Are you sitting down? Your machine has a broken plastic gear on the top of the vertical shaft. It can't be powered or turned by a gear on the horizontal arm shaft any longer, so the pulleys, timing belt, and hook have to power or movement. That's the good news! (yikes!) It is a 15 to 20 step process to remove the arm shaft and pull the old vertical shaft OUT THE TOP of the machine as per the Singer Service Manual ($8.99 to download here: manualsoncd.com/product/singer-353-354-genie-sewing-machine-service-manual/ ) You can then install a new vertical shat/gear and reverse all those steps to put the arm shaft and the parts that attach to it back together. Then you just need to retime the machine. Whew! It is a real workout. Here is my video of replacing that broken gear on a model 457, where it is relatively easy to pull the vertical shaft OUT THE BOTTOM of the machine kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g5mSededu5e9Zqc.html If you watch some of the video you will see the process. You should be able to look down into the top of your machine next to the cam stack where the vertical shaft comes up to the arm shaft gear. You can probably see the teeth on the gear are damaged, broken off. The problem with models like the 353 is that the top gear is usually permanently attached to the vertical shaft and can't be removed like the one in my video UNLESS someone already replaced that top gear in the past and you DO HAVE the gear with screws. Have a lucky star? Nahw, me neither but maybe you are lucky. You can buy a new shaft/gear for $16.99 from this trusted seller: www.vintagesingerparts.com/collections/singer-model-353/products/new-replacement-top-vertical-gear-shaft-fits-singer-models-242-247-248-252-257-259-267-300-350-353-354-360-362-368-1263-1280 If you got lucky and the gear was already replaced once then you can just buy a new gear. So for about $30 you can get the parts and the manual, invite a good friend and spend a day (or two, haha) replacing your gear. So sorry to give bad news, and may I say your question was impressively thought and present with the utmost clarity! Nicely done, that. Good luck.

@@andytubesewing1953 Oh wow your reply was so fast, you beat me to adding the followup that "I found the culprit! It was the plastic gear head of the top of the vertical shaft! I found it inside snapped in half!" haha. Oh dear... I am so grateful to have learned as much as I have in the last 12 hours in exploring this mystery under your tutelage on this KZfaq channel!

@@andytubesewing1953 I have learned so many new terms from you (and that service manual, ha!). I'm intimidated for the next steps but any chance you'd want to make a video about how to walk through this challenge??? :) EDIT: I just reread your response more carefully, clicked your link, watched your helpful video, and am still intimidated but oh-so encouraged. Andy you are an international treasure. This is my new favorite channel.

@@andytubesewing1953 Final question: Since the top gear snapped completely off and I was able to get all of the gear out with pliers without touching the arm/horizontal shaft, does this mean I have a lucky star after all and I can pull the vertical shaft out of the bottom like in your video? I uploaded a photo of the recovered gear pieces here: imgur.com/gallery/QEB8rzt

@@daywhitney I figured you would find that gear before too long since you had the covers off and could explore.

I have seen a couple of Mon Ami models and I do think they have the same mechanics as the Genie sold in the USA and the Starlet sold in the EU. Thanks for watching my channel.

I do not have the service manual for the machine. Here is a link to T and T Repair where you can get a schematic of the parts if that will help. www.tandtrepair.com/Genie_Series.html Terry mentioned a while back that he was replacing the gears, and may have good advice for you. Don't hesitate to email him. I have sought his help before and he has always come through for me. I have purchased some of his instruction guides and they are very good. Best Wishes.

Thank you. The Genie is a great little machine. Here is a good place to get some information about it from a guy who's been in the business for 30+ years. www.tandtrepair.com/Genie_Series.html The panel removal guide is a big help. Thanks for watching Andy Tube.

Thank you!! Much appreciated

Sounds good. Maybe brush out lint, a belt and LED bulb then fresh oil?. The only known weak point of the machine is the plastic gear on top of the vertical shaft. I've been hearing from people about a broken gear on the model for about 6 weeks now. If you do take the covers off maybe take a peek at that gear. It meshes with a vertical gear on the main arm shaft, to the right of the cam stack. The machine is going on 50 Y.O. and the plastic gets brittle over time. A new gear is about $10 but it's a process to get in there and change it out. Good Luck and family machines are the best to own, IMO. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g5mSededu5e9Zqc.html

Thank you very much, and Happy Thanksgiving to You also. We have so much to be thankful for don't we? Be safe and take care. ✨

Here is what I have: Direction for panel removal: site.tandtrepair.com/Genie_Items/Panel_Removal.pdf Parts schematic 353/354: site.tandtrepair.com/Schematics/353_354.pdf Singer 700 tension unit theory (closest I found to the Genie tension unit: site.tandtrepair.com/700Stuff/FreeStuff/TensionTheoryOfOperation.pdf That's it and good luck.

