question concerns the cam stack. It is very dirty. Is there a way to clean it up or just leave it be? Based on Miriam's advice, I don't want to try and take it apart. I am still way too much of a novice.

And another question regarding the grease in the gears. How much is enough? Too much? I put in a dab about the size of a pea and then worked it in. Is that enough?

And a question regarding FMQ. I know the feed dogs don't drop, but I'm thinking just set the stitch length to zero, like I do on my dinky mechanical Brother, and if I glue baste, there won't be any pins or threads to get in the way. Advice??

Thanks again everyone for your wonderful support.