I Agree! My favorite portable Singer Zigzag Sewing Machine 💯% kzfaq.info/sun/PLsCOZgzzaiKJvzcqn97Yh8lvx-tbdFl2p Thanks for watching my channel.

Hi Victoria. I never had to remove the handle from the bracket, but I remember there were some retaining rings that held the screws on in the back. Like C-Clips. It looked like they had to be pried off to dismantle the assembly. Terry Fielding at www.tandtrepair.com/ has a free "panel removal" guide I believe. He wrote it himself and it shows how to remove all the panels. It may mention removing the handle. You can also go here to download a free parts Diagram and list. The exploded view of parts may help you see how it is held together. parts.singerco.com/CPpartCharts/3_39999/353_354.pdf Good Luck.

Andy Tube - Thank you for your reply. I did download the tandtrepair.com dismantle guide but sadly it did not refer to the handle. You are correct on those super tiny c-clamps. I will check out the other sight you noted. Again, thank you.

Maybe you should sit down? You have a broken plastic gear on the top of the vertical shaft. This is a common problem with machines of that age. I was getting so many requests for help that I made a gear replacement video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g5mSededu5e9Zqc.html I see it has 30K views now so you can see it is really a common problem. My videos cover how to remove the shaft and gear from the bottom of certain models of machine. Sadly there are a dozen or so models where they need to be removed from the top and your machine in one of those. This is a very involved process requiring the removal of the main horizontal arm shaft and most of the parts attached to it then putting it all back together. Yikes! It can certainly be done. Recently I've heard for a couple of viewers who managed to get the old gear off the shaft and made an existing opening in the side of the metal frame bigger to get the gear out then new gear in. The rest of the process was taking the shaft out and in from the bottom like my video. That saved about 12 to 15 steps each way for removing the arm shaft as shown in the Service Manual available for $8.99 here: manualsoncd.com/product/singer-353-354-genie-sewing-machine-service-manual/ You can buy the replacement shaft/gear online including from this trusted (by me) seller: www.vintagesingerparts.com/collections/singer-model-353/products/new-replacement-top-vertical-gear-shaft-fits-singer-models-242-247-248-252-257-259-267-300-350-353-354-360-362-368-1263-1280 You can find it on eBay sometimes too. Sorry to give you bad news but trying to be upfront and honest as to what to expect. Rarely, and I mean rarely, the gear has already been replaced and the problem is something caught it the gear, or worm gear of the main arm or somewhere else, but nearly 100% of the time you will find pieces of that gear on the oil pan after you remove the covers; a classic tell of the broken gear. The manual covers removing the covers and all the adjustments and remove relace instructions for the whole machine. That all I have for you and best of luck.

Hmmm... you have me wondering what the "right noise" is. Nothing happens at all? Like the handwheel goes around? the needle bar goes up and down? Usually what I hear is just the hook does not go around in circles to grab the thread. Here are 20 more videos about the 353/354 model. Maybe you could glance through some of them and get a better idea of the situation and give me a little more detail? I'd be happy to help if I could understand the problem better.

@@andytubesewing1953 thank you so much for your kind reply. Well...is like that: the bobbin is working , I can hear the , I don't know exactly how to call it, the motor working but the needle bar don't move when I press the pedal. I don't know when was the last time when my mother-in-law used it. When I opened it today it worked for a bit ( the needle) . I said the right noise because for me the sound of the motor seems to be the same...just the needle don't move. Thank you again for your help

@@di9875 Diana, I'm so glad you replied b/c I owe you an apology. I mentioned 20 more videos but forgot to post the link! Oh man, but here it is: kzfaq.info/sun/PLsCOZgzzaiKJvzcqn97Yh8lvx-tbdFl2p So one thing that can happen with a stored machine is the oil gets tacky and dry. When you first run the machine and parts start moving the oil can actually warm up a little, get soft and make parts stick together. Also, the motor belt is connected to the handwheel which connects to the main arm shaft and that shaft is what works the needle bar. The belt gets dry and crumbly. When you first start the motor the belt grips and turns things, but the dried-up rubber material just starts flaking off and then the belt loses it's grip and won't turn the handwheel so you hear the motor running but nothing moves as the belt is slipping on the motor pulley and handwheel. It can also make a funky, burnt rubbery smell. If you just turn the handwheel towards you (always towards you) with your hand you should see the needle bar move, the feed dog move to pull the fabric under the needle and the hook goes around the bobbin case. So, a badly worn, dried out belt equals no needle movement. One more thing to look at is if the handwheel was put in bobbin winding mode where the disc inside the end of the handwheel was pushed where the little bobbin symbol is. When in BW mode, only the motor, belt and handwheel turn to wind the bobbin on the spindle. That mode stops the other parts of the machine from moving to save wear. To release bobbin winding mode and go back to the full movement (sewing mode) you push on the disc on the opposite side of the bobbin symbol. You can hear and feel a click as you go back and forth between modes. You can download a FREE copy of the instruction manual from SInger at this link: www.singer.com/search/support?title=354 It is a copy of the original in PDF Format and very helpful. One of the videos in the playlist I gave you this time (sorry, again, hehe) is about how to oil the machine (also in the manual) so you can try that to loosen up parts. Here is that video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o8t1eK6IvKmnn30.html To really work best on the machine for cleaning and oiling and inspecting it is much better to take off the covers, and my videos show how to do that, and many more maintenance steps. Thank you for your patience and I hope you can be using that lovely ZZ machine in the future. Good Luck.

Let me start with the Tri-Flow question. I use the one with P.T.F.E. ( Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. The best-known brand name of PTFE-based formulas is Teflon by Chemours. Chemours is a spin-off of DuPont, which originally discovered the compound in 1938.) I absolutely use it on machines with metal gears, like the model 403A. The P.T.F.E. reduces friction which reduces heat and those two things are the enemy of moving metal parts. I also found it sticks well to the gears and has a high temperature rating. The gears on that 403A get hot when sewing. For me, using grease on plastic gears is somewhat optional. If I have a plastic gear mating with a metal gear I usually use the grease. If I really feel grease is even required in a plastic-to-plastic set-up I will use a small amount of the Tri-Flow b/c it is rated "safe" for most plastics. Congratulations on finding a Genie model. Model 353/354 Genie and Starlet Models use the Apollo Bobbin Case, along with about 200 other models of Singer. www.vintagesingerparts.com/collections/singer-model-353/products/singer-apollo-bobbin-case-fits-many It is about the least expensive bobbin case and I always buy them in pairs b/c they are plastic. Your new one should be factory set at a good tension level, and if that was the only problem with your machine you should be good to go. Of course, there can be other reasons for thread hanging in the bobbin area, but just clean the area good an try the new bobbin case. With the upcoming popularity of the Genie models paying $60 is not too high a price. It is my favorite "portable" zigzag machine.

@@andytubesewing1953 Thank you! I just rewatched your video and caught the Tri-Flow notation and actually could read the tube. I must have been distracted the first two times. I just finished ordering the bobbin case, grease, and new rubber feet as the originals were DEAD! Oh, I didn't see plastic gears in your video, except for the stitch control dials. It was about 1990 when I tore my first one down and I remember cleaning out a lot of rust from the water damage. I live in AZ too, and yes - the dust and Sandy grit gets in everything! We are in Fort Mohave/Bullhead City, across the Colorado River from Laughlin, NV so there is plenty of sand here. Thanks for your reply. I love your videos. My husband and I cruise thrift stores and often find sewing machines that just need a good cleaning and oiling to put them into service. Then we donate them to our church or friends in need. He finds them, I 'fix' them. I am a sewing machine repair person wannabe!

The Genie has a plastic gear on the top of the vertical shaft. It meshes with a gear on the horizontal arm shaft. The vertical shaft goes down below to the pulley on the right side that runs the belt and pulley to the hook. In the Singer service manual it shows putting a little grease on those two gears. Many years ago I traveled highway 95 thru your area to get to Interstate 10 at Blythe and go west. That is a Colorado River area, right? So besides the famous sands of the Arizona desert, I remember it was humid there. Sand & humidity! Trouble for electro-mechanical devices like sewing machines. You touched my heart when you mentioned how you rescue those machines, clean them up and donate them. I love it and thanks very much for saving the machines and getting them back in service. If my videos help you do that, then I am a very happy fellow. Bless you, both. Like my Mom used to say, "you'll get your reward in Heaven", hehe. Stop by anytime and take care.

+tk 516 Thanks for the comment. I do not currently have a Singer 6215c in stock. To remove the top cover there is 1 screw above the needle bar area, and 2 screws back next to the bobbin winder area. Once the top is off you can usually set all the stitch sliders in the middle position ad unclip the plastic pattern cover. Sometime there is a small bracket and screw just inside the top of the machine right against the front edge. I'll add a link to a store where you can purchase a service manual (not instruction manual, but repair type manual) for $10. These usually show how to remove and replace both parts. Sometime you can find a service manual for free by Google Search. You can go to www.singerco.com/support/instruction-manuals and download a free copy of almost any Singer instruction manual. Link to buying a service manual: www.sewusa.com/Sewing_Machine_Manuals/Singer_Manuals/Singer_1000&UP/6214_Instruction_Manual.htmI am NOT associated with sewusa in any way or manner.Best Wishes tk 516 :)

Sewing genie

My best tip is patience. It is quite a process to change the vertical shaft on this model. It certainly can be done. I made a video about changing the top gear for other Singer machines: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g5mSededu5e9Zqc.html The problem with the Genie is the top gear is not held on the shaft with screws but is permanently attached. That means the whole shaft/gear combo has to be replaced from the top of the machine. You need to remove the horizontal arm shaft, or at least partially remove it. That alone is a 12 step process before you even get to the vertical shaft replacement. You can download a free copy of the parts diagram and find the part number for the shaft here: parts.singerco.com/CPpartCharts/3_39999/353_354.pdf You can buy a downloadable copy of the service manual for $9.95 at this link: parts.singerco.com/CPpartCharts/3_39999/353_354.pdf It shows the step-by-step process for both shafts. You can buy a replacement shaft/gear from Terry here: site.tandtrepair.com/Genie_Series.html Terry will give you 20% off whatever you buy before 8/1/2019 if you use coupon code andy-h-yt. You may also buy just a gear if you want to try and reuse the existing shaft. There may be other sellers of the shaft/gear also as I do not know what country you live in. So to recap, it can be done if you are patient and persistent. Good Luck, and thanks for watching Andy Tube.

@@andytubesewing1953 Thanks, please advice the part number of the plastic gear in the vertical shaft. Do you know where I can the part?

@@anthemcoveral The gear is usually permanently attached to the shaft (not always) and you have to replace the shaft/gear together. I have heard of some people drilling out the rivets on the gear and forcing a new gear onto the existing shaft. Get a free parts diagram here: parts.singerco.com/CPpartCharts/3_39999/353_354.pdf Here is one seller of the parts and he will give 20% discount if you use coupon code andy-h-yt site.tandtrepair.com/Genie_Series.html If you want to see more videos of the 353 Genie here is a link to my latest videos about it: kzfaq.info/sun/PLsCOZgzzaiKJvzcqn97Yh8lvx-tbdFl2p Good Luck

The Service Manual usually list that info. Remembering the motor in the 353 I'd say a minimum of 900 stitches per minute. That is a common speed for vintage machines, although some are much higher.

well i lost the machine because the buyer removed it

@@ocean101bob4 Weird! Wonder why. www.shopgoodwill.com/Listings?st=singer%20sewing&sg=&c=&s=&lp=0&hp=999999&sbn=false&spo=false&snpo=false&socs=false&sd=false&sca=false&caed=4/18/2020&cadb=7&scs=false&sis=false&col=0&p=1&ps=40&desc=false&ss=0&UseBuyerPrefs=true Sometimes the "buy it now" machines will ship for 1 cent.

@@andytubesewing1953 HI ANDY, WOW I never ever heard of that site and I checked some machines just to get shipping fees and fees are very reasonable. Thanks so much for the info you provided. BOB

@@ocean101bob4 I heard about from my viewers. I think Goodwill gets a discount on the shipping as a charity. Some people have reported damage during shipping then GW gave them a refund. Worth a try. Good Luck.

Thank you for sharing. $199.95 in 1978 would be $793.76 in 2018. I just saw on on my local OfferUp for $20.

i think because it's liquid metal with plasmatized plastics. Singer never made another one like the Genie.

@@andytubesewing1953 I'm busy repairing the 354 model...a small nightmare to be honest! :-)

Oops! Sorry to hear that. The items on this page may be of help. site.tandtrepair.com/Genie_Series.html Some are free and if you buy something here use coupon code andy-h-yt and get 20% off until 7/31/2019. Good luck, Chris.

@@andytubesewing1953 thank you!! :-)

Well I am a size 36 in but if you talking about the machine do you mean the timing belt or the motor belt or both?

¿Por qué no aprende a ayudarse a sí mismo activando los subtítulos y cambiando el idioma a español? Si tiene una computadora o computadora portátil, así es como se hace: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h5NmkpqQycjMgqM.html Si usa un teléfono Android con la aplicación de KZfaq, aquí se explica cómo hacerlo: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gbaDmtiWq8WnoJs.html Hay alrededor de 80 idiomas en los países que ven mis videos. No tengo tiempo para proporcionar subtítulos para todos esos. Puede aprender fácilmente a hacerlo en cualquier video de KZfaq que desee y tener subtítulos en español.